Khalid Bin Fadl Aqil, deputy mayor of Jeddah, inaugurated the Saudi Building & Interiors Exhibition (SBIE'10) on behalf of Mayor Adel Fakeih, at the Jeddah Center for Forums & Events on Sunday. After visiting the various stands, the deputy mayor was delighted at the exhibition, saying that the quality and standard as well as the environmental aspect were considered. “This is good. A wide variety of material in building construction and interiors is on display, which means a huge choice is offered to the consumers and the citizens of Jeddah who can go ahead and build a better and beautiful house,” he added. The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry has estimated that the Kingdom requires at least 2 million new homes in the next five years to address population growth needs. Similarly, the ministry of education has outlined a $ 4 billion plan to build 4, 000 schools. A large number of Saudi companies are participating in the event. International exhibitors include Bahrain, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malta, Pakistan, Spain, Syria, Thailand, The Netherlands, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. “The expo offers a dual platform for building and interiors providing Saudi and international companies with a world class forum from which to promote products and services,” said Zahoor Siddique, exhibitions director, Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions (ACE), organizer of the event. “The wide spectrum of high profile professional visitors from across the Kingdom and neighboring Gulf States ensures SBIE's place as an integral part of any marketing strategy for Saudi Arabia,” he added. A seminar also opened as part of the event. It will cover seven topics and a discussion panel. Tuesday's program covers topics as Sustainability in Makkah Mega Project by Dr. Faisal Alshareef, and The Role of Engineers in Urban Development by Dr. Osama Alshawa. This will be followed by discussion panel, which will include Alshareef, and Alshawa. Topics on Wednesday include Facility Programming & Design by Esam Almomen, and Governance in Professional Societies by Abdullah Khojah.
