DUBAI — BICSI, the association advancing the information and communications technology (ICT) and extra low-voltage (ELV) communities, successfully concluded its Technical Roadshow across key cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Tech Roadshow that was held in Jeddah, Riyadh and Al-Khobar on Oct. 13-17 attracted ICT/ELV professionals including architects, consultants and engineers to network and share experiences and expertise.

Overall spending on information and communication technology (ICT) in Saudi Arabia is expected to reach $34.5 billion this year. That’s according to the latest insights, trends, and predictions presented by International Data Corporation (IDC).

Paul Weintraub, RCDD, ESS, RTPM, TECH, CAE, BICSI Vice President of Global Development and Support, said: “We are focusing our efforts on the EMEA District to meet the ever-increasing needs of the ICT/ELV community and the Saudi Tech Roadshow was an initiative in this direction. The roadshow provided a platform for the ICT/ELV professionals based in Saudi Arabia to exchange ideas and learn from the experts in their field.”

The roadshow featured presentations on a range of topics including Digital Ceiling Lighting and Cabling Design Challenges, Construction Products Regulation, Network Cabling Infrastructure, and Edge Data Centres.

Kasper Huisman, Strategic Marketing Director, Enterprise Connectivity EMEA, Belden, addressing the session on “Construction Products Regulation - Details, Comparison and Experiences,” said: “The BICSI EMEA Saudi Tech Roadshow 2019 reaches out to a large audience of ICT professionals in Saudi Arabia, and as a global leader in signal transmission solutions for mission-critical applications, Belden took an active part in these series of events. A key topic was Construction Products Regulation (CPR), the fire regulations for cabling. Originally devised for the European Union, parties outside the EU, such as Saudi Arabia and the GCC region are now also interested in details and background of CPR.”

The BICSI Saudi Tech Roadshow was supported by Trident Technology Services/Panduit, SETRA/Belden, Fluke Networks, Vivanco, AT&T Cabling Systems, Siemon and AlFalak. Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) was the supporting association for the Saudi Tech Roadshow. — SG