The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer of a 28,000sq km resort off Saudi Arabia’s west coast, has become the first asset owner in the world to achieve the BIM Project Kitemark for its digital project delivery and adoption of BIM aligned to ISO 19650, awarded by the British Standards Institution (BSI).
BIM has been core to TRSDC since its inception in 2018, and has helped it to create a shared environment that has allowed international teams to continue working despite covid-impacted environments. The use of digital techniques has meant better quality data-driven decisions can be made in days rather than weeks, TRSDC said.
TRSDC is taking a ‘model first’ approach, and has worked with project partners to build their BIM capability. The developer is also using using modern methods of construction and Design for Manufacture and Assembly techniques.
The Red Sea Project is due to welcome its first guests by the end of 2022, when the international airport and the first hotels will open. Phase one, which includes 16 hotels in total, will complete in 2023.
Upon completion in 2030, The Red Sea Project will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The destination will also include luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment and leisure facilities.
John Pagano, CEO of TRSDC, said: “This certification is a remarkable achievement and demonstrates how serious we are about setting new standards throughout the design, construction and operations of our destinations. This way of working is an increasingly important part of the global design and construction marketplace, and we look forward to sharing our knowledge with other projects around the world.”
Susan Taylor Martin, chief executive at BSI, said: “We are delighted to have worked with TRSDC on its adoption of international standards and specifically its market-leading BIM implementation.” She added that the attainment of the Kitemark by TRSDC represents “an important milestone as the world’s first BIM Project Kitemark to be achieved by an asset owner”.
