Big Project ME June 2019

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JUNE 2019 meconstructionnews.com

THE BUSINESS OF CONSTRUCTION

A new purpose

Big Project Me learns how the uae pavilion at expo 2015 was repurposed into a new avatar

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Contents

Issue 159 June 2019 07

12

16

18

24

38

04 MEConstructionNews.com

16 Hospitality Industry in the ME 36 Cyberattacks on Infrastructure Angitha Pradeep takes a look at the region’s hospitality industry and the key trends for 2019

Dr Waël Kanoun outlines how strategic design can help cyber-secure rail systems

06 Mina Rashid project

18 Mark Grinis

38 WIC Summit

OnlIne

The biggest stories from Big Project Middle East’s home on the web The bIg pIcTure

Emaar to build a $6.8bn sailing destination by the Dubai Creek, near Bur Dubai/Deira

news analysIs

In prOfIle

EY’s construction leader discusses the challenges facing retail developers in Dubai

cOMMenT

eVenT reVIew

Big Project ME recaps the inaugural edition of the WIC Summit

10 UAE-CREF launch solar projects 24 Journey of Transformation

40 Top Tenders

12 Kuwait Construction Industry 30 Mobility’s Enigma

44 Pioneering Best Practices

InTernaTIOnal news

UAE-CREF unveils $50m solar power projects in three Caribbean countries MarkeT repOrT

ProTenders report analyses the Kuwaiti construction industry’s outlook

sITe VIsIT

Big Project ME visits the repurposed UAE Pavilion from the 2015 Milan Expo cOMMenT

John Gillespie talks about the mobility revolution and its impact on future generations

Tenders

Big Project ME lists the Middle East’s biggest construction tenders for June 2019 lasT wOrd

Casper Herzberg examines how open digital platforms are vital for smart cities June 2019 1

Introduction

GROUP

As good as new

A

s any long-time resident of Dubai will tell you, the noise of construction is a constant soundtrack in our lives, with new building projects constantly cropping up out of the sand. While this constant development and progress is a good indicator of the robustness of the construction industry, it does also throw up some awkward questions, particularly when we consider the emphasis on sustainability and efficiency that is currently dominating the conversation.

For several years, developers seemed to view buildings as disposable commodities, with structures torn down and a new one constructed in its place. However, with budgets and regulations tightening, we have seen an increased emphasis on long-term planning and retrofitting older buildings for modern needs.

This has certainly been a very welcome progression as we now see architects and engineers create buildings that can be utilised for many years, in many different guises, whether it’s office space, residential or even commercial.

This trend is certainly more sustainable, and it’s considerably more cost-effective and efficient.

But there is still more that can be done, which is what this month’s cover story illustrates. Having originally been conceived as the UAE Pavilion at the Milan Expo 2015, it is fascinating to me to see how Rimond has taken the structure and evolved it into something completely different and new, while still retaining its distinctive

2 June 2019

MANAGING DIRectOR RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5471 eDItORIAL DIRectOR VIJAYA CHERIAN vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5472 eDItORIAL eDItOR GAVIN DAVIDS gavin.davids@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5480 JUNIOR RePORteR ANGItHA PRADEEP angitha.pradeep@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5479 SUB eDItOR AELRED DOYLE aelred.doyle@cpitrademedia.com ADVeRtISING cOMMeRcIAL DIRectOR JUDE SLANN jude.slann@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5714 DeSIGN ARt DIRectOR SIMON COBON

design and architectural elements.

I think that the Masdar Visitor Centre, as it is now known (albeit till official confirmation of its new tenant), will serve as a benchmark for the construction industry. It proves the industry can build a complex structure for a specific event, disassemble and ship it thousands of kilometres, and then reassemble it in a completely different environment, for a completely different purpose, and still have it operate exactly as it’s intended to.

To me, the implications could be huge – not just for Dubai, for the entire world. I’m looking forward to seeing if more developers and construction firms are going to be brave enough to go down this route. I certainly think that it’ll be worth it.

simon.cobon@cpitrademedia.com DeSIGNeR PERCIVAL MANALAYSAY percival.manalaysay@cpitrademedia.com PHOtOGRAPHY MAkSYM PORIECHkIN MARKetING MARKetING MANAGeR SHEENA SAPSfORD sheena.sapsford@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5498 cIRcULAtION & PRODUctION PRODUctION MANAGeR VIPIN V. VIJAY vipin.vijay@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5713 DIStRIBUtION MANAGeR PHINSON MAtHEW GEORGE phinson.george@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5476 WeB DeVeLOPMeNt MOHAMMAD AWAIS SADIq SIDDIqUI FOUNDeR DOMINIC DE SOUSA (1959-2015) PRINteD BY ALSALAM PRINtING PRESS LLC PUBLISHeD BY

Licensed by tECOM to registered company, CPI trade Publishing fZ LLC whose registered office is 207 – 209, Building 3, Dubai Studio City, Dubai, UAE

Gavin Davids editor gavin.davids@cpitrademedia.com @MecN_Gavin

www.cpitrademedia.com © Copyright 2019 CPI trade Media. All rights reserved While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

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ReAdeRS’ COMMeNTS

feATURed

CONSTRUCTION

WIC: fAMILY fRIeNdLY

GCC wins Jubail Island contract; enabling works underway

I have been following the articles and features on the theme of Women in Construction (on both the MECN website and in

Middle East Consultant magazine) for many months now and want CONSTRUCTION

to pass on my thanks for

Arabtec Construction wins $56m Villanova contract

greater diversity in the

continuing to support construction industry.

The thoughts and

Interview: WiC – SNC-Lavalin committed to diversity and inclusion

experiences from these highly professional and talented women should be an inspiration to us all. I see this as one part

CONSTRUCTION

of a wider movement in

EGA building largest industrial waste recycling plant in region

the industry to encourage greater diversity. In a region where most of us are coming from a huge number of backgrounds, it is essential that we see past our differences and are judged on our abilities rather than our

CONSTRUCTION

Abu Dhabi’s Al Qana entertainment destination on track for Q4 2020 opening

gender, race or social background. While labelling an article as ‘Women in Construction’ is necessary now, we are clearly on a path where that won’t be the case in the future – and most likely sooner

CONSULTANT

Christie named as a partner for Expo 2020 Dubai 4 June 2019

feature: Working at height – Creating a stronger fall protection chain

rather than later.

Name withheld by request

The Big Picture

A link to Dubai’s heritage The Mina Rashid development will be a modern link to the heritage of the city, with direct pedestrian access to the House of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum.

$6.8bn Mina Rashid project underway Emaar project with P&O Marinas will celebrate Dubai’s maritime heritage Emaar, a UAE-based master developer, has announced that it is building a new sailing destination by the historic Dubai Creek near Bur Dubai/Deira, after P&O Marinas, a subsidiary of DP World – UAE Region, made the land available to it.

The developer has launched Mina Rashid, a $6.80bn investment that will “celebrate Dubai’s maritime heritage while creating a future-ready lifestyle address”. The project will have several distinctive features, such as the Dubai Mall by the Sea, a waterfront retail, dining and leisure destination; a floating yacht club; a 12,600sqm sandy beach; and Dubai’s longest swimming pool.

The development will also have over 430 wet berths, several of which can accommodate the largest yachts in the world and

will also catalyse cruise tourism.

The centrepiece of Mina Rashid will be the QE2, the world’s most celebrated ocean liner, which is now a 13-deck hotel, dining, entertainment and events destination docked permanently, offering visitors an interactive exhibition of its heritage from the 1960s, sailing over 5.6m miles and carrying over 2.5m passengers.

Mina Rashid will feature a choice of mid-rise waterfront residences with promenades and a Venetian piazza with retail and F&B outlets overlooking the Arabian Gulf. In addition, there are signature hotels, a private beach club, interconnected parks, a 500m palm tree-fringed canal, art galleries, a theatre and a museum.

“Mina Rashid will also be a modern link to the heritage of the city with a direct pedestrian

bridge connecting the House of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, thereby honouring the legacy of the Al Maktoum family to a museum and theatre,” Emaar said in a statement.

The new facilities will also complement the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, the Middle East’s leading cruise destination. The facility, built and operated by P&O Marinas, has received over 2.3m visitors since its inauguration in 2014, and saw per-year visitor numbers rise by 172% between 2014 and 2018. The terminal reached a major milestone last year when it successfully berthed five international cruise liners carrying a total of 25,000 passengers in a single day. The Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal has also gained significant traction among luxury yacht owners.

“With Mina Rashid, we are creating a future-ready city that honours the legacy of the Al Maktoum family and salutes the farsighted vision of Dubai’s rulers, who have consistently built – not for now and then, but for the future and beyond.

“The evolution of the city today as a knowledge-based economy, offering significant opportunities across all business sectors, drives demand for world-class developments that will further enhance economic growth,” said Mohamed Alabbar, chairman of Emaar Properties.

Emaar said it is now offering investors a chance to be a part of the Mina Rashid development through the launch of Sirdhana, a collection of one-, two- and three-bedroom waterfront apartments and townhouses.

“The evolution of the city today as a knowledge-based economy, offering significant opportunities across all sectors, drives demand for world-class developments that will further economic growth” 6 June 2019

The Big Picture

IDC says work progressing on $1.6bn Dilmunia Grand Canal & Marina project Firm says significant milestones achieved on Bahraini project Ithmaar Development Company (IDC) says work is progressing at pace on its $1.6bn mixeduse Dilmunia Grand Canal & Marina project. Foundation and soil preparatory works are said to be complete, which the firm says is a significant milestone for the Bahraini project.

