MEED’s 2021 Smart Construction Virtual Summit, a one-day event held by MEED, will take place on Wednesday 16 June from 9:00AM to 5:00PM GST.
MEED, abbreviated from the former name Middle East Economic Digest, is a business intelligence tool for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It announced the event on its site, everyone can register here. The virtual summit is free to attend for delegates, but pre-registration is required.
Among the most interesting topics for our portal are:
· Energy Efficiency, Decarbonisation through cleantech and smarter construction,
· Energy Transition: The shift to renewables,
· The New Arabian Landscape: Technological, social, and environmental convergence driving the next generation of Saudi giga-projects.
The virtual summit will explore how digital transformation is shaping capital projects, featuring panelists from The Red Sea Project, Oracle Construction and Engineering, Honeywell, AMAALA, NEOM, Qiddiya, Dubai Municipality, ASGC and more.
The first virtual summit saw 595 attendees in its 2020 inaugural event.
Now in its second year, the interactive virtual event will showcase the importance of smart construction and digitization in achieving the optimal use of energy, labor and finances to ensure quality and affordability while reducing carbon footprint.
The virtual summit will start with a timely construction market update and trends analysis that will provide business-critical insights on the regional project landscape. Six engaging panel discussions will subsequently discuss next-gen construction technologies, data center construction, energy transition and efficiency, the benefits of offsite and modular construction and the new Arabian construction landscape.
MEED’s editorial director Richard Thompson says changing client expectations, along with the latest advances in digital data technology, provide the Middle East construction industry with an exciting opportunity to break away from the wasteful practices of the past to transform the way it delivers projects.
“Middle East construction is at a transition point, and everyone involved in the industry needs to understand what is going on. The intense pressure on government finances from uncertain oil prices and the impact of COVID-19 means that we will see fewer new projects in the future, along with greater-than-ever focus on costs. At the same time, a new generation of clients want to minimize the environmental impact of their projects by reducing their carbon footprint, and recycling and reusing construction waste,” said MEED editorial director Richard Thompson.
“MEED’s second MENA Smart Construction Virtual Summit will provide insights, information and connections that will enable you to make the most of the emerging opportunities in Middle East construction,” said Thompson. “Featuring interactive sessions for developers, contractors, suppliers, manufacturers, and technology providers, the summit will help you to understand the changing requirements of the region’s construction clients, and the vital role that digital technology is playing in enabling safe, productive and sustainable development.”
The “Next Gen Construction Tech” panel will discuss the startup tech solutions that can be used to drive efficient, safe, smart and sustainable outcomes in construction projects. Speakers from ASGC, King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology and Dubai municipality will share insights on the most exciting new technology applications in construction to support business outcomes. The “Data Center Construction” panel will bring together experts from ISG, Hill International and Procore Technologies to explore the unique requirements of data center construction projects.
The virtual summit will come to a close with a final panel focusing on mega and giga projects in Saudi Arabia. The session, titled “The New Arabian Landscape: Technological, Social and Environmental Convergence Driving the Next Generation of Saudi Giga Projects,” welcomes experts from Qiddiya, NEOM, The Red Sea Development Company, AMAALA and Oracle Construction and Engineering Global Business Unit. The panelists will talk about how the Kingdom’s various projects are pioneering in innovation, technology, sustainability and efficiency to create transformational new models for projects, communities and cities of the future.
2021 summit explores how sustainable innovation is shaping the new project landscape, with a focus on Saudi gigaprojects.
The virtual summit will come to a close with a final panel focusing on mega and gigaprojects in Saudi Arabia.
During the day, attendees will be able to take part in virtual speed networking sessions, including one-on-one meetings with a range of industry stakeholders.
The Next Gen Construction Tech panel will discuss the start-up tech solutions that can be used to drive efficient, safe, smart and sustainable outcomes in construction projects. Speakers from ASGC, King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST) and Dubai Municipality will share insights on the most exciting new technology applications in construction to support business outcomes.
The Data Centre Construction panel will bring together experts from ISG, Hill International and Procore Technologies to explore the unique requirements of data centre construction projects.
The Energy Efficiency: Decarbonisation through cleantech and smarter construction panel will include speakers from AESG, Lootah Real Estate Development and Honeywell Building Technologies.
A discussion on the significant developments in the shift to renewable energy will be held by experts from Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company, IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre Bonn and RSB Dubai.
The Optimising Offsite: Making a modular mainstream panel will consider the benefits of offsite and modular construction, featuring experts from Amana Investments and Drees & Sommer.
The New Arabian Landscape: Technological, social and environmental convergence driving the next generation of Saudi giga-projects panel welcomes experts from Qiddiya, Neom, The Red Sea Development Company, Amaala, and Oracle Construction and Engineering Global Business Unit. The panelists will talk about how the kingdom’s various projects are pioneering innovation, technology, sustainability and efficiency to create transformational new models for projects, communities and cities of the future.
