THE BIG 5 PREVIEW
http://www.mepmiddleeast.com November 2018 | MEP Middle East 37
hat are the major opportu-
nities you spot in the GCC/
UAE construction industry?
Looking at the Middle East coun-
tries, UAE can be seen as one of
the fastest growing countries with its econ-
omy. Its construction industr y has ranked
third among the construction industries of
the Middle East countries. The construction
industr y in the UAE is the third largest eco-
nomic activity after oil and Trade, and most of
the construction activities takes place in Abu
Dhabi and Dubai by approximately 6000 con-
struction companies. Today, there are lots of
ongoing and newly planned projects in GCC/
UAE. Construction activity in Dubai will re-
main robust in the next two years with de-
velopments related to Expo 2020, being one
of the main driving force behind the sector’s
growth. The scope of the Expo will include
investments in tourism-related projects, com-
mercial infrastructure, and transportation de-
velopment (aviation and metro links) – along
with the countr y’s economic diversifi cation
goals in the areas of healthcare, education,
and transportation. The construction market
will defi nitely grow on a faster pace.
What are the major growth drivers for the
construction industry in the UAE or Dubai?
The industr y is expected to expand over
the forecast period (2017–2021), driven by
positive developments in regional economic
conditions and subsequent improvements
in investor confi dence. Moreover, the gov-
ernment’s various large-scale investments
in transport and commercial infrastructure
projects on the back of the upcoming ‘World
Expo 2020’ will be a major driver for the in-
dustr y’s growth over the forecast period.
Furthermore, Dubai is the commercial hub
and the most popular tourism destination in
the region. It has a strong economy and in a
geographically accessible location. These are
the main growth drivers for the construction
industr y in Dubai.
The UAE construction industr y’s growth
will also be driven by the government’s plan
to increase the share of renewable energy in
Ozan Turan, International Business Development Team Leader at ODE
Insulation, talks about the growth in the construction sector
“UAE CAN BE SEEN AS ONE OF THE
FASTEST GROWING COUNTRIES”
terms of total energy consumption, encour-
aging investment in renewable energy infra-
structure. The government aims to generate
7% of the countr y’s total electricity needs
through renewable sources by 2020. This
will also increase the need for the insulation
materials.According to you, what are today’s top 3
trends in the construction industry?
The most important trend is to provide
system solutions. Second one is quick/on-
time deliver y and ser vice. Third one is to be
able to guide and advise the installers on the
construction fi eld.How do you think the construction industry
will evolve in the next years?
The traditional view of construction is se-
riously out of date as the introduction of
new processes, new technologies and new
ways of working is turning the industr y on
its head. Construction companies that can
adapt to the change will have a good chance
of staying in business and not disappearing
like many companies. Digital technologies
continue to move at a rapid pace. Some of
the leading construction companies are
ahead of the cur ve and have been early
adopters of technology. Those that can de-
ploy and adopt these technologies will be
better equipped than their competitors at
delivering quality projects and higher satis-faction among their clients.
With the adaptation of new technologies in
the construction sector, some other topics
like Carbon foot print, Nano technology
products, smart homes, green buildings,
zero energy buildings will be also talked
aboutWhat is the biggest challenge for you in the
market this year and why?
Currently, we are manufacturing four
product groups (Glasswool, Elastomeric
Rubber Foam, Extruded Polystrene,
Bitumen Waterproofi ng Membranes). Last
year we have increased our production
capacity for bitumen waterproofi ng
membranes. This year, the biggest challenge
for us is to introduce new waterproofi ng
products and penetrate the market with our
wide product range. Different countries
have different product standards. We are
analysing the existing products in our target
countries one by one and developing new
products for each of these countries.Are there any innovative Products/Solutions
your company has developed?
Currently, we are developing a special roof-
ing membrane product by using local natu-
ral minerals. This project is supported by
the Scientifi c and Technological Research
Council of Turkey.What products will you present at The Big 5
show this year?
We will launch our environment friendly
green glasswool product ODE Starfl ex ECO
Acoustic product, which contains fi berglass
used for thermal, sound and fi re insulation
and ODE bitumen membrane with white
aggregate stone. We aim to meet with new
business partners from the MENA region
covering the Middle East and North Africa,
especially from the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) and Saudi Arabia and also from Asia,
Europe and America, to take part in major
ongoing construction projects in the region.W
Ozan Turan.