< PreviousSPECIAL REPORT 10 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEE WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM “Setting the benchmark for industry standards in saudi arabia"18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 11 SPECIAL REPORT Depa Group director Abdoullah Albizreh speaks with Construction Week’s editor Ashley Williams about how they have contributed to Saudi Arabia’s construction sector and its outlook for the kingdom Regarded as one of the world’s leading interior contractors, Depa Group has delivered some of the most complex projects including the globe’s tallest tower Burj Khalifa, Atlantis the Palm and the 7 star hotel Burj Al Arab. With an impressive pipeline of fit-out projects, one of Depa’s main markets for the Middle East is based in Saudi Arabia as it taps the huge demand of work for the kingdom’s built environment. Depa’s history in Saudi Arabia dates back 12 years ago when they established a full time office in the kingdom, but had previously delivered projects in the country. Speaking exclusively to Construction Week, Depa Group’s director Abdoullah Albizreh says that they have contributed to the Saudi Arabia construction sector by setting a “high benchmark” in industry standards. “Our work has materialised due to expanding our client base in KSA and past performance of successfully delivering similar projects in the kingdom,” says Albizreh. “We have been in talks with new key clients and we have carefully selected them for the last 16 months, providing construction intelligence and advice before the tender is released to help clients with their developments in the region.” He added: “KSA and the UAE are the two biggest markets in the GCC and they account for more than 50% of the construction sector in the region. We have recently refocused the business on the core WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM RUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM FOLLOW CONSTRUCTION WEEK @CWMIDDLEEAST competencies and key geographies whilst implementing a robust risk management plan. We identified UAE and KSA as our two main markets.” Delving into the details of fit-out works within Saudi Arabia, Depa has completed and is currently in talks with some of the most prominent developments in the country. “Depa is helping the kingdom with its social and economic infrastructure developments including two iconic metro stations: KAFD metro, which is designed by Zaha Hadid, and Olaya Metro,” explains Albizreh. “Depa is also delivering two hospitality projects with Hilton and five cinemas to help KSA diversify its economy away from SPECIAL REPORT 12 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 including demolition, scaffolding, floor self- levelling, stadia design and fabrication and constructing the warm shell.” Commenting on the growing entertainment infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Albizreh believed that this sector “The entertainment sector is booming and there is a race for market share among investors to build a cinema or entertainment centre in each location before the competition does.” was “booming” and there is a race for market share among investors to build a cinema or entertainment centre in each location before the competition does. “Unlike many other sectors, investors in the entertainment sector are finding that their business plans have a high return on investment and are easier to fund by lenders,” Albizreh explains. “There are huge developments in this sector as investors are finding it attractive, there is a huge demand by the end user, and still not enough competition. Banks are supporting these developments and there is a race to grab market share.” Despite the successes for Depa in Saudi Arabia’s construction market, Albizreh WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM an oil based economy. We are tendering a number of projects with the Public Investment Fund (PIF), KAFD, Kempinski Hotel, Intercontinental Hotel, four cinema operators, and are in talks with Qiddiya, Amaala and Diriyah Gate.” Expanding on its fit-out works with cinema operators, Muvi Cinemas, which is Saudi Arabia’s first homegrown cinema brand, awarded Depa the contract for the complete fit-out and MEP works at five cinema projects, comprising 39 screens in the kingdom in February 2020. The contract, which includes three cinemas in Riyadh (a total of 16 screens), one in Jeddah (17 screens), and one in Buraydah (6 screens), will cover a total area of 15,854m2. The project will be designed by London-headquartered architects and masterplanners Chapman Taylor, and will be managed by Dubai-based Compass Project Consulting. The contract award was revealed exclusively to Construction Week at the time, and Albizreh says that the procurement and shop drawing development is almost completed. “We have mobilised to four cinemas and initial works have been completed Depa said that Saudi Arabia is among the main markets for its t-out works Photo courtesy: © Depa Group Abdoullah Albizreh Director, Depa Group Photo courtesy: Depa Group18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 13 SPECIAL REPORT admitted that it hasn’t come without its challenges. “The main challenge in Saudi Arabia is that clients are appointing main contractors to do the fit out works. Unlike the UAE, the interior fit out package is a provisional sum nominated to the main contractor by the client to ensure quality and cost.” He added that clients awarding main contractor fit out packages is not part of contractor’s expertise and they are trying to educate and recommend the provisional sum model as clients and hotel operators are not achieving the desired quality of interiors. “Clients need to look at financial institutions to fund their projects and not contractors. Clients that issue a tender state that the advanced payment is 10% with an accelerated program. “For a company like Depa, which employs thousands of in-house labour and has its own manufacturing facilities, construction is not an issue with the available resources, but getting material to site for this large labour force to work on is critical. “Suppliers demand 