Leading local and regional players in the heavy machinery industry in KSA and across the GCC landed in the coastal city of Jeddah as the largest construction and equipment exhibition in the region, as the Construction Machinery Show opened its doors last month.
The event was inaugurated by His Excellency Hani Abu Ras, mayor of Jeddah in the presence of the show’s Asian and European delegates. Following a brief ribbon cutting ceremony, Dr Abu Ras – who recently picked up an award for development of the year at the Big Project Awards – declared the show open.
This year’s Construction Machinery Show featured major industry players in the KSA construction equipment industry including Saudi Diesel Equipment, Roots Group Arabia, Kanoo Machinery, Abahsain Co, Al Qahtani and many more.
“This year’s show saw the display of over 70 brands showing the latest heavy construction and machinery equipment,” said Raz Islam, Publishing Director and organiser of the event. “It comes to support a booming construction market in the Kingdom which is eager to learn more ways to apply new technologies and efficient construction methods that would further enhance the market and increase its construction capabilities.”
Raz further pointed out: “This is the largest exhibition of its kind and the exhibitors should be proud and therefore invest in stand designs and branding. If you represent a major brand, you should follow the guideline set by the manufacturer. It is great to see the event looking professional and getting better every year. The gathering of all these players is an ideal opportunity for all to benefit from their presence and their experience.”
The Construction Machinery Show’s success was also an indication of the constant growth of the construction market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which is the largest construction market in the Middle East. The Kingdom is home to an array of multibillion dollar projects with a diverse set of industries from hospitals and medical facilities to universities, cities and industrial and infrastructure projects, all due to complete construction projects within the coming decade.
The show featured companies showcasing a host of construction and machinery products, services and solutions ranging from diggers to crawlers, from cranes to trucks, and lighting firms to generator businesses.
The massive range on show demonstrated why the Saudi market for heavy equipment is the dominant force in the Middle East. Neighbouring markets such as the UAE, which has plateaued since collapsing following the global financial crisis, Qatar which is still awaiting its own FIFA World Cup 2022 and Vision 2030 boom and Iraq and Egypt, which have their own unique challenges, are all considered potentially exciting areas.
However, if you want to see the biggest range and volume, the Kingdom is the place to be. Subsequently the show was a mixture of established dealers in the market such as Saudi Diesel and Kanoo, as well as some of the biggest names in the industry tussling for a share of contractor and operator attention like Sany, JCB, TATA, Case (via Roots Group) and LiuGong, and many others.
The Saudi Diesel stand was arguably the most impressive among a packed show, showcasing and reflected managing director Raad Abduljawad’s philosophy that the Kingdom needs a forum to bring together as many players in the industry as possible.
“We need a construction machinery show in the country that is successful,” he said. “We need to support it and we will invite our competition to do so.”