NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ALIGNED TO VISION 2030 TO FALL UNDER MICROSCOPE AT SAUDI INFRASTRUCTURE EXPO

$1tnn dollars’ worth of national infrastructure projects central to Saudi Vision 2030 will be closely examined this week at the Saudi Infrastructure Summit in Riyadh.

To be held on Tuesday 6th September at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre and running in conjunction with the opening day of the three-day Saudi Infrastructure Expo, the invitation-only summit will explore the innovative infrastructure projects, first-class networks, giga developments, and new cities poised to help deliver the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 targets.

Twenty-five globally recognised experts will address challenges and opportunities faced by the Vision Realization Programs, including collaboration and knowledge transfer across projects, building a resilient workforce, the role of ICT in the development of smart cities, innovating the water sector, and urban connectivity. The summit is expected to attract 150+ high-level influential industry professionals, as well as a diverse range of public and private sector stakeholders.

“From population growth in existing urban areas, to new giga projects poised to transform the country’s geographic expanse, Saudi Arabia is entering a crucial stage in the evolution of its national infrastructure,” said Muhammed Kazi, Vice President of Construction at dmg events – the event organiser. “The Saudi Infrastructure Summit will assist the national development agenda by accelerating connections and collaborations between domestic decision-makers and regional and international partners, offering best-in-class solutions to enable Saudi Vision 2030.”

Chaired by Atkins’ Roger Cruickshank, Senior Director of Transport Middle East, the Summit’s panellist rollcall includes senior representatives from entities driving the Kingdom’s giga projects, headed by Eng. Thabet Al- Sawyeed, Governor, Saudi Contractors Authority and featuring Elie Alexandros, Managing Director at Consolidated Contractors Company; Stephen Jones, Territory Lead KSA at Mott McDonald; Amr Salah, Infrastructure Development Executive Director with the Royal Commission for Al’Ula; and panellists from AMAALA, Qiddiya, Red Sea Project, and many more.

Further evidencing the event’s industry-spanning importance, ROSHN, a national real estate developer committed to delivering high-quality communities to Saudi citizens and powered by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and Saudi Contractors Authority (SCA), which seeks to organise and develop the contracting sector, build distinctive productive competencies, and create a safe environment of international quality, have both signed up as leading event partners.

“As we work towards contributing to the ongoing development of the Kingdom’s real estate sector, the Saudi Infrastructure Summit can offer innovative insights into the requirements that will achieve our mission of delivering high-quality living standards to the people of Saudi Arabia,” said Sabah Barakat, Group COO of ROSHN.

Engineer Thabet Al Sawyeed, Governor of the Saudi Contractors Authority, added: “With the construction industry representing the second-largest non-oil sector in Saudi Arabia, it is a vital component of the growth – economical and physical – of the Kingdom. We look forward to the Summit exploring how the ecosystem of specialist industry contractors will aid the realisation of national infrastructure demands linked to Saudi Vision 2030.”

The Saudi Infrastructure Expo (SIE) is set to take place on 6-8 September at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre and will showcase the systems and infrastructure needed for the creation of truly smart cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The event will host a curated showcase of leading global solution providers from planning, engineering, and transportation systems, to communication networks and utilities.

The Saudi Infrastructure Expo and aligned summit are supported by platinum sponsor Orascom Construction; gold sponsors TAWAL, SRACO, and Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group; and silver sponsor Saleh Abdulaziz Al Rashed & Sons.