< Previous| EVENTS | 30 LEADERS IN CONSTRUCTION KSA SUMMIT 2023 Gigaprojects as a new standard of operation When the fi rst gigaprojects were announced in 2016, they separated spectators into two camps - doubters and believers. For some, it is a hard bet that Saudi Arabia will one day lead the rest of the world in smart cities, regenerative tourism, and advanced technologies. However, during Construction Week Middle East’s Leaders in Construction KSA Summit 2023, we heard from many of the industry’s prominent experts how the gigaprojects have indeed pursued the highest titles when it came to global benchmarks. In the fi rst session, Orascom’s Business Development Manager, Nader Edward, spoke on how sustainability, a key cornerstone of the gigaprojects, is reshaping the global construction industry, and that net-zero designs should be the focus of developers as it is no longer a luxury, but rather, a necessity. Following this, ROSHN’s Group Chief Development Offi cer, Oussama Kabbani, made several statements that resonated loudly with attendees during a fi reside chat moderated by JLL’s Head of Programme and Project Management MEA, Sean Doherty. “If you want to be investors in construction today, you have to be in Saudi Arabia,” Kabbani said, clarifying that those who cannot see the opportunities are short-sighted. He invited listeners to imagine the transformative prosperity of having accomplished only 70% of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Later, and continuing until the end of the fi rst session, a panel of business strategists and industry innovators exchanged ideas on the contributing factors behind consistent economic growth for the kingdom. The room saw Saud Alsulaimani, JLL’s KSA Country Head; Maram Al Dagher, the Commercial Director for ARENA in KSA; Daniel Orti, Middle East Director of ACCIONA Cultura; and Spencer Wylie, CEO of Compass, answer former Director of Marketing Communications at MOMRAH Ali Alrakaf’s intellectual investigations. For the panel, it was clear that the economic growth in Saudi Arabia is happening fast, and that particular methods, such as the adoption of modular systems, would allow the industry to catch up with its pace. Furthermore, the kingdom, through its engaging cultural and entertaining events and destinations, was able to reach a perfect balance of appealing to both local and international tourists, which is another key objective of the gigaprojects that has set a new standard for the global tourism market. (Left to right) Sean Doherty, Faiyad Peterson, Darren Burke, and Paul Saba The rst reside chat at the Leaders in Construction KSA Summit 2023| EVENTS | 31 Regulatory conversations in the kingdom Saudi Arabia is off ering every construction investor and developer, national or otherwise, the chance to operate and succeed in its growing market. With the establishment of multiple special economic zones (SEZs), advanced industrial cities, and distinct regulatory bodies, the country is priming itself for fast and ambitious results. During the second session, attendees were able to listen and join several discussions on these matters. The set began with Yasser El Saadany, the General Manager of Rowad Modern Engineering’s Saudi chapter, speaking on the fairness and competitiveness of the Saudi market. He said: “In Saudi Arabia, there’s no diff erence between local or foreign contractors, it’s all about whether you can do it or not.” He urged that in order to stay alive in the Saudi market, a good reputation is key. Following this, Rob Matheson, Sales Director EMEA at Openspace, with Sena Gbedemah, Senior Managing Director of Ankura Saudi Arabia as moderator, broke down the necessary steps to achieve effi cient delivery of all projects, particularly mega and gigaprojects. Matheson explained that given the large-scale of Saudi’s Vision 2030 projects, the challenges are then consequently magnifi ed, emphasising that there are benefi ts to using advanced technologies, such as AI, to track their progress and quality. On schedule, the conference heard two presentations on the advantages of data capturing and digital transformations by the well-informed Hisham Gasem Alrasasi, Projects Studies and Design Director at MODON, and Ali Moussawi, Deputy CEO of Abniya Innovative Limited, respectively. Closing the second set of sessions, Sena Gbedemah moderated an enlightening discussion with Aarti Thadani, Counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright - Middle East LLP on the importance of legal compliance in the kingdom for companies in the construction and contracting industry. She assured that the rules of the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) are “international best standards.” However, she also underlined the ideal position of having the project team work closely with the legal team during the construction stage, and not only when a dispute arises, as a measure for mitigating unavoidable circumstances. Christopher Nicolas, Director, TBH (Left to right) Julianne Tolentino, James Burgess, and Waleed Fawzy| EVENTS | 32 Digital and sustainability trends Experts and specialists today agree that sustainability is not just a design approach, but a hallmark of technical expertise and responsible values. Businesses are integrating new digital tools and methods into their ecosystems, products and services, or processes, to achieve their commitments to an enhanced quality of life through environment-friendly strategies and operations. Using digitisation and digital applications, companies have managed to design products, provide services, and implement decisions taking into account a more realistic rundown of their business performance and allowing them to proceed with a more practical and responsible market participation. Starting this session, Dr Hassan Albalawi, CEO and Founder of Wakecap Technologies, presented his tech-driven approach to megaprojects. His understanding was that 60% of time spent at construction sites are wasted, elaborating that tracking technology can immensely remedy the underlying causes. The