TURNER & TOWNSEND

SHINING THE GREENLIGHT: PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES IN SAUDI ARABIA

BY LINDSEY MALCOLM, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND SUSTAINABILITY LEAD, MIDDLE EAST, TURNER & TOWNSEND

ALTHOUGH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT is a crucial and necessary requirement in the modern construction industry, barriers remain to the widespread adoption of this practice. As we race to avert a climate crisis, enhancing and embedding sustainability requirements on major construction projects and programmes should be our industry’s top priority.

Looking at the Saudi Arabian construction industry, which is experiencing extraordinary growth at the moment, projects of unprecedented scope and concept are being designed and delivered. At the heart of all this development is Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision and its desire to establish a vibrant society, thriving economy, and ambitious nation.

Such forward-thinking should consider not only what is to be accomplished by 2030, but also how that will serve as a foundation for the nation’s development over the coming decades.

As a specialist who has worked on projects in the region for the past 15 years, I have witnessed first-hand how sustainability has been perceived, as well as how it is influences the procurement and delivery of projects. Looking at Saudi’s strategy, one can spot the fundamental principles of sustainable development: long-term reasoning, resilience, and efficiency.

With just under $52 billion in contract awards, according to the US-Saudi Business Council, the market for initiatives in the Kingdom is vast, with as many as 14 ‘giga-projects’ in the pipeline. Some of these schemes will provide new places to live and work for current Saudi residents, and some will also need to cater to those moving to the country in the coming decades.

All these projects will start taking shape over the next six years, but based on their current forms, not all will be sustainable in the long run. Resolving this will require architects, designers, engineers, specialists, contractors, owners, and operators to play their part in the present day, ensuring that the Saudi construction industry as a whole can achieve optimal performance in terms of cost, carbon, schedule, and quality.

Energy and water management across all portfolios will be a crucial consideration for owners and operators over the coming years. The growth of development increases the demand for resources, with the supply of energy and water being limited and their distribution fragmented. Thus climate-responsible design and resource consumption efficiency should be central to all new development initiatives, in addition to informing the revitalisation and refurbishment of existing assets.