Construction Week Viewpoint

Hyperloop, an open-source technology that transports pods through near vacuum-free tubes at airplane speeds, is rarely out of the media spotlight.

Los Angeles-based Virgin Hyperloop One is one of two big-name firms looking to bring commercial hyperloop systems to market globally.

Harj Dhaliwal, managing director for the Middle East and India at Virgin Hyperloop One, sits down with Jack Ball, Construction Week’s senior reporter, in this week's special guest episode of the Construction Week viewpoint podcast.

He offers a full update on where the group’s proposed route between Mumbai and Pune in the Indian state of Maharashtra stands at the moment, in terms of regulatory certification and a proposed construction timeline.

The group’s ongoing work in Saudi Arabia is touched on heavily, with the Middle East and India chief outlining where Virgin Hyperloop One stands at the moment with the kingdom's relevant transport authorities and what a Saudi Virgin Hyperloop One system could look like.

Other questions regarding price points and other key issues surrounding the next-gen technology are also explored in this week's extended episode.

Hyperloop, an open-source technology that transports pods through near vacuum-free tubes at airplane speeds, is rarely out of the media spotlight.

Los Angeles-based Virgin Hyperloop One is one of two big-name firms looking to bring commercial hyperloop systems to market globally.

Harj Dhaliwal, managing director for the Middle East and India at Virgin Hyperloop One, sits down with Jack Ball, Construction Week’s senior reporter, in this week's special guest episode of the Construction Week viewpoint podcast.

He offers a full update on where the group’s proposed route between Mumbai and Pune in the Indian state of Maharashtra stands at the moment, in terms of regulatory certification and a proposed construction timeline.

The group’s ongoing work in Saudi Arabia is touched on heavily, with the Middle East and India chief outlining where Virgin Hyperloop One stands at the moment with the kingdom's relevant transport authorities and what a Saudi Virgin Hyperloop One system could look like.

Other questions regarding price points and other key issues surrounding the next-gen technology are also explored in this week's extended episode.

The quality and nature of projects in Dubai has changed, with financiers of the GCC’S contractors looking today at the lifecycle and value-add of a development, says Mohammad Khader Al Shouli, senior vice president and head of contracting finance at Dubai's Mashreq Bank.

But what other qualities do lenders like Mashreq Bank look for when they are assessing contractors that seek capital for their project pipelines?

In this latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast, Al Shouli sits down with Jack Ball, CW’s senior reporter, to break down where the contracting finance market stands currently and what contractors can do to improve their standing in the eyes of lenders such as Mashreq.

The quality and nature of projects in Dubai has changed, with financiers of the GCC’S contractors looking today at the lifecycle and value-add of a development, says Mohammad Khader Al Shouli, senior vice president and head of contracting finance at Dubai's Mashreq Bank.

But what other qualities do lenders like Mashreq Bank look for when they are assessing contractors that seek capital for their project pipelines?

In this latest episode of the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast, Al Shouli sits down with Jack Ball, CW’s senior reporter, to break down where the contracting finance market stands currently and what contractors can do to improve their standing in the eyes of lenders such as Mashreq.

The GCC’s construction sector is ripe for disruption from building technology start-ups, says Hana Barakat, programme manager of Abu Dhabi-based global accelerator Start AD.

The group, anchored at New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi and powered by its Abu Dhabi partner Tamkeen, helps equip start-ups in the region to launch pilot projects with industry leaders.

Barakat joins Jack Ball, senior reporter at Construction Week, in the CW Viewpoint podcast studio this week.

Discussed topics include the challenges for construction start-ups in the GCC as they pitch their ideas to the right firms, at the right time, to take their companies to the next level.

The GCC’s construction sector is ripe for disruption from building technology start-ups, says Hana Barakat, programme manager of Abu Dhabi-based global accelerator Start AD.

The group, anchored at New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi and powered by its Abu Dhabi partner Tamkeen, helps equip start-ups in the region to launch pilot projects with industry leaders.

Barakat joins Jack Ball, senior reporter at Construction Week, in the CW Viewpoint podcast studio this week.

Discussed topics include the challenges for construction start-ups in the GCC as they pitch their ideas to the right firms, at the right time, to take their companies to the next level.

Tech entrepreneur Karim Helal, co-founder and chief executive officer of building portal ProTenders, says Saudi Arabia is using data to make its billion-dollar construction projects more competitive.

ProTenders is leveraging its powerful data bank to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy and will open an office in Riyadh this year to capitalise on the growth in the kingdom, Helal said.

Speaking on the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast, he confirmed that ProTenders was already in “discussions with different ministries” on how building data can be used to create more accurate pricing analysis.

Tech entrepreneur Karim Helal, co-founder and chief executive officer of building portal ProTenders, says Saudi Arabia is using data to make its billion-dollar construction projects more competitive.

ProTenders is leveraging its powerful data bank to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy and will open an office in Riyadh this year to capitalise on the growth in the kingdom, Helal said.

Speaking on the Construction Week Viewpoint podcast, he confirmed that ProTenders was already in “discussions with different ministries” on how building data can be used to create more accurate pricing analysis.

The past twelve months have bore witness to a string of high profile project announcements from Saudi Arabia – from news in January 2019 that construction will start on entertainment megaproject Qiddiya later this year to the $500bn Neom gigaproject, where work was scheduled to start in Q1 of this year.

Increasing home ownership in the kingdom is also one of the 12 so-called vision realisation programmes – or VRPs – underpinning Saudi’s Vision 2030 plan to reduce oil dependency.

Listen to this 13-minute podcast as hosts Oscar Rousseau, deputy editor, and Jack Ball, senior reporter, discuss those firms that have, or are looking to, set up physical offices in the kingdom as the country ramps up its Vision 2030 agenda.

The past twelve months have bore witness to a string of high profile project announcements from Saudi Arabia – from news in January 2019 that construction will start on entertainment megaproject Qiddiya later this year to the $500bn Neom gigaproject, where work was scheduled to start in Q1 of this year.

Increasing home ownership in the kingdom is also one of the 12 so-called vision realisation programmes – or VRPs – underpinning Saudi’s Vision 2030 plan to reduce oil dependency.

Listen to this 13-minute podcast as hosts Oscar Rousseau, deputy editor, and Jack Ball, senior reporter, discuss those firms that have, or are looking to, set up physical offices in the kingdom as the country ramps up its Vision 2030 agenda.