Dubai- Masaader News
- Manufacturers, stakeholders and industry experts will unite at the 11th annual edition
- The free-to-attend, four-day event will take place from the 28th to 31st of March
- An expected turnout of 15,000 attendees and 400 exhibiting companies
With approximately $173 billion worth of projects under tender in the GCC, of which $80 billion are in the KSA, the Big 5 Saudi Construction Leadership Summit – a leading construction platform which highlights the latest technologies from world-leading brands – is making its timely return to Riyadh this month, for the second consecutive year.
In 2020, the GCC witnessed a drastic decline of 35% in total contract awards of construction projects; this was directly correlated with lower government spending, falling oil prices, and most notably the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these factors resulting in 2021 being the worst for the market in almost two decades, Saudi Arabia’s standing as the region’s largest economy should encourage optimism.
Paul Arnold, Managing Director of Sovereign Saudi Arabia, elaborated by highlighting multiple reasons for why the GCC is well positioned for a strong resurgence.
“As the Kingdom strives to reduce its dependence on oil and simultaneously diversify the economy, efforts to ramp up PIF (Public Investment Fund) tendering in recent months have and will continue to help achieve the advancement of Vision 2030. Since the summer of 2021, NEOM alone has entered into full-scale construction with development worth an approximate $500 billion. In addition, there are still $720 billion worth of projects under the PIF program, where only 1% have so far been awarded.”
Currently, there is over $2.3 trillion of known planned and un-awarded projects in the GCC pipeline, and the KSA has the largest share of this at $1.18 trillion; the UAE has about half of the Kingdom’s total at just under $650 billion, followed by Kuwait, Oman and Qatar who each have between $125 billion and $170 billion in future projects.
Paul added, “Even if only half of the scheduled projects are to go ahead, this would still compare favourably with the more than $1.2 trillion worth of contracts that have been awarded in the region over the past decade. The Big 5 Saudi Construction Leadership Summit has been known to spur collective collaboration, and with projected figures indicating a very healthy short-term pipeline, the 11th annual edition couldn’t be happening at a better time. I strongly encourage those within the industry to attend, as the event is an international arena with 30 countries scheduled to exhibit the latest technologies which will assist in propelling the sector forward.”
Industrial revolution continues to accelerate innovation and progress across all sectors; and the construction market has been no exception. Emerging technologies such as 3D printing, and the internet of things are increasingly being employed on projects; and as digitalization gains momentum, clients are demanding greater efficiency and reduced costs. The fast approaching Big 5 Saudi Construction Leadership Summit will further introduce industry enhancing opportunities by serving as a catalyst to discussions centered around key themes such as economy, sustainable development, leadership, investment, technology and people.
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Note to Editors: Sovereign is also known for its ‘Sovereign Art Foundation’ (SAF), a charitable organisation founded in 2003 to recognise, support and promote contemporary art talent; and to bring the therapeutic benefits of art to disadvantaged children. To date, SAF has raised US$ 10 million for children’s charities in many locations. For more information about the initiative, please visit www.sovereignartfoundation.com
About Sovereign & AEI (Arabian Enterprise Incubators)
Sovereign AEI are trusted experts in foreign direct investment and leaders of commercial success in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; a unique strategic partnership bringing together an experienced world-leading brand with a premium regional expert. As such, Sovereign AEI has been created for any corporate body looking to enter, establish or expand in Saudi Arabia. As a corporate service provider of choice, Sovereign AEI provides a distinct understanding of the perceived challenging and sometimes fluid marketplace to help clients operate a successful business and share in Saudi’s success.
Sovereign AEI is well positioned to support the government’s diversification efforts aiming to attract foreign direct investment and create jobs for millions of Saudis. Through the provision of best-in-class valuable advice, Sovereign AEI eases market-entry and accelerates the number of corporate entries being able to align with Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 reform plan and its journey to become a more viable location for foreign businesses. In that sense, Sovereign AEI plays a key role in strengthening Saudi’s economy and improving its ranking in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report.
Equipped with a collaborative team of multicultural experts, Sovereign AEI delivers professional, premium, quality services aligned to international standards. Clients benefit from a network of agents in all major international finance centres that provides local expertise with an international dimension, whilst enabling clients to access a global service from a local point of delivery. AEI are already the trusted partners to foreign governments including the United Kingdom and the United States. Sovereign AEI work with various businesses including SMEs, global multinational firms and like-minded professionals including law firms, accountants, capital companies, HR consultancies and many more, creating new business opportunities on both a regional and international scale.
For more information about Sovereign, please visit: www.sovereigngroup.com/saudi-arabia
For more information about AEI, please visit: www.aeisaudi.com
Media Contact:
TOH Public Relations / Karim Geadah / kgeadah@tohpr.com / +971 43828900