Bringing together construction companies, governments, technology firms, and design & engineering firms to collaborate and adapt
The Middle East continues to develop a reputation as an increasingly important hub for the development of smart cities and the implementation of smart technologies in urban spaces.
Stimulated by powerful national visions, construction spending is surging across the region led by the huge masterplan developments. But as it propels new opportunities of growth, the surge in activity also raises new challenges. New factors are reshaping the way that the smart building projects are being planned, delivered and operated.
In the quest to create a better, more agile and adaptive smarter construction eco-system, the Smart Building Summit will gather the leading voices from across the construction value chain to showcase some of the latest research and innovations driving improvements in productivity, quality, reliability, cost-savings, waste-reduction, and energy efficiency and how you can employ these methods in your projects.
Join the conversation as we explore how new technology is transforming project delivery, re-defining design and construction landscape.
Central Themes

- Outlook on the Future of Smart Buildings in the MENA
- Update on Region’s Iconic Smart Building Projects : Trends, Challenges and Opportunities
- Tech for the Next-Level of People-Centric Smart Building Design
- Path to Sustainability - Role of Smart Buildings in Reducing Carbon Emissions
- Data Driven Operations and Maintenance - Making Smart Actionable
- Balance IT and OT Smart Buildings Technologies
- Case studies on Digital Twin implementation - Demystifying Digital Twin Technology
- Building System Interoperability
- Prioritising Retrofit – Legacy Developments
- Impact of Metaverse Both Virtually & in Reality
- Sustainable Urbanism : Making Innovation REAL
Who is this designed for?








