< PreviousIN CONVERSATION 30 CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 2021 Riad Bsaibes, president & CEO of Amana Investments, talks at length to Construction Week's Ranju Warrier about the role of Building Information Management (BIM) in modular construction, the future of the construction industry in the next 10 years, and working on gigaprojects in Saudi Arabia As the Middle East’s built environment continues to embrace innovative construction methodologies, one method that is now gradually becoming the future of developing large scale buildings is modular construction. Unlike traditional structures built on the site, the use of prefabrication building techniques helps contractors deliver faster, — in less than half the time required for conventionally-built structures — reduce costs and at the same time curb wastage. Now, as the preference for prefabrication and modular construction in the region climbs a new high, Riad Bsaibes, the WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEE WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM "BIM" is the "foundation" of off-site construction rchives president and CEO of Dubai-headquartered Amana Investments, which is part of Amana Contracting & Steel Buildings and DuBox, tells Construction Week: “It is a progression, a natural progression that is driven both by demand and supply; [where supply refers to the] supply of technology." "So, 10 years ago, what we are doing now would not have been possible. The technology over the last 10 years, especially computational technology has enabled the use of Building Information Management (BIM), which has enabled 3D drawings, allowing for the ability to fully design a building, and eliminate clashes in different disciplines very quickly, and have different scenarios computationally, before going to construction." According to Bsaibes, "without BIM as a foundation, off-site construction would have been very difficult". Explaining further about how there has been a rise in the need for companies to switch to modular construction methods, Bsaibes says: “The increase in requirements for faster, high speed, and more accurate ways of construction, especially for remote locations, has pushed the need. “Additionally, manufacturing modules off-site brings all the advantages of the "Manufacturing modules off-site brings all the advantages of the manufacturing sector into the construction sector" [Image: Supplied]FEBRUARY 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 31 IN CONVERSATION Since it is a factory environment and not a construction site, the factory could be close to a city so that the people that are being employed don't have to move away from their house. “This means that more people employed would not necessarily work on a construction site.” According to Bsaibes, this scenario has proven advantageous for the company in Saudi Arabia. “It has been easier to attract local Saudi colleagues to work in a factory environment. Talking about the environmental impact and sustainability, Bsaibes stresses that there is “less wastage and we see it in our operation in our factory.” “The off-site construction delivery WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM RUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM manufacturing sector into the construction sector.” Bsaibes notes: “With the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, and the requirements for social distancing, the advantages of off- site construction has gone exponential.” Overcoming challenges While modular construction might not be a new concept in the region, construction stakeholders need to understand the type of challenges it can help them overcome, compared to traditional construction. Bsaibes tells Construction Week that apart from being able to control the number of workers on the site — especially during the pandemic — turning to modular construction helps "to provide high quality in large volumes in a remote location". He adds: "Less waste is produced, than in traditional construction, because the building is fully designed before we go to manufacturing. When we go to manufacturing, we are using scaled manufacturing methods, and therefore the wastage is minimised. "Further, the use of materials is optimised; plus there are the advantages of safety as everyone is working on ground- level. Even if we are building a ground plus four or ground plus six structure, everything is done on ground-level. Later, the boxes or modules are installed at the site on top of each other. Therefore, it's much safer." For Bsaibes, one of the "game-changing" advantages of off-site manufacturing is "the ability to scale up and scale down whenever necessary". Think of modular construction as a LEGO game, where each piece of LEGO bricks are assembled to make the final structure. While the level of expertise and quality control required is higher than traditional building processes, the codes and standards applied are quite similar. Whether it be offices or accommodations, houses or schools, construction camps or industrial facilities, prefabrication has been used to build long-term, temporary or permanent facilities. Sustainability and social impact Bsaibes tells Construction Week: “Sustainability and social impact are two things that are somehow overlooked in the sector.” “By shifting the construction to a factory, you can improve the employability and the skill-set of the people working in the factory. "With the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, and the requirements for social distancing, the advantages of off-site construction has gone exponential." Riad