Architects in the Kingdom have stressed the importance of implementing smart building technologies in residential and commercial projects in the country that can save 30 percent of power consumption and cut down construction costs by 60 percent. Implementation of these technologies is growing significantly in other Gulf countries, where smart buildings account for 40 percent of all residential projects.

In the Kingdom, however, the ratio of smart buildings is not more than 5 percent of total residential projects, Abdullah Bakr Radwan, member of the national committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers, said.

“There are difficulties in implementation of smart building technologies since Saudis look for wide space, which is not available in smart buildings,” he said, adding: “Another obstacle to increasing residential units in the Kingdom in general is the high land prices.”

Radwan said the Saudi government had paved the way for smart building projects by endorsing modern building codes that are based on scientific evidence and protection from hazards. “The idea should be promoted through consultancy agencies, which should propose it to contractors,” he said.

Real estate developers say smart buildings do not seem to be popular in Saudi Arabia as they are in other Gulf countries, but this will change in the next few years following the endorsement of the new code.

“The volume of investment in smart buildings can exceed SR140 billion in the next eight years,” said real estate developer Abdullah Al-Sulaimani. “Air-conditioning, heating and lighting technologies implemented in smart buildings save power, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and lower water consumption by 50 percent. Construction wastes will also be reduced by 90 percent with the implementation of smart building methods,” he said.

“Converting an existing building into a smart building would cost as much as 50 to 100 percent of the original construction costs, depending on the changes and additions,” he said, adding that it was difficult to determine the average costs for construction of smart buildings because they differ in classification and levels.

It is a domain where options and possibilities that can be costly depend on the technological services desired, he added.