Construction Week Viewpoint: Recent Episodes
Construction Week
Construction Week Viewpoint is the ultimate guide to the Middle East’s construction sector. Each week, Construction Week answers your questions on all topics impacting the region’s construction market – from contract awards and progress, to site tech and productivity. Each episode of Construction Week Viewpoint is essential hearing for the Middle East’s client, consultants, contractors, and engineering geeks alike.
Championing intelligent solutions in its processes, Group AMANA operates and invests in technology to advance construction quality and efficiency, all of which are integral to the region’s growth ambitions.
In this episode of ‘Behind the Mic’, Construction Week Middle East sat down with Jihad Bsaibes, CEO of AMANA Contracting to discuss the Middle East’s changing construction landscape, including how the company is adapting to the new future of construction in the region.
The conversation circles around topics that include #modular construction, #digitalisation, and #inflation in the market.
As the construction sector embraces transformation in the region, one country that continues to showcase extraordinary achievements in the industry is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
A nation that is witnessing its huge ambitions come to life through an impressive array of gigaprojects supported by Vision 2030. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible if not for the excellence and expertise presented by construction stakeholders.
In this episode, Barry Lewis, Managing Director - Construction at ALEC, shares insights about the status of the exponential construction market in the kingdom. He also elaborates on why now is the right time to be involved in the nation's construction industry.
The Middle East construction market has faced several challenges over the past 18 months, in the light of the ongoing pandemic. And these have pressured clients and contractors in the region, highlighting the need for fast and cost-effective supply.
For this podcast, Brett Smyth, general manager, EMEA, IDEAL Industries highlights the company's extensive range of electrical supplies, wire connectors, lubes, tools and test, and measurement equipment and how its portfolio delivers on the quality, reliability, and compliance that clients and contractors in the Middle East need.
A façade builds on a structure’s response to an external environment, protection capabilities, technical performance, and eventually contributes to the overall ‘health’ of a building.
In ensuring optimal façades, important considerations are safety, sustainability and cost.
On a recent podcast episode, Construction Week's Multimedia Reporter Disha Dadlani hosted Liam Northam, Façade Team Lead at Ramboll and Marina Kindelan, Associate Director, Façades at AESG to go over the important considerations, criteria, and gaps in designing and building façades.
Catch the experts' insights in Construction Week's latest podcast - out now!
Early contract involvement can perhaps make or break the way a project is executed and delivered.
The industry has oft-discussed the need to ensure such involvement alongwith optimal collaboration for the successful and smooth delivery of a project.
Collaboration by itself does not suffice, as the coming together of all stakeholders could be a futile exercise if not initiated or undertaken early on.
Construction Week's Multimedia Reporter Disha Dadlani recently sat down with ALEC's Operations Director Sean McQue to go over all this and more in Construction Week's latest podcast episode.
UAE's AEC (architecture, engineering and construction)landscape are having to navigate a lot of uncertainty, induced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And while braving the implications of the crises, AEC firms can focus on ensuring proper project management methodologies, collaborate efficiently, and incorporate a strategic way of working.
In this podcast episode, we sit down with Dr Fadi Bayoud, Founder of Strategic Anchors, a company that guides AEC firms to tackle such implications.
Fire safety has remained topical for the construction industry globally, and recently for the Middle East, given the growing number of high-profile cases within the region.
The question then remains: how can architects, developers and contractors be better-equipped to tackle building fires; how can they ensure enhanced safety across a project's lifecycle?
Construction Week's in-house podcast, featuring Disha Dadlani, multimedia reporter and Ranju Warrier, digital editor rounds up discussions on several pertinent topics including the change in on-site roles and functions to suit female members of the industry, the need to revaluate hiring strategies and gender diversity at the workplace, going beyond diversity to shift the spotlight onto inclusion and more.
It's only the start of the year and it has been raining appointments at construction consultancy WSP Middle East, with some of the key appointments including Kathleen McGrail as Managing Director - Advisory Services and Ian McGauley as Managing Director for Project Management Services.
Listen to the podcast for details on both appointments.
Recruitment across industries has been evidently impacted through 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic and its implications. While this has been a recurring trend across sectors, the impact across the construction industry has been collosal.
As part of the most recent Construction Week Viewpoint podcast series, we sit down with Shyam Visavadia, who has developed an online portal, driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning to ensure efficient, seamless and speedy recruitment during these trying times.
In line with its ongoing expansion as a globally-focused organisation, AESG, a specialist consultancy, engineering and advisory firm, has announced the appointment of Global Directors for each of its business lines.
The move follows the company’s establishment of offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, and successful delivery of large-scale projects across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. The consolidation of service teams under unified global divisions will enable AESG to now deploy the industry-best skills and resources from all its international offices on projects worldwide.
As part of this move, former managing director at AESG Saeed Al Abbar has been appointed as the group-wide chief executive officer for the firm.
Saeed joins us in the Construction Week studios to reveal further details about the firm's upcoming plans.
As part of the latest episode of CW Viewpoint podcast series, Mark Castell, Partner at dispute avoidance & resolution firm HKA shares insights on how expert witness services have changed in the wake of COVID-19. Castell is a quantity surveyor with more than 35 years of construction industry experience. He has undertaken more than 25 expert witness appointments and five expert determinations. Listen to the entire podcast!
Compass Project Consulting, project and cost management consultancy, which took home the Sub-Consultancy of the Year Award at the CW Awards 2020, featured on the first CW Viewpoint podcast for the year to share details about its 'secret' project in Saudi Arabia, its 2021 strategy, upcoming projects and more.
Contractors and developers' HSE concerns today go beyond the norm, with COVID-19 being thrown into the mix. Is it then possible to mitigate HSE concerns and improve safety across sites with the use of technology? Identifying this as a win-win situation for the sector, digital construction thought leader, Prakash Senghani devised a mobile-first, AI-enabled smart management platform that works towards just this - reducing risk and enhancing safety across construction sites.
How often do you meet an all-women team of structural engineers working on projects of prominence? "Not very often, especially in the field of structural engineering," says Vanja Dimitrijevic, senior structural engineer at multi-disciplinary consultancy WME, on the latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast series. Listen to find out how the company is redefining gender diversity and inclusion in engineering
In the latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast series, we sit down with senior associate in Reed Smith's Energy & Natural Resources Group, Alison Eslick to gain insight on the need for a gender-diverse environment in the projects and construction (P&C) sector.
As part of a recent Construction Week Viewpoint podcast series, we sit down with one such solar provider, SirajPower, which provides solutions combining development, financing, construction and operation of solar rooftops for commercial and industrial (C&I) applications in the UAE.
The emirate of Abu Dhabi has ranked high on real estate investment and advisory firm, JLL’s Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) for the year. Construction Week sat down with the firm's head of research, MENA, Dana Salbak as part of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast series, to discuss the capital's performance in real estate through the year.
