DESIGN work is nearing completion on what is expected to be Saudi Arabia’s first dedicated energy trading platform, which will take shape over a 1.5-million-sq-m site at Dammam’s Second Industrial City.

Known as the Energy Industrial Project (EIP), an initiative of the Al Khobar-based Oilfields Service Contractors Company (OSCC), this state-of-the-art energy business centre will cater exclusively to the commercial, technical and human resource needs of the oil and gas industry operating in the region and the entire global energy spectrum.
“A harmonious blend of nature and technology, EIP sets new regional and international standard as a fully-integrated working destination,” says Hussain Al Jumaa, vice-president of Al Awami Planners and Consultants, which is responsible for the designs for the project.
Designed to the highest international standards, EIP will comprise three integral zones, with 50 per cent of the area allocated to industrial facilities (factories and services) and the remaining area to be taken up by commercial and residential zones (375,000 sq m) and the road network, landscaping and park development areas.
“The corporate buildings will reflect the character of the project as a whole, such as modernity, efficiency and utilisation of the latest technology,” Al Jumaa comments. “The organised business cluster of the EIP will offer a fully-integrated and dynamic business hub that is purpose-built for the industry, providing a single point of access for the energy industry to interact, compete and co-operate at commercial and technical levels, both regionally and internationally.”
He continues: “The EIP will be the first fully-integrated business cluster for the industry leaders in oil and gas production – those involved in the value supply chain, national and international oil companies, support services, infrastructure and downstream activities, shipping and trading, market and resource data, intellectual property and energy trading.”
According to Al Jumaa, the EIP will be a smart, technologically-advanced development that will set a precedent in achieving the vision of sustainable ways of living and a greener future for the world.
In line with these objectives, building designs will reflect a primary focus on green design in view of obtaining Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
OSCC has appointed an independent specialist environment consultant to assist plot owners with achieving Leed certificates on behalf of their project, he adds.