According to a statement, the Grand Canal and Marina is a major element of the Dilmunia development. It will feature public promenades, geysers, water fountains, water walls, water cascades, boardwalks and viewing decks. The development of the 125-hectare man-made island that will host Dilmunia is also being managed by IDC. IDC is itself part of the Ithmaar Banking group, and Ithmaar Bank is the investment manager of the Dilmunia Development Fund I LP.

In December 2018, contractor NSCC International was awarded a $4.5m foundations and soil preparatory works package. The tendered works were successfully completed within the planned timeframe, the IDC confirms.

NSCC is said to have deployed the largest RIC machinery in the GCC for the works, along with vibro-compaction techniques.

A retaining structure is said to have been built, using 300 contiguous piles to retain the upcoming installation of the large water intake pipes that will feed the Grand Canal.

The contractor’s scope of work included 8.8 hectares of soil improvement, soil levelling and a total of 2,897 contiguous pile constructions (totalling 2km of pile wall). The firm was also responsible for soil compaction

throughout the proposed length of the Dilmunia Grand Canal, including the rapid impact compaction (RIC) technique, which the developer says was used for the first time in Bahrain.

The completion of these foundations and soil preparatory works enables development managers to begin the final step of the construction of the Dilmunia Grand Canal, the statement noted.

Khalil N. Khouri, CEO of NSCC International, pointed out that completion of the works for the Dilmunia Grand Canal & Marina is a “testament to its capabilities not only in Bahrain, but across the GCC”.

The next key step is to award the contract for the Grand Canal works before June 2019, as the works have already been tendered for this, the company said.

Speaking on the sidelines of Gulf Property Show 2019, Mohamed Abdulrahman, manager of ID Capital, added that Dilmunia has completed the construction of two main residential buildings and all the individual houses as per the construction timeline.

“Infrastructure work-wise, we have reached the phase three of the project,” he said, according to the Gulf Daily News. “The island is pretty much ready, now it is up to the developers to develop the rest of the project.

“We have the shopping mall opening at the end of the year, so that will give a huge boost to the development of retail services on the island,” he added, in reference to the opening of Mall of Dilmunia, a family-centric entertainment facility which is set to open by the end of 2019.

Final step The completion of foundation and soil preparatory works enables development managers to begin the final step of the construction of the Dilmunia Grand Canal.

June 2019 7

The Big Picture

Etihad Esco eyes energy-efficiency market Citizens welcome solar panel installation initiatives, CEO says Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad Esco) has announced that it aims to develop an energyefficient market in Dubai, in line with the Demand Side Management Strategy 2030, which aims to reduce power and water consumption by 30% by 2030.

Conforming with this commitment, Etihad Esco and Dubai Energy Efficient Programme (Taqati – the specialised office that manages the Demand Side Management Strategy) will promote the use of renewable energy and raise awareness of energy-efficient methods. It will also provide internal and administrative advisory support to Demand Side Management stakeholders for the implementation of energy-efficient projects through cooperation with a large group of stake holders.

“Four new projects are planned for this year, and Etihad Esco aims to create an energyefficient contracting market for energy service companies,” said Waleed Salman, vice chairman of Etihad Esco. “[We will be doing this] by auditing and proposing energy conservation standards for contractors and developers of buildings, and look forward to achieving huge financial savings by 2030.”

“Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has a lot of goals and initiatives for the future. This is part of our DNA – creating awareness and changing the mindset,” Salman said during a brief interview with Big Project ME on the sidelines of the conference. “Last year, with our partnership with public and private sectors, we achieved encouraging success 8 June 2019

Creating awareness and changing mindsets Eithad Esco aims to launch four new projects in 2019 that will help create an energy-efficient contracting market for energy service companies.

from the initiatives and projects that were undertaken for the retrofitting of buildings.”

Major projects carried out by Etihad Esco last year included the installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on the rooftops of 554 citizens’ houses in Hatta, with DEWA’s support. Under the Shams Dubai Initiative, Etihad Esco has also retrofitted 2,092 facilities and buildings in Dubai.

“Our various high-efficiency lighting installations and retrofitting projects achieved total savings of 114.75m kilowatt-hours of electricity and 132.15m gallons of water, amounting to $15.16m,” Salman stated, adding during the conference that these savings have offset around 56,600 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

“Our various high-efficiency retrofitting projects achieved total savings of 114.75m kilowatt-hours of electricity and 132.15m gallons of water”

Ali Jassim, CEO of Etihad Esco, told Big Project ME that with respect to Etihad Esco’s solar panel installation initiatives, citizens have been very welcoming.

“We are knocking on their doors, approaching them and getting consent from them to install it. Since this scheme is supported by DEWA, it is also free for the citizens. In fact, they will have a less electricity value.

And for us, it is more feasible when we do it for a group of houses – with a large number of villas, it reduces the price for us.”

He further detailed the projects undertaken by Etihad Esco, which include retrofitting more than 30,000 buildings in Dubai by 2030 for energy efficiency.

“So far, we have done more than 2,000 buildings, and we are working on another 2,400.

Our goal is to retrofit 30,000 buildings by 2030 and we have approximately 11 more years to go, so it’s an average of 2,000 buildings every year, happening in phases,” Jassim stated.

Salman added that the cumulative cost of such projects will be $8.17bn, while the estimated value of savings is $22.32bn, giving the Demand Side Management plan a positive net economic impact with a net present value of $14.16bn.

“What you see today is most of our buildings are LEEDcertified buildings. We are focusing on all DEWA-related buildings to be either gold- or platinum-certified buildings, because our properties are not just administrative establishments,” he said, concluding by stressing the importance of being a role model for other entities in the region.

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The Big Picture

300,000 The British government has set a target to build 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s

1. UAE-CREF inAUgURAtEs $50m solAR powER pRojECts Under the $50m UAE – Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (UAE-CREF), the largest renewable energy initiative of its kind in the region, three solar power projects have been inaugurated in the Bahamas, Barbados and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The partnership is between the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar.

The three projects, which broke ground in November 2018, will deliver 2.35MW of solar and 637kWh of battery storage capacity while displacing more than 2.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. They will also achieve diesel savings of more than 895,000 litres per year, worth about $1.1m.

Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, ADFD director-general, said: “By funding renewable energy solutions globally, ADFD is enabling small island developing states to tackle their development challenges, meet their outlined priorities and optimise use of their natural resources. These projects will continue to drive socio-economic benefits.”

10 June 2019

2

1

760m

The presidents of Paraguay and Brazil have inaugurated the construction of a 760m bridge over the Paraná River

2. ApiCoRp inks $75m AgREEmEnt with AlFAnAR FoR REnEwAblE EnERgy pRojECts The Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) has signed a five-year agreement with Saudi company Alfanar, in Islamic financing, for $75m in support of Alfanar’s renewable energy projects, including

a wind project in Spain.

Alfanar is aiming to tap into the growing demand for renewable energy in various countries around the globe, it stated. The firm wants to deploy 3GW by 2022, with the intention of growing the portfolio to 4-5GW by 2025, Alfanar added.

Jamal Wadi, CEO of Alfanar Global Development, said: “With an existing portfolio

exceeding 1.5GW of renewable development projects around the globe, Alfanar is committed to further double its portfolio in the next few years. The signing of the Murabaha agreement with APICORP brings us a step closer to realising our commitment. This partnership comes at a time when Alfanar is diversifying its portfolio and venturing into new markets.”

The Big Picture

$10bn

China’s East Hope Group has signed an MoU with Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi to explore the feasibility of a $10bn expansion into the region

3

$60m

4

Arabtec Construction has won a $60m deal to build Raheja Developers’ Navin Minar development, which is close to the Indian capital of Delhi

3. iRAq lAUnChEs tEndER FoR 755mw oF powER pRojECts Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity has launched a first-round tender inviting companies for the procurement of seven photovoltaic power projects with a combined capacity of 755MW. The projects are spread across five provinces

– Babel, Wasit, Karbala, Al Muthanna and Diwaniyah – and are scheduled for completion by the end of 2020.

According to a statement from the ministry, the largest solar parks, with capacities of 300MW and 225MW, will be located in central Iraq, in the city of Karbala and in the province of Babylon respectively. Two

4. dUbAi CAREs And dEyAAR to bUild CommUnity sChool in mAlAwi Dubai Cares and Deyaar, a Dubai property developer, have announced a partnership to improve access to education for children in the southeastern African country of Malawi. According to a report by WAM, the two sides signed an agreement that will see the developer work with Dubai Cares to build a community-based school in Malawi. Construction on the project is set to start in 2020.

“We may be a UAE company, but we believe that our responsibility to do good and give back extends beyond the borders of our country,” said Saeed Al Qatami, CEO of Deyaar. “Dubai Cares has provided us with several opportunities in recent years to make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of families in communities in need of support, and we are honoured to be able to make a positive impact on a Malawian community through this new project.”

As a UAE-based philanthropic organisation, Dubai Cares has played a key role in helping to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.

50MW facilities will be in Wasit in eastern Iraq, while the governorate of Muthanna will have two projects of 50MW and 30-80MW in total. The final 50MW park will be in Al Diwaniyah.

The ministry also said that it would provide logistical and technical services for other sites in southern and western Iraq.