CK Architecture Interiors is a vertically integrated design-and-build boutique specialist, working on premium properties in Dubai, including luxury penthouses, apartments, and villas.
The company confirmed that it is on-track to deliver its six-villa development project at Palm Jumeirah. The six ultra-luxury villas range from five to nine bedrooms in Palm Jumeirah with a total construction area of over 20,800m2 and a plot area of over 9,300m2. All the villas are due to be handed over by 2022.
As a MENA business buyer looking to purchase construction or building material and/or machinery online, in the interest of restricted movement due to the ongoing pandemic situation, what's the ideal resolve? Are there enough platforms within the B2B marketplace to serve this purpose? Chief executive officer of Tradeling.com, an e-marketplace for MENA business buyers, Muhammad Chbib, answers these questions and more in a recent podcast interview with Construction Week.
International construction consultancy, Linesight, is focused on delivering data centre developments throughout the Middle East.
While UAE's hospitality sector has suffered an undeniable blow in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry is slowly but certainly getting back up on its feet. Construction Week sits down with Elie Milky, vice president for business development in the Middle East for Radisson Group to gain insight on the way forward for the hospitality sector and the group's plans for the EMEA market.
With the current economic climate induced by the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, looming over and impacting several sectors, exporters' recovery, business continuity and competitiveness as well as the state of the export-import industry, are in question.
As part of the latest episode of Construction Week Viewpoint podcast series, we gain insight from chief executive officer at Etihad Credit Insurance, Massimo Falcioni on braving the vagaries of the present economic situation.
Diamond Developers, which is working on developing the Sharjah Sustainable City and has developed The Sustainable City in Dubai, shares his insights about the increasing sustainable responsibility on developers' shoulders. In addition, he speaks about marrying sustainability with technology and insists that sustainability has taken a "frontseat" rather than a backseat during COVID-19.
Several industries' operations and core businesses have been affected negatively, and in some refreshing instances, positively, in the face of COVID-19.
For the most recent episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, we shift the focus onto the additive manufacturing or 3D printing industry as we speak with Neil Harrington, regional director and general manager of Kingsbury Gulf.
As "conventional manufacturing methods face pressure", additive manufacturing paves the way forward, Harrington notes.
Construction Week's multimedia reporter Disha Dadlani sits down with director of Linda's Real Estate, Noa Wardman. Linda's Real Estate is a boutique estate agency, named after its founder Linda Mahoney, and a part of Betterhomes Group.
The community-based brokerage caters to Dubai's villa communities and strives to empower working parents in the emirate.
Bee'ah's senior manager of int'l business, Mohammed bin Kuwair, discussed the Office of the Future, upcoming projects, challenging targets and how the company aims to achieve them, and the general approach towards waste management
Tom Watson, Partner for the Page Executive Saudi Practice disccused on the episode the impact of COVID-19 on recruitment in KSA's construction and property industry; increased remote onboarding as a result of the current situation; Saudization in the region's construction and property sector; recruitment in a post-COVID-19 scenario
The developer recorded strong sales through the introduction of virtual tours and contactless payments
UAE contractor ALEC and global consultancy firm Cundall have launched the Project of the Future initiative designed to engage young professionals at both companies to come up with groundbreaking ideas “to build a better future” for the industry.
UAE contractor ALEC has revealed exclusively to Construction Week that the industry needs to “stick to the basics” in order to thrive amid the recent accelerated shift of technology and modular construction methods.
Speaking on Construction Week’s podcast series, ALEC managing director for construction, Barry Lewis, said that the industry needs to understand the ecosystem that we operate in and for anything to change and to be successful, you need “buy-in” from all the stakeholders.
Abu Dhabi-based Khidmah, which is a facilities management company, fully-owned by real estate developer ALDAR Properties is strengthening its focus on delivering effective technology solutions, chief executive officer of the firm, Abdulla Al Wahedi, discussed during the latest episode of Construction Week Viewpoint.
Dubai-based real estate developer, Samana Developers' general manager, Alan James discussed its upcoming project Samana Golf Avenue as well as the developer's focus on sustainability and resort-style living, among other topics, during the latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast.
Anthony McCarter, discusses the firm's focus on the incorporation of sustainability in construction in the region, as well as its upcoming projects during the latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast.
McCarter also revealed in the podcast Ramboll's focus on high-rises, hospitals, and aviation infrastructure projects.
McCarter, who was recently appointed to the role has worked in engineering consultancy for more than 35 years, and expects to grow Ramboll’s buildings portfolio across the Middle East region.
The director and partner of Dubai-based property developer Danube Properties, Atif Rahman, discussed the company's focus on affordable housing as well as its recent and upcoming projects during the latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast.
Rahman also reveals in the podcast Danube Properties' 1% payment per month plan, which facilitate ease of purchasing properties and discusses at length about the focus on crowdfunding in real estate in the region.
The founder of construction and engineering recruitment firm FifthEdge, Marcus Taylor discussed the challenges and legacy issues in recruitment in the construction and engineering sectors during the latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast.
Taylor discusses in the podcast how FifthEdge is harnessing technologies to change the recruitment process in the construction and engineering sectors at an industry level, with its recently-launched artificial intelligence-driven platform.
Construction Week editor, Ashley Williams, sits down with the head of sustainability at international consultancy firm Cundall, Hala Yousef, to discuss the firm’s net-zero and net-positive commitments.
Cundall recently pledged to make its global business net-zero by mid-2020 and net-positive by 2025 by 15%, in line with the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development targets.
Speaking about the firm’s approach towards the sustainable commitments, Yousef said: “Cundall takes sustainability very seriously. We made a pledge with [entrepreneurial charity] Bioregional to become a one-planet living company in 2012. We made the pledge with a longer-term view; when the net zero commitment came about, it only made sense to sign up and accelerate our targets. We are already carrying out all the five steps of the net zero commitment – to commit, to disclose, to act, to verify and to advocate it.”
Construction Week editor, Ashley Williams, sits down with the client director of WSP, Gurminder Sagoo.
Business providing management and consultancy services WSP has launched a campaign around the future of placemaking and society.
Sagoo, who is a qualified town planner with a Masters’ degree in Urban Regeneration talks about how cities work and how they are evolving.
The future of placemaking and society campaign covers six topics – urban spaces, loneliness, multi-use spaces and the well-being of those spaces, how population change impacts that and relevant fundamental smart solutions, Sagoo explains.
Construction Week editor, Ashley Williams, sits down with the founder and chief executive officer of Contractors Direct, David Cook.
Launched in January 2020, Contractors Direct is a digital startup company that facilitates stakeholders’ access to pre-qualified contractors in the commercial fit-out sector.
Cook talks about the driving idea behind the company, which started as a boutique project management consultancy firm. He stated that Contractors Direct’s aim was to link stakeholders with contractors through a free-of-charge platform, representative of the best value, backed by diligence tests to ensure credibility and enhanced contractor choices.
