Global Construction Experts to Speak at Summits during Arabian Construction Week 2011

Discussions to Focus on Integrated Construction for Sustainable Builds

Dubai-UAE: 13 February, 2011 - Clarion Events Middle East, along with Corporate Publishing International, strategic partner of Arabian Construction Week 2011, today announced that its debate series and conferences - buildingSMART ME, Green Building, Infrastructure and Climate Control - will witness an array of international speakers analyzing the significant advantages of interoperability in construction and development.

The Building Smart debate series will focus on the importance and implementation of integrated construction and Building Information Modelling technology in an effective and realistic manner, highlighting success stories in America, Europe and Singapore. Industry experts will emphasize the need for technology, people and process standards to ensure high-quality designs and significantly lower construction costs in the long run.

Speakers at the debate will include: Tahir Sharif, Founding President - buildingSMART ME; Michael Jansen, Chairman, CEO and founder - Satellier Inc.; Mark Baldwin, BIM Implementation Manager - Oger International Abu Dhabi; Leif Granholm, Technical Director - buildingSMART ME, and many more eminent personalities in the field.

The Green Building Summit will have a selection of the world’s green building industry leaders highlight ‘green’ technologies, practices, materials and initiatives that can benefit construction sites across the Middle East. Speaking about the future of this sector in relation to the environment and costs will be Ben Watts, Editor of BuildGreen.

Dr. Neil Kirkpatrick, Head of Environment and Sustainability, Royal Group, said: ”Abu Dhabi and the UAE have some of the highest sustainability impacts of any city and country in the world. Under the leadership of our government, we are fortunate to have some of the most advanced systems and tools to help us minimise and mitigate those impacts. The Royal Group is a leader in understanding how to use these tools as well as how to benefit from the development and implementation of strategies that go beyond regulatory requirements. As part of our Corporate Responsibility and desire to safeguard this beautiful country in which we are fortunate to live, we look forward to sharing our experiences with you.”

The importance, benefits and cost savings of using solar-powered water re-use projects will be established by Peter Neuschaefer, Director Middle East for Water, Energy and Environment Technologies, Waagner Biro Gulf Projects with the Dubai Municipality Environmental Department. He will also address the need to invest by both the public and private sectors to propel innovation in order to sustain an environmentally friendly region.

Some of the speakers at the Green Building Summit include Rupert Oliver, Director - Forest Industries Intelligence Ltd. & Consultant for Sustainability Issues - AHEC; Karim Aly, Chairman - Emirates Biodiesel; and Rabih Fakih, Founder and Managing Partner - Grey Matters (Group of Companies).

Infrastructure is a vital market for the region's construction industry as GCC countries plan to invest heavily in various infrastructure projects, with Abu Dhabi at the forefront. The Infrastructure Summit will focus on opportunities and challenges in developing key areas of infrastructure, such as building schools, ports and industrial projects, and roads and railways.
Markus Rupp, Product Manager – Civil Engineering, PERI Formwork, Scaffolding and Engineering, will present the need for better transport networks for the future, specifically due to landmass restrictions and the population increase in the region.

Abu Dhabi has long-term plans of constructing an intercity rail system by 2015. Tim Burbury, Construction Projects Counsel (roads and railways), King & Spalding International, will highlight the demand drivers for the rail project and establish the need for having such a system in order to retain greener communities.

Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) has a 10-year strategic plan to revolutionize its education system. Grant Bowery, Regional Director, Meinhardt Middle East, will outline the steps to designing superior and economical buildings, reducing maintenance costs while achieving an Estidama three-pearl rating.

Concentrating on the business aspects of the summit will be Cynthia Corby, Partner – Construction, Deloitte. She will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of having strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors and how this partnership will maximize success. Jay Palmos, Managing Consultant, Hill International, will discuss the political challenges faced in today’s economy and how sustainable projects can benefit each country and the region in the long run.

Central to the Climate Control Summit is the debate between District and Standalone Cooling Systems. International experts will present the advantages and disadvantages of each system to the environment, as well as discuss the associated benefits and costs to both businesses and end users from both financial and health perspectives.

Participants of the Climate Control Summit include Dr Nawal Al Hosany, Associate Director - Corporate Sustainability; Adib Moubadder, MD - Emicool; George Berbari, CEO - DC Pro Engineering; Sougata Nandi, Executive Director, Asset Management & Sustainable Development – TECOM, and others.

Christopher Hudson, Managing Director, Clarion Events Middle East, said: “The UAE’s large capital investment in the construction industry makes it one of the world’s most exciting project markets. Arabian Construction Week 2011 will welcome distinguished speakers and a veritable who’s who of industry leaders and prominent personalities in the global construction industry. Visitors will benefit from in-depth discussions on the current state of the industry as well as emerging opportunities, making it a must-attend event for all industry professionals.”

The Arabian Construction Week will take place from March 28 to 30 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). The event will simultaneously feature three dedicated trade shows, including the Green Building Middle East for sustainable construction solutions; Future Build Middle East for innovative construction products; and Civil Engineering Middle East highlighting major infrastructure developments.

About Clarion Events Middle East

Clarion Events Middle East, a Clarion Events Partner, with offices in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai has grown into a highly successful business. In 2009, over 800,000 targeted people visited their 200 exhibitions, conferences and seated events across Britain, Europe, North and South America, Africa, Middle East and Asia.
The business-to-business and business-to-consumer, serve 15 different market sectors that include; Defence, Energy, Construction, Retail, Leisure, Entertainment, Finance and Life Sciences.

Clarion Events employs over 400 people in twelve offices: UK (London Earls Court Exhibition Centre, and Birmingham NEC); Germany (Bielefeld); The Netherlands (Maarsen); South Africa (Cape Town); USA (Connecticut and Reno): Brazil (Sao Paulo); United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi and Dubai); Singapore and Turkey.

More information on www.mecomforums.com.


About the Arabian Construction Week

The Arabian Construction Week combines three events dedicated to the construction industries: Green Building Middle East, Future Build Middle East and Civil Enginnering Middle East.

In addition to the three dedicated exhibitions, the Arabian Construction Week will host four international summits including Building Smart, The Green Building Summit, the Climate Control Summit in association with ASHRAE and the Infrastructure Summit.

More information on www.arabianconstructionweek.com.