June 2019 11

Market Report

Kuwait ConstruCtion ProjeCts status and seCtor Value

ProTenders report analyses Kuwaiti construction industry outlook across key performance sectors Under the 2035 strategic plan, the development of five islands – Boubyan, Warbah, Failaka, Maskan and Oaha – with an investment value of $160bn is expected to double the amount of tourist and recreational space, in turn requiring investments in commercial, residential and hospitality complexes, as well as infrastructure.

In Q3 2019, construction contractor awards for the oil & gas sector ($2.78bn) are estimated

to be the highest, followed by the infrastructure ($899m) and urban sectors ($287m). The rise in demand for public housing is expected to drive long-term residential construction growth, with the Public Authority for Housing and Welfare (PAHW) announcing plans to build 174,000 housing units by 2020.

According to the New Kuwait plan, which calls for over $23bn in road, rail and air transport

projects through 2022, Kuwait’s infrastructure sector is expected to grow by 15-20%, in line with the government’s current five-year plan (2015-2020).

Based on Kuwait’s long-term strategy of boosting oil and gas production, the goal is to reach 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day and 650,000 boe in reserves by 2020, as well as 20% ownership in international upstream assets by 2030. The

majority of the planned capacity will be produced from natural oil or gas, though the government is keen to generate 5% of its electricity by 2020 and 10% by 2030 through renewable sources.

Kuwait has begun working on key upstream and downstream projects that form part of its longer-term plans to boost hydrocarbons capacity, in anticipation of rising global energy demand.

“According to the New Kuwait plan, which calls for over $23bn in road, rail and air transport projects through 2022, Kuwait’s infrastructure sector is expected to grow by 15-20%, in line with the government’s current five-year plan (2015-2020)”

12 June 2019

Market Report

Total

337.7

Urban Buildings 48.1

Urban Buildings 245.4

Total

Design 243.5

Tender 31.2

Top 5 developers by value ($BN)

Total

Top 5 contractors by value ($BN)

Top 5 consultants by value ($BN)

75

9

18

50

6

12

25

3

6

Petrofac

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company

Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects

SK Engineering & Construction

24

Fluor Corporation

12

Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al Kharafi & Sons Company

100

Kuwait Oil Company

30

Ministry of Public Works

15

Kuwait National Petroleum Company

125

The Supreme Council for Planning & Development

Infrastructure 51.9

140.9

Fluor Corporation

Under Construction 140.9

Oil & Gas 40.4

Parsons International

494.1

Infrastructure 30.8

SSH Design

Oil & Gas 62

Planning 63

Upcoming projects by sector ($BN)

Amec Foster Wheeler

On Hold 15.5

Ongoing projects by sector ($BN)

Gulf Consult

Value of projects by status ($BN)

Construction contract award forecast Q3 2019 ($BN)

Infrastructure 0.899

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

Urban Buildings 0.287 0.5

Source: ProTenders

Oil & Gas 2.78

June 2019 13

Analysis

Middle east Hospitality industry in Focus

Angitha Pradeep speaks to Bastien Blanc, vice president Operations – Middle East, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), about the region’s hospitality boom According to the ‘2018 GCC Hospitality Industry Report’ from Alpen Capital, the GCC hospitality market is expected to grow at a 7.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from an estimated $22.9bn in 2017 to $32.5bn in 2022. The report also states that recovery in oil prices, upcoming mega-events like the Expo 2020 Dubai, positive regulatory 16 June 2019

initiatives and an increase in government investment are strong sources of growth for the entire GCC hospitality sector.

Meanwhile, JLL’s ‘Hotel Investment Outlook Report’ claims that global economic and real estate markets are expected to move towards slower growth in 2019. Increasingly volatile equity markets, US-China trade tensions,

political uncertainty in the EU and slower economic growth projections are some of the reasons for the decline in growth.

However, the report emphasises that hotel occupancy and underlying property performance are expected to remain strong.

This is mainly due to new investors and investment strategies emerging in recent

years, enabling investors to enter hotel real estate in ways beyond direct acquisition of assets.

Prevailing trends seen in 2019 will be debt investments, strategic joint ventures, recapitalisations, and real estate and brand mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity.

In order to better understand the impact of these changes, Big Project ME spoke to Bastien

Analysis

Broadening the appeal The UAE government has launched a range of initiatives to broaden the count ry’s destination appeal, says Bastien Blanc .

catering to consumer needs Mid-market hotels and Airbnb-type renting models will become more popular and increase market penetration by 2022.

Blanc, vice president Operations – Middle East, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

“The UAE has fast emerged as one of the most exciting destination for leisure and business travellers from across the globe,” Blanc says. “In order to further broaden the country’s destination appeal, the government has launched various

“The UAE government has launched various initiatives such as streamlining visa requirements, infrastructure development and investment in destination marketing, which are set to have a positive impact on the tourism sector” initiatives such as streamlining visa requirements, infrastructure development and investment in destination marketing, which are set to have a positive impact on the tourism sector.

“Additionally, Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2020 is a strategic plan with the objective of attracting 20m visitors per year. This translates into a

world of opportunities for the hospitality sector, as there will be a high demand for quality accommodation in the coming years.”

Beyond Expo 2020 Dubai, a growing segment of gen Z and millennial travellers also have a considerable influence on conventional design and build concepts in the hospitality industry. JLL’s report states that modern-day customers are placing more importance on experiences while seeking fewer material goods. Around the world, hotel markets are seeing strong demand for high-end experiential luxury travel; in 2018, luxury hotel transactions in the US increased by 76%.

“As guest needs evolve, both developers and operators must work together closely to stay relevant and offer guests what they need,” says Blanc, adding that guests today expect technology to inform and enrich their stays.

“From intuitive booking apps, chatbots and mobile check-ins to smart AI assistants and seamless Wi-Fi, today’s guests expect technology to be integrated into many areas of the travel experience. A trend that is shaping the hospitality industry is the integration and increasing use of technology in the entire guest journey.”

Lodging Econometrics’ ‘Global Construction Project Trend Report’ adds that hotel construction projects globally increased by 7% in 2018, with 13,573 projects currently in the works. Closer to home, Dubai had a pipeline of 168 hotel construction projects with 49,950 rooms in 2018, putting it in second place globally behind New York City, which reported 171 hotels with 29,460 rooms.

Blanc’s analysis is that the hospitality industry in the region is going through a period of

supply expansion which has put a temporary strain on the market. However, in the long term the market will do well and see strong, sustained growth with an anticipated increase in the number of tourist arrivals.

Additionally, hotels have begun offering co-working spaces in response to evolving customer needs, he says, backing up JLL’s report, which highlights strong demand for communal workspaces for the new generation of consumers to socialise and work.

“There is also strong interest in lifestyle- and design-led brands that provide guests with unique experiences underpinned by solid fundamental service and product deliverables,” Blanc explains.

JLL’s report projects that hotel investment volume will reach $67.2bn in 2019, nearly equal to 2018’s total of $67.7bn, but states that growth patterns are changing for global hotel companies. Alpen Capital’s report also predicts that mid-market hotels and Airbnb-type renting models will become more popular and increase market penetration by 2022, noting that this is largely driven by millennial travellers on the lookout for experiences, authenticity and resource optimisation.

“We believe that technology, as well as new designs and concepts, will play a significant role in catering to the needs of gen Z and millennial travellers.

Moreover, technology will continue to evolve in the years to come and play an even bigger role in the growth and advancement of the hospitality sector.

“At the same time, availability of quality accommodation catering to varied guest profiles is essential for the success of a tourist cluster,” Blanc concludes.

June 2019 17

In Profile

“You cannot build a societY around real estate. it’s simplY a tool of hospitalitY, manufacturing and innovation.

You have to have businesses climb on board, there has to be the attraction to build something, to make something” Big Project ME sits down for a discussion with Mark Grinis, EY Global Real Estate, Hospitality and Construction leader, about the evolution of Dubai’s real estate market, with a particular focus on the challenges retail developers face 18 June 2019

In Profile

June 2019 19

In Profile

o

ver the last few decades, Dubai has built its reputation on being a shopping paradise, offering tourists and visitors a vast range of retail options – from gigantic shopping malls all the way through to the narrow alleys of the souks along Dubai Creek. From the humble beginnings of the Dubai Shopping Festival in the 1990s to the current year-round bonanzas, the emirate has always leaned on retail to generate interest and business.

However, in recent years the retail market in Dubai has become one of the most challenged sectors, due to the growth of e-commerce and the high level of future supply.

According to a JLL report, these two factors continue to exert downward pressure on rental rates across all mall types. In Q1 2019, total mall-based retail supply was approximately 3.8m sqm, while there is 666,000sqm of retail supply currently under construction and expected to be delivered by the end of 2019, including Nakheel Mall on Palm Jumeirah and the Night Souk on Deira Islands.

Retail supply is expected to increase by 53% and reach 5.8m sqm by the end of 2021, the report adds. Notable new projects will include Deira Mall, Dubai Hills Mall and Meydan One Mall. Given the scale of these projects, the report predicts that further delays and downsizing can be expected in future projects, with supply increasing faster than demand.

With retail rents declining by around 15% and 20% y-o-y in primary and secondary malls respectively, landlords are being forced to offer favourable lease terms to attract new tenants or 20 June 2019

investing in technology Mall owners are now investing in new technologies to increase retail sales as a response to softening market conditions, says Mark Grinis.

retain existing ones. Average market-wide vacancies are estimated to have increased from 12% in Q1 2018 to 16% in Q1 2019, the report says, adding that rents and vacancies are expected to remain under pressure due to the large supply expected to enter the market over the course of this year.