Contractors Direct aims to “clean up the contractors market” by distinguishing favourable contractors from the unfavourable and “educate the clients on the same by offering a route of new leads."
Construction Week editor, Ashley Williams, sits down with the owner of V8 Architects Michiel Raaphorst, who is responsible for the design of the Netherlands' Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai site.
Michiel Raaphorst talks about the concept of sustainability built into the design of the Netherlands pavilion, stating that it is "a driver of change in the society that affects all of us."
Raaphorst adds that the key word going forward is "harvesting", as the Expo 2020 is "all about finding answers and inspiration to overcome global challenges." He says that we, as humans, are using a large part of our planet, and we need to restore the balance by producing more and consuming less. This also needs to be backed up by harvesting locally.
He also spoke about recycling the building material that is being used to construct the Netherlands Pavilion.
"This all relates to our Dutch way of civil engineering. We thought that if we are able to rent the locally available building material for the time being, during the six months of the Expo, and after the event, if we give back to the local building industry, then 80% of our construction material is already covered by that," Raaphorst adds.
Construction Week editor, Ashley Williams, sits down with Design Infinity's managing partner Geetha Nayak and co-founder of Design Infinity Pratap Mendonca, to talk about its involvement in the Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus project in Dubai Silicon Oasis, otherwise known as the DTEC project, and the firm’s plans for 2020.
Nayak began the podcast by talking about how the design aspect of the DTEC project was focused on health and wellbeing, with slides included in the fit-out works for the development.
Mendonca outlined the firm's plans for 2020, which included expanding its operations in Abu Dhabi and exploring opportunities for the Northern Emirates of the UAE.
Construction Week editor Ashley Williams sits down with deputy editor Anup Oommen to discuss the surge of renewable energy projects coming up across the Middle East.
Some of the projects highlighted were Saudi Arabia-based developer ACWA Power implementing an agreement with Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy to develop, build, and operate a 240MW wind power project, as well as its major expansion plans across the MENA region.
Other companies focusing on renewable energy developments include Enoc after they opened two service stations in the UAE at Dubai Hills and Lehbab First in the end of 2019, with the facilities being equipped with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof.
Construction Week's editor Ashley Williams sits down with deputy editor Anup Oommen to discuss the surge of construction activity from the Sultanate of Oman with a broad range of contract wins, project deliveries.
Oommen discusses the recent $130m engineering, procurement, construction, and management (EPCM) services contract by Petrofac from the Sultanate’s exploration and production firm, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) for the Mabrouk North East Development Project.
While, Williams talked about what Oman's General Budget 2020 will means for the countries infrastructure sector, as well as overseas firms expanding into Oman.
Construction Week's deputy editor, Anup Oommen, sits down with chief reporter Ranju Warrier to discuss the main construction projects and contract wins that highlights the Middle East's focus on Africa.
Ranju Warrier shares key details from Dubai-based AMEA Power and Tadawul-listed Saudi Electricity Company awarding contracts to Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC). She also talks about clean energy projects and sports developments constructed in the African region.
Anup Oommen sheds light on the major power purchase agreements (or PPAs)in the region, and delves into the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development's (ADFD) interest in African development projects.
Construction Week's editor, Ashley Williams, sits down with Ludwig Bouldoukian, Hyatt's regional vice president of development for the Middle East and Africa, to gain insights on the hospitality chain's plans for 2020, its Middle East pipeline, and its new lifestyle hotel in Dubai.
The Middle East has seen a surge in hotel construction during the last decade, but the market will need to slow down in terms of new projects, says Bouldoukian, who sees "the start of a downcycle" in the region.
This will bring to the forefront developers who are serious; who can deliver; who have the financial backing - the kind of developers that Bouldoukian says Hyatt wants to work with.
In addition, Bouldoukian speaks about Saudi Arabia's megaprojects such as The Red Sea project and hints at talks with Qiddiya developers.
Construction Week's editor, Ashley Williams, sits down with deputy editor Anup Oommen to discuss the projects such as The Avenues and Alba that are located in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Oommen talks about how Bahrain has laid the foundation stone for its 2,000m2 Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai site, as well as Bahrain’s King HM King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa inaugurated Aluminium Bahrain’s (Alba) Line 6 Expansion project, one of the biggest brownfield developments in the kingdom.
Williams discussed the progress on The Avenues - Bahrain Phase 2, with construction work set to commence in Q1 2020, and US-based HALO Defence Systems choosing Bahrain as its Middle East headquarters.
Construction Week's editor, Ashley Williams, sits down with Patrick Parsons environmental consultancy director, Josh Smithson, about the firm's involvement with the Neom project in Saudi Arabia and its plans for expansion into Africa.
Ecologists at the engineering consultancy firm have been involved with the Neom project in KSA since 2018 across multiple projects stages, including conducting habitat, mammal, bird and reptile surveys.
Smithson also talked about the firm's plans to enter the African market and will be aiming to establish partnerships to boost its presence in the continent
Construction Week's editor Ashley Williams sits down with Serco Middle East's Chief Digital Officer, Paul Bogan, to discuss his plans to drive technology across the region's public service sector.
Construction Week's editor Ashley Williams and deputy editor Anup Oommen discuss the major aviation deals from the Dubai Airshow.
Construction Week's editor Ashley Williams sits down with CleanMax Solar's co-founder and CEO, Sushant Aurora, to discuss upcoming solar projects for the UAE.
CleanMax Solar are India's largest provider of solar power to the commercial and industrial sectors and are now focusing on developments within the Middle East including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Esri's head of business development for advanced analytics, Adel Fernandez, discusses with Construction Week about how artificial intelligence and geographic information system (GIS) can play a major role in the Middle East's construction industry.
During the podcast, Fernandez talks about the firm's collaborations with construction organisations, as well as how Esri offers training services to increase awareness and knowledge of the technologies.
Construction Week runs through Alec's achievements over the past 12 months as part our dedicated Power 100 podcast series.
UAE contracting giant ALEC was ranked first place in Construction Week’s 2019 Power 100 ranking, a position that the business has retained for the last two years.
The podcast runs through all of Alec's business strategies and project completions over the past 12 months and whether the firm can make it three years in a row as the number-one ranked individual on the Power 100 list for 2020.
Wolf System's CEO Michael Obermair sits down with Construction Week for its latest podcast episode to talk about its plans for the Middle East and the concept of wood-based construction
Construction Week talks with Olisanwendu Ogwuda, director of industry engagement for Heriot-Watt University Dubai about the universities recently opened Centre of Excellence for Smart Construction and how they have partnered with the likes of ASCG, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald and ALEC.
Construction Week's Ashley Williams and Anup Oommen round up the coverage from Gitex 2019, a technology trade show held at Dubai's World Trade Centre at the beginning of October.
Oommen talked about several developments from the event including a partnership between Dubai's Road Transport Authority and telecoms provider Du for enhanced Wifi networks on public transport.
