It’s no secret that the Construction Week Conference and Awards is the biggest industry event in the UAE. We are now in our fifth year and it seems that each succeeding awards dinner grows a bit more.

How is it that the construction industry views this annual event with such excitement? The answer is simple. It’s what’s happening in the UAE itself. Construction booms without any signs of a slowdown. Contractors and developers use spunk and ingenuity to overcome obstacles that stand in the way of progress. There always seems a way to find enough steel, concrete and labour to push through projects that give Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the surrounding area its new and compelling identity.

The UAE and neighboring GCC countries are enjoying a construction renaissance not seen since early 20th century New York and Chicago and post-war London. All eyes are on the region, taking note that what happens here sets the tone for future building elsewhere in the world.