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How to implement digital twins

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Digital Twins 101

A simple overview and exploration of a Digital Twin and what it means for those working to create the built environment. What is a Digital Twin? What can a Digital Twin do? How does a Digital Twin work? How much does a Digital Twin cost? What is the ROI?

Wissam Hijazi, VP Innovation - MENA, EllisDon

How to start implementing a Digital Twin

How to build a business case that allows operators to create sustainable impact from the data and respond to its goal. How to start implementing a minimum viable twin through the right analysis, planning, execution, training and change management.

Wissam Hijazi, VP Innovation - MENA, EllisDon

Lessons learned in Digital Twin implementation

Real-life experiences and lessons learned in implementing Digital Twins across multiple case studies to help avoid costly mistakes and provide realistic expectations on return of investment.

Wissam Hijazi, VP Innovation - MENA, EllisDon

Close of How to implement digital twins CTF 101 talks

Registration and networking

Opening

Rob Jones, Partner, b2b Connect | Ventures Connect

Data keynote address

CIO | CTO Panel: State of digital adoption 2024 | 2025

This senior group of realists talk candidly on the latest digital maturity in the Kingdom and what has really been adopted as business-as-usual. A recent digital market intelligence report reveals that companies are frequently applying BIM and PMIS on day-to-day projects, but that even for the front runners, drones, robotics, IoT lag far behind. Discover what the industry has invested in and why vs. the distant future, and once applied – what is their next frontier?

In conversation with:

Jayesh Maganlal, Group Chief Information & Digital Officer, ROSHN Group

Scott Henshaw, Group Head of Design & Engineering, Red Sea Global

Panel: Can technology beat the supply chain crunch?

The speed and ambition of the Kingdom’s projects will outpace global supply and lead time of materials and equipment most likely leading to shortages and competition between projects. To achieve Saudi’s vision, all stakeholders must collaborate. How can technology help beat the supply chain crunch by empowering collaboration, efficient sharing of resources as well as provide visibility and predictability on supply chain planning at macro-level to ensure that everybody gets their assets on time.

In conversation with:

Faisal Butt, Group Head of Planning & Controls, Red Sea Global

Hassan Alassafi, GM - Engineering and Construction, National Housing Company

Dr. Mansour Al-Otaibi, Technology and Smart Director, Royal Commission of Riyadh City

Theofanis Fanourakis, Digital Data Modelling Director, Diriyah Company

CIO Talks: Integration success stories that drive organisational efficiency and productivity

The lack of integration between disparate sources of data in project development and delivery is limiting the true value of ConTech in the industry. Integration between office and site, integration between processes like procurement, contract management, scheduling and claims, and next level integration between applications at organisational level such as marketing, sales and post sales. This session explores key challenges and success stories from the simple to the market leading that drive certainty and value at organisation level.

Talk 1: A framework for technology integration across the construction lifecycle

This session explores key challenges and success stories from the simple to the operational readiness across P6, Aconex, BIM 360, Cost Management, SAP, Maximo to drive certainty and value at organization level.

Umashanker Achyutun, Executive Director - Business Applications Design & Delivery, Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN)

Talk 2:

Vladimir Milovanovic, Chief Executive Officer, Lupa Technology

Talk 3:

Reserved

Panel: Smart by design - what needs to be in place now for a smart city of the future?

Easy to claim, but complex to achieve. Designing now, for something later, in a rapidly changing technological landscape is a challenge. Smart needs to be the ethos of a truly intelligent, sustainable or cognitive community or district. This panel will explore how to ensure the pieces for a smart city are in place from the concept phase that will deliver value during operation, as well as which city technologies such as EV infrastructure and drone operations are influencing design.

In conversation with:

Mohammed Shah, IT & Smart City Director, Knowledge Economic City Company
Reserved For Bentley Systems

Morning networking break

Talk: Building a digital ecosystem from scratch

A roadmap to creating a digital ecosystem from scratch and setting the essential backbone for digital transformation from the right data infrastructure to platforms and employee empowerment.

