DUBAI, 4 March 2008 — The cost of construction in the Gulf is lower compared to other regions of the world, Andy Davids, technical director — Structures of Hyder Consulting Middle East explained at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) 8th World Congress that opened in Dubai yesterday.
Davids said that contrary to common perception construction cost is less in the Gulf compared to Europe, North America and some countries in Asia. This is mainly due to the lower cost of importing building products, labor and processes into the region.
At the same time, the efficiency of Gulf contractors and the quality of their work is on par with the best available in the rest of the world, he said.
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is the world’s leading international body in the field of tall buildings and is holding their 8th World Congress as a three-day conference in Dubai.
The theme for the Congress this year is “Tall and Green: Typology for a Sustainable Urban Future.” Addressing the forum, Davids, referred to as the “Leader in High Rise Construction in the UAE” by CTBUH, further said that construction materials and methods in the Gulf, such as conventional and post-tensioned concrete, high yield structural steel, pre-cast floor panels and composite construction beams and decking, also match global standards.
He also discussed the various conditions such as subsurface, wind and seismic, which impact the design and construction of the world’s tallest buildings under construction in the Gulf region.
With more than 20 years experience in the research, design and construction of steel and concrete structures, Davids is responsible for many of the high-rise projects in the Middle East including Emirates Towers (Dubai), Burj Dubai (Dubai), Pentominium Tower (Dubai), Tatweer Towers (Dubai), Dubai Towers (Doha) and Al-Quds Tower (Doha). These towers range from 450 meters to 700 meters or more in height (100 levels to 160 levels) and are considered to be among the tallest buildings in the world.