Williams spoke about two exclusive interviews conducted with Construction Week including Evoteq's CEO, Jihad Tayara, and Oracle's senior vice president for the Middle East, India and Africa, Arun Khehar.
Tayara spoke about Evoteq launching Sharjah's first data centre as part of the emirate's 'digital transformation' plan, while Khehar revealed its collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance to install a cloud-based platform for the government building.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' (RICS) thought leadership partnerships manager, Samer Bagaeen, explains how smarter, greener city-building can unlock growth potential in the future.
Atkins' Grant Porter talks to Construction Week Viewpoint about the UK-headquartered consultancy's expansion plans for the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as plans for its other businesses, such as Atkins Acuity and Faithful + Gould.
Construction Week's Ashley Williams and Ranju Warrier discuss some of the talks from the the Leaders in Construction Summit UAE 2019, which was held in Dubai on 17 September at Le Meridein Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre.
Warrier and Williams talked about some of the key topics debated at the conference including dispute resolution, employment opportunities and value of AI for the sector.
Construction Week sits down with sister title Commercial Interior Design's editor, Oscar Rousseau, to talk about the contractor successes at the 2019 CID awards.
Dubai-based contractors Al Tayer Stocks and BW Interiors claimed the fit-out firm of the year and interior fit-out project of the year for the Avli by Tashas development at DIFC respectively.
Al Tayer Stock was commended for the large amount of projects completed, increasing its turnover by 10% and its repeat business increasing by 3%.
Rousseau described BW Interior's Avli by Tashas development as a "gorgeous" project and explained that it won the category for a second consecutive year.
Saudi Arabia's construction sector is on the up as various gigaprojects and critical infrastructure schemes take shape in the kingdom – but do contractors know how to succeed in the country?
In this episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, CW's Ashley Williams chats with HKA's Haroon Niazi about the new construction laws taking effect in Saudi Arabia, and how engineering firms can more efficiently do business in the country.
Construction Week sits down with ENBD-Reit's, which is managed by Emirates NBD Asset Management, head of real estate, Anthony Taylor, to talk about the UAE market and its plans to focus on the industrial sector for asset acquisitions
Construction Week sits down with MEP's editor Tom Oxtoby to discuss how building information modelling (BIM) technology is driving efficiency for the Middle East's contractors.
Construction Week sits down with Cundall Middle East's operations director Lee French to discuss its plans for entertainment developments across the region
The Construction Week editorial team talks about the latest developments from the Qiddiya gigaproject, which were revealed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during July 2019
Construction Week sits down with Hotelier Middle East's online editor Priyanka Praveen to discuss some of the key hotel construction projects across the Middle East
Key developments and project breakthroughs in the Middle East's oil and gas sector is the subject of the latest CW Viewpoint podcast.
While the GCC continues efforts to diversify its energy sources, the region's oil and gas sector remains critically importance – particularly for countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Oman.
Co-hosts Jack Ball and Ashley Williams, Construction Week's senior reporter and features writer respectively, run through just some of the major contract wins in this space over the past few weeks.
They include US contractor McDermott’s multi-billion dollar contract win from Saudi state-owned energy giant Saudi Aramco.
South Korea-headquartered Hyundai Engineering and Construction’s (E&C) Aracmo-related wins are also touched upon, with Italy contractor Saipem also entering conversation too.
The president and chief executive officer of China State Construction and Engineering Corporation Middle East (CSCEC ME), Yu Tao, features in this latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast.
Bulletin host Jack Ball, senior reporter at Construction Week, recaps on his recent one-on-one interview with the Chinese contractor’s regional chief.
During the lengthy chat, Tao outlines the group’s current project portfolio and backlog, its approach to novel construction methods, and whether a foray into Saudi Arabia is soon to be on the cards.
“As a good friend and partner of China, Saudi Arabia makes a series of positive policies to attract Chinese companies,” he explains.
“Regardless of the type of project, quantity, [or] contract amount, [Saudi] is considered as the next target market we want to work in. In recent months, [the kingdom] has officially been elevated to an emerging market, which gives us more opportunities to enter the [Saudi] market.”
US consultancy Parsons has been in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) for well over forty years and is working on many of the region’s most high-profile projects – including Riyadh Metro and the King Abdullah Financial District, both of which are in Saudi Arabia.
In this latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast, host Jack Ball, senior reporter at Construction Week, recaps on his recent one-on-one interview with Gary Adams, president of Parsons MEA.
The US consultancy’s regional chief outlines some of the firm’s latest tech priorities, noting too some of the key challenges he sees for the group as it continues to ramp up capabilities across MEA, notably in Saudi Arabia.
“We see a lot of growth in Saudi right now, particularly in the programme management space,” Adams explained. “We’ve had double-digit growth in Saudi Arabia for the last couple of years.
Other topics include the fight to source top talent and the ongoing drive to secure healthy cash flows.
To volunteer yourself or a colleague as a guest speaker on Construction Week Viewpoint, please contact Jack Ball at jack.ball@itp.com.
Barry Ebrahimy, senior vice president of commercial at Al Hamra, a UAE-headquartered development giant, talks to Construction Week's senior reporter, Jack Ball, about the long-term prospects of Ras Al Khaimah's real estate sector, and the projects that the group plans to pursue in H2 2019 and beyond.
As one of the UAE’s largest contracting firms, ALEC is one that is eyeing – and taking advantage of – all manner of innovations in the region’s building sector.
In this latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast, special guests Hercu Viljoen, managing director for related businesses at ALEC, and Imad Itani, ALEC’s innovation manager, sit down with host Jack Ball, senior reporter at Construction Week.
Together they break down why ALEC is doubling down on advanced construction technologies and novel building methods when approaching its projects.
“Innovation is a survival thing – if we don’t innovate or adjust what we do today, we will be extinct tomorrow," said Viljoen, noting that the contractor would look to hire employees in the future that can dabble in a variety of skills.
“You need a civil engineer with data analytics skills, for example,” Viljoen explained.
"There might be robots doing the work and you have to analyse how to do it better. That’s where we are going, and that’s very exciting. The industry is going to be transformed in the next five years.”
Other topics include the construction industry’s approach to next-gen technologies more generally, and why having a workforce of multi-taskers is key for the firm moving ahead.
The oil and gas sector has seen some drastic changes in the past year, with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors following suit to cater to an ever-changing industry.
As the region’s national oil companies have moved to integrate vertically and boost their downstream portfolios, so, too have EPC contractors.
In this latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast, special guest Carla Sertin, editor of Oil and Gas Middle East, sits down with host Jack Ball, senior reporter at Construction Week.
Together they run through the 2019 iteration of Carla’s Top 30 EPC Contractors 2019 list, touching on the opportunities, challenges, and major moves for EPC contractors such as McDermott – a big jumper in this year’s list – and Larsen and Toubro (L&T) as we near the 2019 halfway mark.