Who should attend?
SUMMIT PROGRAM
Day 1: 17th January 2023, Tuesday
10:30 – 10:40 Opening Remarks by the Chairperson
Ranju Warrier, Construction Expert | Editor In-Chief | ITP Media
10:40 – 11:00 Keynote Presentation
Vision for Smart Building Construction to Achieve Net Zero Strategic Initiative 2050 Eng. Nawal Alhanaee, Director of Future Energy Department | Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure
11:00 – 11:45 Plenary Session
Keep Up with the Rapid Pace of Change in Smart Buildings : Stagnate or Innovate
The actual “smartness” of a building not only depends on the implemented smart building technologies but also on the participation of each relevant stakeholder group during planning, implementation, and operation. This is necessary in order to reduce implementation complexity and technology adoption during operation.
With reference to real world example, the discussion will look at the practical solutions and approaches can be put in place that enable greater digital transformation? How can a new value chain be imagined in support of digital transformation? The panel of experts will share their 360° perspective on what will drive smart buildings in the future.
Moderator : Ranju Warrier, Construction Expert | Editor In-Chief | ITP Media
Panellists :
- Christopher Seymour, Regional Director & Head of Strategy & Investment MEASA | Mott MacDonald & Chairman | RICS MENA
- Martin Williamson, Head of Commissioning - Middle East | AESG
- Mohammad Ali Shalan, VP Digital Transformation | Project Management Institute (PMI) KSA Chapter
- Wajdi Mereb, Senior Manager - Engineering Digitalization - BIM & Digital Twins
- Nizar Jegham, Director – Digital Advisory Services | WSP Middle East
- Melani Sabhaney, Partner & Design Director | Interspace
- Praveen Thampi, Creative Director | The Ministry Of Light, India
11:45 – 12:15 Digital Twins in the Metaverse
Digital Twins in the Metaverse
- Disruptive trends enabling digital twins.
- Digital twins as a key metaverse application.
- Leveraging the 3D internet or Metaverse to connect real & digital in real-time.
- Use cases of digital twins & the value in data
Christopher Stock, BIM Operation Head | Dewan Architects & Engineers
Sana Zidan, Assistant Design Manager | Dewan Architects & Engineers
12:15 – 12:45 Beyond BIM & Digital Twins: Using Computation to Create Interactive Value Proposition for Innovative Projects
Beyond BIM & Digital Twins: Using Computation to Create Interactive Value Proposition for Innovative Projects
Abdulmajid Karanouh, International Director & Head of Interdisciplinary Design & Innovation | Drees & Sommer and Greig Paterson, Interdisciplinary Design Manager | Drees & Sommer
12:45 – 13:15 Defining ‘Smart’ in the Built Environment
Defining ‘Smart’ in the Built Environment
Rohan Chandavarkar, Associate Digital Delivery | AESG
13:40 – 14:10 Buildings of the Future - An Ecosystem Perspective
Buildings of the Future - An Ecosystem Perspective
Abhay Bhargava, VP - Energy & Environment and Industrial | Frost & Sullivan
14:10 – 14:40 The Human Connection to a Smart Building : Putting EQ into Building IQ
The Human Connection to a Smart Building : Putting EQ into Building IQ
Garald Todd, Director - Property & Buildings | WSP Middle East
14:40 – 15:10 Realizing Rapid Construction Through Prefabrication & Industrial Thinking
Realizing Rapid Construction Through Prefabrication & Industrial Thinking
Mansour Fareid, Chief Engineer / Director of Engineering | China State Construction Engineering Corp. ME
15:10 – 15:40 Fire-Side Conversation
Optimising Offsite - Making Modular Mainstream
Moderator :
John Shenton, Chair | Dubai Hub for the Chartered Institute of Building
Guest Speaker :
Brian Sweeney, Head of Projects | Ramboll
15:40– 16:10 The New “Matter” Standard
The New “Matter” Standard
- Understanding the “matter” standard and the possibilities it offers for future projects / planners / builders
- Understanding the ongoing convergence between smart home and professional for future smart buildings
- Scenarios on the technical side for further development and adaption of “matter”
Philipp Heindl, Vice President Business Development | Tridonic
16:10 – 16:40 Smart Lighting & the IoT
Smart Lighting & the IoT
Karim Daoudi, Business Development Manager | MICROSENS GmbH & Co. KG
16:40- 17:10 End of Day 1 & Closing Remarks
Ranju Warrier, Construction Expert | Editor In-Chief | ITP Media
Day 2: 18th January 2023, Wednesday
10:30 – 10:35 Recap of Day 1 by the Chairperson
Mohammad Ali Shalan, VP Digital Transformation | Project Management Institute (PMI) KSA Chapter
10:35 – 11:15 The Smart Building Lifecycle : Delivering Sustainability Throughout
The Smart Building Lifecycle : Delivering Sustainability Throughout
How can we ensure a building is sustainable throughout its lifecycle? What will the new energy landscape look like and what impact will this have on our buildings? How will the operation and maintenance of our buildings change to become more efficient and contribute to the wellbeing of its users? The panel of experts will debate how smart, integrated systems are the foundation to achieving net zero targets.
Moderator :
Farah Naz, Head of Innovation, Sustainability & ESG Middle East and Africa | AECOM & Chair| CIBSE UAE
Panellists :
- Ioannis Spanos, Director, Sustainability & Environmental Services Division | KEO International
- Abdullatif Albitawi, Director | Emirates Green Building Council
- Mario Saab, Head of Sustainability MENA | Cundall
- Christopher Seymour, Regional Director & Head of Strategy & Investment MEASA | Mott MacDonald & Chairman | RICS MENA
11:15 – 11:45 Fireside Chat
Next Generation of Smart & Sustainable Cities - The Metropolis of the Future
Moderator :
John Shenton, Chair | Dubai Hub for the Chartered Institute of Building
Guest Speaker :
Baharash Bagherian, CEO | URB
11:45 – 12:15 Smart Sustainable Solutions for Infrastructure Development
Smart Sustainable Solutions for Infrastructure Development
Jesús Sancho Carrascosa, Middle East Director General | ACCIONA
12:15 – 12:45 Sustainable, Smart and Standardized: How DALI Enables Efficient, Future-Proof Lighting Control Systems
Sustainable, Smart and Standardized: How DALI Enables Efficient, Future-Proof Lighting Control Systems