Therefore, in response to softening market conditions, mall owners are now investing in new technologies to increase retail sales. One example is a partnership between Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) and I.AM+, which will see an AI platform deployed to support customers at MAF retail operations.

As other retail developers examine the viability of technology as a solution to their woes, Mark Grinis, EY Global Real Estate, Hospitality and Construction leader, tells Big Project ME that retail developers in Dubai need to challenge themselves and the way they operate a lot more than they currently are.

“If you were to reverse engineer and go back 10 to 12 years ago and

“I believe that our industry tends to be incredibly incremental.

[We think] that it worked five years ago, and that it worked pretty well then, so we can do it again. That is more of what you see over here, and I think that model is going to fail”

say that e-commerce is coming, here is where on the e-commerce spectrum products are going to be impacted. Things that have high preferential attributes, they are the products that people will want to touch and feel. Those are the products that are going to be in malls, while the other things are going to die out.

“I think that we’re at a crossroads today. I can go on an iPad and check six different brands and the reviews on them, as well as the specs, and I can zero in on exactly what my preference is.

Malls now have to compete with that, and they need to be able to understand me as a customer while being able to respond to that level of precision.”

Highlighting the traditional mall model as brand- and locationcentric, Grinis casts doubt on whether that will be able to survive in the modern era, pointing out that e-commerce retailers offer a level of convenience that brick and mortar stores may never be able to match.

“We are repositioning malls and grouping things, creating communities and all that, and I understand that. But when you think about being able to try on an outfit virtually, showcase it, see what it looks like and have it in the backdrop of where I will be wearing it, and have all that in the convenience of my home, then the value proposition that malls and retailers have to address is huge.

“I believe that our industry tends to be incredibly incremental.

[We think] that it worked five years ago, and that it worked pretty well then, so we can do it again. That is more of what you see over here, and I think that model is going to fail. People’s lifestyles and how they choose to spend their time is changing; whether it’s with their kids or with work, the value proposition and the emotional response of shopping has changed.

“Things are competing

In Profile

engine of growth Tourism will be driving economies around the world as one of the fastest growing industry sectors, which in turn will benefit Dubai and its retailers directly.

for our time, and I think that retail in the real estate space is the area that continues to be most vulnerable to that.”

However, he points out that on a wider scale, tourism across

the world is one of the fastest growing industry sectors. That should continue to benefit Dubai, with more and more visitors likely to come to the city and visit its malls and other landmarks.

“From a tourism perspective, affluence around the world [is growing]. Tourism is on fire, and it’s a supply engine that I don’t see stopping. It’s going to ebb and flow, and Dubai is going to be a

beneficiary of it, the whole world is going to be a beneficiary of it.

8% of Chinese have passports, wait until it hits 40%!

“I think the economic engine that’s happening around the world of tourism will power projects for sure.”

Furthermore, Grinis praises Dubai for what it is doing to stimulate investor interest in its economy. While he commends the recent revisions to residency laws and the opening up of new investor categories for the real estate market, he explains that these changes are just one step in the process towards diversifying the economy.

“I think that the amount of effort that is going into the visibility and branding [of Dubai] by the Chamber of Commerce has to be commended. The effort that is going into enterprise zones, tax

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June 2019 21

In Profile

“I think that we’re at a crossroads today. I can go on an iPad and check six different brands and the reviews on them, as well as the specs, and I can zero in on exactly what my preference is. Malls now have to compete with that, and they need to be able to understand me as a customer while being able to respond to that level of precision” saving zones and the changes to visas and immigration are all the right steps that need to be taken.

“The question is, how do you get blockbuster economic activity?

You cannot build a society around real estate. Real estate is just a tool, it’s simply a tool of hospitality, manufacturing and innovation.

But it’s just sticks and bricks. You have to have businesses climb on board, there has to be the attraction to build something, to make something,” he explains.

“How did China do what they did in 20 years? They focused on manufacturing. Obviously, Dubai will be different in how it evolves, but it’s done an amazing job. I think what they’re doing in innovation is right.”

Grinis adds that he sees an environment in Dubai where

a culture of innovation can flourish, with the city home to universities and institutions of higher learning, with a risktaking culture in place and an openness to foster and drive it.

“What are the elements?

Universities are an element. A high-youth population, which exists. A risk-taking culture, and an openness to foster and drive it.

You go down that list, and while I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, you can check a lot of boxes here where those things are being done.

“I guess one of the challenges is that if you take a Silicon Valley that has eight universities around, or a Hewlett-Packard that started in 1955 or whatever, there’s just a [time gap], but I think innovation is changing this. It’s providing a new paradigm where someone can jump on the

AI bus, for example, and become leaders in it in very short order, and leave others behind. So the question is, are they doing enough?

For a population of three and a half million, a lot is being done.”

Finally, with the city pushing towards meeting its project deadlines for Expo 2020, Grinis says the impact of the event on construction and real estate will be quite significant, as it will bring a younger class of decision-makers who are hungry for more innovation and efficiency, which in turn will benefit overall performance.

“When I think about projects being planned, they take a while.

I think you could say that the real estate industry in general has not been tearing it up in terms of its ability to implement change.

“A lot of the people in the corner offices [of real estate and construction firms] are 50-something and they still think the same. They understand the deals that they made in the 1990s and that it was amazing.

They can’t forget that, and they still think it will work today. I think that has lent itself in how long it takes to build things.

“Some of the decision-makers have historically made us not a very innovative asset class. I can see decision-makers being appointed that are younger, and I’m seeing projects that are coming out of the ground [that reflect that].

“I do believe that in this part of the world, in this region in particular, that there is an awareness that we need to do some things differently,” he concludes.

adapting to change Construction and real estate development firms will soon see younger decision-makers being appointed, which will result in a shift in the way the industry operates, Grinis predicts.

22 June 2019

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Site Visit

24 June 2019

Site Visit

A NEW PURPOSE

Big Project ME goes to Masdar City to find out how Italian contractor Rimond has taken the UAE Pavilion from Expo 2015 Milan and repurposed it into an entirely new form

June 2019 25

Site Visit

A

n estimated 22 million-plus visitors attended over the course of the six months of Expo 2015 in Milan, which saw 145 countries participate, along with 17 organisations and 21 businesses.

Focusing on the key theme of ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’, the Expo showcased some of the latest technological and innovative developments of the time, particularly around food security, agriculture and biodiversity, and dietary education.

However, among the key highlights and attractions were the Rebuilt and repurposed The UAE Pavilion was dismantled in Milan after Expo 2015 and shipped 4,000km to Masdar City, where it was reassembled and repurposed.

26 June 2019

country pavilions, which attracted droves of visitors keen to see, learn and interact with different cultures and communities from around the world.

Among the most popular was the UAE Pavilion, which received huge acclaim and recognition from the organisers, winning the Best Exterior Design and People’s Choice awards.

Designed by Foster + Partners, the UAE Pavilion covered more than 5,000sqm and drew inspiration from the landscape and nature of the UAE. Built to mimic the natural flow of a wadi canyon, the structure was always planned to be reused and features GRC panels supported by a steel frame, which made it possible to construct it in Milan, then dismantle, ship and reconstruct it in its eventual location in Masdar City.

With the repurposed structure set to be handed over in June 2019, Big Project ME was invited

by Rimond, which has been involved with the project right from its inception in Milan, to visit the project site in Masdar City and learn how it has been repurposed for its current form as the headquarters of a UAE government agency, having originally been planned to be the Masdar Visitor Centre.

As a local partner of the main contractor in 2014, Rimond has managed the project at all levels and aspects: from tender through to design and to construction and project handover in Milan. At the end of Expo 2015, it won the contract to dismantle and relocate the structure and was then tasked with reassembling it once it arrived in the UAE. Rimond explains that its initial role on

the project was to ensure that the client’s and architect’s vision and intent were met, while also helping overcome the challenges of the construction process in Milan. Not only did the contactor have to develop engineering solutions, it also had to coordinate all trades, from architectural and structural design, all the way through to MEP services and visitor experience installations.

Once Expo 2015 was over, Rimond needed to launch a massive operation to transport the pavilion across the planet, overseeing its dismantling with maximum efficiency and ensuring that it was relocated with minimal defects. The scale of the challenge becomes apparent when the contractor reveals that the pavilion was transported nearly 4,000km by sea freight in several shipping containers, each 40 feet long.

Site Visit

Distinctive design The structure used more than 600 GRC panels to create a distinctive design for the outer facade, which mimicked the walls of a wadi canyon.

Having managed to safely deliver it to the UAE, Rimond worked again with Foster + Partners to manage the design development of the original schematic drawings, up to construction implementation drawings. The contractor is also tasked with delivering ten key aspects of the new building – detail design, façade solutions, energy and environment engineering, building services (MEP) engineering, environmental simulations, lighting systems, fire engineering, inclusive design, acoustics, and sustainability and Estidama/LEED. “When Expo 2015 finished, we had three or four months to dismantle the building and ship it to the UAE,” says Miguel Da Gama, director of Operations at Cimolai Rimond, and the man tasked with overseeing the project’s completion and transformation.