A name that is working on construction projects in Saudi Arabia such as the Riyadh Metro and Mall of Saudi, UK-headquartered construction consultancy Atkins is no stranger to some of the kingdom’s most ambitious construction projects.
Indeed, Saudi Arabia is exactly where the group’s Middle East practice sees a real push for growth, as Adrian Lindon, the company's managing director for engineering, design, and project management in the Middle East and Africa, explains.
Joining Jack Ball, Construction Week’s senior reporter, in the CW Viewpoint podcast studio this week, Lindon outlines how the group hopes to double the headcount of its recently opened office in the kingdom’s capital Riyadh by the end of 2019 – buoyed by ongoing work on megaprojects such as Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) and the Diriyah Gate development.
Other topics include Atkins’ ongoing project portfolio in region, and those projects that the consulting heavyweight is looking, or has already started, to tender for.
Hyperloop, an open-source technology that transports pods through near vacuum-free tubes at airplane speeds, is rarely out of the media spotlight.
Los Angeles-based Virgin Hyperloop One is one of two big-name firms looking to bring commercial hyperloop systems to market globally.
Harj Dhaliwal, managing director for the Middle East and India at Virgin Hyperloop One, sits down with Jack Ball, Construction Week’s senior reporter, in this week's special guest episode of the Construction Week viewpoint podcast.
He offers a full update on where the group’s proposed route between Mumbai and Pune in the Indian state of Maharashtra stands at the moment, in terms of regulatory certification and a proposed construction timeline.
The group’s ongoing work in Saudi Arabia is touched on heavily, with the Middle East and India chief outlining where Virgin Hyperloop One stands at the moment with the kingdom's relevant transport authorities and what a Saudi Virgin Hyperloop One system could look like.
Other questions regarding price points and other key issues surrounding the next-gen technology are also explored in this week's extended episode.
The quality and nature of projects in Dubai has changed, with financiers of the GCC’S contractors looking today at the lifecycle and value-add of a development, says Mohammad Khader Al Shouli, senior vice president and head of contracting finance at Dubai's Mashreq Bank.
But what other qualities do lenders like Mashreq Bank look for when they are assessing contractors that seek capital for their project pipelines?
In this latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast, Al Shouli sits down with Jack Ball, CW’s senior reporter, to break down where the contracting finance market stands currently and what contractors can do to improve their standing in the eyes of lenders such as Mashreq.
The GCC’s construction sector is ripe for disruption from building technology start-ups, says Hana Barakat, programme manager of Abu Dhabi-based global accelerator Start AD.
The group, anchored at New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi and powered by its Abu Dhabi partner Tamkeen, helps equip start-ups in the region to launch pilot projects with industry leaders.
Barakat joins Jack Ball, senior reporter at Construction Week, in the CW Viewpoint podcast studio this week.
Discussed topics include the challenges for construction start-ups in the GCC as they pitch their ideas to the right firms, at the right time, to take their companies to the next level.
Tech entrepreneur Karim Helal, co-founder and chief executive officer of building portal ProTenders, says Saudi Arabia is using data to make its billion-dollar construction projects more competitive.
ProTenders is leveraging its powerful data bank to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy and will open an office in Riyadh this year to capitalise on the growth in the kingdom, Helal said.
Speaking on the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast, he confirmed that ProTenders was already in “discussions with different ministries” on how building data can be used to create more accurate pricing analysis.
The past twelve months have bore witness to a string of high profile project announcements from Saudi Arabia – from news in January 2019 that construction will start on entertainment megaproject Qiddiya later this year to the $500bn Neom gigaproject, where work was scheduled to start in Q1 of this year.
Increasing home ownership in the kingdom is also one of the 12 so-called vision realisation programmes – or VRPs – underpinning Saudi’s Vision 2030 plan to reduce oil dependency.
Listen to this 13-minute podcast as hosts Oscar Rousseau, deputy editor, and Jack Ball, senior reporter, discuss those firms that have, or are looking to, set up physical offices in the kingdom as the country ramps up its Vision 2030 agenda.
According to UAE central bank data released earlier this year, January to September 2018 saw employers create 45,900 new jobs, with Dubai the main driver of growth in the UAE labour market for 2017 and 2018.
But, what does the job market look like for the region’s builders and, more specifically, how can new entrants into the job market secure a position and impress their new employers?
Jack Ball, CW senior reporter, and Neha Bhatia, editor at Construction Week discuss all things related in this week's CW Viewpoint podcast.
Chief executive officer of Devmark, Sean McCauley, explains why developers are reducing the size of residential units as the property market in the UAE faces continued challenges.
McCauley, who’s advised prominent developers such as Damac, Bloom Properties, and Azizi Development, also explains how developers are responding to a softer market.
He also outlines his plan to take the company, which only formed in September 2018, to Saudi Arabia in the near future.
Founded over thirty years ago in 1985, National Aluminium LLC, a Ginco Group subsidiary, is one of the UAE’s recognized names when it comes to architectural aluminum fabrication.
In this episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, Feras Farah, business development and operations manager at National Aluminium Ginco sits down with Jack Ball, Construction Week's senior reporter, to outline steps the group is taking as it uses more robotics to install its UAE-made aluminium facades.
Given his position as global real estate, hospitality, and construction leader at EY, Mark Grinis – based out of the accounting giant’s Times Square office in New York – has a unique insight into the dynamics currently shaping the global property markets.
In this latest episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, Grinis sits down with Construction Week’s senior reporter Jack Ball, to discuss how MENA and the GCC have a competitive advantage in building cities fit for the 21st century; the role of technology in optimising both design and planning; and the megaprojects dominating conversation across the region – namely in Saudi Arabia.
The role of the private sector in the GCC’s growth trajectory, particularly from the global pool of private equity capital, is also touched upon.
Oman's construction sector is contending with a host of macroeconomic issues — from payment delays and price wars to consolidation and aggressive business practices — but is there light at the end of the tunnel?
As of March 2019, the country's pipeline of projects was worth $259.6bn — with infrastructure schemes worth more than oil and gas projects that have historically been the growth driver of the economy.
In this episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, Oscar Rousseau and Jack Ball, CW's deputy editor and senior reporter respectively, ask one question: can contractors overcome the acute liquidity crisis and turn the tide on payment delays and challenging economic conditions?
Another construction-related record has been broken by the UAE, as the country looks to lead the playing field in a burgeoning number of fields. But what are some of the top – and most niche – records broken by the country in construction and the further afield?
In this episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, hosts Oscar Rousseau and Jack look at the two latest records that have been broken by the UAE this year, and some of the more interesting ones that extend beyond the urban world.
As managing director of homegrown Emirati engineering consultancy AESG and chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council, Saaed Al Abbar’s schedule is far from sparse.
In this episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, Al Abbar sits down with Construction Week’s senior reporter, Jack Ball, to discuss the shifting roles of consultancies like AESG over the past few years, industry-wide moves towards net zero developments, and why AESG decided to set up a full-time Saudi presence less than a year ago.