Bsaibes President & CEO Amana Investments [Image: Supplied] Turning to modular construction helps "to provide high quality in large volumes in a remote location" [Image: Supplied]IN CONVERSATION 32 CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 2021 The future of construction Shifting his focus from the current use of technology to adopting a collaborative approach in the off-site construction environment, Bsaibes says that the industry, 10 years from now, will witness more digitisation. He explains: “We are beginning to see ourselves at the cusp of adopting digital technologies more than it did in the past. That is an area that we are super focused on as a company.” “Digitisation of the process, or at the site, is all about the open-mindedness to adopt digital technology. This approach will help us become more efficient and we will be able to scale at less cost.” Another “major” element that Bsaibes feels will change the way industry functions is “the involvement of the construction sector and more public-private partnership (PPP) projects.” Bsaibes explains: “This is the nature of any mature economy. As the Gulf economy matures, the opportunities for PPP projects versus government-led or government paid- WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM mechanism is by far more environmentally friendly, because there's 30%, less wastage than the traditional method because you are building to volume and you are optimising,” he adds. Collaborating on Saudi gigaprojects In July 2019, Saudi Arabia’s The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) awarded a contract to Saudi Amana Contracting, the company’s subsidiary in the kingdom, to design and build a 150-room management hotel. DuBox Precast Products, another UAE- based subsidiary of Amana, had been subcontracted to work on the project, which was part of The Red Sea Project’s Coastal Village that will provide accommodation, office space, and supporting civil amenities to around 40,000 workers and staff. Another gigaproject that the company is working on is the 366km2 Qiddiya — the under-construction capital of entertainment, sports, and the arts in the kingdom — developed by the Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC). DuBox completed the construction work on the first of QIC’s two site offices, ahead of schedule, in December 2019. Located on the lower plateau of the Qiddiya site, the 21,000m2 complex will accommodate approximately 150 employees who are working on Phase 1 of the gigaproject that will open in 2023. Talking about working in collaboration in the modular construction sector, Bsaibes says: “Collaboration starts and must start on day one, especially in an off-site construction environment. “In off-site construction, we cannot start the manufacturing process unless the designs are fully completed. Additionally, with off-site construction, we need to be in full agreement on the design, the specifications of the project and then go to production.” Commenting about working on The Red Sea Project, Bsaibes tells Construction Week: “The collaboration was at the highest level to ensure that we have the digital models done as early as possible. "Within the BIM environment, we have the same model that they as the client are using, and we as the contractor and designer are using to interact together." He adds: "It is a live model and therefore the collaboration is higher, the design period is shorter, and we can go to production much faster.” "Digitisation of the process, or at the site, is all about the open- mindedness to adopt digital technology. This approach will help us become more ef cient and we will be able to scale at less cost This is the nature of any mature economy." "The off-site construction delivery mechanism is by far more environmentally friendly, because there's 30%, less wastage than the traditional method" [Image: Supplied]FEBRUARY 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 33 IN CONVERSATION WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM for projects will increase.” The third element that Bsaibes feels will be witnessed in 10 years from now is the "rationalisation" of the sector. He says: “The need will be in the region to have a rationalised sector, and proper categorisation of the capabilities of companies, so that clients can match up with good contractors. This will improve the whole sector continuously.” Expanding while being cognizant Talking about Amana’s expansion plans in the region, Bsaibes says: “We have to be cognizant when we talk about expansion. The overall market in the region is bound by three factors. One of them is the price of oil. "The second macro factor also is the impact of COVID-19 on the environment, and on the economy at large. The third factor is the geopolitical situation of the region. The Middle East has always been turbulent geopolitically and therefore funding is not consistent itself, it comes and goes. With those three factors, our view into 2021-22 is conservative." Bsaibes adds: "We are not looking to have a growth of revenue, [but] we are looking to maintain revenue, perhaps, even manage the revenue downward, to make sure that we don't exceed a certain threshold. “[Infact] the mode of working will focus on going deeper with the same clients”. It is going to be all about working with creditworthy clients. "Liquidity for the sector, whether for the construction sector or the banking sector, which provides the funding for the construction market, will be tight in 2021- 2022," Bsaibes concludes. "Collaboration starts and must start on day one, especially in an off-site construction environment" [Image: Supplied]12 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JULY 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEE WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEExxxxxxxxxxxxpppppppppppppppppppppoooooooooooooooooo 2222222222222222222000000000000002222220000000 DDDDDDDuuuuuuuubbbbaaaaaaaiiiiiiiii’’ssssssss cccccccchhhhhiiiieeeeffffffffff dddddddddddddddeeeeeeeevvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeelllllllllllloooooooooooooppppppppppppppmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnttttttttttt aaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiivvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyy ooooooooooooooofffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicccccccccceeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr,,,,,,,,,,, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmeeeddddddddddd AAAAAAAAAllllll KKKKKhhaattiib, aanndddddd ddddddddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiiirrrreeeeccccccttttttttttttttooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrr oooooooooooooooffffffffffffffffffffff ttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaa –––– TTTTTTTThhhhheeeeeee SSSSSSuuuuuuuuusssssssttttttttaaaaaiiiinnnnnaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbiiiiiiiillllllllliiiiiiiiiittttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyy PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPaaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvvvvviiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooonnnnnnnnn,,,,,,,,,,, JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJoooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnnnn BBBBBBBBBBBBBBaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllll,,, sssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttt ddddddddddddddoooooooowwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnn fffffffwwwwwwwiiiitttttthhhhhhhhh CCCCCCCCoooooooonnnnnnnnnsssssstttttrrrrrruuuuuuuccccctttttiiiiioooooonnnnn WWWWWWeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkk’’’’ssss eeeeedddddddddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttoooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrr AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAsssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy WWWWWWiiiiiillllllllllllliiiiiiiiiaaaaaaammmmmmmmmssssss tttttoooooooo dddddddiiiiiiivvvvvvvvuuuuuuuulllllllgggggeeeeeee ttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeee iiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmmmmppppppppppppppppppooooooooorrrrrrrrttttttttaaaaaaannnnnnnnncccccccccceeeeeee oooofffffffffff eeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnvvvvvvvvvviiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnmmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnttttttttttttttttttaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllll cccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggggeeeeeeessss tttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhh cccccccccccoooooonnnnsssssttttrruuccctttiiioonnnnnnnnnnn "There has never been a more important time to talk about SUSTAINABILITY” SITE VISIT Expo 2020 Dubai’s chief development and delivery officer, Ahmed Al Khatib, and director of the Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, John Bull, sit down with Construction Week’s editor Ashley Williams to divulge the importance of environmental challenges through construction The Sustainability Pavilion is set to open to the public from 22 January - 10 April 2021 [Image: Expo 2020 Dubai]FEBRUARY 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 35 SITE VISIT As we began 2021, Expo 2020 Dubai generated a lot of excitement amongst the region by opening its doors prematurely to its Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion to give guests a glimpse of what to expect when the World Fair opens on 1 October 2021. Labelled as the “Pavilions Premiere”, Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion opened to the public from 22 January until 10 April 2021 where visitors will be able to explore the pavilion and enjoy the unique surrounding public spaces. Terra, which means ‘Planet Earth’, will offer an immersive journey through the wonders of the natural world including an interactive walk through the roots of the forest and immerse themselves under the ocean. Uncovering the hidden harmful impacts of our choices, the emotive experience is designed to encourage visitors of all ages, and the younger generation in particular, to consider how their behaviour impacts the environment and break the cycle of consumerism, empowering them to become agents of change. The iconic pavilion, designed by the Grimshaw Architects and ASGC being the main contractor, sets an example for sustainable building design. Built to be net-zero for both energy and water, the pavilion features 1,055 photovoltaic panels arranged on a 130-metre- wide roof canopy and atop a series of ‘Energy Trees’. The pavilion also uses water-reduction strategies, water recycling and alternative water sources as part of their environmental drive. Construction Week gained first access to the Sustainability Pavilion and caught up with the two men who have been pivotal in bringing the structure to life. John Bull, the director of Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, told Construction Week that when the pavilion opens to the public on the 22 January, they can expect an experience that will be “beyond their expectations”. “I think what they will encounter at Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion is a journey that we’ve