McGraw-Hill Construction Report Identifies Innovative Market Trends and Opportunities in Middle East Gulf States

NEW YORK -

McGraw-Hill Construction has released its most recent issue in the SmartMarket intelligence series, Cities of the Future: Pioneering Innovation in the Gulf Countries of the Middle East, which provides new insights on market opportunities in the Middle East for the global construction industry. Produced with the support of the U.K.-based Chartered Institute of Building, the report contains first-hand perspectives and case studies alongside economic data and trend analysis to identify how firms can engage in large, highly visible projects that can provide a competitive edge in an otherwise difficult financial environment.

“The Middle East is home to some of the most innovative and iconic construction projects and practices in the world,” said Harvey Bernstein, vice president of Industry Analytics, Alliances and Strategic Initiatives at McGraw-Hill Construction. “With this report, we wanted to examine the latest trends in this emerging market and what influence these iconic structures may have on driving change in the global construction marketplace.”

The report focuses primarily on activity in the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where efforts to diversify largely oil-based economies have led to increased investment in tourism and real estate. Spending on building projects has risen significantly in the GCC in recent years, and this trend is now also becoming visible in countries throughout the rest of the region. Although this rise has been offset by slowing in markets like Dubai in the wake of the global financial crisis, the report finds that the GCC and the Middle East continue to represent critical and strategic market opportunities for construction firms around the world.

“In today’s market environment, the Middle East offers an opportunity to engage in large-scale and highly visible construction projects,” said Fabio Casula, head of International at the Chartered Institute of Building. “The region has become a test bed for cutting-edge concepts, and the world is watching these projects to see how they will shape industry trends of the future.”

In the Cities of the Future SmartMarket Executive Brief, leading project managers, designers, engineers and thought leaders share their perspectives on regional changes and identify opportunities through case studies that shed light on major trends such as master-planned cities, next-generation skyscrapers, culturally iconic institutions and facilities, luxury hospitality and entertainment, and island developments. Also provided is a regional overview of the Middle East.

For more information or to download the report for free, visit www.construction.com/market_research/FreeReport/MESM.asp. For more information on the Chartered Institute of Building, visit www.ciob.org.uk.

About McGraw-Hill Construction

McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects and products across the design and construction industry. For more than a century, the Company has remained North America’s leading provider of construction project information, plans and specifications, product information, industry news, and industry trends and forecasts. In print and online, the Company offers a variety of tools, applications, and resources that easily integrate with its customers’ workflows. Backed by the power of Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record (ENR), GreenSource, HQ, SNAP and 11 regional publications, McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers within the US$5.6 trillion global construction community. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were US$6.4 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

Source: McGraw-Hill Construction

Lisa Jaycox, Communications Specialist, The McGraw-Hill Companies Information & Media, +1-212-512-3272, lisa_jaycox at mcgraw-hill.com, or Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications, McGraw-Hill Construction, +1-212-904-4376, kathy_malangone at mcgraw-hill.com