The Big Project Middle East (BPME) editorial team has announced that 16 winners were recognised at the second edition of its ME Digital Construction Awards (ME DC Awards). The event took place at the Habtoor Grand Resort, JBR, Dubai on 26 June, and hosted more than 120 guests from across the GCC.

With over 80 submissions received when nominations closed, the editorial team and the judges had a tough job on their hands to choose winners from a bouquet of quality nominees, the BPME team confirmed.

The judging process was split into two parts – the first saw the Big Project ME team vetting all the nominations to ensure that they met nomination guidelines and standards, and that they were appropriate for the focus of the awards. The second part of the judging process involved a panel of industry experts, who deliberated over the nominations that made it through to the second round.

The judges for the 2024 ME DC Awards were:

• Allison Wicks, Managing Director, Qualitaz
• Karie Akeelah, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins
• Ezzeddine Jradi, Chief Transformation and Business Excellence Officer, EMICOOL
• Jason Saundalkar, Head of Content, Big Project Middle East

The 2024 ME Digital Construction Awards were supported by:

Silver Sponsor: Engineering Contracting Company
Bronze Sponsor: Thinkproject
Quality Sponsor: RIB | BuildSmart; RIB | Candy; RIB | CostX

The shortlist and the winners are:

Individual Awards

Young Technology Champion of the Year

• Iklim Okyar – AECOM
• Mohammed Irfan Baig Mirza – ALEC Engineering & Contracting
• Samer Saoud – Robert Bird Group

Winner: Iklim Okyar – AECOM

Digital Visionary of the Year

• Carolina Fong Guzzy – Accienta
• Marwan AbuEbeid – Turner Construction International
• Syed Saud – Red Sea Global

Winner:

Digital Visionary of the Year – Service Provider: Carolina Fong Guzzy – Accienta

Digital Visionary of the Year – Construction: Syed Saud – Red Sea Global

Digital Team of the Year

• Al Khoory Solutions
• AtkinsRéalis
• KEO International Consultants

Winner: KEO International Consultants

Project Awards

Digital Construction Project of the Year – Building

• Amaala – Dewan Architects + Engineers
• Qetaifan Island North Project – AtkinsRéalis
• Six Senses Southern Dunes – Red Sea Global

Winner: Qetaifan Island North Project – AtkinsRéalis

Digital Construction Project of the Year – Infrastructure

Winner: Al Noud – AECOM

Company Awards

Construction Software Provider of the Year

• BuilderComs
• Colliers International (India) Property Services
• IR Design

Winner: Colliers International (India) Property Services

Technology SME of the Year

• Accienta
• Al Khoory Solutions

Winner: Accienta

Data Champion of the Year

• DuPod
• KEO International Consultants

Winner: KEO International Consultants

Excellence in Collaboration & Productivity of the Year

• Engineering Contracting Company
• KEO International Consultants
• Mott MacDonald

Winner: Engineering Contracting Company

Net Zero Technology Champion of the Year

• AtkinsRéalis
• Innovo

Winner:

Net Zero Technology Champion of the Year – Consultant: AtkinsRéalis

Net Zero Technology Champion of the Year – Contractor: Innovo

Digital Construction Innovator of the Year

• Colliers International (India) Property Services
• KEO International Consultants
• Khansaheb Civil Engineering

Winner:

Digital Construction Innovator of the Year – Consultant: KEO International Consultants

Digital Construction Innovator of the Year – Contractor: Khansaheb Civil Engineering

Digital Consultant of the Year

• AECOM
• AtkinsRéalis
• Dewan Architects + Engineers
• Mott MacDonald

Winner: AtkinsRéalis

Digital Contractor of the Year

• ALEC Engineering & Contracting
• Engineering Contracting Company
• Innovo
• Khansaheb Civil Engineering

Winner: ALEC Engineering & Contracting

To learn more about the ME Digital Construction Awards, click here.

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Source: MEConstructionNews

Contractor Eiffage has inked a partnership deal with the aim of taking artificial intelligence (AI) solutions from Google Cloud and applying them the design and implementation of concrete in construction projects. The contractor said its partnership with Google Cloud will see it develop an internal technology platform based on solutions such as BigQuery, Apigee, Vertex AI and Gemini.