Paul Drosihn, General Manager | DALI Alliance
12:45 – 13:15 Rethinking Building Materials & Technology to Reduce the Carbon Footprint
Rethinking Building Materials & Technology to Reduce the Carbon Footprint
Moderator :
John Shenton, Chair | Dubai Hub for the Chartered Institute of Building
Panellists :
- Dr. Yasemin Neilsen, Associate Professor Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Design | Heriot Watt University Dubai
- Karim El-Jisr, Chief Sustainability Officer | Diamond Developers
- Dr. Bhakti More, Chairperson & Associate Professor - School of Design & Architecture | Manipal Academy of Higher Education
13:45 – 14:15 Sustainable Retrofits with a Focus on People Wellbeing
Sustainable Retrofits with a Focus on People Wellbeing
Mario Saab, Head of Sustainability MENA | Cundall
14:15 – 14:45 Future-Proofing Smart Build Through Sustainable Design & Innovation Mind-Set
Future-Proofing Smart Build Through Sustainable Design & Innovation Mind-Set
Sophia Kee, Head of Future Ready - Property & Buildings Middle East | WSP Middle East
14:45 – 15:15 How Smart Buildings Technologies Help Aligning with ESG Goals
How Smart Buildings Technologies Help Aligning with ESG Goals
Mohammad Ali Shalan, VP Digital Transformation | Project Management Institute (PMI) KSA Chapter
15:15 – 15:45 Sustainable Urbanism : Making Urban Innovation Real & Master Planning Low Carbon Communities
Sustainable Urbanism : Making Urban Innovation Real & Master Planning Low Carbon Communities
Moderator :
John Shenton, Chair | Dubai Hub for the Chartered Institute of Building
Guest Speaker :
Vasushree Mohta De, Practice Director - Planning, Urban Design & Landscape Middle East | Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group
15:45 – 16:15 Saudi Iconic Projects Panel
Spearheading Towards Vision 2030 : Designing & Advancing Kingdom’s Future Smart Build Landscape
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is witnessing an unprecedented construction and urban mega projects boom that will reshape the future of the Kingdom and the region.
The panel of experts will highlight the major advancements and unveil the opportunities of collaboration to assist digitally enabled sustainable developments and healthier environments.
Moderator :
John Shenton, Chair | Dubai Hub for the Chartered Institute of Building
Panellists :
- Ahmed Aboualfa, Head of Digital Delivery & BI | Diriyah Gate Development Authority
- Richard Dib, Smart City Advisor | Royal Commission of Al Aula
- Garald Todd, Director - Property & Buildings | WSP Middle East
- Arsen Safaryan, Director - Information & Data Management Development | Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN)
- Amr Saad, Associate Director, BIM | ROSHN
16:15 – 16:45 Creating a Building with End Users in Mind, to Deliver an Asset of Outstanding Functionality
Creating a Building with End Users in Mind, to Deliver an Asset of Outstanding Functionality
Nizar Jegham, Director – Digital Advisory Services | WSP Middle East
16:45 – 16:50 End of Day 2 & Closing Remarks
Mohammad Ali Shalan, VP Digital Transformation | Project Management Institute (PMI) KSA Chapter
Day 3: 19th January 2023, Thursday
10:40 – 11:10 Recap of Day 2 by the Chairperson
Dr. Jacques Khouri, Independent Senior Consultant / Advisor Digital Twins, BIM, Smart City – Switzerland & Subject Matter Expert for NEOM (the Line and Oxagon cities) / PWC - Digital Twins & Smart City - KSA.
11:10 – 12:00 Demystifying Digital Twins: Business Value of Digital Twins for Construction & Smart Cities Project Applications
Moderator:
Dr. Jacques Khouri, Independent Senior Consultant / Advisor Digital Twins, BIM, Smart City – Switzerland & Subject Matter Expert for NEOM (the Line and Oxagon cities) / PWC - Digital Twins & Smart City - KSA.
Panellists :
Dr. Gaby Abdalla, Digital Twin Leader | Arup
Asim Rehmani, Digital Transformation Manager – VDC | EllisDon & Co-Author of National Smart Construction Guidelines | Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure
Kevin Harris, Digital Twin Delivery Program Head | Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu
Steven Yule, Director of Technology Enabled Solutions - Strategic Consulting | Jacobs
12:00 – 12:30 Journey of Data from “BIM to Field” and “Field to BIM”
Kaarin Kalavus-Collins, Associate Director – BIM | Turner & Townsend
12:30 – 13:00 Smart Construction & Metaverse: Hope or Hype?
Dr. Jacques Khouri, Independent Senior Consultant / Advisor Digital Twins, BIM, Smart City – Switzerland & Subject Matter Expert for NEOM (the Line and Oxagon cities) / PWC - Digital Twins & Smart City – KSA
13:30 – 14: 00 How to Implement a Digital Twin on Existing Assets
Wissam Hijazi, Sr. Director Innovation – MENA ,Virtual Design & Construction Services | EllisDon
14:00 – 14:30 Leveraging BIM in Urban Smart Design & Development: Successful Steps & Obstacles
Chris Smeaton, Associate Principal - Digital Leader | InSite - Planners / Landscape Architects
14:30 – 15:00 Architecting Digital Twins
A real world example of the application and implementation of a Digital Twin on major Infrastructure programme in the UK. Focused on a people centric journey to create a Digital Twin that delivers value at all life cycle of the programme. Lessons learnt along the way and application to programmes in the Middle East.
Steven Yule, Director of Technology Enabled Solutions - Strategic Consulting | Jacobs
15:00 – 15:30 Construction Classification: A Practical Application for Lifecycle Digital Delivery” Applying UniClass 2015 within the Royal Commission Industrial Cities Digital Twin Delivery Lifecycle
Kevin Harris, Digital Twin Delivery Program Head | Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu
15:30 – 16:00 Smart office in London, 80 Charlotte as Digital Twin Case Study
Dr. Gaby Abdalla, Digital Twin Leader | Arup
15:30 – 16:00 Smart office in London, 80 Charlotte as Digital Twin Case Study
Dr. Gaby Abdalla, Digital Twin Leader | Arup
16:00 – 16:10 End of Day 3 & Closing Remarks
Dr. Jacques Khouri, Independent Senior Consultant / Advisor Digital Twins, BIM, Smart City – Switzerland & Subject Matter Expert for NEOM (the Line and Oxagon cities) / PWC - Digital Twins & Smart City - KSA
Confirmed Speakers

