One of the major challenges confronting the delivery of giga- and megaprojects around the region is the limited access to highly-qualified talent and optimisable supply chains. And as projects in the kingdom become larger and more complex, companies and contractors are further impacted by talent shortages and the need for dependable channels of materials and equipment.
Now that the country is upscaling its economy according to the national vision, there is a priority and an opportunity for solution providers to innovate along several stages in the value-chain.
In the fourth and final set of sessions, the Construction Week Middle East’s Leaders in Construction KSA Summit 2023 panellist and speakers explored several causes and solutions for optimising projects deliveries.
The first keynote speech, presented by Dani Ghandour, General Manager – KSA at KEO, and Lara AlHijjawi, Senior Manager of Learning & HR Programs at KEO, asked how the Kingdom’s workforce was adapting to its rapid growth. Dani’s note for the conference was that “by supporting small businesses and start-ups, Saudi Arabia opens up opportunities for the local workforce.”
The next session addressed a solution from a supplier’s point of view. Moderating this fireside chat, Parul Rana, Conference Producer at ITP Media spoke with Darrin Raniga, Group Business Development Manager at Terraco, regarding how Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems, or EIFS, can revolutionise sustainability in Saudi Arabia.
Following that, with Christopher Nicolas, Director at TBH, as moderator, the panel discussion on delivering Saudi’s gigaprojects successfully on time commenced. Joined by Edward Sammut, Chief Delivery Officer at Qiddiya, and Barry Lewis, Managing Director of Construction at ALEC, the panel made important observations for the conference.
For his part, Edward thought that “we should encourage contractors to come to us when they see a problem, rather than hold it against them.” Barry supported that statement and said: “If you have a progress report and do nothing, then there’s no meaning to it.” He advised, “you need a pragmatic mature approach by the leaders of the project.”
Nearing the end of the conference, Construction Week Digital Editor, Jullianne Tolentino, moderated a fireside chat with Parmesh Venkateswaran, General Manager – MEA for Stanley Black & Decker. The discussion revolved around balancing challenges and innovations for sustainable developments.
According to Parmesh, upscaling is a product of sustainable thinking. Clarifying his point, he said: “When we talk about sustainability, we’re talking about manufacturing, packaging, and transporting the product.”
Finally, closing the Construction Week Middle East’s Leaders in Construction KSA Summit 2023, a panel consisting of Fernando Freitas, Main Board Director at Omnium, and Amer Kharbush, Executive Director of Program & Project Management at ROSHN, discussed the economic diversification and investment opportunities inherent in Saudi’s sustainably-powered gigaprojects.
Moderated by Sena Gbedemah, Senior Managing Director at Ankura Saudi Arabia, the conversation held many insights on the local talent market. Fernando saw that “consultants are stretched out, and the talent pool is quite small to accommodate the size of the projects.” However, Amer’s words had the most encouragement for listeners. He said: “Saudis are ambitious, they want to roll up their sleeves and work hands-on. They are here and ready, but we have to provide an environment and work culture that foster learning and recognise efforts.”