MEED: GCC construction sector is lagging behind the world in ‎digital transformation

MEED magazine stated that the construction sector, especially in the markets of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, in particular, is considered one of the lagging behind the global ranks in the field of digital transformation, which is often referred to as the fourth industrial revolution.

Although smart and connected building provides improvements in design quality, health and safety, and project management, and despite the benefits of applying digital building technologies in achieving savings in cost, time, and materials, and improving the quality and performance of the built environment, this sector has traditionally been reluctant to invest in technology. However, this trend is beginning to change

According to Al-Anbaa, the magazine added that global technology investments in construction have doubled over the past decade, reaching $25 billion, according to a 2021 report by the American consulting firm McKinsey.

In the Middle East, government leaders in the countries of the region realized the importance and the great potential of technology and integrated platforms and worked to exploit them to simplify and streamline operations, as well as enhance profitability.

The magazine considered that the trend towards the digital economy is a clear incentive for the construction industry to accelerate and strengthen the unremitting efforts to adopt technology and improve the efficiency and sustainability of construction management and its operations at work sites.

However, the magazine added that despite this, the implementation of digital technology solutions in a project will not be sufficient in itself to extract actionable insights, especially if the data leaks through many isolated solutions that do not succeed in communicating and coordinating with each other.

Instead, MEED concluded, companies should look beyond simply capturing large amounts of information and multiply their insights into one place, as a single fact-based source will enable these companies to judge performance with greater accuracy at each stage of the project implementation period.