30-50% advanced payment, which means most projects are in negative cash flow for the contractor until the end of project.” In addition, these are not the only challenges that Depa has faced as the Middle East construction industry is witnessing unprecedented times from the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are developing mitigation plans to minimise delays as I believe this will be inevitable for projects. This will mean that we have to re-forecast our projected revenue in KSA, and we might have to work double shifts once the curfew is over to make up some of the lost productivity of shorter working hours,” Albizreh admitted. “We are taking measures of checking everyone’s temperature every day before entering the sites or office. "We have set new mandatory regulations by increasing distance between office employees, providing masks and gloves for workers, inductions for drinking water regularly and washing hands every hour, installed wall sanitisers of working to make sure our employees are safe, and our sites are not contaminated with the virus to WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM ensure business continuity and minimise business disruption.” Although times are uncertain at the moment for Saudi Arabia, Albizreh concluded that the construction sector can grow tremendously over the coming years. “We have already witnessed an increased workload in the construction sector due to the Vision 2030 agenda, which is acting as a driver for activity in the country. "Unlike other markets, KSA is not saturated, the kingdom does need more cinemas and more hotel rooms, especially in Makkah and Medina. During 2019, 193 new construction, 190 manufacturing and 178 ICT companies were established, compared to 111, 113 and 111 in 2018 respectively.” He added: “Saudi Arabia needs theme parks and they do not have a metro system yet, and most airports are overdue for an upgrade. The challenge is for the kingdom to ease regulation, which has started and has had a very positive effect. We need to find finance through investors and lenders to make sure these huge plans or projects are delivered, which might be more challenging than we think.” “The main challenge in Saudi Arabia is that clients are appointing main contractors to do the fit out works.” Photo courtesy: © Depa Group14 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM MODULAR BUILD With the rise of mega and gigaprojects in Saudi Arabia and the rapid urbanisation of the Middle East, there is a growing demand for projects to be built faster and more efficiently than ever before. Traditional construction methods have long been held as the best way to build structures. However, as project timelines shorten and developers require bigger projects much faster, the industry is turning to modular construction to meet this demand. Speaking to Construction Week about the benefits of modular construction, Losberger De Boer’s sale director, Waleed Khaled, says “speed” is at the core of how the firm offers its solutions. “Our off-the-shelf structures enable us to design, manufacture and deliver high-quality solutions in a factory setting, to transport and assemble them onsite. Individual sections of our structures can be manufactured simultaneously, unlike traditional construction that dictates a building must be erected in a pre-set order according to a project timeline,” says Khaled. “As multiple activities can be completed at the same time, project delivery timelines can be decreased significantly, with an average reduction of between 40 and 50% for the large-scale projects we have delivered.” In terms of projects for the Germany-headquartered firm, Khaled elaborated that Saudi Arabia’s gigaprojects are on its “radar” and they are looking for opportunities to support the kingdom’s ambitious development plans. “In 2018, we accelerated the launch of the iconic Qiddiya project by delivering an integrated complex of 15 semi-permanent buildings, including the Panorama Dome – the only one of its kind in the kingdom,” Khaled adds. “To deliver this impressive project within 60 days, our team worked 9,360 hours over 36 days – the same structures would have taken up to two years to erect using traditional, non-modular, permanent builds.” As well as gigaprojects, Losberger’s other targets include assisting businesses and organisations to meet their commercial goals. “We have successfully delivered a number of sales centres in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which have helped organisations to commercialise far faster than if permanent construction solutions had been used. “We will also continue to deliver temporary solutions to governments and healthcare providers in the form of our rapid deployment systems.” Khaled also explains how modular construction can provide a quicker return on investment. “Quicker build times allow developers to see a return on modular buildings faster, resulting in lower carrying costs, those expenses incurred by customers in the period Losberger De Boer Middle East regional sales director, Waleed Khaled, outlines to CW’s Ashley Williams the need for the industry to embrace modular construction and to put building technology at the fore before a development is complete and generating revenue. “Modular construction also offers consistently high quality at the right price point. By designing and manufacturing modules in-house and off-site, any challenges can be spotted and rectified immediately, so the client doesn’t run into defects on site.” With all the firm’s successes, it hasn’t come without its challenges as Khaled admitted that the firm has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Khaled explained that despite the disruption from the virus in the event sector, it has also led to an increase in demand for other solutions. “As with many businesses, we have been impacted by COVID-19. We have seen a significant decrease in enquiries for event solutions, and confirmed events have been cancelled in light of social distancing and government measures around the globe to curb the spread of the virus,” says Khaled. “Part of this decline has been mitigated by increased demand for “Modular construction has turned a corner” Losberger De Boer delivered semi- permanent buildings for Qiddiya [Image: Supplied]Waleed Khaled Losberger De Boer Middle East’s regional sales director, Waleed Khaled, is an experienced, hands-on operations executive. With more than two decades of experience, 14 of which have been spent in the UAE, he is adept at identifying opportunities, developing business and executing projects. Khaled has delivered bespoke, turnkey modular construction and temporary structure solutions throughout the MENA region, with a particular focus on the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Khaled has worked on projects with some of the most prestigious and well- respected developers and authorities in the region, and he has been successful in forming long-lasting, valuable partnerships with major corporations, investors and major industry players. He has extensive experience in commercial and entertainment sectors, having worked on some of the region’s most iconic projects, including Qiddiya Entertainment City, MDL Beast Music Festival and many more. Khaled has an in-depth understanding of how to meet customer requirements, offering solutions that exceed expectations and are delivered on-time, every time. He is results-oriented and has a proven track record in driving ef ciencies and maximising corporate resources and budgets for his clients. Khaled continuously seeks out new opportunities to enable developers and asset owners to excel in all aspects of project management, providing solutions that meet challenging timelines and budgets. He has established the balance between ensuring clients’ corporate objectives are being met and providing outstanding customer service. 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 15WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM MODULAR BUILD dining facilities for their employees.” He adds: “We are also assisting ports that require temporary storage facilities while there are delays in goods being shipped inland. We are working hard to contribute to all sectors where our products can help organisations continue operations, aiming to mitigate as much disruption as possible.” Looking ahead, Khaled concluded our products that can contribute to ongoing efforts to keep the public safe and healthy, such as structures that can be used as triage centres, test facilities and isolation wards for medical centres. “Some organisations have requested additional canteen facilities so they can follow social distancing guidelines set by authorities while still providing Losberger De Boer Middle East’s regional sales director Waleed Khaled [Image: Supplied] that he was convinced that modular construction will make up a much larger part of the built environment market’s future. “Modular construction has turned a corner in not only construction materials and methods, but also the region’s perception. One only has to look at the ambitious projects being announced in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region to know that modular construction will play a very large part in these developments being completed on time while meeting the quality standards expected.” 3D PRINTING & SUSTAINABILITY 16 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 Construction Week speaks with Spanish sustainable infrastructure solutions provider, ACCIONA, about its distinct approach to 3D concrete printing and its adoption of powder bed and extrusion technologies in the field WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEE WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM a "newborn, niche market" climbing to the topa "newborn, niche market" climbing to the top Image: Shutterstock18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 17 3D PRINTING & SUSTAINABILITY With the ever- evolving and dynamic nature of technology, industries across the world continuously adopt varied tools to create efficient solutions. English author Douglas Adams had once said, "We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works.” Today, technology is beyond 'stuff that works'; there are many boxes to tick, with cost efficiency, sustainability, speediness, and adaptability topping the list. In the construction industry, 3D concrete printing or additive manufacturing is identified as a "newborn niche market that will compete with other construction tools and technologies," chief operating officer of sustainable infrastructure solutions company ACCIONA, Luis Clemente, tells Construction Week. "Concrete 3D printing will keep growing rapidly in the coming years," he adds. Dubai's 3D Printing Strategy — announced in 2016 by the Vice President and Prime minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum — aims to transform the emirate into a ‘leading hub of 3D printing technology’ by 2030, and dictates that 25% of the buildings in the emirate will be constructed using the technology by 2030. Stating that 3D concrete printing not only compares well but is an ideal alternative to the traditional methods of construction, it reaps benefits such as low costs and freedom of shape, Clemente says. "As technology keeps developing, other advantages such as automation and higher productivity will gain even more importance. This already happened with other 3D printing technologies that have evolved from rapid prototyping to actual production." More recently, the company built the Middle East's first 3D-printed bus stop in the emirate of Ajman, in line with the Ajman Transportation Authority's vision. The bus stop was the first project in the region to be printed using powder bed technology. The printing work for the 4.5m long, 2m wide, 2.3m high, 3-tonne bus stop was completed in less than 10 hours, ACCIONA confirmed. Commenting on the 3D-printed bus stop, Clemente said in a statement: “The project allows us to showcase another way of applying 3D concrete printing technology: making iconic, innovative and sustainable urban street fittings." Industry response to 3D printing tech In 2019, ACCIONA launched the world's largest operational 3D printer in Dubai using powder bed technology. Speaking about the product, ACCIONA's Middle