Two engineering giants — SNC-Lavalin and Petrofac — have reported their full-year financial results for 2018 at a time when both companies face separate investigations over alleged bribery carried out by former employees to influence winning work in the Middle East.
In this podcast, Oscar Rousseau and Jack Ball, Construction Week's deputy editor and senior reporter respectively, look at why SNC-Lavalin and Petrofac are facing probes — and how the claims have impacted their respective financial positions.
Abdulmajid Karanouh, head of advanced interdisciplinary design and innovation at Drees & Sommer, joined Construction Week Viewpoint to discuss innovations shaping the future of urban development in the Middle East.
Karanouh, who joined the German outfit in 2018, spoke about smart city schemes, the allure of Saudi’s $500bn gigaproject Neom, artificial intelligence, and how you can build more sustainable and efficient buildings with innovative materials
“I was part of a brainstorming workshop that happened between two and three years ago to address [Saudi Arabia's] 2030 vision and Neom specifically. I personally am very interested in that project – and so is Drees & Sommer.”
This week’s episode of Construction Week Viewpoint travels to the north-western region of Al-Ula that Saudi Arabia plans to transform into a massive wildlife reserve and heritage destination complete with a luxury hotel and spa.
Construction Week’s deputy editor and senior reporter, Oscar Rousseau and Jack Ball respectively, look at why Saudi Arabia is breathing new life in the ancient region of Al-Ula that is home to Mada’in Salih, the kingdom’s first Unesco World Heritage Site.
Chairman and founder of Danube Group, Rizwan Sajan, tells Construction Week Viewpoint new projects and tenders are on the horizon for 2019.
In this episode, Sajan speaks to Construction Week's deputy editor, Oscar Rousseau, about why he will only launch new projects in Dubai after the business sells up to 80% of the units in previously-launched projects.
Saudi gigaprojects took a step forward in January after the masterplan for the Red Sea Project was approved, and news emerged that Neom construction would begin in Q1 2019.
Both are undoubtedly big stories about the most dynamic construction market in the Middle East today, but how significant are the developments for Saudi's ongoing transformation?
Listen to this nine-minute podcast episode as Oscar Rousseau, deputy editor, and Jack Ball, senior reporter, discuss why the milestones matter.
Haroon Niazi, partner for the Middle East and Africa at construction, manufacturing, and technology consultancy HKA, outlines his thoughts on the current dispute resolution and contracting challenges that he sees in the Gulf.
His thoughts on Saudi Arabia and the kingdom's moves towards public-private partnerships (PPP) are also discussed in this wide-ranging interview with Construction Week’s deputy editor, Oscar Rousseau.
You can now listen to the Construction Week Viewpoint audio podcast on iTunes.
Chief executive officer of Fäm Properties, Firas Al Msaddi, outlines why the company is investing millions in Dubai real estate when the market isn't booming.
Fäm Properties is a UAE real estate agency sitting on an investment portfolio worth more than $544m (AED2bn).
After announcing sales of $432m (AED1.59bn) and a multi-million dirham investment to expand UAE operations, Al Msaddi spoke to Construction Week Viewpoint about his ‘rock-solid plan” for growth.
Top construction news from the start of January 2019.
This episode of Construction Week Viewpoint reviews the latest plans to add millions of square metres to the Dubai International Financial Centre - a project dubbed DIFC 2.0 - to bolster the emirate's credentials as a regional finance leader.
And the future of business ties between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are discussed after the two countries finalised a deal to build a multibillion-dollar oil refinery in Gwadar.
For the first time ever, you can now listen to the Construction Week Viewpoint audio podcast on iTunes.
In this latest podcast episode from Construction Week, the editorial team explore what precast construction could look like in 2019.
Indeed, with population growth and affordable housing continuing to be key considerations for many states across the GCC, an increasing number of residential architects, builders, and homeowners are increasingly aware of the benefits of precast construction.
While it may not be the be-all, end-all answer for all construction needs, precast concrete does have some major advantages, offering more control over construction schedules for example; easier installation; cost effectiveness; durability; and of course sustainability – to name a few.
Saudi Arabia, which faces an affordable home shortage, is already making headway into the world of precast housing. At the end of 2018 a precast house was built in two days as the desert kingdom ramps up efforts to accelerate innovation and increase home-ownership.
Listen to the full podcast as both Jack Ball and Neha Bhatia, senior reporter and editor at Construction Week, run through whether this could really be the ‘year of precast’.
In this latest podcast episode from Construction Week, the editorial team explore - on the last day of 2018 - our top five most read online stories over the past 365 days.
They include a Dubai-based real estate development company offering investors a green card in exchange for investment at a residential project near Florida’s Disney World Orlando theme park; the first contracts that were awarded for Saudi Arabia’s $500bn (SAR1.9tn) gigaproject on the kingdom’s Red Sea coast; alongside others relating to rail projects in both Kuwait and Bahrain.
Listen to the full podcast as both Jack Ball and Oscar Rousseau, senior reporter and deputy editor at Construction Week, run through the stories that had us all talking in 2018, as we enter 2019.
In this podcast episode from Construction Week, the editorial team explores the socio-economic impact of Spark and runs through the key features of the three-phase development that covers a total land area of more than 50km².
Located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province between the populous cities of Dammam and Al-Ahsa, Spark will be a hub for energy, industrialisation, technology, and innovation.
State-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco will be the anchor company at Spark, which has already enticed top international companies, such as Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, and Halliburton, to set up site in the area.
A cyberattack on Italian contractor Saipem's servers in the Middle East has raised an important question: is digital infrastructure more vulnerable than ever before?
The Italian oil and gas contractor was hit by the Shamoon disk-wrecking virus, the same malware that struck Saudi Aramco in 2012. While an investigation into the extent of the damage is ongoing, Saipem said the hack caused an undisclosed amount of data to be deleted, forcing the company to partially shut down operations as it dealt with the ramifications of the breach.
Nikhil Pereira, editor of Construction Week's sister title facilities management Middle East, joins as a special guest to discuss the risers and fallers in the 2018 fmME Power 50 list of the top industry leaders.
Construction Week Viewpoint tackles drainage following the death of one person, the resignation of a government minister, and Kuwait's decision to blacklist six companies from state projects after flooding damaged Sabah Al Ahmad City.
Millennials – in engineering or other global business sectors – are said to operate differently than their predecessors. But, does a generation comfortable with LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter really need networking events? As the upcoming Construction Week Awards 2018 in Dubai will prove, the answer is yes.
In this episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, Neha Bhatia and Jack Ball explore how networking can benefit construction and engineering pros in the Middle East and beyond – whether they're millennials or not.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have reached new milestones as two of the largest economies in the Middle East look to join a list of global powers boasting nuclear energy capabilities.
In this episode of Construction Week Viewpoint , Oscar Rousseau and Jack Ball, look at why Saudi Arabia is building a nuclear research reactor.