The contractor said that it hoped the technology would help to boost Eiffage teams’ efficiency, and ease of working, and that it would focus its efforts on the “design and implementation of concrete use cases”. The collaboration also includes the creation of data and AI curriculum within Eiffage University that aims to foster technological innovation, the firm noted.

“AI is here to help our teams, regardless of their functions, entities, or geographies. This partnership aims to harness the full potential of our data, leveraging our integrated information system, ERPs [enterprise resource planning systems] widely deployed across the group and various operations to improve efficiency, create value, and drive sustainable growth, while maintaining the highest security standards,” stated Jean Philippe Faure, Chief Information Officer at Eiffage.

Eiffage said that it wanted to develop its employees’ understanding of the technology and its potential, as well as their skills and competences of its employees, ultimately enabling them to own and lead on innovation.

Isabelle Fraine, Managing Director France at Google Cloud remarked, “Eiffage’s AI strategy is based on a strong data foundation, a human-first approach to implementation, open technologies, and built-in security. We are thrilled to support this undertaking and help Eiffage move from AI experimentation to AI construction.”

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Source: MEConstructionNews

Construction chemical specialist FOSROC is to be acquired by Saint-Gobain for approximately US $1.025bn in cash. According to a statement from Saint-Gobain, the two firms have entered into a definitive agreement; the deal will strengthen Saint-Gobain’s worldwide presence in the construction chemicals segment.

Following the acquisitions of Chryso in 2021, GCP in 2022 and 33 additional acquisitions since 2021, this move is a new strategic step in establishing Saint-Gobain’s worldwide presence in construction chemicals, which will have combined sales of $6.63bn across 73 countries following the acquisition (pro forma), said the statement.

According to the statement, FOSROC is a global construction chemicals player with a strong geographic footprint in India, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific in particular. The company is expected to generate $487mn of sales and to achieve an EBITDA margin of 18.7% in 2024E. With 20 manufacturing plants and around 3,000 employees, FOSROC provides a wide range of technical solutions for the construction industry, including admixtures and additives for concrete and cement, adhesives and sealants, waterproofing solutions, concrete repair solutions and flooring.

The purchase price represents an acquisition multiple (before synergies) of approximately 11.3x FOSROC’s 2024E EBITDA of $91mn, and a multiple of approximately 7.1x when including run-rate synergies of approximately $54mn in year three, the statement explained.

“The acquisition of FOSROC is perfectly aligned with our ‘Grow & Impact’ strategic plan: it is a unique opportunity for Saint-Gobain to further reinforce its worldwide presence in construction chemicals, and to strengthen its presence in high-growth emerging markets, in particular in India and the Middle East. I am very impressed with FOSROC’s leadership, its strategy and its impressive development, as well as the team’s track record of excellent execution and profitable growth. The combination of the two groups will allow us to expand our profitable growth platform in construction chemicals. I am looking forward to warmly welcoming the FOSROC teams into the Group and I am very confident about the combination of our joint forces,” explained Benoit Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Saint-Gobain.

This acquisition will be fully financed in cash. The group will maintain a strong balance sheet with net debt/EBITDA remaining at the low end of the target range (1.5x to 2.0x), including the recently announced Bailey and CSR Limited acquisitions. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected in first-half 2025, the statement noted.

The move is billed as a unique opportunity that is fully aligned with Saint-Gobain’s strategy to strengthen its worldwide presence in construction chemicals, supported by solid macroeconomic factors including the transition towards low-carbon concrete. It will complement the group’s worldwide growth platform in construction chemicals.

The statement also noted that FOSROC boasts a highly complementary geographic profile that will strengthen Saint-Gobain’s presence in high-growth emerging markets, notably India and the Middle East. FOSROC’s positions in the Middle East and Asia are also said to perfectly complement Chryso’s positions mostly in Europe, Turkey and Africa and GCP’s in North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. FOSROC is a leading player in India, one of the most attractive countries in construction chemicals worldwide, with growth supported by an ambitious infrastructure plan for the coming decades.

The integration will be led by Thierry Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of Construction Chemicals, with the experienced team who developed the Chryso business over many years, managed its integration within Saint-Gobain, and who has piloted its successful combination with GCP since 2022, providing a high level of confidence in the integration of FOSROC. It will be consolidated into the High Performance Solutions segment, the statement outlined.

