Building Technology Stimulus Initiative
The Building Technology Stimulus Initiative is one of the initiatives under the Housing Program and the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It aims to establish the foundations and standards for transitioning from traditional construction to modern construction and to increase the homeownership rate in Saudi Arabia to 70 percent by 2030, in line with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030. The initiative is implemented in cooperation with the Local Content and Private Sector Development Unit “Namaa” and the Saudi Industrial Development Fund.
Objectives of the Building Technology Stimulus Initiative
The Building Technology Stimulus Initiative supports non-traditional construction methods, contributing to enabling beneficiaries to own their homes more quickly at competitive prices, constructing thousands of housing units with high specifications, reinforcing quality and sustainability in construction, positioning Saudi Arabia as a leader in keeping pace with industrial development, encouraging the private sector to invest in construction technologies, and providing more job opportunities.
Strategy of the Building Technology Stimulus Initiative
The strategy of the Building Technology Stimulus Initiative enhances modern construction methods among developers, contractors, and the housing ecosystem as a whole. It raises their skill levels, fosters alignment between developers and contractors, reduces costs, and enables them to access high-quality, low-cost modern construction products.
It also establishes a competency framework that defines the qualifications, behaviors, skills, and knowledge needed to improve performance, and creates a level of standardization in the sector that allows for alignment between industry and training providers, as well as the evaluation of results.
Achievements of the Building Technology Stimulus Initiative
The achievements of the Building Technology Stimulus Initiative include completing the construction of a fully finished house within two days using one of the modern construction technologies (modular concrete), as part of a project to build housing units with modern construction methods using precast concrete. This was accomplished through advanced third- and fourth-generation technologies, with construction works completed inside the factory in preparation for transporting them to the project site, ensuring speedy completion and competitive final product cost.
The initiative also signed memorandums of understanding with three global companies in the field of modern construction technologies during the Future Investment Initiative held in Riyadh in 2018.
In addition, the Building Technology Stimulus Initiative funded the establishment of nine specialized local factories, including the first factory to use standardized modular designs with a production capacity of up to 1,500 housing units per year, achieving 75 percent of construction work inside the factory, while ensuring quality, thermal insulation, and fire resistance. Another example is the “Jodran Watan” factory, which holds a global patent in modern construction technologies, with a production capacity of 624 housing units per year. It operates using modern precast concrete methods and molds to produce hollow panels that help reduce the cost of precast concrete without hollowing by about 50 percent.