“THE MAIN CHALLENGE WAS CARRYING OUT STRUCTURAL DEMOLITION” BOULEVARD EXPANSION DUBAI MALL ITP MEDIA GROUP / BUSINESS 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 • ISSUE 762Wall Furniture : MAXIMUS BAHIA WAVE Floor : MIX WOODCONTENTS 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 • ISSUE 762 ASGC guides CW’s Ranju Warrier through Emaar’s Dubai Mall Boulevard Expansion project SITE V ISI T 24 SPECIAL REPORT Ashley Williams speaks with Depa Group director, Abdoullah Albizreh, about its activities in KSA MODULAR BUILD Losberger De Boer Middle East’s Waleed Khaled on modular construction’s future potential FEATURE Acciona’s COO Luis Clemente shares insights into 3D Printing & Sustainability with Disha Dadlani EDITOR’S LETTER Ashley Williams outlines Construction Week’s plans to adapt to the remote way of working INTERVIEW Anup Oommen talks with SRTI Park’s CEO on how construction materials can combat COVID-19 EXPO REACTION Anup Oommen gathers responses from major representatives of several country pavilions on Expo 2020 Dubai’s inevitable postponement 10 14 16 20 30 34 STAT OF THE MONTH SAKANI’S HOUSING PROJECTS KSA is raising the number of under-construction housing developments for the kingdom QUOTE OF THE MONTH POSITIVES OF EXPO DELAY Expo rescheduling will help UAE developers adjust to market trends: Samana Group CEO 08 06 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 34 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18-30 APRIL, 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM PUBLISHED BY AND © 2020 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC. 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Barandah Building, Prince Faisal Ibn Fahad RD,KHOBAR www.rgsksa.comQUOTE OF THE MONTH WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM6 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 RESCHEDULING EXPO 2020 DUBAI “WILL HELP UAE DEVELOPERS ADJUST TO CHANGING MARKET TRENDS” When Expo 2020 Dubai’s Steering Committee came to a consensus along with participating member countries to explore a possible year-long delay of the World Expo, in collaboration with the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak became a stark reality to many. However, reactions to the World Expo’s postponement have been largely positive, especially among country pavilions (turn to Page 34 for details), and UAE real estate developers, as well as many other stakeholders. Following the official announcement of the Expo 2020 Dubai consensus on 30 March, the chief executive officer of Samana Developers, Imran Farooq, said: “The rescheduling of Expo 2020 until October 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak has lent more time to UAE property developers to negotiate with the regulator for a host of relaxations that will benefit developers, investors, and end-users alike” Outlining the positive impact of the World Expo’s postponement, Farooq said that the delay would be a “good chance for developers to adjust to the changing market trends and re-align their marketing strategies” to match the changing interests of local and international investors. In a statement to Construction Week, Farooq said: “Postponing Expo 2020 is a bold and wise decision taken by the International Expo Committee and the Dubai Government.” Farooq added: “As the world attempts to understand and tackle the financial and human impact of COVID-19, holding the Expo 2020 this year would not give entities a fair platform to showcase themselves because the world would be distracted and recovering. “Many other international events have been postponed for similar reasons.” A final decision on postponing the World Expo can only be taken by the BIE’s Executive Committee and its General Assembly according to Article 28 of the BIE Convention. “If the Expo 2020 Dubai is held in 2021, Dubai will then be given ample time to complete its preparations. “The world will also be ready to witness the greatest show on earth,” Farooq concluded. The chief executive officer of Samana Developers, Imran Farooq, told Construction Week that UAE property developers now have more time “to negotiate for a host of relaxations” “Postponing Expo 2020 is a bold and wise decision taken by the International Expo Committee and Dubai Government” [Photo courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai]A CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE IN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT WEDNESDAY 10TH JUNE DUBAI, UAE #FMMEAwards www.FM-middleeast.com/awards Now in their 13th year, the Facilities Management Middle East Awards will once again bring the FM sector together to acknowledge the region’s top performers. FOR SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: VINAY RAVINDRAN Group Sales Manager Tel: +971 4 444 3155 Mobile: +971 55 810 1197 Email: vinay.ravindran@itp.com In association with FOR NOMINATION ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: RAJIV PILLAI Editor Tel: +971 4 444 3588 Email: rajiv.pillai@itp.com FOR EVENT NQUIRIES, CONTACT: TERI DUNSTAN Events Manager Tel: +971 4 444 3227 Email: teri.dunstan@itp.com SILVER SPONSORS FACILITIES & CONTRACTING CATEGORY SPONSORS FOR TABLE SALES ENQUIRIES, CONTACT: ANTHONY CHANDRAN Table Sales Executive Tel: +971 4 444 3685 Email: anthony.chandran@itp.comSTAT OF THE MONTH SAUDI’S SAKANI OFFERS 63,000 HOUSES IN 14 UNDER-CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Housing-led ‘Sakani’ residential programme has raised the number of projects under construction in Makkah’s Al-Mukarramah region to 14, which takes the total number of under-construction units provided in the region to approximately 63,000. The most recent additions to the programme’s under-construction developments are two housing projects in the Jeddah governorate, which will provide an additional 8,083 housing units to eligible citizens. The Sakani initiative – which aims to help Saudi families find and own homes through simple and affordable electronic procedures with immediate entitlement – has called on the kingdom’s citizens to visit the Sakani website; view the details of the units; and book the residential units electronically, or call the unified call centre (199-090) for inquiries about the two projects. The Obhur Park project – which is located in the northern part of the Jeddah governorate at the intersection of King Saud and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Street – will provide 8,000 residential units under construction, covering a total area of more than 1,145km2. The built-up area of the apartment- type residential units will range from 125m2 to 256m2, with the total price of the units starting from $108,000 (SAR406,000) and monthly installments starting at $360 (SAR1,355). The Mogan Village project – which is also located in the northern part of Jeddah on a total area of 28,300m2 – will IN 14 UNDER-CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS The total price of housing for eligible Saudi citizens will start from $108,000 (SAR406,000) for apartment-type units, and $253,000 (SAR950,160) for villas include 83 villa-type residential units under construction, with prices starting from $253,000 (SAR950,160), and monthly installments starting at $843 (SAR3,167). The projects will have integrated infrastructure, with services such as electricity, water, and sewage, as well as sidewalks, lighting, a torrential drainage system, and the availability of sufficient public facilities. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Housing aims to increase residential ownership among its citizens to 70% by 2030. More than 57 housing projects at various stages of construction are being developed in the kingdom. The programme provides Saudi nationals access to residential plots, self- construction home options, prefabricated units, as well as under-construction houses, among others. 8 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Saudi Arabia aims to increase residential ownership among its citizens to 70% by 2030 [Photo courtesy: Sakani]A SPECIAL REPORT FROM CONSTRUCTION WEEK ON KSA ITP MEDIA GROUP / BUSINESS APRIL, 2020 • ISSUE 762Next >