Jim Hay, Chairman of FOSROC added, “Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the history of FOSROC. Our focus on delivering the best solutions and satisfaction to our customers has enabled us to become a leading player in construction chemicals. I want to thank all our teams for their outstanding work over many years.”

“The opportunity to join Saint-Gobain, worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction and a global player in construction chemicals is the perfect next step to enhance our offer by leveraging Saint-Gobain’s innovation and technology in construction chemicals. I look forward to continuing our growth journey within Saint-Gobain,” concluded Rob Bonnici, Chief Executive Officer of FOSROC.

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Source: MEConstructionNews

The Middle East Consultant (MEC) editorial team has confirmed that its new Equality Diversity & Inclusion in Construction Summit and Awards will take place on 9 October, at the Habtoor Grand Resort, JBR, Dubai.

The one day event will comprise two distinct components; a fully-fledged conference segment that will run through the day, and an awards gala that will take place in the evening. Attendance to the summit is complementary but registration is mandatory, click here to register. Entry to the gala dinner event will be on a commercial basis only.

The awards component will have 10 distinct categories including: Gender Empowerment Champion of the Year; Ethnicity Human Capital Champion of the Year; People of Determination Facilities Champion of the Year; Mentoring Champion of the Year; Management Education Champion of the Year; Workspace Inclusiveness Champion of the Year; C-Suite Gender Champion of the Year; Human Capital Manger of the Year; ED&I Programme of the Year, and ED&I Company of the Year. Nominations can be summited by clicking here.

“Bolstered by the success of our ED&I Summit last year, we decided to expand the event with the addition of an awards programme. There’s a great deal happening in the sector in relation to ED&I and we thought that a summit and awards would enable us to give the topic the appropriate level of attention. We’ve opened nominations nice and early, and hope that this gives everyone enough time to put in strong nominations,” said Paul Godfrey, Head of Content at Middle East Consultant.

The MEC editorial team will unveil the event’s agenda and key themes in the coming weeks, the MEC team confirmed.

The event is being sponsored by:

Gold Partner: AtkinsRéalis
Associate Partner: TBH Consultancy

Read more about the ED&I Summit and Awards by clicking here.

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Source: MEConstructionNews

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved a US $8.1bn integrated project, named ‘Tasreef’, aimed at developing the city’s rainwater drainage network.

One of the emirate’s largest strategic infrastructure projects, Tasreef will help boost the capacity of Dubai’s rainwater drainage system by 700%, covering all areas of the emirate, said a report.

Sheikh Mohammed emphasised that the continuous enhancement of Dubai’s sustainable infrastructure is integral to its growth and prosperity. The initiative aims to create a drainage infrastructure that is advanced, safe, flexible, and ready to face future challenges.

The strategic project is a continuation of drainage projects launched by Dubai in 2019, covering the Expo Dubai area, Al Maktoum International Airport City, and Jebel Ali.

The project was approved in the presence of Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

It supports Dubai’s plans and strategies for developing a flexible, advanced, and future-ready infrastructure. As a sustainable strategic project, it addresses future climate change impacts, such as increased rainfall, with a network designed to seamlessly adapt to all rainfall events.

Unveiling the project, Sheikh Mohammed said: “The largest rainwater collection project in a single system in the region, the initiative will increase the capacity of the drainage network in the emirate by 700%, ensuring the emirate’s readiness to face future climate-related challenges. Covering all areas of Dubai, the project will raise the drainage network’s capacity to more than 20m cu/m of water daily, meeting our needs for the next hundred years. We have directed the immediate implementation of the project, which will be completed in phases by 2033. Dubai continues to drive infrastructure and urban advancements, enhancing safety and security for everyone living in the emirate.”

The ‘Tasreef’ project aims to enhance rainwater and surface water drainage services with sophisticated and highly efficient infrastructure, improving operational efficiencies and reducing costs associated with station construction, operations and maintenance, as well as increasing the network’s lifespan.

Additionally, the rainwater drainage capacity through tunnels will reach 20m cu/m per day, with a flow capacity of 230 cubic metres per second, making it the largest rainwater collection project in a single system in the region.

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Source: MEConstructionNews

Manufacturer XCMG has expanded its operations in Saudi Arabia, with the launch of a new service centre in Dammam. The new site joins existing service centres in Riyadh, Jaddah and Tabuk.

According to a report, the facility includes a new transit warehouse, component warehouse for ‘key projects’ and a training centre which will offer skills education.

