In response to a growing trend in the Saudi construction market for high-rise structures, particularly in previously undeveloped areas of the kingdom, Saudi Readymix, the leading readymixed concrete producer in Saudi Arabia recently hosted a series of seminars on pumping concrete in high-rise structures.

These seminars held in Riyadh, Madinah and Jeddah, featured lectures delivered by representatives from Saudi Readymix as well as Schwing and Putzmeister, the German concrete pumps and extension pipe manufacturers.
“The construction and concrete markets in Saudi Arabia are diversifying further and witnessing investments greater than ever before,” said Redwan Hameed, technical director of Saudi Readymix and one of the keynote speakers at the seminar. “As a market leader, it is important for us to lead the way in innovation in concrete technology and share this knowledge with our clients, consultants, and the construction industry as a whole. The requirements of high-rise structures differ greatly from conventional ones, and we aimed to raise awareness among industry professionals to these issues through the seminars.”
Saudi Readymix’s figures indicate that 22 high-rise projects are currently in the various planning and execution stages for this year. The seminars presented an in-depth look at the challenges of concreting in high-rise structures, such as selection of proper mix design, site preparation, selection of proper equipment, special pumping techniques, and pumping of self-compacting concrete in such structures. Broadly, high-rise structures are buildings that are between 12 to 50 storeys or 35 m to 150 m high or anything beyond that puts them in the category of skyscrapers.
“Some of our current projects contain as many as 20 or 30 towers, and we expect the number and size of such projects to increase over the next few years. Additionally, we are noticing that high-rises are spreading across all regions of the kingdom, whereas in the past they were restricted to a few areas such as Riyadh and the Holy Cities,” Fadi Mujahed, marketing and business development director of Saudi Readymix, pointed out.
Meanwhile Saudi Readymix has also launched an aggressive annual national recruitment campaign aimed at raising awareness among talented Saudi nationals on the employment opportunities available for them. The company plans to add more than 800 new employees this year, raising the total workforce to 2,900 by year’s end.
This year’s campaign follows the company’s announced investment plans of a total of SR440 million ($117.50 million) for this year that will go towards opening seven new stations, increasing production volume by 30 per cent within this year, and creating numerous employment opportunities for young Saudis.
“The construction boom and increased demand on the products and services we provide has created a large number of opportunities for Saudis nationals within the construction sector. In Saudi Readymix, for example, we nearly doubled our workforce over the past two years alone,” said Rami Khalid Alturki, company president.
“To meet these demands and achieve our expansion plans, we need to attract a young and ambitious workforce, and we possess the necessary advantages to cultivate a rich working environment that encourages knowledge and learning. For example, we recently created the ‘Corporate Development Department’, which will be responsible for putting together intensive training programmes for all our employees in all specialties. In addition, we are planning to build a large research and development centre in concrete technology to elevate our industry and build the future of our country,” he added.
Saudi Readymix is the leading producer and supplier of readymixed concrete and related products in Saudi Arabia. Established in 1978, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khalid Ali Alturki and Sons group of companies (Alturki Group), employing a total workforce of more than 2,100 managerial, administrative, technical and operational staff, with teams of technical experts throughout the kingdom. Local, regional and central laboratories operated by the company develop mix designs, conduct routine testing and analysis on concrete products and research new products under development on a global scale. Saudi Readymix has worked on an impressive array of prestigious projects for both the public and the private sectors, and most of its stations are officially approved as suppliers to major governmental and industrial authorities.
The company’s network of plants and stations are strategically located throughout the kingdom in order to cover all major commercial and industrial areas. This is made easier with the company’s 380-plus mixer trucks and 130-plus mobile pumps, making its fleet the largest in the kingdom.