Leading decision makers from Saudi ministries, senior government officials, representatives from special economic zones as well as corporate leaders, investment consultants and high net worth individuals took part in the Saudi Building & Infrastructure Summit held last month (December 7 and 9) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Organised by leading conference and training company Ibmar at Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers, the region’s premier infrastructure summit brought together some of the biggest names in the Saudi construction and infrastructure sector as well as more than 200 C-level executives under one roof.

A key highlight of the event was the Saudi Building and Infrastructure Awards 2022 which honoured the various organisations for their contribution towards Saudi Vision 2030. 

Among the winners were Jabal Omar Development Company, a leading Saudi property developer, which bagged awards under the Best Luxury Developer 2022 and Best Hotel Developer 2022 categories.

Jabal Omar pointed out that this win was a testament to its achievement in realising the goals and recognising the vital role that the developer had been playing in the hospitality sector of Makkah as a preferred destination through provision of unique services that help enhance the visitor experience.

Another leading company that walked away with an award in the ‘Best Commercial Project’ category was Saudi-based Astra Industrial Group’s subsidiary International Building Systems Factory (IBSF).

 The company clinched this award for its work the Time Square 1 and 2 project at the Riyadh Boulevard, which was completed on a fast-track basis within a 118-day period in 2021. 

The Saudi Building & Infrastructure Summit addressed the challenges and ideas in the industry, with its keynote sessions and panel discussions.

 The opening day saw a keynote session on Saudi Real Estate Investment Outlook by Rafal Real Estate Company CEO Elias Antoine Abou Samra followed by one on ‘the most prominent challenges and risks facing infrastructure projects and the proposed solutions’ by Faisal Saud Al Faqih, the Technical Office Manager at ADDC, and an ‘Overview of the National Industrial Development and Logistics Programme’ by Anas Al Hejji, Director at National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP).

 This was followed by a keynote session on the role of procurement in delivering successful projects by Maan Alothimeen, General Manager Procurement at National Housing Company. The discussion put the spotlight on the various stages in the procurement process; and challenges and solutions to build a successful procurement strategy.

The summit witnessed a panel discussion on facilities management (FM) with a special focus on the new trends and technology; and the key challenges and management of a successful project.

The afternoon’s schedule began with a keynote session by Monair Alosaif, the Project Manager at Eastern Province Municipality, who spoke on the contemporary cities.

 Speakers on the second day included Samer Namanqani, the CEO of Ayan Real Estate Company, who discussed the ‘Offsite Construction – The Benefits of Using Building Technologies’; Dr Abdullah Alsakran, Executive Director of Strategy Sector, Saudi Fund for Development, on ‘Sustainable vs. Green Materials’; and Zuhair Al Maghrabi, chief human resources officer, National Housing Company on ‘Preparing the Workforce for Better Tomorrow.’

Another major event that drew significant participation was the panel discussion on Infrastructure Planning and Design for Sustainable Projects.

Leading experts including Medhat Aly Kouchouk, the Head of PMO, Rafal Real Estate Company and Sameh Gomaa, the Chief Operating Officer at Alrajhi Investment took part alongside Majid Hamdalla, the Chief Operating Officer at Unimac. It was moderated by Ahmed Sobhy, the Infrastructure Director at Rua Al Madinah.

The conference session ended with the ‘Three Key Lessons Learnt from our Road to Recovery’ by Khalid Mohammed Al Amoudi, the CEO of Jabal Omar Development Company.

A major event for the region, Saudi Building & Infrastructure Summit is exclusively designed for top-level executives involved in investing, planning, designing, building, operating and managing the future projects.