“By say early 2017, we had shipped all the containers and all the building materials to Masdar, where it was stored in certain areas. We were invited to rebuild the project, and Foster + Partners took on the project again and changed a couple of things that needed to be changed, to adapt it to the UAE. There are several conditions and foundations, and a lot of things that need to be changed to adapt the building,” he tells Big Project ME during a tour of the

site, adding that local authority standards and regulations also needed to be adhered to.

“After this process, we took the design and made sure that it was according to the authorities and got the approvals and the building permits. By early 2017, we had started work on the project. It has taken almost two years from the start of design through to handover, which was last September.

“From there, when we delivered the project, Masdar approached us with the intention of continuing on it and redoing the full fit-out of the building’s inside, so as to accommodate a tenant that they’ve got – a UAE

“The whole purpose was to reuse as much as we could.

The glass was reused, the façade was reused, most of the aluminium was reused”

government agency. That is the stage where we are at now – we’re handing over the project to the client this month (May 2019).”

Da Gama explains that the project was developed on a modular basis, which gave the Rimond team the flexibility to shape the structure into some very challenging shapes, particularly for the ‘canyon’ of the building.

“Initially, the building had an exhibition path where you go through the ‘canyon’ and into the auditorium, and then from there into the business area. In Milan, this is where the business units from the UAE were. Then you jump into the ‘oasis’ area, where there are some trees and all, which leads to a second exhibition area and then into a shop, after which you exit.

“When we were invited onto this project, it was still the Masdar Visitor Centre and it was supposed to be a visitor centre where people could come to Masdar and be dropped off at this building to take a tour that was more or less similar to what was in the original exhibition, but it would have been about all that is being done in Masdar. You would have been able

Built with BIM The contractor used BIM extensively, for both the design and the dismantling of the project.

June 2019 27

Site Visit

Changing plans The structure was originally intended to be the Masdar Visitor Centre, but has now been repurposed as the headquarters of a UAE government agency.

to see what they are doing here, what the KPIs are and what they’re achieving. But now it’s changed completely. It’s been taken over and it’s becoming an office. All the sustainability requirements are still there – this was built to be Estidama Four Pearls rated, LEED Gold rated, so there are very high standards for sustainability,” he asserts, adding that the building completely adhered to Masdar KPIs, which meant that there were very high specifications for all the materials used on the project, with the carbon footprint of each bit of material taken into consideration.

“The building’s sustainability requirements in Milan were obviously not the same, so when we reshaped the building, we had to think of it as a shell – we had to build a house inside the house, so to speak. The GRC walls are the external shell, and we built these massive 200mm walls in PIR that are completely sealed and airtight. We even pressurised the whole building to make sure that there are no leakages or internal breaches,” Da Gama elaborates.

Given the complexity and challenges that came with constructing the pavilion, dismantling it, shipping it 4,000km and rebuilding it in an entirely different country, the team at Rimond decided to use BIM extensively, as they felt it was the only way to ensure the project would be completed 28 June 2019

“You can see that there’s a ‘canyon’ and an ‘oasis’ inside the building, which meant that it was very difficult to access with machinery”

effectively. Da Gama explains that the contractor established an exhaustive electronic document management system during the construction, and that BIM was used right from the start in Milan.

“We obviously had to redesign the BIM model to adapt to these conditions and after that, we went through the phases of design, the retrofit of all the pieces together in this new form, and when we entered the construction phase, we went through the quantity take-off for the building. That was all done in BIM, from simulations of temporary structures that we had to do, through to access – you can see that there’s a ‘canyon’

and an ‘oasis’ inside the building, which meant that it was very difficult to access with machinery and cranes and such. With BIM, we could do all these simulations that showed us all the angles where we could put in the manlifts, tower cranes and so on.”

However, the most crucial aspect of the BIM model came during the construction process, he says. With as much as 60% of the materials used in the initial build reused by the construction team in Masdar, it was essential to keep track of what was used, and where.

“The whole purpose was to reuse as much as we could. The glass was reused, the façade was reused, the balconies were reused, most of the aluminium was reused. Obviously, the foundation had to be new, as was the paving, but most of the building was reused. We had around 2,000 tonnes of steels and 600 panels, all transferred from Milan.

“In-house, we have a very good capacity for BIM, for Revit and for visualisation tools. We actually tagged each item when we were installing and dismantling them.

That was very useful when we

Meeting local requirements Because the building was constructed in Italy, it was built according to European standards. Once it had been transported and reassembled in the UAE, it had to measure up to local requirements and regulations.

Site Visit

Keeping track Each element and material on the structure that was dismantled and shipped to Masdar City was tagged by the Rimond team, thereby making the reassembly process much smoother.

“We have defined stairs, defined cores, and all of those things cannot be changed. We had to go through several iterations with the authorities and try to find solutions that would not destroy the original design” brought them back. During the dismantling process, we tracked each panel because each panel has a different shape and when we shipped them, we knew that there was obviously going to be some small damages that would need to be rectified. We knew exactly what the panels were and where they were in the building. That made it much easier,” he explains.

“Even the steel that was transported here from Italy had to be blasted and painted to make sure it’s fireproofed according to UAE law, which is different to Italy.

All of these items were tagged one by one, and we can actually match them to the 3D model. That was something that was definitely helpful. Not only that, but all the

pieces on the building were tagged.

This is something we use on all our projects, and we look to take advantage of this technology for all our construction projects.

“This was mostly the process.

Some panels had to be made new because we reshaped some doorways and reshaped the interior a little bit, so you’ll see that there are some interior GRC panels that had to be redone. We took the 3D model again, reshaped the panels [in there], and then took it to the factory and did the moulds. We did all of the moulds in 3D as well, from Milan. All of this was legacy documentation that we were able to take and use in the UAE,” Da Gama says, adding that the cover of the auditorium

is a copper shingle system that was also tagged, as some of the pieces and their orientation were different to the original design.

As he brings the tour to a close, Da Gama says the importance of the project cannot be overstated.

Given that the UAE’s culture is aggressively focused on new build, he says the project stands as an important reminder of how existing structures can be repurposed and reused beyond their original remit.

“In the UAE, there’s no history of this. There was one building from Expo Shanghai that was shifted over here, but that was a completely different type of building. In this case, it was built here in Masdar as a building to be

occupied. The Shanghai one was just an empty space. Here, we had to completely redefine the space, and at the time when we started it was supposed to be mixed-use, but now it’s an office space [so that was a major challenge].

“Another major challenge was to explain to the authorities that we have this building that was reshaped and that we have limitations, because we cannot completely change the whole building. We have defined stairs, defined cores, and all of those things cannot be changed. We had to go through several iterations with the authorities and try to find solutions that would not destroy the original design from Foster + Partners,” he concludes.

June 2019 29

Comment

Mobility’s Enigma

How we adapt to the mobility revolution will determine the impact it has on our lives and that of future generations, says John Gillespie, WSP senior engineer

Looking at it philosophically, the personal vehicle is the epitome of unsustainability, the antagonist in many places for socio-economic growth. We buy twotonne five-seater 4x4s to usually drive just ourselves back and forth to work for an hour each way, five times a week.

That maths gives us less than 1% efficiency for our asset, and just as a kicker you are going to lose 90% of your investment over the next 10 years.

So why do we still buy them in our droves?

We sit in them alone, casually putting others in danger by being distracted by our phone, the radio or sneezing. Human error is responsible for 9 out of 10 accidents; the World Health Organisation reports 1.35m people are killed in road accidents every year. That’s one person every 24 seconds. It’s the biggest killer worldwide for children and young adults.

30 June 2019

Just let those numbers and demographics sink in – that’s 140 people an hour. Yet car sales have still doubled worldwide in the last 20 years.

Our eternal pursuit of advancement is human nature and has led us to consider smart and futuristic transportation solutions. It’s probably one of the most disruptive and fascinating industries in our current world, with the Middle East front and centre. Just over the last year, we have seen a decree on autonomous vehicle testing, tested flying taxis, introduced electric scooters, started construction of a hyperloop, developed plans for a sky rail between skyscrapers and begun multiple metro projects, with many more initiatives in the pipeline.

I am fortunate to be a senior engineer at WSP and to be able to share the responsibility of being ‘future ready’. As design engineers, we create

the built environment.

That comes with a lot of accountability. Most people are aware of designing the future, relative to their field of expertise, but don’t necessarily have an appreciation for the indirect effect of the technical advances on our general society.

As a transport planner, I don’t regularly think of myself as responsible for the increasing trend of loneliness, a rise in obesity or the increase in greenhouse gases.

However, maybe I should.

What if we can design our mobility solutions with the view of reducing our footprint, becoming more active and allowing for areas where we as a society can interact? With future technology, such as autonomous vehicles, better public transport and shared mobility, we have a real chance of changing the way that we move for the better. Not only the way that we move, but the way that we live. If buildings

don’t need to face a road, how do we design for the human environment?

If we design our master plans to create social areas linking to primary public transport hubs and not parking, can we eventually remove the private car?

How do we connect more as a society and not allow autonomy to continually isolate our journeys?

It is easy to discuss the multiple smart and futuristic technologies we have at the moment, and how in isolation each one could help alleviate congestion or provide more efficient transportation.

How drones could deliver our groceries, or how an autonomous vehicle could drop my kids off at school. What’s even more smart and futuristic than that is developing our built environment to enhance efficient mobility and provide opportunities for people to avoid isolating themselves in their journeys, and using the revolution in

mobility to supplement our society rather than to the detriment of our environment and mental health.