The new service location builds on the existing service network in Saudi Arabia, and aligns with the firm’s goal of boosting service efficiency across the region.

XCMG notes that it has been involved in a series of recent projects across the Kingdom, including the Red Sea, NEOM and Diriyah Development Authority (DGDA) project.

“As a pioneer in sustainability who is continuing to push for low-carbon development, XCMG hopes to join hands with our partners in Saudi Arabia to empower the nation’s 2030 vision, foster closer, high-quality China-Saudi collaboration in the Belt and Road Initiative that is built upon the spirit of the ancient silk road,” said Yang Dongsheng, Chairman of XCMG.

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Source: MEConstructionNews

A new report from Turner & Townsend reveals that the Middle East’s ambitious giga-projects and state-backed developments are not only driving construction activity across the region, but markedly impacting supply chain capacity. Nonetheless, this rapid surge of investment, paired with inflation falls and economic diversification, continues to attract top international talent.

The International Construction Market Survey (ICMS) 2024 report from Turner & Townsend shows that rising demand, particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is pushing up construction costs. Riyadh is the region’s most expensive city to build in at $2,593 per sqm, as the Saudi capital benefits from accelerated growth.

Both domestic and foreign funds are capitalising on state-backed initiatives such as NEOM and KSA’s 2030 Vision. At the same time, construction cost inflation in the city is easing from the highs of 7% seen in 2023, but forecasted to remain high, at 5%, through 2024.

Demand is in part being fuelled by the significant increase in construction in sports, leisure and hospitality as the country gears up for Expo 2030 and the 2034 Fifa World Cup – a five-star luxury hotel in the city now costs an average of $4,798 per sqm. The Kingdom has also been trying to attract global corporate occupiers, with the price of an average high-rise CBD office in Riyadh now standing at $2,266 per sqm.

Skilled labour shortages are also keeping costs elevated, as the Kingdom intrinsically suffers from a distinct shortage of the skill-sets most vital for delivering its ambitious programmes. The result is that the talent and resources needed for giga-projects in the country are also stretching overall supply chain capacity across the Middle East, the report noted.

Doha is the second most expensive market in the region at $2,096 per sqm. However, following the high output in the lead up to the 2022 World Cup, construction cost inflation is projected to fall from 3.5% in 2023 to 2.5% in 2024. This reflects softening construction demand locally, with investment and skilled talent being drawn to nearby Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Dubai has an average cost to build of $1,874 per sqm. Dubai combines factors such as a growing population and continued high tourism with strong activity in the residential, development and hospitality sectors – all of which benefit from relatively low labour costs. The consistency of investment in the market, as foreign visitors and skilled migrants come to holiday or live in Dubai, means Turner & Townsend is predicting construction cost escalation at a high rate of 5% through 2024.

In the face of potential labour bottlenecks across the Middle East, Turner & Townsend is advising clients to prioritise identifying the right procurement strategies and establishing innovative ways of working, along with digital techniques, in order to battle the capacity crunch and get ‘more for less’.

Mark Hamill, Director and Head of Middle East Real Estate and Major Programmes at Turner & Townsend, said: “Over the past year, we’ve seen the Middle East continue to be a hub of major growth and investment as the region aims to move beyond its economic dependence on oil. The stand-out story is the accelerated development of KSA, where vast ambitions are being realised via projects like The Line, King Salman Park and Diriyah Gate.”

“Despite the KSA leading the pack in terms of activity in the Middle East, there remain considerable real estate opportunities in the UAE and Qatar as inflation cools. Nevertheless, with labour capacity being stretched across the region, clients will need to review their procurement and contracting models to help mitigate supply chain disruption and maximise the potential opportunities on offer,” noted Hamill.

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Source: MEConstructionNews

The Big Project Middle East (BPME) editorial team has announced that the 2024 edition of its Digital Construction Summit (DCS) will take place on 25 September at the Habtoor Grand Resort, JBR, Dubai.

The one-day event, formerly known as the ME BIM Summit, will feature a plethora of well-known speakers from public and private sector organisations, who will discuss a variety of topics via keynote speeches, panel discussions and presentations. Registration is complementary but mandatory for construction professionals – click here to register.

The conference will focus on several key themes this year including: quality; collaboration, asset management in the face of the greater occurrence of adverse weather events, and the impact of technology on the environment. The event will also discuss existing issues and ways that construction firms and professionals can surmount these obstacles.

