THE BIG INTERVIEW
http://www.mepmiddleeast.com^ August 2019^ |^ MEP Middle East^23SNAPSHOT OF AESG PROJECTS
ICD Brookfi eld
A $1billion, 54-storey tower that will boast over
900,000sq ft of Grade A offi ce space with the
top three levels consisting of sky view suites.King Abdullah Financial District
The King Abdullah Financial District Project
is considered one of the most ambitious,distinguished projects existing in Saudi Arabia,
and will become an important addition to the
economic sector.Louvre Abu Dhabi
This exhibition space comprises 23 galleries
across 6,400sq metres, plus a 270-seat
auditorium, restaurant, shop and café.are thriving in the same way in the current climate. Image by Grace Guino.
from a structure in Croydon, London.
However, the adoption of revolutionar y
tech – the fi rst modular-built tower only
went up in New York as recently as 2016 –
is usually a slow process, particularly given
the scale of projects found in this part of the
world.
Al Abbar does not believe there is one
sweeping solution to the problems profes-
sionals are facing here in the Middle East,
particularly at a time when liquidity cannot
compete with demand.
Instead he believes an overhaul of the
dated building process in its entirety isrequired to bring construction up to pace
with other industries.
He wants to see greater progress in the
next 50 years than the industr y has witnessed
over the past fi ve decades.
“I would not put the issue simply down to
modular building, but a wider effi ciency of
construction for which modular buildings
forms a part of,” he explained.
“As a sector, construction is widely criti-
cised as being ver y ineffi cient, and the ap-
proaches and technologies we adopt today
are not too different to 50 years ago.
“When you look at the effi ciency and tech-
nology advances in other sectors, such as
manufacturing or aviation, it is clear that we
are lagging behind.
“Globally we are facing an unprecedented
demand for construction, yet with more con-
strained global liquidity.
“The only solution to this is driving
signifi cant gains in construction effi ciency
through measures such as modular construc-
tion, BIM, technology, and more appropriate
procurement and contracting mechanisms.”
A sound business ethos rooted in profes-
sionalism has ensured plenty of peaceful
nights for Al Abbar and AESG over the past
eight years.
And with the house fi rmly in order, the
focus now is on smooth sailing into new
markets.
“I would not say anything really keeps me
up at night from that perspective.
“I am fortunate that we have an excellent
team that are working with great clients on
exciting projects that provide real value to
society.”Globally we are facing
unprecedented demand for
construction, yet with more
constrained global liquidity