subsequent panel focused on modular construction and its advantages in streamlining operations. Here, attendees heard from Waleed Fawzy, General Manager KSA at ARENA, and James Burgess, Technical Director at ARENA. “Modular is sustainable in its reduction of wastage and emissions because the majority of those segments will be in a controlled environment,” Waleed explained. Building on this, Burgess challenged the notion that modular construction was not cost-effi cient, observing that “it can be cheap particularly because it is part of a system.” The set also included important keynote presentations on fi re safety in buildings by Noman Qamar, General Manager at Central Ventilation Systems (CVS), as well as metaverse applications and sustainable technology by Ahmad AlHajjar, Project Manager and BIM Manager at Khatib and Alami (K&A). The fi nal panel for this session had many insights to share on digitally linking sustainability in KSA projects. Moderated by Sean Dohetry, the panel was joined by Faiyad Peterson, Country Director - KSA at Cundall; Darren Burke, Country Manager - KSA at ALEC; and Paul Saba, Corporate Business Transformation Manager at Nesma & Partners. Peterson remarked: “We always prepare for future generations, but we need to be ready now,” a point that was carried further by Burke as he pointed out, “Projects still depend on teamwork and collaborations, and the right platforms have to be ready for people to collaborate.” Driving the key idea for the panel, Saba clarifi ed: “The most important thing about being digitally linked is not only reporting but to be more sustainable as a result.” Hisham Gasem Alrasasi - Projects Studies & Design Director, MODON Panel discussion with Ali Alrakaf, Saud Alsulaimani, Maram Al Dagher, Daniel Orti, and Spencer Wylie| EVENTS | 33 Upscaling the local talent and supply chain One of the major challenges confronting the delivery of giga and megaprojects around the region is the limited access to highly qualifi ed talent and optimisable supply chains. As projects in the kingdom become larger and more complex, companies and contractors are further impacted by talent shortages and the need for dependable channels of materials and equipment. Now that the country is upscaling its economy according to the national vision, there is a priority and an opportunity for solution providers to innovate along several stages in the value chain. In the fourth and fi nal set of sessions, panellists and speakers explored several causes and solutions for optimising project deliveries. The fi rst keynote speech, presented by Dani Ghandour, General Manager – KSA at KEO, and Lara AlHijjawi, Senior Manager of Learning & HR Programs at KEO, asked how the kingdom’s workforce was adapting to its rapid growth. Ghandour’s note for the conference was that “by supporting small businesses and start-ups, Saudi Arabia opens up opportunities for the local workforce.” The next session addressed a solution from a supplier’s point of view as Darrin Raniga, Group Business Development Manager at Terraco talks about how Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems, or EIFS, can revolutionise sustainability in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, with Christopher Nicolas, Director at TBH, as moderator, the panel discussion on delivering Saudi’s gigaprojects successfully, grabbed the audience’s attention. Joined by Edward Sammut, Chief Delivery Offi cer at Qiddiya; and Barry Lewis, Managing Director of Construction at ALEC, the panel made important observations for the conference. For his part, Sammut thought that “we should encourage contractors to come to us when they see a problem, rather than hold it against them.” Lewis supported the statement, saying: “If you have a progress report and do nothing, then there’s no meaning to it.” He advised: “You need a pragmatic, mature approach by the leaders of the project.” Nearing the end of the conference, Construction Week Middle East’s Digital Editor, Julianne Tolentino, moderated a fi reside chat with Parmesh Venkateswaran, General Manager – MEA for Stanley Black & Decker. The discussion revolved around balancing challenges and innovations for sustainable development. According to Venkateswaran, upscaling is a product of sustainable thinking. Clarifying his point, he said: “When we talk about sustainability, we’re talking about manufacturing, packaging, and transporting the product.” Finally, closing the conference was a panel consisting of Fernando Freitas, Main Board Director at Omnium; and Amer Kharbush, Executive Director of Program & Project Management at ROSHN, who discussed the economic diversifi cation and investment opportunities inherent in Saudi’s sustainably- powered gigaprojects. Moderated by Sena Gbedemah, the conversation held many insights on the local talent market. Fernando saw that “consultants are stretched out, and the talent pool is quite small to accommodate the size of the projects.” However, Kharbush’s words had the most encouragement for listeners. He said: “Saudis are ambitious, they want to roll up their sleeves and work hands-on. They are here and ready, but we have to provide an environment and work culture that fosters learning and recognise eff orts.” Lara Al-Hijjawi, MSc., CIPD, SHRM-CP - Senior Manager, Learning & HR Programs, KEO The third reside chat at the Leaders in Construction KSA Summit 2023TOTAL AREA 3.8 MILLION M2 Set just north of Obhur, the Sadayem Suburb in Jeddah will feature more than 8,000 housing units, 16 educational facilities, nine commercial buildings, 800,000m2 of green spaces, and more. The units’ architecture takes its designs from the region’s heritage and traditional Hijazi-buildings. NHC has already signed eight agreements with top developers to start working on various projects within Sadayem as units were made available for purchase since July 2023. 8000 9 16 2 800 000 . . 8 ( ) . 2م نﻮﻴﻠﻣ 3.8 زوﺎﺠﺘﺗ ﺔﻴﻟﺎﻤﺟإ ﺔﺣﺎﺴﻣ . «» . . . ‹› » : .« « » :« « » . . «. . . » « . « » : . » .« 7 . 141 85 2023 ( ) . 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