East managing director, Jesús Sancho, said in a statement: " The arrival of the world´s largest 3D printing machine in Dubai's Ras Al Khor Industrial Area represents the availability of this revolutionary and unique technology in the GCC, and represents our pursuit to achieve a better planet." After launching the world's largest operational 3D printer in Dubai, the next step was to gauge the market sentiment towards the technology. "After we installed and commissioned the 3D machine, we organised an event to showcase our printer to the UAE and the GCC regions. The event was successful, and helped our clients to understand this technology," Clemente tells Construction Week. Clemente indicates high demand for the product and hints at its potential, adding that ACCIONA is already fast-receiving new purchase orders for the 3D machine. "We have also participated in all of the relevant 3D printing public tenders issued WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM RUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM in the UAE and the KSA to date. In addition, we have met potential clients and delivered a few projects already. So far, we have been able to meet the demand with room to cover incoming projects." Clemente admits that while several organisations are recognising the need to switch to 3D printing construction methods, ACCIONA "stays ahead of the curve" and plays the game differently by displaying an edge in powder bed technology and will soon adopt extrusion technology in 3D printing. Powder bed technology is an off-site 3D additive manufacturing technique associated with structure accuracy, and based on a deposition process. "Our main goal is to find the opportunities to take advantage of the major assets and differentiators that the concrete 3D printing industry can offer, using powder bed technology, i.e, tailor-made solutions based on complex designs that could not be done with traditional methods or would be expensive to produce. Concrete elements with complex shapes as an added value, unique and intricate urban elements, special architectural features for buildings and unimaginable The Of ce of the Future recently won the Guinness World Records title for the “First 3D-Printed Commercial Building” Image: Dubai Future FoundationSPECIAL REPORT 18 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM ACCIONA recently completed the Middle East’s rst 3D concrete printed bus stop in the emirate of Ajman Image: Supplied18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 19 3D PRINTING & SUSTAINABILITY first footbridge in the world in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain, using 3D printing, as well as the first architectural piece of cultural heritage - the Romanesque arch of San Pedro de las Dueñas, made on a real scale using 3D concrete printing. "We have submitted our bids to two large 3D printed public tenders in the region, which are still pending an award." ACCIONA will also display its 3D printed elements at the Expo 2020 Dubai, which it will be heavily involved in, Clemente adds. The company marries construction with sustainability seamlessly, ensuring cost- efficiency, minimal use of time, and fast- track production in the process. "Today, most applications and experiences are pilots and demonstrators, but, as it occurs with any technology, in the future it will be applied only in those cases where the technology provides advantage, whether it is for lower cost, complex design, economy of scale, a more sustainable solution, the need for a fast-track production or any other reason," Clemente says about the "newborn niche market" in conclusion. WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM creations coming from the minds of the most ambitious sculptors are all in ACCIONA's roadmap," Clemente says. COVID-19 impact on operations The past few months have proved to be a trying period for individuals, communities, and businesses alike across the world, due to the ongoing outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. The global pandemic has impacted several sectors, with each bearing the brunt differently. ACCIONA faced a "temporary impact in its development plans," due to the outbreak, Clemente said, adding that the company will be at "full speed" very soon. "At ACCIONA, we take all the instructions from the authorities very seriously. The well-being of all of our employees in the 65 countries that we operate is of paramount importance. In the GCC countries, there are special protocols in place across our sites." Increasing knowledge in the field As technologies evolve rapidly, the pace at which individuals understand, accept, and adopt the tools must be matched accordingly. This calls for training with the aim of creating awareness, even in the case of 3D printing, to "understand what the best cases and applications of the technology are," Clemente says. Once awareness and knowledge in the field has been ensured, the next step is to create skilled jobs in the sector. "Even though printers are bringing automation, in the sites or production facilities, we still need operators to make things work. Most technical professionals, as well as blue- collared workers, can easily be trained for the work," he tells Construction Week. There is still a requirement of "qualified professionals to improve and develop 3D concrete technology" to cater to the increasing demand of the growing demand for 3D printed infrastructure in the UAE, Clemente adds. What's keeping the 3D printer busy? In the past 12 months, Clemente notes that the 3D machine has produced architectural pieces that were installed at the Shindagha Wave Museums in Dubai as urban furniture. In addition, ACCIONA has sold pieces of coral reef that appear natural and are better suited to marine life, in comparison to the concrete blocks used in the ports and piers around the world, he tells Construction Week. Previously, the Spanish contractor built the "The main goal is to nd the opportunities to take advantage of the major assets and differentiators that the concrete 3D Printing industry can offer, using powder bed technology" Luis Clemente, Chief Operating Of cer, ACCIONANext >