We need to provide opportunities for future mobility to grow, such as increased kerb space for shared mobility, infrastructure to support future low-speed mobility and safer pedestrian connections to public transport. The aim is to eventually be able to remove personal car ownership and have mobility as a vital part of a society where we are healthy and connected to one another.

If we take our time and plan how we want smart technology to be incorporated within our lives, it can become more useful. We need to be cautious in our approach, since infrastructure is a long-term investment and technology is changing so rapidly that wrong decisions could have generational impacts.

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Threat & Risk Assessment Gap Analysis Security System Design IT/AV Design Master Planning & Development Operational Requirements

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Testing & Commissioning Control Room Design System Integration Policies & Procedures Site Surveys & Audits Crisis Management

Comment

Ed Surgeon

StandardiSation of project delivery

Ed Surgeon of Oracle Construction and Engineering and Nic Jacobs of Faithful+Gould Middle East discuss how the construction industry can capitalise on data gathered from projects Organisations in the construction and engineering industry own a wealth of data, but in most cases lack the capability to capitalise on the data gathered from projects they have delivered or are still working on. Often, this is because the industry does not have adequate digital strategies in place based on standardised project delivery and data management. With technology such as system integrators, robotic process automation and sensors increasing opportunities to capture data across the industry, it is becoming increasingly important to address this now.

The ‘EY Global Construction and Engineering Survey’, conducted at the end of 2017 32 June 2019

with companies along the engineering and construction value chain, found that only 25% of respondents felt they had a digital strategy and agenda in place, with only 9% feeling they were on the high end of the digital readiness scale. That’s a significant finding in an industry that has so much potential project data available to it to use to make strategic decisions.

Poor governance around project data and information has an impact on the safety, quality, completion time and budget of a project. Furthermore, the extended value of project data lies in what can be learned, understood and identified, in terms of both spotting trends on current projects and dealing

with them before they become significant. In addition, project data can enable a cycle of continuous improvement in which lessons from prior projects inform best practice examples of how to manage future projects.

So why is this an issue in the construction engineering, design and project management industry?

Nic Jacobs, business systems lead for SNC-Lavalin’s Faithful+Gould in the Middle East, has seen the key challenges around data play out a number of times: “It comes down to organisations’ inability to mandate standardisation of project delivery. When an organisation delivers multiple projects of a similar nature,

robust mandates should be in place to ensure all those projects are delivered based on the same operating standards, especially regarding the creation and management of data. For example, when an organisation intends to capitalise on the data created on their projects, similar data-types across projects are needed, otherwise data will not be consistent and cannot be aggregated for analytics such as trends or KPIs.” Jacobs goes on to underscore that the problem stems from the collection of data and information being an afterthought, and that there is a lot of focus on data creation during the different construction phases of a project – from planning

Comment

consistent approach to implementation Companies that adopt BIM across projects need to have a consistent approach to implementation, with a clearly defined strategy for how data is generated and stored.

through to completion – but the collection of data for analytical purposes appears to be of less importance at the time of project execution. Governance for data and information management, particularly on the type of information required for reporting and analytics, should be in place as part of an organisation’s digital strategy.

How should organisations standardise project delivery?

“When we are employed as project or programme manager by a client, one of the initial questions to be answered is regarding the client’s governance and whether it is sufficient to guide the project team during execution of the project. Without

“It is well understood in the construction industry that some organisations have internal issues to overcome that make them resistant to change”

that, there will be inconsistent operations across multiple projects,” Jacobs says. “An initial review of the client’s operations or project governance will identify potential gaps that need to be addressed to ensure all the mandates are in place for quality project or programme delivery.”

One example of this governance is whether the employer’s information requirements (EIR) relate to the use of building information modelling (BIM) across projects, and how this feeds information into a common data environment (CDE). It should specify what information is captured and shared across each project, from things such as materials being used through to information about

the use and purpose of each of the different spaces or elements across a project. From the EIR, each supplier should know clearly what is expected of them.

Companies that adopt BIM across projects need to have a consistent approach to implementation, says Jacobs.

The same is true for geographic information systems (GIS): each client should have a clearly defined strategy for how data is generated and stored on the GIS, and how it appears on dashboards.

Another example is the project management plan, or execution plan, which in a similar manner provides guidance for project delivery. Cost management, quality management, a standardised cost and work breakdown structure, June 2019 33

Comment

realising the value of data The construction industry needs to evolve beyond the days of disjointed project information and realise the value of the data it owns and generates.

“When an organisation delivers multiple projects of a similar nature, robust mandates should be in place to ensure all those projects are delivered based on the same operating standards, especially regarding the creation and management of data” reporting requirements, etc – all should be deployed consistently.

Jacobs says well-defined KPI frameworks adopted across a business enable appropriate goal setting and measurement of achievement against a baseline.

He points to current standards for the industry to adopt, such as COBie for BIM and ESRI for GIS, but notes that there remains a gap between design and construction and the asset management components.

However, Oracle is currently working with other companies on DIN SPEC 9139 in Germany, which outlines specifications for a common data environment for BIM. The aim is to grow this into an internationally recognised standard.

Why don’t companies have standards on project delivery, and what are the implications?

34 June 2019

“Most clients have ambitions to standardise. They often create rules that are taken from other disciplines and are not quite suitable for the engineering and construction industries, mainly since these rules tend to be written by organisations that are not industry experts – and it’s a very specific space,” Jacobs says. “It is well understood in the industry that some organisations have internal issues to overcome that make them resistant to change.”

Failing to mandate the EIR from as early as the tender stages of a project could be disastrous.

Allowing project participants to deploy multiple systems with varying data formats across a large-scale project or programme to capture data and create reports can diminish the accuracy and effectiveness of the analytics, and such an approach

does not allow for a reliable digital twin of the project.

Ultimately, this sort of disjointed approach leaves project owners with inconsistent data sets. Data should transfer seamlessly between all entities across the project lifecycle. If there is no standardisation in project delivery, it is extremely challenging to provide an accurate overview and insights for a project during the various lifecycle and handover stages, and organisations are not able to compare project KPIs side by side, accurately identify trends to learn from, or identify best practices.

“Creating that foundation of good governance and operational consistency will contribute in the future to capitalising on the benefits of applications such as artificial intelligence, automation or machine learning,” Jacobs points out. “These technologies

are already being talked about as the next step for improving construction efficiencies, and many organisations are working towards implementing them to predict outcomes and improve decision-making across projects.

This ultimately results in a return on the investment in digital by increasing efficiencies as well as saving time and money, while also improving quality and safety.”

Before any organisation even considers digital technology as a solution to improve efficiencies or address any other shortfall it thinks it may have, it should reconsider the importance of operational governance, such as standardisation of project delivery to be adopted across all projects.

It’s time to evolve beyond the days of disjointed project information, and for the industry to realise the value of the data it owns and generates on a daily basis.

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Making BIM Bigger The technology of BIM has transformed the construction industry over the last few years, with every discipline involved in creating and sustaining the built environment changed by it. Now learn how BIM can be taken from developing buildings and expanded into a tool used to plan and create cities, and infrastructure systems.

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Comment

Dr WaĂŤl Kanoun

Protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks Dr WaÍl Kanoun, head of Cyber Solutions – Middle East, Thales, outlines how strategic design can help cyber-secure rail systems The proliferation of the Internet of Things, combined with the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), has enhanced operational efficiency but also exponentially increased the threat of cyberattacks across critical national infrastructure, including ground transportation systems.

With significant digital transformation across the sector, substantial benefits relating to safety, operational efficiency and reliability as well as general CAPEX and OPEX optimisation are to be had, while at the same time exposing systems to a new class of risk related to cybersecurity.

Poor design can leave our rail systems vulnerable to cyberattacks.

These vulnerabilities can affect operational efficiency in a variety 36 June 2019

of ways, including train delays, loss of revenue, reputational impact, loss of trust and, in the worst case, an impact on passenger safety.

General rules of thumb Though security is contextual, universal security principles generally drive good security design. There is a set of generally accepted security principles that should be implemented to reduce the risk of cyberattack: open design, compartmentalisation, perimeter defence and minimisation of attack surface, defence in depth, and least privilege.

When it comes to open design, proven approaches, mechanisms, technologies, software and solutions provide greater assurance, as they have generally been subject to rigorous scrutiny

by others in the marketplace.

Compartmentalisation is a security approach whereby a system is segmented into several domains that are protected independently, while efficient security designs help limit the surface area susceptible to attack and correctly protect the exposed areas.

The principle of defence in depth is about having more than one layer or type of defence. If one layer or type of defence is breached, no matter how strong and reliable it is, there are two or more layers to make it much more difficult to compromise.

The least privilege principle requires that a subject (human or software) have the proper and minimum privilege (in terms of scope of authority and resources). The time these

resources can be accessed should be restricted to only that required to perform a specific task.

A holistic approach to cybersecurity Holistic cybersecurity in the rail industry can only be achieved by addressing the three pillars that support a robust cybersecurity posture: processes and procedure, people, and technology.

In terms of processes, appropriate operational, management and audit measures must be put in place. As the human factor is considered the weakest link in cybersecurity, comprehensive training for operator and supporting infrastructure staff ensures cybersecurity awareness and adequate skills across the railway

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building blocks In terms of technology, security controls must have specific building blocks added to the architecture of the railway system throughout the entire design and build process.

system. In terms of technology, security controls must consist of specific building blocks added to the architecture of the railway system throughout the entire design and build process.

