Organisers of The Big 5 construction shows have announced that the first African edition titled The Big 5 Construct East Africa will take place in Nairobi, Kenya late next year
The organisers, who have conducted major construction shows such as Big 5 Dubai and Big 5 Saudi, have said that the inaugural African event will be held from 2-4 November 2016 at the Kenyatta International Conference Center. The new show will be a central meeting point for regional buyers of construction products to interact with global distributors and manufacturers.
dmg events vice-president for construction Middle East and Asia Andy White said, “The Big 5 brand has grown rapidly in recent years from its established home in Dubai and now takes place in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India and Indonesia. Our exhibitors are constantly looking for new markets and The Big 5 helps them reach the right buyers in markets where construction is booming. East Africa is an exciting market, with plenty of opportunities and one which is of real interest for our international and GCC clients.”
According to officials at dmg events, the African continent’s construction sector is growing rapidly, thanks to major investments being on mega projects. The value of these projects grew by 46.2 per cent in 2014, reaching a total of US$326bn from US$222bn from 2013.
The show is expected to give international suppliers and manufacturers direct access to architects, interior designers, engineers, contractors, and real estate developers, seeking new and innovative construction products. In addition, the event will also feature free-to-attend technical seminars, certified workshops and training programmes including ‘How to Trade in East Africa,’ strategic conferences, live product demonstrations, and business matching for manufacturers and local distributors.
Marked development in oil and gas and retail has helped boost the total value of projects in East Africa to US$61bn in 2014. It is estimated that an investment between US$60bn to US$70bn is required for infrastructure development in the oil and gas sector alone, added dmg events. Government support and strong economic fundamentals in place, East Africa is poised to develop into a flourishing market for construction in the next few years, predicted the organisers.
