Construction Industries Exhibition at Hebron Expo...an economic sector in the face of declining demand and market challenges

Hebron - Ofoq News - The Construction Industries Exhibition 2026, in its fifth edition, was opened in the city of Hebron, with the participation of dozens of Palestinian companies operating in various sectors of the construction industries, in an event that brought together manufacturers, contractors, engineers and specialists, in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Muhammad Mustafa and a number of ministers and official and public figures. The exhibition was organized in joint cooperation between the Engineers Syndicate and Hebron Expo.

The exhibition comes in light of the difficult economic conditions that the Palestinian economy is going through, which was reflected in the construction and real estate sector through the decline in demand for real estate and the decline in construction activity and licensing, while those working in the sector see that the exhibition constitutes a space to promote the Palestinian product and enhance integration between the various sectors of the sector.

Hebron Expo General Manager, Rami Natsheh, said that organizing specialized exhibitions was one of the main goals when the exhibition was established, pointing out that the Construction Industries Exhibition is one of the largest specialized exhibitions in the country, and one of the largest specialized exhibitions hosted by Hebron Expo.

He explained that the exhibition includes multiple sectors of the construction industries, including stone, marble, wood, iron, cameras, and others, noting that the opening of the exhibition witnessed the presence of the Prime Minister and a number of ministers, official figures, ambassadors, and businessmen.

For his part, the head of the Engineers Syndicate, Engineer Tariq Al-Zaro, said that the importance of the exhibition stems from the importance of the construction sector, which, according to his estimates, represents more than 20% of the Palestinian national economy, indicating that holding the exhibition in these circumstances aims to highlight the Palestinian product and factory.

Al-Zaro added that the union seeks to bring together the national producer, the Palestinian importer, and specialists under one roof, in a way that facilitates communication between the various parties in the sector, stressing that the current stage requires more cooperation between the Palestinian economic and professional sectors.

The head of the General Federation of Palestinian Industries, Nassar Nassar, also said that the exhibition represents a model of integration between industry, contractors and engineers, pointing to an agreement that took place about a year and a half ago between the Federation of Industries, the Engineers Syndicate and the Contractors Union with the aim of strengthening this trend.

Nassar said that the message carried by the exhibition is “a message of steadfastness and construction,” noting that the participating Palestinian industrial companies are able to contribute in the future to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

He added that the integration between the presence of manufacturing capabilities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip’s need to rebuild could open the way for Palestinian economic cooperation, saying: “We have excess manufacturing, and we have excess labor there, and God willing, we will not need anyone and we will build our country.”

Declining demand for real estate

On the other hand, activist in the real estate and construction business sector, Yousef Kamal Hassouna, presented a more difficult picture of the market reality, pointing out the decline in demand for real estate in the West Bank by about 40%, according to the studies and research on which he relied, in addition to the decline in building permits by about 20% in the various governorates of the West Bank.

Hassouna attributed this to the decline in workers’ income to work at home, and more than 200,000 workers lost their jobs there, in addition to the continuing crisis of employee salaries and restrictions imposed on lending and credit facilities for real estate.

He said that these factors were directly reflected in the local market and the construction sector, calling on the Palestinian Authority to adopt large housing projects that could provide job opportunities for tens of thousands of workers, in parallel with providing housing for youth and citizens in easy installments and over long periods.

Hassouna suggested benefiting from Arab and international funds and financial institutions to finance such projects, pointing to previous experiences and agreements in this regard.

He also proposed the idea of ​​expanding construction in areas classified as “A” and “B,” considering that construction could constitute one of the economic paths to confront settlement expansion in areas classified as “C,” in addition to stimulating demand for Palestinian construction industries.

Hebron...an economic activity and a political message

Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin said that holding a specialized exhibition of this size in Hebron reflects the presence of a strong and advanced Palestinian private sector, considering that the continued organization of these events opens the way for the establishment of more specialized exhibitions in the governorate.

Counselor Ahmed Hassouna, the logistical coordinator for the Hebron Expo exhibitions, explained that the Construction Industries Exhibition 2026 brought together various sections of the construction sector, at a time when the Palestinian market is facing a decline in demand, liquidity, and job opportunities. The participants in the exhibition raise the issue of enhancing reliance on the local industry and linking it to contractors, engineers, residential projects, and reconstruction, and this, in turn, will work to restart the rotation of the economic wheel.

In turn, the Mayor of Hebron, Yousef Al-Jaabari, said that the governorate has witnessed a wide range of activities in recent months, noting that these activities have economic, social and environmental dimensions, in addition to the political dimension.

Al-Jaabari explained that the political goal is to put Hebron back on the map, and to develop a clear plan to confront settlement and settlement plans by enhancing the city’s presence and economic activity.