day Construction and Building Forum opened in Riyadh Tuesday which highlighted the increasing growth in the industry. The event was opened by Dr. Abdul Aziz Bin Muhammad Bin Ayyaf Aal Muqrin, Mayor of Riyadh, on behalf of Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh. It is being held at the Riyadh International Conferences and Expo Center. Addressing the inaugural session, Muqrin said the conference was of great importance because of the leading role played by the construction sector in the Kingdom. He said there are more than 687 projects underway in the Kingdom currently at a cost of SR695 billion. These projects reflect the attention being paid to infrastructure and sustainable development by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz. “Despite the global economic slowdown and recession, the construction market has become one of the strongest markets in the world,” he said. Abdullah Zainal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, said that King Abdullah wanted to make sure that the industry maintained its current high standards. He said the ministry has conducted an integrated study – in consultation with specialized committees at the chambers of commerce and industry and with a group of businessmen – that would provide radical solutions to all the problems facing the sector. The study has already been submitted to King Abdullah, he said. He said one the significant proposals in the study is to ensure the rights of both landlords and contractors are protected. Also, the study has stressed the importance of creating a company, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, for hiring workers. This company would be involved in securing the necessary manpower for projects, which is a problem facing most investors in the sector. The creation of the company would include the setting up of specialized training institutes for Saudi youth. There is also another proposal for the setting up of large joint venture companies for the recruitment of trained workers needed for the sector from inside and outside the Kingdom. The study also proposed that the Kingdom's construction code be reintroduced to ensure all construction takes place in a uniform manner. Saudi Arabia has adopted sustainability as a fundamental focus in the Kingdom's recent boom in construction projects.