“It’s been a pleasure watching the growth of the Digital Construction Summit in the post-COVID era. Originally launched as the ME BIM Summit nearly a decade ago, the event morphed into a full-fledged digital construction platform three years ago, and has since covered a variety of pertinent topics. This year we’ll be shining a light on topics including enhancing construction quality; taking collaboration to the next level; digital asset management, and the impact of technology on the environment. The latter is something I’m particularly interested in as today’s powerful tools do have a very real impact on the planet in terms of emissions,” noted Jason Saundalkar, Head of Content at Big Project Middle East.

In the coming weeks, the BPME editorial team will unveil the event’s agenda and speakers, noted Saundalkar.

The event is being supported by:

Gold Partner: AtkinsRéalis, RIB | BuildSmart, RIB | Candy, RIB | CostX
Strategic Partner: ALEC, KEO International Consultants
Bronze Sponsor: Thinkproject

Read more about the Digital Construction Summit by clicking here.

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Source: MEConstructionNews

The UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office has signed a strategic agreement with Rittal, a global provider of solutions for industrial enclosures, power distribution, climate control, and IT infrastructure. The partnership aims to collaborate on various AI initiatives, enhance AI adoption and learning, and strengthen the robust digital infrastructure of the UAE through international joint efforts.

The MoU was signed by Saqr Binghalib, Executive Director of the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office, and Syed Tahir Nazir, Managing Director of Rittal FZE, during the AI Retreat 2024, a one-of-its-kind event held in Dubai.

The AI Retreat 2024, which was aimed at accelerating adoption of AI applications, drew participation from over 2,000 decision-makers, experts, and officials from both the government and private sectors.

Saqr Binghalib emphasised that the UAE Government focuses on building skills and talents as a key element in the digital development journey and in creating a future based on intellect and creativity.

He noted, “Strengthening partnerships between the government and the private sector contributes to enhancing the country’s position as a global hub for the AI sector, reinforcing its active global role, and supporting the national strategies’ goals of building future competencies and equipping them with the necessary tools for development and advancing towards a future based on digital skills.”

Syed Tahir Nazir, the Managing Director, Rittal FZE, commented: “We are fully committed and support the vision of the Office of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications. Rittal is committed to support capacity building, knowledge enhancement, and technology advancements through innovations in the field of AI and other smart applications, especially to support programming in the field of Robotics and Industry 4.0 system and applications along with supporting Green Technologies.”

“Rittal continues its efforts for environmental protection and reducing carbon footprint with its innovative products and solutions through collaborations with government and public sectors to secure a better future for our communities and next generations. We are excited to be a partner of AI department and are looking forward to working with Binghalib for a mutually successful collaboration,” he concluded.

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Source: MEConstructionNews

The Big Project Middle East (BPME) editorial team has announced an all-new conference in Saudi Arabia. The Future of Engineering Summit (FOE) is due to take place on 10 September at the Radisson BLU Hotel, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the BPME team confirmed.

The one-day event will take a deep dive into a variety of topics relating to engineering in the Kingdom via keynote addresses, panel discussions and presentations, and will feature senior speakers from a variety of public and private sector organisations. Registration is complementary but mandatory for construction and real estate professionals, click here to register.

“Some of the world’s most ambitious and transformational projects are being built in the Kingdom, and with that comes seriously impressive engineering as well as challenges. We’ve been covering the Saudi construction and real estate market remotely, as well as on-ground via our now five-year old Construction Intel Summit KSA. Taking into account all that’s going on in the Kingdom, and the fact that some of the giga-projects are now partially in operation, we thought the time was right to expand our focus with a new event focused purely on engineering related topics,” explained Jason Saundalkar, Head of Content at Big Project Middle East.

The key themes of the event will revolve around construction build quality, climate resilience and environmental engineering, delivering true client value via optioneering and value engineering, and talent development to boost local engineering content in the Kingdom.

“We’ve had an enthusiastic response to the FOE Summit already, which is always brilliant when you launch an all-new event. I look forward to announcing the full agenda and our line-up of speakers in the coming weeks,” added Saundalkar.

The event is being supported by:

Strategic Partners: ALEC and KEO International Consultants

Read more about the Future of Engineering Summit by clicking here.

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Source: MEConstructionNews