crafted inside and around this amazing piece of architecture, which at every step along the path brings home to them the majesty of beauty of the world around them,” Bull tells Construction Week. “The ingenuity of humans beings and how we strive to innovate, as well as how WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM RUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM we apply that innovation is how we really make smart decisions about our everyday choices. We might manage to re-balance our relationship with the world around us and arrive at a place with better harmony for us and nature, while moving forward in a more positive manner.” While sustainability has been a fundamental part of the construction industry particularly in the Middle East for many years, Bull believed that there has never been a better and more important time to be talking about sustainability. “Sustainability is very much at the forefront of all of our minds as we look to make decisions towards the future. The construction choices that we’ve made here at Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion have been designed and carefully chosen with an educative role in mind,” adds Bull. “Every choice we have made is to show that smart and sustainable choices are possible. If we choose the right choices, whether it’s about construction or the way we live, then we can tread lighter in the earth around us.” Elaborating on the construction choices at the Sustainability Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai’s chief development and delivery " Sustainablity is very much at the forefront of all our minds as we look to make decisions towards the future. Every choice we have made is to show that smart and sustainable choices are possible." John Bull, director of Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai [Image: Supplied] Under the Ocean will be part of the Sustainability Pavilion's emotive experiences to change environmental attitudesEXPO EXCLUSIVE 36 CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 2021WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM officer, Ahmed Al Khatib, also told Construction Week that sustainability is “a blanket that covers all aspects of expo” but presented a lot of challenges and solutions. “The building’s engineering is very unique. Looking at the canopy for example, it weighs around 3,000 tonnes and it is all carried in one centre. The ring beam is around two metres deep, which is one the largest ring beams in the UAE,” says Al Khatib. “Around two thirds of the building is buried underground which maximises the installation of the temperature. We used a new construction technique to the region called geothermal, where we reach deep underground to pull cool air for the building and we managed to drop the temperature of the building by one degree.” He added: “There is also a water pipe that runs through the canopy that uses UV for filtration of the water. We also use recycled water and harvest humidity from the air through the canopy, as well as from the energy trees that you will find around the buildings. The ring beam was among one of the key talking points from the tour of the Sustainability Pavilion, which presented “structural stresses”, according to Al challenges with setting this up as there were some structural stresses, but we rectified these issues.” Although all of the ideas and innovations “didn’t come easy” admitted Al Khatib, he said the team involved worked hard with the authorities, designers and research firms to achieve what was aspired for the building from an engineering perspective. Khatib. “If you see the canopy, it’s spread up to around 135m from the outer diameter and it goes down and focuses on the ring beam,” Al Khatib continues. “The ring beam sits on the top of 16 piles, and then you have the ring beam that is two metres deep and this is where the canopy is connected to the ground. There were some ASGC are the main contractor and Grimshaw Architects are the designers of The Sustainability Pavilion [Image: Expo 2020 Dubai] Ahmed Al Khatib, Expo 2020 Dubai's chief development and delivery of cer [Image: Expo 2020 Dubai]FEBRUARY 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 37 SITE VISIT WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Additionally, Al Khatib also reflected on how sustainability has been a fundamental aspect not just for the Sustainability Pavilion, but across the whole expo site. “Since day one of planning for the expo, we developed about 41 KPIs related to sustainability that is related to design, construction and the operation of expo, as well as exiting expo,” says Al Khatib. “Also we developed material guidelines that we provided to our contractors and we also hired third parties to monitor what we had been promised and all of our buildings on the site are LEED Gold classified.” In selecting the construction stakeholders tasked with developing the Sustainability Pavilion, Al Khatib explained that this was decided through a competition set up by expo. “The Sustainability Pavilion is a very specialised building and has lots of ambitions. We ran a design competition to set the concept design and we had many consultants and designers on-board,” adds Al Khatib. “We went through so many stages of design selections and eliminating the number of options between many different designers. Going through the filtration process, the winning design was Grimshaw Architects.” Speaking about COVID-19, Al Khatib told Construction Week that the pandemic makes expo more important than ever as it has "brought everyone together". "This is what expo is about: 