Delivering priority event-driven projects in Saudi Arabia
16 May 2025
As Saudi Arabia accelerates preparations to host a series of landmark global events, including the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, the 2029 Asian Winter Games in Trojena, Expo 2030 in Riyadh and the Fifa World Cup in 2034, momentum is building across the kingdom’s construction sector to chart out strategies to deliver event-driven projects.
Earlier this week, MEED hosted a panel discussion on the sidelines of the MEED 2025 Saudi Gigaprojects summit in Riyadh that brought together senior stakeholders from fields including architecture, project management, ESG and contracting to address how to deliver event-driven construction schemes.
The session explored how the kingdom can balance ambition with execution, manage complexity, and promote Saudi Arabia as a global hub for international sports and entertainment events.
The consensus was that the success of these large-scale, complex projects depends on early, sustained and transparent collaboration between all stakeholders – from clients and designers to contractors, operators and regulators.
You simply can’t deliver something as complex and time-sensitive as a stadium or expo venue if people are working in silos
Chris Seymour, Mace
Serious coordination is non-negotiable
“Big projects live or die by early engagement,” said Chris Seymour, managing director – Middle East and Africa at Mace, a global consultancy involved in many of the region’s most ambitious schemes.
“You simply can’t deliver something as complex and time-sensitive as a stadium or expo venue if people are working in silos. The earlier you bring the ecosystem together, the more agile and successful the project becomes.”
Seymour highlighted that the challenge is not just scale, but the dynamic and high-pressure environment in which these projects operate.
“Engagement on these megaprojects is difficult to create and maintain, especially when integrating new technologies or fast-tracking delivery. You need to pre-empt issues, adapt quickly and build trust early,” he said, citing hospitality projects as an example of early coordination leading to better performance.
Delivering a venue such as the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya demands intense, sustained collaboration across all project layers
Fatemeh Hosseini, Populous
Overcoming the delivery challenges of architecturally complex schemes
Sports venues are not just functional buildings but are architectural statements designed to leave a lasting impression on the global stage, said Fatemeh Hosseini, associate at leading US-based architectural firm Populous, who spoke about the architectural ambition behind these developments.
“These schemes are extremely large in scale, with highly complex design and engineering requirements,” she said.
“Take the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya – its architectural vision is bold, iconic and layered with advanced technology and fan experiences. Delivering such a venue demands intense, sustained collaboration across all project layers.”
Hosseini noted that while Vision 2030 sets a clear ambition, translating that into buildable, operational venues in time for global events is an enormous challenge.
“We need a shared vision and a collaborative delivery model from day one – not just between consultants and contractors, but with operators, planners and city authorities,” she added.
Green buildings don’t just reduce carbon – they also command higher values, improve tenant appeal and future-proof assets
Wesley Thomson, Knight Frank
Sustainability as a strategic imperative
Alongside design excellence and timely delivery, sustainability emerged as a critical theme in the panel discussion. Saudi Arabia’s commitment to environmental responsibility is growing, and mega-events provide an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in green building practices.
“Sustainability is increasingly becoming a value driver in the built environment,” said Wesley Thomson, partner and head of ESG at UK-headquartered firm Knight Frank.
“Green buildings don’t just reduce carbon – they also command higher values, improve tenant appeal and future-proof assets. If we get this right now, it’s a long-term win for Saudi Arabia.”
However, Thomson stressed that the kingdom needs a more robust regulatory framework to meet sustainability goals across the project lifecycle.
“There’s a real need to enhance and enforce green building codes and ESG reporting structures in the kingdom,” he said.
“Coordination and communication on sustainability must be centralised, especially for large, time-critical projects that could easily miss the mark if not carefully managed.”
When contractors are engaged early, they can feed real-world constraints and opportunities into the design process
Michael Al-Kurdi, Albawani
Early contractor involvement is key to success
From a construction delivery perspective, one message rang loud and clear: contractors must be brought to the table early to avoid late-stage risks and costly redesigns.
“When contractors are engaged early, they can feed real-world constraints and opportunities into the design process,” said Michael Al-Kurdi, business development and relationship manager at Albawani, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading construction firms.
“Early contractor involvement (ECI) unlocks true collaboration and ensures harmony between vision and feasibility.”
Al-Kurdi noted that early involvement allows contractors to prepare the supply chain more effectively and anticipate delivery risks well in advance.
“It’s not just about feasibility – it’s about preparedness. These are huge, fast-moving projects, and the more aligned the stakeholders are from the outset, the smoother the execution phase will be.”
The panellists agreed that Saudi Arabia has a rare opportunity to reshape its global image through these sporting and cultural mega-events. But with tight deadlines and high global expectations, success will hinge not only on design and engineering innovation but also on collaboration, coordination and clarity of vision.
“We have an opportunity to lead the world – not just in the scale of what we’re building, but in how we build it,” Seymour said.
“That means doing things differently: being open, integrated and agile. If we can embed that mindset into every stadium, arena and event venue we build, we’ll not just meet the deadlines – we’ll set a new global benchmark.”
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Photo credit: Wam
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