Eng. Nawal Alhanaee
Director of Future Energy Department | Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure

Christopher Seymour
Regional Director & Head of Strategy & Investment MEASA | Mott MacDonald & Chairman | RICS MENA

Ranju Warrier
Construction Expert | Editor In-Chief | ITP Media

Gaby Abdalla
Digital Twin Leader | Arup

Abdullatif Albitawi
Director | Emirates Green Building Council

Farah Naz
Head of Innovation, Sustainability & ESG Middle East and Africa | AECOM & Chair| CIBSE UAE

Ioannis Spanos
Director, Sustainability & Environmental Services Division | KEO International

Mario Saab
Head of Sustainability MENA | Cundall

Dr. Jacques Khouri
Independent Senior Consultant / Advisor Digital Twins, BIM, Smart City – Switzerland & Subject Matter Expert for NEOM (the Line and Oxagon cities) / PWC - Digital Twins & Smart City - KSA.

Martin Williamson
Head of Commissioning - Middle East| AESG

Rohan Chandavarkar
Associate Digital Delivery| AESG

Dr. Marwan Abu Ebeid
Digital Transformation Lead | Turner Construction - International LLC & Co-Author of National Smart Construction Guidelines | Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure

Wissam Hijazi
Sr. Director Innovation – MENA, Virtual Design & Construction Services | EllisDon

Asim Rehmani
Digital Transformation Manager – VDC | EllisDon & Co-Author of National Smart Construction Guidelines | Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure

Chris Smeaton
Associate Principal - Digital Leader | InSite - Planners / Landscape Architects

Ahmed Aboualfa
Head of Digital Delivery & BI | Diriyah Gate Development Authority

Baharash Bagherian
CEO | URB

Prakash Senghani
CEO & Co-Founder | Navatech Group

Dr. Yasemin Neilsen
Associate Professor Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Design | Heriot Watt University Dubai

Brian Sweeney
Head of Projects | Ramboll

Mansour Fareid
Chief Engineer / Director of Engineering | China State Construction Engineering Corp ME

Amr Saad
Associate Director, BIM | ROSHN

Mohammad Ali Shalan
VP Digital Transformation | Project Management Institute (PMI) KSA Chapter

Richard Dib
Smart City Advisor| Royal Commission of Al Aula

Wajdi Mereb
Digital Construction & Digital Twin Expert, U.A.E

Karim El-Jisr
Chief Sustainability Officer | Diamond Developers

Christopher Stock
BIM Operation Head | Dewan Architects & Engineers

Sana Zidan
Assistant Design Manager | Dewan Architects & Engineers

Abdulmajid Karanouh
International Director and Head of Interdisciplinary Design & Innovation | Drees & Sommer

Greig Paterson
Interdisciplinary Design Manager| Drees & Sommer

John Shenton
Chair | Dubai Hub for the Chartered Institute of Building

Jesús Sancho Carrascosa
Middle East Director General | ACCIONA

Kaarin Kalavus-Collins
Associate Director – BIM | Turner & Townsend

Omar Barakat
Associate Director - Projects Delivery| The Red Sea Development Company

Garald Todd
Director - Property & Buildings | WSP Middle East

Sophia Kee
Head of Future Ready - Property & Buildings Middle East | WSP

Nizar Jegham
Director – Digital Advisory Services| WSP Middle East

Abhay Bhargava
Vice President and Regional Head MEASA – Energy & Environment Practice | Frost & Sullivan

Vasushree Mohta De
Practice Director - Planning, Urban Design & Landscape Middle East | Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group

Steven Yule
Director of Technology Enabled Solutions - Strategic Consulting | Jacobs

Kevin Harris
Digital Twin Delivery Program Head| Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu

Philipp Heindl
Vice President Business Development | Tridonic

Melani Sabhaney
Partner & Design Director | Interspace

Praveen Thampi
Creative Director | The Ministry Of Light

Dr. Bhakti More
Chairperson & Associate Professor - School of Design & Architecture| Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Karim Daoudi
Business Development Manager | MICROSENS GmbH & Co. KG

Paul Drosihn
General Manager | DALI Alliance

Arsen Safaryan
Information & Data Management Development | Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN)
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