Layan Damanhouri
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH – Eleven American architecture and engineering firms were selected to visit the Kingdom for their potential in the Saudi market, said US Commercial Attaché Fred Aziz, adding that the firms range from urban design to engineering.
The US Architecture and Engineering Services Trade Mission to Saudi Arabia also toured other GCC cities to seek areas of cooperation and opportunities in the region.
The trade mission includes firms specialized in transportation, civil and urban design, water, infrastructure, and health care.
“There’s a long history of cooperation between the Kingdom and American firms,” Aziz said. “This is a new generation of firms that we are introducing. Some of them have experience in the region already whereas others have international experience that we believe can be customized to the Kingdom.”
The mission seeks to meet the needs of the Kingdom that has recently introduced a number of new projects, including the financial district in Riyadh, the world’s largest development.
In addition to the new metro, a number of potential sectors in Jeddah include water, clean energy, education buildings and facilities in expansion of cities to meet a growing population.
When asked about the possibility of facing any challenges in importing foreign standards and their adaptability to a different environment, Aziz said the businesses customize to their client. In order to overcome any difficulties, he noted, “the firms need a good Saudi partner.” He added “they’re going to have to work together. They cannot impose a solution that works in the United States. Likewise, the Saudi firms want access to these innovative solutions that they’ll have to work together to apply in Jeddah.”
The mission also met with local architecture and civil engineers from Saudi leading companies to discuss areas of cooperation and training Saudi future architects and engineers.
ARCOM, a company with a long-term presence in the Kingdom, publishes information and software for architects and engineers related to specifications, a key part of construction.
CEO of Arcom Christopher Bushnell said “we want to expand relationships. We have some clients in the GCC and in Saudi Arabia in particular. But we know that we can bring something to the construction industry and help advance the country.”
He added that ARCOM seeks to give quality construction at a reasonable price.
Responding to how American standards of building can be adapted in the Kingdom, he said “we use US standards. It’s also customizable if there are slight modifications. The local engineers can adapt it to their needs.”
Paul Harding, a partner at Harding Partners, said “architecture shouldn’t be a universal approach where there’s a formula applied everywhere. In my opinion, beautiful buildings are those that reflect the unique needs of users, the local culture, the environment, and the local traditions.”
In terms of potential projects, Harding Partners is looking to construct buildings that work well with sustainable design, reduce energy costs and the impact on the environment.
For some firms, they seek to present architecture and engineering solutions in the Kingdom for the first time in urban design, education facilities, and medical equipment.
Creative Machines, specialized in building sculptures and interactive museums in public spaces, plans to introduce innovative projects to the region. President of Creative Machines Joe O’Connell said “after speaking to local develops and municipals about the general trend toward building pedestrian-friendly areas, there are many opportunities to work on public spaces for citizens by also incorporating the historical and cultural elements of the city.”
President of MEPLAN Ferhat Salah said there is potential to bring in the latest technology in medical equipment to new hospitals. With the developments in healthcare in recent years, he said, medical equipment has transformed into new design and technology. Such projects need to be designed from the early stages of infrastructure planning to avoid costly expenditure and to guarantee efficiency in the long run.