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future' and how to find solutions for future challenges," he explained. Of course, the challenge for this time is COVID-19, but what about after five years or 10 years? The core message of the expo is bringing minds together to find solutions for challenges that are facing humanity such as sustainability, mobility and opportunity. He added: "The world's spotlight will be shining on expo from 1 October 2021 where we will come together in one place to put minds together." Expo 2020 Dubai also revealed that they will be opening up its Alif – The Mobility Pavilion and Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion later in the first quarter of 2021 with “further surprises” expected for visitors, concludes Al Khatib. “Stay tuned,” he smiled. “There will be a lot more surprises to come and we will be announcing these within the first quarter of 2021.” As many as 41 sustainability KPIs were implemented across the site [Image: Expo 2020 Dubai] The Sustainabilty Pavilion's Energy Trees [Image: Expo 2020 Dubai]PROJECTS WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM ON SITE CW provides a collection of its most recent site and plant visits to keep you up-to-date with project progress PROJECT UPDATE FOLLOW CONSTRUCTION WEEK @CWMIDDLEEAST 38 CONSTRUCTION WEEK FEBRUARY 2021 WANT TO UPDATE YOUR PROJECT'S PROGRESS, OR HAVE IT INCLUDED HERE? Email the editor: ashley.williams@itp.com FOLLOW CONSTRUCTION WEEK @CWMIDDLEEAST Deyaar has concluded 50% of the 46ha Midtown development through completion and delivery of rst two districts Afnan and Dania. Constituting a total of 13 buildings and more than 1,200 apartments, the two districts hosts more than 554 families.Phases three and four will add more than 2,973m2 of retail space to the development. Located in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Dubai Production City near Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, the Midtown development comprises more than 2,000 units and will be developed at a total cost of $163.3 (AED600m). MIDTOWN DEVELOPMENT Location Dubai Visited November 2020 The $544.5m (AED2bn) destination, which is being developed by Diamond Developers and under the umbrella of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), has marked 35% construction completion on Phase 1 of the project. Construction on the rst set of residential villas at the destination has marked completion, with landscaping slated for completion by the end of 2020. Phase 1 will include the construction of 280 villas. The villas will feature three, four, and ve bedrooms, once complete. SHARJAH SUSTAINABLE CITY Location Sharjah Visited November 2020 Expo 2020 Dubai offered Construction Week the chance to be among the rst to experience Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion before it opens to the public later this year. The iconic pavilion, designed by Grimshaw Architects, sets an example for sustainable building design. Built to be net-zero for both energy and water, it features 1,055 photovoltaic panels arranged on a 130-metre-wide roof canopy and atop a series of ‘Energy Trees’. The pavilion also uses cutting- edge water-reduction strategies, water recycling and alternative water sources. SUSTAINABILITY PAVILION Location Expo 2020 Dubai Visited January 2021PROJECTS WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COMFEBRUARY 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 39 Dubai-based developer Samana Developers is currently in the nishing stages of its rst residential project with the handout letter being planned to be delivered in weeks. The development has a total of 122 units, with 116 comprising residential units. Samana Greens is located in the heart of Arjan within Dubailand. Samana Greens is an residential complex development comprising of studios, one and two bedroom apartments. SAMANA GREENS Location Dubai Visited May 2020 Following the easing of lockdown restrictions as a result of the impact of COVID-19, Construction Week conducted its rst site visit in almost six months to Kleindienst Group's The Heart of Europe - the $5bn master-planned leisure tourism island destination - off the coast of Dubai. Construction Week gathered updates of the man-made island's Côte d’Azur Resort, which comprises four boutique hotels – Monaco, Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez – and offering distinct European hospitality and culture in Dubai, and the Rainy Street covering 1km, where it will rain on command. THE HEART OF EUROPE Location Dubai Visited August 2020 Property development giant Ithra Dubai, which is wholly- owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), marked a major milestone on it’s One Za’abeel project in October 2020 with the nal lift of the 900-tonne second section of ‘The Link’. The Link quali es One Za’abeel to attempt to break the Guinness World Record title for the “Longest Cantilevered Building” in the world. Among the stakeholders of the One Za’abeel twin tower development include ALEC as the main contractor and WSP Middle East as the multi- disciplinary engineering consultant. ONE ZA'ABEEL Location Dubai Visited October 2020 Construction Week toured Al Marjan Island's upcoming $147.8m (AED543m) Mövenpick Resort and Hampton by Hilton hotel to note project updates and progress on both. Mövenpick Resort at Al Marjan Island is set to create new offerings for the emirate and a sense of community within a community. Meanwhile, Hampton by Hilton stands at 85% completion, slated for overall completion by next quarter in 2021. AL MARJAN ISLAND Location Ras Al Khaimah Visited November 2020Next >