dmg events, an international exhibitions company based in Dubai, said that it will hold The Big 5 exhibition in Egypt from 18-21 September, at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre (EIEC) in 2018. dmg added that The Big 5 Construct Egypt will be the second largest construction show after The Big 5 Dubai. The show's first edition will be held over 24,000 sqm split across two exhibition halls and an outdoor area. It will also host almost 20 country pavilions, including from Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain, China, Greece, Turkey, and France, among others. The company noted that The Big 5 Construct Egypt comes at a time when the country is witnessing a construction boom with more than $335bn in active projects. The event will bring in the latest technologies from leading global brands and will support knowledge sharing, while facilitating business opportunities between local and international innovators in the sector. The Big 5 Construct Egypt will showcase 360-degree building solutions. These will be clustered across six product sectors: mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) services, building interiors and finishes, building envelope and special construction, construction tools and building materials, construction technology and innovation, and plant machinery and vehicles (PMV). Josine Heijmans, portfolio event director at dmg events, said, "The Big 5 has been a year on year success in Dubai for almost 40 years running. Over the last few years, the exhibition has been held in a number of countries beyond the UAE, including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Kenya, becoming the largest and most influential go-to exhibition for the construction sector in the Middle East." Along with megaprojects in the pipeline and already underway, Egypt is rapidly becoming a very lucrative construction and real estate market. Projects such as the $45bn New Administrative Capital, $40bn earmarked for the national plan for affordable housing, $3.5bn Egyptian metro system upgrade, and another $11.2bn set aside for another three mega housing projects are indicators of a major overhaul in housing and infrastructure, according to Heijmans. Heijmans commented that Egypt's construction sector is expanding rapidly and has a tremendous growth opportunity. The Big 5 Construct Egypt is supported by the Egyptian Federation for Construction and Building Contractors (EFCBC) and the African Federation for Construction Contractors Associations (AFCCA). The associations are promoting The Big 5 Construct Egypt to 30,000 members in Egypt and 25,000 members in Africa, with organised delegations. Some of the largest manufacturers and distributors of building products and materials partnered with the event, including the international Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the Saudi-based Al Bawani Company, Al Amal, as well as Egypt's Sphinx Glass and Ezz Steel.