This comes after the foundation stone for the research reactor was put down at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology on 5 November.
Meanwhile, an important construction benchmark was achieved at the UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant after concrete work and heavy equipment lifting were completed by the teams on site.
In this special episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast, Ciaran McCormack, regional director Middle East at global construction consultancy Linesight, sits down with Jack Ball, senior reporter at Construction Week.
In this wide ranging interview he provides expert insight into the nature of disputes in region’s construction industry; a consultant’s ever-shifting role in alleviating problems; as well as the group’s plans as it eyes growth opportunities in key regional markets like Saudi Arabia.
“We try to remove as much of the grey areas as we can. There’s a lot of risk that contracts can impose on contractors so you need to be clear about and give them a fighting chance so they can see what they’re signing up to.”
The future of sustainable construction will face unprecedented challenges as the global population booms to nearly 10 billion people, but what is the trade doing about it?
In this podcast, Construction Week's deputy editor and senior reporter respectively, Oscar Rousseau and Jack Ball, look at the innovations improving sustainable development, from drones and laser-guidance systems to biomaterials and humidity harvesting.
The editorial team also looks at the investment pouring into green construction, after the UAE agreed to pump millions of dollars into eco-friendly projects between 2019 and 2021.
Transguard's managing director, Greg Ward, reveals the three things he wants to change about the industry.
In a special podcast episode, Ward said it was vital to address the elephant in the room: liquidity problems plaguing the industry.
"There is, I feel at the moment, an issue of liquidity in the market, but there is also an issue where customers hide behind that issue," he said. Taking an ironic tone, Ward added that the number of customers who "lose invoice is quite impressive".
Listen to the wide-ranging interview that touches on the future of facilities management, Transguard's acquisition plans, and impressive growth, as well why some companies need to stop chasing revenue.
Construction will power the implementation of a development and modernisation push called New Kuwait Vision 2035, a strategy for social and economic change. But in this seven-pillar roadmap lay some potential challenges, ranging from striking the right balance between using local and international labour and working more closely with the private sector to help reduce government spending and accelerate efficiency.
Listen to the latest podcast episode to find out more about building the so-called New Kuwait.
Another round of major real estate projects have been announced by UAE developers, but what stands out in a market blessed with a wealth of new ventures?
In this episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, hosts Oscar Rousseau and Jack Ball review project updates from developers including Arada, Jumeirah Group, and Imkan who all made big announcements at Dubai trade show Cityscape Global, which ran from 2-4 October.
Should the Middle East brace itself for a hike in infrastructure investment after oil prices hit a four-year high of $81 per barrel last month?
Fulled by exclusive comments from Deloitte, Bloom Holding, and Laing O'Rouke Middle East, Construction Week Viewpoint hosts Oscar Rousseau and Jack Ball ask if rising oil prices could see the Middle East awash with stronger petrodollars?
The team also drills into the potential knock-on effects rising oil prices will have for regional construction projects.
Mott MacDonald Middle East's managing director, Chris Seymour, joins Construction Week Viewpoint to explain why the private sector should welcome more participation from the government on smart city planning.
In a wide-ranging podcast interview, he also revealed that the engineering consultancy had won a contract to work on the Kuwait Ring Road package.
Listen to the full podcast as Seymour tells host Oscar Rousseau why the government has a big role to play in creating an integrated approach for the planning of smart cities.
Visa reforms and the Tomorrow 2021 development strategy for Abu Dhabi go under the CW microscope in this week's podcast episode.
Under new rules approved by the UAE, expats can now retire in the country, providing they meet certain requirements.
Abu Dhabi will get a bumper cash injection in 2019, with more than $5bn injected into the economy over three years, paving the way for investment in real estate, infrastructure, and renewable energy projects.
Expo 2020 Dubai is well under way with approximately a year to go until all major construction needs to be finished in October 2019. In this podcast the CW team reviews progress on the Expo megaproject as the clock continues to tick down to deadline day.
Railway projects are gathering pace in Saudi and the UAE, but similar infrastructure schemes in Bahrain and Kuwait have faced delays. So, is rail on track in the Middle East?
In the latest episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, Oscar Rousseau and Jack Ball, deputy editor and senior reporter of Construction Week, dissect the progress on high-profile projects, such as Dubai Metro’s Route 2020 and Saudi Arabia’s Makkah to Madina high-speed Haramain rail infrastructure initiative.
Is construction the next big sector in Bahrain, or is the kingdom's oil economy continuing to outshine its non-oil counterparts?
In S02E06 of Construction Week Viewpoint, Oscar Rousseau and Jack Ball, deputy editor and senior reporter of CW, explore the various construction schemes under way in the kingdom.
Is retrofit the only way that construction companies might survive future market conditions? If so, then some of the Middle East's construction leaders will have to overcome their reservations about retrofitting projects.
In the latest episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, Oscar Rousseau and Jack Ball, deputy editor and senior reporter of Construction Week, explore why renovations, refurbishments, and retrofits are yet to gain traction in the Middle East – and why it is essential that they do.
Follow this channel for the latest from the Middle East's construction industry.
The latest Construction Week Viewpoint podcast asks one question: can Saudi Arabia build itself into a world-leading tourism destination?
The kingdom is spending more than half a trillion dollars on seaside resorts and entertainment complexes to attract more tourists as the country opens up to the world.
Saudi Arabia is the self-titled heart of the Islamic world, an investment powerhouse, and a vital business hub connecting three continents, and has allocated vast swaths of coastal territory for its awe-inspiring projects. But does it have the infrastructure to support this vision?
Listen to the latest podcast for your weekly dose of construction news.
Is it time for drones to properly take-off in the Middle East to help manage under-construction assets like never before?
The Abu Dhabi Municipality recently rolled out a pilot scheme to use drones to monitor engineering work on construction sites in the emirate. It will test the drone’s ability to withstand harsh climatic conditions, plus its distance and altitude.
Listen to the latest episode of Construction Week Viewpoint to hear about how the industry is using drones - and how it is helping companies in the region thrive.
China is ramping up investment in the Middle East to help build the infrastructure needed to support its trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. But what effect will this have on construction in the region?
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Kuwait have all expressed an interest in helping China build its Belt and Road megaproject.
In the latest podcast episode, Construction Week's deputy editor, Oscar Rousseau, and senior reporter, Jack Ball, look at why projects such as the 3km² Trader's Market in Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone in Dubai could be the start of a rise in China-backed projects in the region.
Construction Week Viewpoint kicks off its second season with a tough discussion on the state of the jobs market in countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Marcus Taylor, managing director of recruitment firm Taylor Sterling, co-founder of BuildingMENA, the Middle East's first construction and engineering jobs website – created through a collaborative venture between Construction Week and Taylor Sterling – joins the podcast for the first episode of the new season.
"I think 2018 started off with a lot of promise, we had some very specific requirements in the market, not just in the UAE but across the Gulf, and [the jobs market has] definitely slowed down," said Taylor. "I think there are challenges in finding the right people at the right price point, but it's not all doom and gloom by any means."
