Sustainable building designs in the booming landscape of Saudi Arabia will play a vital role in boosting the kingdom's Vision 2030 which ensures lasting urban development plans for the country, said experts, ahead of a major industry event in Jeddah.

Big 5 Saudi, the leading construction event in the kingdom, will be held at the Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events from March 5 to 8.  

The event will see industry leaders explore the status of Saudi Green Building movement throughout a packed education agenda.

The show will offer 54 free talks on General Construction, Project Management, and Sustainability, Architecture & Design – visitors will gain CPD (continuing professional development) points.

US Green Building Council faculty regional manager, Dr Mohammed S. Al Surf, will shed light on the role of sustainable building design in Saudi’s booming urban landscape.

“Applying these building methods to residential projects is a win-win case where all stakeholders benefit from the economic, environmental and social pillars of sustainability: owners benefit by reducing the cost of running the building, the occupants will feel healthier, and the community will benefit from engaging together,” remarked Dr Mohammed.

Omar Al Touqi, a senior civil engineer at University of Jeddah, and speaker on 2030 environmental dimensions at The Big Saudi, will focus on the issue of initial costs which pose a major challenge with the green concept.

"Cost is particularly a challenge when choosing the right material and resources, however, we should understand the value of buildings which truly consider standards like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) for example. Sustainable buildings will be highly valued with capital appreciation and gradual reduction of cost at the end," stated Al Touqi.

Omar also comments on the recyclability aspect of Vision 2030; he counsels that concrete can be crushed and used for roads, or that steel reinforcing bars can be melted and reused for construction.

Consulting with leading architects and contractors on sustainable design, CEO/Partner of Entec Environmental Technology Dr Dina Al Nahd reinforces the current status of green building in Saudi.

“The private sector is now aware of the need to build this way – they know that in this millennium you have to consider the sustainable concept; that’s energy efficiency, water efficiency and reuse, and solid waste management,” observed Dr Al Nahd.

During the event, she will reveal the top mega projects considering sustainable building design in Saudi Arabia today: The Red Sea tourism project, Neom in Tabuk, and Qidiya – Saudi’s largest entertainment city.

“Vision 2030 targets the contribution to GDP of real estate alone to grow from 5 to 10 per cent by the deadline, in response there are over 3,300 urban projects underway, representing 70 per cent of all Saudi construction. There are an incredible 4,700 construction projects active in the Kingdom today,” remarked Roni El Haddad, the event director for The Big 5 Saudi.

“Aside from keeping professionals up to date with their industry, The Big 5 Saudi will offer a wealth of building materials and construction solutions from 400 local and international exhibitors, including an outdoor zone dedicated to heavy machinery,” added Haddad.-TradeArabia News Service