Cybersecurity architecture layers To secure ground transportation systems, a cybersecurity architecture consisting of complementary layers of security must be designed and deployed.

While physical controls are not traditionally in the scope of cybersecurity plans and architecture, they are sometimes explicitly required to address a specific threat or requirement.

Controls within the network are another layer, entailing technology to secure sensitive data during transmission over

wired or wireless networks, maintaining the integrity of vital communication or protecting the system from attackers.

A third layer – host – consists of cybersecurity controls that ensure the security of host machines such as servers, workstations, maintenance laptops and other IT machines. The final layer of application and data consists of controls that ensure the security of the application and data level of the system.

Fundamental security building blocks The following components can be integrated into a railway system to mitigate the risk of an infiltration attempt from the outside: demilitarised zones (DMZ) with communication

through proxies and secure gateways; web application firewall to protect against web-based attacks; virtual private network (VPN) gateways to ensure confidentiality of communication; and data diodes to implement and guarantee, on the physical level, one-way egress communication with external networks.

Internal network security measures must also be strengthened to cover network segmentation, with IP/MPLS VPN based on rail subsystems to implement traffic isolation and firewalls, while intrusion detection systems can be stand-alone devices or embedded features within NGFW, to implement traffic monitoring and to detect known attacks, anomalies and suspicious behaviour.

It is also important to implement network access control (NAC), to ensure that only authorised and legitimate devices can connect to the railway network.

Finally, secure protocols (e.g. TLS) must be implemented to protect the integrity, authenticity and confidentiality of communication within the network.

It is essential to harden backto-basics core defence by reducing the attack surface of railway systems and ensuring robust configuration. Furthermore, an endpoint protection solution with centralised management should be deployed, to thwart malware from gaining a foothold in the system.

Centralised user management and profiles can unify and simplify a railway system, making access controls easier to manage and maintain across the enterprise.

Security information event management (SIEM) systems are also cornerstones of effective cybersecurity detection and response capabilities. Their role is to manage, aggregate, qualify and correlate various types of logs, in order to detect cyberattacks and respond appropriately.

Railway systems should also be designed with cyber maintenance in mind. Central update servers such as WSUS should be part of the network, to ensure robust management and effective distribution of security updates.

Mechanisms should also be put in place to securely back up and restore system applications, data and configuration settings.

Addressing cybersecurity at an early stage of the design is paramount to guaranteeing the presence of fundamental security building blocks while ensuring a robust cybersecurity posture with minimum cost. Any delay in addressing cybersecurity leads to higher costs when having to address residual risk, let alone the adverse impact of a cyberattack.

June 2019 37

Event Review

Women in ConstruCtion summit 2019 Big Project ME reviews the Women in Construction Summit, which discussed gender imbalance in the industry and focused on how the sector can move forward, while inspiring the next generation of female professionals

The Women in Construction Summit, which took place on May 1 at the Oberoi Hotel in Business Bay, Dubai, discussed the key issues and challenges around gender imbalance in the construction industry. More than 200 professionals from the region’s built environment gathered at the summit, which addressed issues such as creating equal workspaces, talent and skill versus gender, on-site health and safety, and exposure for future talent.

Chaired by Morgan Tuckness, head of technical services & development – Global Hospitality, Drees & Sommer, the event included three panel discussions and three presentations followed by a networking lunch.

Lara Poloni, chief executive

38 June 2019

– EMEA, Aecom, delivered a powerful keynote speech which inspired the hashtag #bebold on the Twittersphere.

She also highlighted the importance of summits such as the WIC in taking the conversation ahead, saying: “Power comes when we band together and use different perspectives, reflect on them and bring it back to our workplaces.”

With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Poloni spoke about managing one’s career, how pay equity is gaining momentum in the ME construction arena, and promoting a culture that supports diversity inclusion and safety.

Fiona Liddell, assistant quality manager, SSH Design, anchored the first panel discussion, which revolved around how

gender diversity can infuse the construction industry with fresh ideas and skills. The panel discussion explored the importance of hiring, recognising and rewarding skills and talent, compared to gender and age.

The main topic of conversation was internal and external diversity and inclusion initiatives taken by different organisations.

Yasmine Nashawati, manager – Dispute Resolution Services for Mena, RICS, and Nesreen Osman, partner, Pinsent Masons, spoke about such initiatives taken by their organisations.

The panel also debated how, for each role, responsibilities and rewards should stay the same irrespective of the professional’s gender. Paula Fay Evans, senior associate – Interior Design,

Godwin Austen Johnson, said she feels change should be made at the grassroots level.

The panellists concluded that it’s not just men that need to change their attitudes – it should be from both sides – and that women need to be better at putting themselves forward.

This led nicely to the first presentation of the day, by Clare Evans, project manager and Business Change leader, SNCLavalin, and Rachel Collins, head of Procurement – Middle East, Faithful+Gould, on fostering female empowerment in the construction industry. Evans spoke at length about diversity inclusion and the first steps that can be taken to focus on it, while Collins communicated her experiences as a senior female leader in KSA.

Event Review

Farah Kurdi, the Built Environment sector lead at Mott Macdonald, moderated the second panel. The key points reviewed were how construction sites should have adequate-sized safety equipment and genderneutral signage, as well as the availability of secure sanitary facilities in easy-to-access and well-lit areas of the site.

Camelia Pacurar, Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness manager, AECOM, started off the discussion by saying that there is a lot of focus on safety, but much less on health. Health constitutes mental health as well, and there is a lot that can be done in terms of prevention.

Panel members also discussed health and safety initiatives they have personally or as part of the

organisation implemented at their work-places and sites. Sarah Rodgers, senior facilities manager, Emrill Services, explained that her company had launched a unique ‘stop-work card’, and that it was a simple initiative – a piece of paper that empowers individuals to stop any work they think is unsafe.

Zeina Daabas, senior quality auditor, Khatib & Alami, stressed the importance of education and awareness. Michelle Najm, senior architect, JT + Partners, added that awareness usually starts in the corporate office and that individuals must have proper training.

Liddell, the first panel moderator, returned to the stage to address audience members about the changes she and her colleagues had made in their

organisation in terms of maternity policy. She highlighted that everybody should be talking about changes that could be beneficial.

The third panel of the summit was about moving ahead and inspiring the next generation of professionals. Summit chair Tuckness moderated the panel, which debated how the industry should work with colleges and universities to develop future-friendly curriculums, mentorship programmes and early engagement at the high school level.

The panel started off on a positive note, with speakers agreeing that things have changed dramatically in the last decade and that there are a lot more women in the industry now than there were ten years ago.

Dr Bhakti More, associate professor at the School of Design & Architecture, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, pointed out the two types of barriers faced by female students.

“One is a cultural barrier where female students have family constraints and pressure, while the second barrier is organisations requesting male graduates for work that involves construction sites,” she highlighted.

The panel concluded by reiterating that exposure is very important, hitting on the common thread throughout the summit.

The final presentation of the day was given by LACASA’s Hiba Jaber, who honoured the late Reem Dayoub with an initiative to bring more young professionals into the construction industry.

June 2019 39

Tenders

Top tenders Kuwait Olympic Village prOject – jaber al-ahmad city budget $1,000,000,000 project Number WPR1491-K territory Kuwait client Public Authority for Housing Welfare – PAHW (Kuwait) p.O. box 23385, Safat 13094, Kuwait tel (+965) 2530 1000 Fax (+965) 2538 7464 website www.housing.gov.kw description Construction of an Olympic village comprising a 25,000-seat stadium, a swimming pool complex and a residential block for athletes. period 2020 Status New Tender main architect Meinhardt Middle East (Kuwait) tender categories Construction &

40 June 2019

Contracting, Leisure & Entertainment tender products Residential Buildings, Sports Complexes

aSSima mixed-uSe deVelOpmeNt prOject budget $825,000,000 project Number WPR1580-K territory Kuwait client Salhiya Real Estate Company (Kuwait) address Mohammed Thunayan Al-Ghanim Street p.O. box 23413, Safat, 13095 tel (+965) 2299 6000 Fax (+965) 2299 6304 email info@salhia.com website www.salhia.com description Development of a mixed-use scheme comprising a

54-storey tower consisting of more than 150 offices, including a hotel and a shopping mall consisting of six levels, featuring a mix of brands from contemporary to high-street, including a large hypermarket. period 2022 Status Current Project main consultant Pan Arab Consulting Engineers – PACE (Kuwait) tender categories Hotels, Leisure & Entertainment, Prestige Buildings tender products Commercial Buildings, High-rise Towers, Hotel Construction, Residential Buildings, Retail Developments

dOubletree by hiltON Sharjah tilal mall prOject budget $200,000,000 project Number WPR3281-U territory Sharjah client Tilal Properties (Sharjah) address Tilal City, Robot Park Sales Office, Robot Park Tower, Al Qasba,

Al Khan St, Office 302-303-304 p.O. box 24778 tel (+971) 65560055 email info@tilaluae.com website www.tilaluae.com description Construction of a hotel comprising 200 guestrooms, an outdoor pool and café, a restaurant, lobby lounge, fitness centre and business centre. period 2021 Status New Tender design consultant Godwin Austen Johnson Architects (GAJ) – Dubai tender categories Construction & Contracting, Hotels tender products Hotel Construction

jaNNah al KhaN hOtel & Spa raS al KhOr prOject budget $150,000,000 project Number WPR1833-U territory Sharjah client Jannah Hotels & Resorts (Abu Dhabi) address Villa 235, Street 15, Khalifa City A tel (+971-2) 307 6307 / (+971-800) 46835 email book@jannah.ae website www.jannah.ae description Development of a mixed-use scheme comprising a high-end shopping mall, office space, hotel apartments and a new luxury hotel and spa.