Construction Week Viewpoint looks at why artificial intelligence (AI) may need to muscle harder into the built environment to help the market deliver the infrastructure needed to support economic growth.
In the latest episode of the CW Viewpoint podcast, hosts Oscar Rousseau and Jumana Abdel-Razaq discuss how drones, 3D printing, AI, and other forms of so-called disruptive technology are helping to reshape construction practices and procedures in the Middle East. And why work is far from complete when it comes to harnessing the power of new technology.
This technological transformation – dubbed the Fourth Industrial Revolution – comes as GCC governments push their respective strategies, or visions, for sustainable economic growth, better infrastructure, and public services.
The latest episode of Construction Week's podcast discusses who stood out in the 2018 Power 100 list, and explains how the process that aims to capture and quantify influence works in practice.
Hosts Oscar Rousseau and Jumana Abdel-Razzaq talk about the tough decisions that had to be made to determine this year's list of the most influential people.
They also provide exclusive insight into how the process to select and rank the GCC's business leaders worked, what the editorial team was looking for, and why the list is about more than just a healthy project pipeline.
Key developments and project breakthroughs in the Middle East's oil and gas sector is the subject of the latest CW podcast.
The latest episode of Construction Week Viewpoint drills into US President Donald Trump's comments on the Mideast oil sector, Bahrain's biggest discovery since the 1930s, and a $44bn mega refinery involving GCC heavyweights Saudi Aramco and ADNOC.
Construction Week Viewpoint looks at heritage-inspired building projects in the UAE, and discusses why preserving traditional and historic structures is vital in the modern age.
In the latest episode, hosts Oscar Rousseau and Jumana Abdel-Razzaq are joined by Rima Alsammarae, editor of Middle East Architect, who shares her insight on the efforts in motion to preserve architectural heritage in countries such as the UAE.
Unprecedented digital breakthroughs have promised to deliver profound changes to the way cities operate, but how is this taking shape in the Middle East?
Locally, urban planners are pushing smart city concepts that integrate data, technology, and analytics to optimise public services, minimise energy consumption, and cut waste.
The latest episode of Construction Week Viewpoint zeros in on the smart city schemes reshaping the built world in the Middle East, and redefining the concept of what it means to build smart.
Construction Week Viewpoint welcomes its first guest, Neha Bhatia, editor of Construction Week, who reveals how the candidates for the Power 100 list are selected.
More than 20 new faces have made the cut, demonstrating the tough competition in the market as new players add energy, zest, and innovation to the GCC industry.
However, there are still plenty of the same old guard, such as ALEC's Kez Taylor, which highlights stability in a market that continues to face a myriad range of domestic and international challenges.
Saudi Arabia's average life expectancy has increased from 66 years to 74 years in the past three decades, and the country has a young population with 70% below the age of 40. This is putting real pressure on the healthcare industry and Saudi is working hard to address the issue by building larger and more advanced hospitals.
And a recent report by Knight Frank concluded that KSA requires an additional 20,000 beds by 2035 to cope with the pace of population growth in the country.
In this latest CW episode, Saudi Arabia's hospital building projects are analysed. The podcast touches on the raft of government initiatives, including what is claimed to be the biggest medical investment in the Gulf.
The podcast is hosted by Construction Week’s deputy editor, Oscar Rousseau, and ConstructionWeekOnline’s editor, Jumana Abdel-Razzaq.
The modernist reinterpretation of mashrabiyas is discussed in the latest CW podcast on architecture and design.
Mashrabiyas are synonymous with Arabic architecture and the latticework grids are used to be more than just pleasing to the eye, serving a social and environmental functions as well.
In the latest episode, the CW hosts talk about how mashrabiyas continue to be used in modern construction projects from the Abu Dhabi Louvre to Apple's flagship store at Dubai Mall.
The podcast is hosted by Construction Week’s deputy editor, Oscar Rousseau, and ConstructionWeekOnline’s editor, Jumana Abdel-Razzaq.
With a flurry of hyperloop-related news doing the rounds, Construction Week Viewpoint aims to put the latest developments into context.
In the latest podcast episode, issues of safety, financing, feasibility, and construction targets go under the microscope.
The podcast is hosted by Construction Week’s deputy editor, Oscar Rousseau, and ConstructionWeekOnline’s editor, Jumana Abdel-Razzaq.
In the latest episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, the exclusive results from the inaugural CW Skills Gap Survey are dissected.
More than half of the survey respondents said that they did not believe their employer provided enough career development opportunities, while four in 10 received no formal training last year.
The podcast is hosted by Construction Week’s deputy editor, Oscar Rousseau, and ConstructionWeekOnline’s editor, Jumana Abdel-Razzaq.
Health and safety is the focus of the latest Construction Week Viewpoint podcast.
Major accidents and fatalities have "drastically decreased" on construction sites in Dubai, director of HSE at the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority (DCCA), Ahmad Al Sumaiti, recently told Construction Week.
And from the Expo 2020 Dubai site to typical brick and mortar projects, construction stakeholders in the emirate are collaborating on health and safety.
The podcast is hosted by Construction Week’s deputy editor, Oscar Rousseau, and ConstructionWeekOnline’s editor, Jumana Abdel-Razzaq.
Listeners can tune in from their phone, desktop, or tablets at noon every Monday to learn more about the biggest issues in the business.
In the latest episode of Construction Week Viewpoint, the future role of façades in GCC construction is explored as the hunt for energy efficiency shows no sign of slowing down.
The podcast is hosted by Construction Week’s deputy editor, Oscar Rousseau, and ConstructionWeekOnline’s editor, Jumana Abdel-Razzaq.
Listeners can tune in from their phone, desktop, or tablets at noon every Monday to learn more about the biggest issues in the business.
Saudi and the UAE may be the region's largest investors in clean energy, but they are not the only ones in the Middle East bringing solar projects to the fore.
In the third episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint SoundCloud podcast, the rise of solar projects, and the need to facilitate these developments by investing in proper infrastructure is discussed in the latest on-the-go podcast.
One of the biggest projects underway is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, a central pillar of Dubai’s long-term renewable energy strategy.
The podcast is hosted by Construction Week’s deputy editor, Oscar Rousseau, and ConstructionWeekOnline’s editor, Jumana Abdel-Razzaq.
Listeners can tune in from their phone, desktop, or tablets at noon every Monday to learn more about the biggest issues in the business.
In the second episode of Construction Week Viewpoint's podcast, Abu Dhabi’s economic transformation, its efforts to encourage tourism, and the effect on building projects in the emirate is explored in a 10-minute discussion.
Some contractors are reportedly weighing up the pros and cons of remaining in the UAE. Construction Week's Oscar Rousseau and Jumana Abdel-Razzaq discuss why the state of dispute resolution is one reason causing firms to twice about doing business in the country.