JEDDAH — Supporting technology innovation for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)'s more than $1 trillion worth of construction projects, Tekla on Tuesday launched Tekla Structural Designer software for the Middle East at The Construction Summit – UAE. Demonstrating the demand for advanced project modeling software, the GCC's construction market will hit a record of $144 billion in 2016, driven by mega-projects for World Expo 2020 in Dubai, 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, Smart Cities, and infrastructure, according to the EC Harris report “Middle East Major Construction Programmes”. Mega-projects in the GCC will reach $1 trillion by 2030, according to the report. The UAE has $90 billion in capital development projects, according to EC Harris, while Qatar is the fastest-growing construction and infrastructure market in the GCC, set to spend $24 billion on infrastructure in 2015, according to BMI Research. “The GCC being one of the world's fastest-growing construction markets demonstrates the potential for how technology will enable the region's architects, engineers, and field managers to drive innovation, collaborate, and meet strict code compliance across the design, build, and operation of the country's projects,” said Paul Wallett, Area Business Director, Tekla Middle East. By fully automating concrete and steel design and analysis with high-quality documentation, Tekla Structural Designer enables engineers to analyze and design multi-material buildings efficiently and profitably. With Tekla Structural Designer, engineering businesses can quickly compare alternative design schemes, manage changes efficiently, and collaborate seamlessly using modeling solutions. Middle East projects that have used Tekla Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology to deliver precise and complex planning and fabrication include the Abu Dhabi Airport – Midfield Terminal Complex, the King Abdullah Financial District and King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and National Museum of Qatar. Hundreds of construction experts attended The Construction Summit, held at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and Grand Hyatt Doha, continuing the momentum of Tekla recently opening a dedicated office in Qatar, and its parent company Trimble launching a new GCC office in Dubai. “The Construction Summit was a strong success, and continues our support for the GCC's construction sector. Our Tekla Structural Designer can help the country's construction-related professionals enhance planning, costs, and productivity, and meet the needs of a more mobile workforce,” added Wallett. Among the industry speakers in the UAE event was Bill Thomson, Project Delivery Director – Middle East, AECOM, who is supporting the Middle East's organizations to develop and integrate technology and systems such as BIM, GIS, augmented reality, data visualization, and major project collaboration systems. Anil Kumar Gaddameedi, General Manager, HGG Middle East FZE, spoke on integrating workflow from design data to fabrication, and Vesa Miettinen, Technical Manager, Peikko, on making concrete manufacturing faster, easier, more reliable. Additional speakers included Peter Hedlund, Regional Director – Middle East and India, Trimble; Thiyagarajan Nagarajan, Account Manager, Tekla Middle East; Elina Punkkinen, Technical Consultant, Tekla Middle East; Hany Salah, Technical Business Development Manager, Tekla Middle East; Guarav Shah, Technical Manager, Tekla Middle East; Daniel Smith, EMEA Business Development Manager, Manhattan Software; Aixa Vazquez, Account Manager, Tekla Middle East; and Paul Wallett, Area Director, Tekla Middle East. The Construction Summit was sponsored by Tekla partners HGG Middle East FZE, Manhattan Software, Peikko, SketchUp, and its parent company Trimble. Additional Tekla solutions on display included Tekla Structures 21 for structural engineering, steel, and precast construction; Tekla BIMsight for construction collaboration, and the Tekla Field 3D tool for mobile devices. — SG