Status New Tender main consultant Hannover Consulting Engineers (Abu Dhabi) tender categories Hotels, Leisure & Entertainment, Prestige Buildings tender products Commercial Buildings, Hotel Construction, Mixed-use Developments, Residential Buildings, Retail Developments

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Tenders

Middle East tenders UAE dOwNtOwN reSideNtial tOwer prOject budget $75,000,000 project Number WPR1986-U territory Dubai client Line Investments & Property LLC (Abu Dhabi) p.O. box 4048 tel (+971-2) 414 0555 Fax (+971-2) 642 8700 description Construction of a 45-storey residential tower. period 2021 Status New Tender main consultant Dewan Architects & Engineers (Dubai) tender categories Prestige Buildings tender products High-rise Towers, Residential Buildings

tram NetwOrK prOject – Sharjah waterFrONt city budget $75,000,000 project Number WPR3670-U territory Sharjah client Sharjah Oasis Real Estate (Sharjah) address Al Hamriyah, P.O. Box 39459 tel (+971-6) 575 1075 Fax (+971-6) 575 1076 email marketing@sharjahoasis.com website www.sharjahoasis.com description Construction of a tram network. period 2020 Status New Tender design consultant WSP

42 June 2019

Middle East (Dubai) tender categories Public Transportation Projects tender products Metro, Railways

Saudi Arabia lyzawaN walK prOject – al KhObar budget $35,000,000 project Number WPR2988-SA territory Saudi Arabia client Lyzawan Real Estate (Saudi Arabia) address P.O. Box 615, Al Khobar 31952, Saudi Arabia tel (+966-13) 887 7447 / 843 1222 / (+966-53) 082 1111 email info@lyzawan.com website www.lyzawan.com description Construction of a mall

of restaurants and coffee shops, surrounding a beautiful artificial lake. period 2019 Status Current Project main contractor Lyzawan Real Estate (Saudi Arabia) tender categories Construction & Contracting, Hotels, Leisure & Entertainment tender products Retail Developments

cONVeNtiON & exhibitiON ceNtre prOject – SOuq OKaz city

address P.O.Box 66680, Riyadh 44586 tel (+966-11) 880 8855 Fax (+966-11) 880 8844 email info@scta.gov.sa website www.scth.gov.sa description Construction of a convention and exhibition centre. period 2021 Status New Tender tender categories Construction & Contracting tender products Commercial Buildings

brightmaN hOSpital prOject budget $37,000,000 project Number WPR4072-SA territory Saudi Arabia client Saudi Commission For Tourism & Heritage (Saudi Arabia)

budget $60,000,000 project Number WPR4279-SA territory Saudi Arabia client Ministry of Health

Tenders

(Saudi Arabia) address Old Airport Road, P.O. Box 21217, Riyadh 11176 tel (+966-11) 401 2220/ 401 5555 Fax (+966-11) 402 6944/ 402 9876 email info@moh.gov.sa website www.moh.gov.sa description Construction of a hospital building. period Dec 2020 Status Current Project main consultant Dar AlMajd Engineering Consulting Office (Saudi Arabia) tender categories Medical & Healthcare tender products Hospital Construction

Bahrain

budget $50,000,000 project Number WPR3279-O territory Oman client Ministry of Oil & Gas (Oman) address Al-Khuwair, Ministry Streets, Opposite Sultan Qaboos Street, P.O. Box 551, Muscat PC 100, Oman tel (+968) 2464 0555 Fax (+968) 2469 1046 description Development and exploration of an onshore hydrocarbon block. period 2020 Status New Tender tender categories Oilfields & Refineries tender products Oilfields Exploration & Development

Jordan

rOyal charity OrgaNizatiON OFFice buildiNg prOject

phOtOVOltaic (pV) SOlar plaNt prOject – maaN

budget $30,000,000 project Number RCO/01/2017-B territory Bahrain client Royal Charity Organization (Bahrain) address Manama, Bahrain tel (+973) 1731 3666 description Construction of a 22-storey office building. tender cost $263 Status Current Project main consultant Arab Architects (Bahrain) tender categories Construction & Contracting, Prestige Buildings tender products Commercial Buildings

project Number MPP2868-J territory Jordan client Ministry of Energy &

Mineral Resources (Jordan) address Mahmoud Al Moussa Abaidat Street, Al Swaifiah, P.O. Box 140027, Amman, Jordan tel (+962-6) 580 3060 Fax (+962-6) 586 5714 e-mail memr@memr.gov.jo website www.memr.gov.jo description Development of a photovoltaic (PV) solar plant with capacity of 200MW. Status New Tender tender categories Power & Alternative Energy tender products Photovoltaic Plants, Solar Energy

the ritz-carltON hOtel & reSideNceS prOject – ammaN project Number WPR2736-J territory Jordan client Al Eqbal Real Estate Development (Jordan) address Bldg 39, Saed Ben Abi Waqqas Street, Um Uthainah,

P.O. Box 9256, Amman 11191 tel (+962-6) 550 5444 Fax (+962-6) 550 5440 email info@eqbaljordan.com website www.eqbaljordan.com description Construction of 2 towers comprising 19- and 20-storey hotel buildings. period 2020 Status Current Project design consultant WATG (UK) project manager D.G. Jones & Partners (Jordan) main contractor Habash-Deir Contracting Company (Jordan) a/c, chillers & heating Systems Supplier Arab Technical Group (Jordan) electromechanical contractor MID Contracting Company (Jordan) elevators/lifts Supplier Mitsulift Group (Lebanon) Foundations/enabling/ piling contractor Arab Towers Contracting Company (Jordan) tender categories Hotels, Prestige Buildings tender products Hotel Construction

Oman ONShOre hydrOcarbON blOcK prOject – blOcK 43b

June 2019 43

Last Word

Pioneering Best Practices

Caspar Herzberg, president of Middle East & Africa Region, Schneider Electric, writes about how open digital platforms are vital for smart cities to transform the economy, society and environment

When India created the new state of Chhattisgarh in 2000, it needed a new capital, with government authorities outlining the Naya Raipur Development Plan 2031 for the city to become one of the world’s most advanced and integrated greenfield smart cities and an economic powerhouse.

As part of India’s highlevel government-led Smart Cities Mission to retrofit existing cities and develop new cities, Naya Raipur’s Command and Control Centre and digital core tie together more than 100,000 connected products across energy management systems, water networks, video surveillance, buildings management systems and citizen engagement applications.

Why are greenfield smart cities so exciting? One of the biggest benefits is that they are not burdened with legacy systems and archaic policies; they have the luxury of starting with a clean slate.

44 June 2019

However, this luxury of starting fresh can become a burden when trying to determine the ideal rightsized starting point. The initial investment should not go overboard but be just enough to attract anchor businesses and residents that trigger growth and achieve critical mass.

Cities should focus on their functioning economic theme, channel their investments towards the promotion of this theme and create a compelling reason to choose this new city over available existing options.

Digital Infrastructure Needs to Meet Citizen Use Cases Digital is the trend nowadays, and cities are creating mobile applications for anything and everything. Cities are hungry to adopt technologies, and for example are rapidly piloting innovative artificial intelligence and blockchain projects, but

this puts a potential risk on a full transformation.

While technology is important, cities that deploy technology for technology’s sake alone tend to overlook the core physical infrastructure and operational technology that needs to be well aligned with the city’s economic theme.

Tailor-made infrastructure would provide a compelling reason for industries to move into a new city in order to accelerate business growth and productivity.

Nevertheless, some cities end up with rushed, non-ideal infrastructure.

Whatever the case, infrastructure can be enhanced with operational technologies that automate every building and utility function.

Smart Cities Future Proof with Open Digital Platforms No one can accurately forecast the future, and with ever changing

demands, a city needs to be dynamic. Achieving realtime monitoring gives the right insight into the vitals of a city – from flow of people and vehicles to shifts in utility consumption, safety status and outages.

Enabling real-time actionable insights allows the city to continuously learn, adapt, change and monitor again, to be able to fine tune and achieve the required metrics.

Cities should specify a real-time platform strategy that incorporates predictive models and knowledge management. The platform should also readily interface to other systems, such as asset management and geographical information systems.

Adopting open system platforms can facilitate integration with best-ofbreed solutions, without too much effort. Open systems also facilitate the adoption of newer technologies later, from artificial intelligence to blockchain, for a continuously

evolving city that does not wither with time.

Moreover, an open platform allows a city to constantly monitor how well it’s doing against key performance indicators. Whenever goals are not met, the city can dynamically change and monitor the impact, to see if it’s heading in the right direction.

It’s no longer an option for any city, let alone a greenfield city, to miss out on top-class digital city services across all sectors.

With the global smart city market set to top $2 trillion by 2025, smart cities of the near future are exciting prospects – mass transit based on autonomous vehicles and hyperloops, micro-smart grids that feed energy back to utilities, building management systems that can optimise and predict needs. To get there, smart cities need to ensure that they have a technology foundation that integrates OT and IT to drive the biggest benefits.

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