Talk: A framework for technology integration across a project lifecycle

This session addresses the grey areas in integration between key technologies like ERP, PMIS, BIM, GIS, offsite manufacturing, reality site capture and robotics and provides a connectivity framework to enable implementation across a full project lifecycles

Talk: How to implement a common data environment

What a CDE is, what it can do, how it works, how to start implementing, lessons learned from implementation

Amr Saad, Head of Digital Engineering, Confidential

Close of Building a digital ecosystem from scratch

Panel: Digital twin strategies 2024 | 2025

As the digital twin concept gains maturity, many tier 1 projects in the Kingdom are executing a digital twin strategy. This session reviews the latest digital twin strategy developments in Saudi and use-case scenarios in Saudi Arabia’s mega projects from construction to operations and customer experience.

In conversation with:

Abdullah AlSalem, IT Director, Soudah Development

Amr Saad, Head of Digital Engineering, Confidential

John Seed, Group Director, Strategy & Development, Dar Al Riyadh Consulting

Short Talks: Journeys in digital twin implementation

Digital twins are the key enabler to achieve efficient, connected and sustainable assets of the future – be it infrastructure, buildings or cities. This session explores real journeys in digital implementation and benefits realisation, across varying assets and scale. How have these early adopters defined and implemented them and what have been the key issues on the road to data integration.

Talk 1:

Roger Wahl, Chief Technology Officer, Innovo Group

Talk 2:

Mohyeddine Al-Khatib, Manager and Senior Consultant, Khatib & Alami

Short Talks: Advanced design visualisation, automation & collaboration

Discover how the latest design approaches can help alleviate manpower shortages, enforce quality and enhance collaboration between internal and external stakeholders and shareholders. Examples include digital twins, immersive virtual and game engine experiences, automation and collaboration platforms.

Talk 1:

Arsen Safaryan, Director BIM & GIS, SEVEN

Talk 2:

Frederik Verhoef, Global Business Development Manager, Bentley Systems

CxO Panel: Making modular mainstream - the business case for offsite methods

Despite the increased talk and excitement around offsite solutions, scratch below the surface and general knowledge and capability in the region, remains thin – with the majority of projects limited to temporary builds. This debate reveals actual benefits to business and when to go offsite and when not.

Led by:

Hassan Alassafi, GM - Engineering and Construction, National Housing Company

In conversation with:

Bandar Alkahlan, General Director: Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Institute, KACST

Mashael Bin Saedan, Chief Executive Officer, Al Saedan for Development

Muntaser Kalahji, President and COO, Shurfah Holding

Nada Mohammed, Senior Director of Master Planning & Design, Saudi Downtown Company

Networking lunch

Short Talks: Tangible uses in AI

As AI becomes more structured and intuitive, most serious companies are embedding dedicated strategies and budgets to explore and make use of how AI can benefit their business. But what use-cases and values are really being seen at the corporate level? This session delves into real life experiences in AI implementation with benefits realisation and lessons learned.

AI in document checking & governance | AI in claims and contract compliance

AI in design automation | optimisation

Ahmad Almontshery, Digital Architecture and Delivery Director, ARDARA

AI in progress tracking & delay prediction | reduction

AI in schedule optimization | creation

Wissam Hijazi, VP Innovation - MENA, EllisDon

AI in real estate investment and financial modelling

Michael Slage, Real Estate Development Executive Director, Soudah Development

AI in data structuring | big data management

Panel: What’s real in AI?

With maturity and scalability an issue for AI in the industry – what can really be done with AI (Llm vs. small bespoke interfaces) and how long do these solutions take to be created and trained to bring about good results?

in conversation with:

Bandar Al Shahrani, Executive Director of Technology, Rua Almadinah Holding Company

Mohammed Shah, IT & Smart City Director, Knowledge Economic City Company

Panel: How to connect, integrate and leverage data for competitive edge

How are organisations starting to better leverage engineering data from disparate sources (BIM, GIS, Drones, IOT etc.) so that they are not isolated verticals but part of the bigger picture. This session explores the next steps in connecting and integrating different applications to improve cross-organsational processes and business edge.

in conversation with:

Christos Emmanouilidis, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Danaos Projects Software Solutions

Reda Bin Abdoun, Chief Technology Officer, Ajdan Real Estate Development

Selim Edde, Associate Director, GIS, ROSHN Group

Networking lunch

Short Talks: Reality capture and progress tracking for project time & quality certainty

Reality site capture has rapidly accelerated as a valuable tool in quality construction, progress supervision, H&S and asset monitoring. With advancements in drones, point cloud, high accuracy Lidar, AI and virtual realities – the industry is getting close to real-time, reality capture with phenomenal accuracy and quality to desktop, mobile and fully immersive environments. This session looks at real examples of reality site capture for progress and quality monitoring, delay reduction, claims and supply chain forecasting for schedule optimization.

Panel: Extending value through smart asset management

This future of asset management panel discussion embarks on astute journeys through the realms of digital infrastructure, showcasing how organizations can leverage predictive data insights through centralised asset management platforms, to unlock the full potential and value of their assets.

In conversation with:

Junaid Abdussalam, Director of Operation Excellence, City Operations, Emaar the Economic City

Umashanker Achyutun, Executive Director - Business Applications Design & Delivery, Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN)

Afternoon networking break

Short talks: Digitally powered sustainability on projects

Reducing carbon emissions in infrastructure delivery is fundamental in addressing global climate change. But sustainable practices aren’t just good for the planet, they can also reduce costs, unlock innovation, drive resource efficiency and deliver better-performing assets. Establishing baselines are necessary to measure performance, on-going emission monitoring is necessary to determine performance and carbon optioneering is increasingly expected by clients in bid winning. Review the latest digital tools and databases used to extract, control, visualise and monitor carbon on major projects.

The next era of netzero project controls

Establishing digitally powered carbon baselines & emission monitoring

Driving carbon optioneering for bid winning

Panel: Unlocking construction safety & security through technology

This panel of industry specialists, who are at the forefront of utilising technology to enhance safety and security measures on construction sites, will delve into the innovative technologies available today and how they are being used to monitor, predict and respond to incidents onsite transforming the industry for the better.

Afternoon networking break

Legal talk: Implications on AI and digital transformation

This session explores the legal (and educational) barriers around process change and digital transformation in the industry. Having the legal frameworks that empower new paperless and automated workflows and data sharing or integration will be key to transforming how the industry works. Otherwise, the industry will be forced to produce traditional outputs from non-traditional means without rethinking the original objective. But how much do you own and how much are you covered contractually?

Panel: How to host data now and in the future – exploring the latest demand & plans for in country data

Understand how to host data now and in the future and the implications on project delivery, data and energy usage. Where can you currently host data and what types of data centres are still required? What are the latest hyperscaler commitments and what makes a market attractive from compliance, technology, incentives & investment perspectives?

Led by:

Ashleigh Faddes, Regional Data Centre Lead, Turner & Townsend

Fireside chat: Revolutions reducing labour demand in the Kingdom

As the unprecedented scale of mega projects and competition between programmes heats up in Saudi Arabia, finding the right labour in the market to fulfill delivery is the number one challenge. This session reviews the best technology innovations that are effectively reducing demand for labour and enforce quality including automation, robotics and productisation.

CEO Panel: Innovation in Saudi giga project delivery

This session explores key digital delivery and innovation needs and initiatives underway in the Kingdom’s Giga projects that are leading to faster, greener and better outcomes. As project demand heats up, how will competing programmes react to planning, resources and supply chain barriers and what kind of technologies/new approaches/solutions will help the kingdom deliver these projects? Which ones are being invested in/pursued and what efficiencies do organisations expect?

In conversation with:

Abdulghafoor Abdulhaleem, Director General, Misk Foundation

Hatem Salaheldin, CEO, KCG

Akram Omar, Chief Development Officer, AWJ Holding (TBC)

Sultan Batterjee, Chief Executive Officer, Lifestyle Developers, IHCC (TBC)

Close of conference

Awards networking reception

Awards ceremony & gala dinner

Close of Construction Technology ConFex & Awards KSA