Building sustainability

It has been an eventful year in the construction industry across the Middle East.

It has been an eventful year in the construction industry across the Middle East. One beacon of hope for many contractors and suppliers is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s electricity sector alone is seeing over $100 billion worth of investment. The housing sector has been injected with around US$6 billion; $5 billion is being spent on hospitals and roads; and $2 billion is going towards schools and universities.

Further billions are being funneled into commerce and tourism development projects, and into expansion of the country’s high-performing industrial sector.

Current hotel and office building projects in Riyadh alone are valued at over $1 billion. With an array of lucrative investment opportunities for construction firms from across the world, Saudi Arabia is drawing international investor attention.

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Against this billion dollar backdrop, sustainable building is an issue developing strong foundations. Construction Week’s Building Sustainably conference, being held in Riyadh in June, will look at the continuing evolution of green trends and initiatives, and the role they will play in the country’s construction sector over the coming years.

The conference will also look to cover best practices in project operations and provide a legal overview for being active in the Saudi market. The event will also provide an opportunity to share experiences and ideas on how environmental building practices can be encouraged and implemented.

Programme highlights
John Harris, national director of Jones Lang LaSalle in Saudi Arabia will present an analysis assessing the state of the real estate and construction sectors in the Kingdom.

His presentation will uncover the state of the commercial, retail and residential construction sectors, and help you understand what the future holds.

It will look at how commercial real estate in Saudi Arabia has been impacted by the global economic downturn; what the demand is in the retail sector for new malls and shopping centres; and how the nation will meet demand for high-rise residential developments.

Attendees will also learn about progress at the US $10 billion (SR 37.5 billion) King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), currently under construction alongside King Fahd Highway in central Riyadh. Speakers from the leading architects and consultants on the project will share their extensive expertise of the design and construction of high-rise buildings and complex MEP installations.

The conference will feature a mix of speaker presentations and interactive discussions with the audience.

Building sustainability
For details of how to attend, visit www.constructionweekonline.com/conferences