Schedule

Registration & Networking

Summit & Exhibition opens
The 2025 Digital Construction Summit & Exhibition opens in the main hall at the Habtoor Grand Resort, JBR, Dubai. Delegates & speakers can register, enjoy breakfast/snacks, visit booths and connect with their peers from the regional construction industry.

Introduction

MC event introduction and welcome
Welcome to the Digital Construction Summit & Exhibition, summit event mechanics and what’s lined up for the day.

Jason Saundalkar

Welcome Speech
Big Project Middle East’s Head of Content Jason Saundalkar welcomes speakers and delegates to the event and discusses its key themes and focuses.

Jason Saundalkar, Head of Content at Big Project Middle East

Keynote address

From Blueprints to Intelligence: How AI is Rebuilding the Future of Construction
Discover how AI is revolutionizing construction—from design optimization and digital twins to safety, compliance, and
sustainability—unlocking faster, safer, and smarter project delivery across the built environment.

Klemensas Mecejus, Executive Director, AI71

Presentation

Intelligent Construction Ecosystems: Building the Cities of Tomorrow
As our region advances toward smarter and more sustainable cities, construction must progress beyond simple digitisation toward true intelligence. This session will discuss how AI-driven decision-making, predictive digital twins, and integrated data ecosystems are reshaping the construction lifecycle. By embedding sustainability metrics, automating risk detection, and applying lifecycle intelligence, projects can evolve into efficient, resilient, and future-ready assets that support long-term urban growth.

Fady Kobersy, Sales Director – MENA, RIB Software

Panel Discussion One

The Right W’AI’ Forward

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in construction is gathering steam as stakeholders across the segment continue their digital transformation journeys. In the segment, AI can be a very powerful tool that can help companies increase efficiency, make better decisions, boost quality control and even reduce costs. Amidst this raft of benefits, there are also challenges for firms to contend with. This panel discussion will shed light on:

• What sort of AI governance is in place in construction firms at present and at the government level, and what needs to be put in place to ensure the successful and secure use of AI?
• Quality data is essential to ensuring the successful training and use of AI long-term – what is ‘quality data’ and what should a robust data collection strategy comprise?
• AI models are typically powered by cloud-based infrastructure including resource-intensive data centres. So, while AI can support construction firms to decarbonise operations and projects, the training and use of AI also results in significant Scope 3 emissions. How can companies ensure that their overall Scope 3 emissions are reduced with the use of AI?
• AI algorithms can perpetuate existing biases due to biased prompts or even poor-quality data – how can construction firms avoid this major pitfall and ensure true value is achieved?
• In cases where the use of AI results in costly mistakes or harm, what are the ethical implications for construction companies, and how can liability and responsibility be tackled?
• What are critical tasks in construction that can be automated by AI but should really remain the purview of human oversight?

Moderator

Karie Akeelah, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins LLP

Confirmed Panelists

Dr. Vitaly Berezka, Regional Head – Central Asia, MENA & APAC (Dubai, UAE), PlanRadar

Hamzeh Nawar, Unit Digital Innovation Lead, Mott MacDonald

Juan Alberto Tena Florez, Digital Services Director, KEO International Consultants

Nizar Jegham, Director – Digital Advisory Services Middle East, WSP

Paul Wallett, Regional Director, Trimble Solutions Middle East

Presentation

When Buildings Start to Listen
How artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins, and connected infrastructure are reshaping construction and enabling the UAE’s next generation of smart cities.

Kinan Sulaiman, Head of Smart Cities, Innovo Group

Networking

Coffee break

Break for coffee, networking and booth engagement.

Panel Discussion Two

Robotics & Automation

Automation and robotics have the potential to radically transform the construction industry. By leveraging robotics and automation, construction firms can improve build quality, shorten project timelines, control waste, and even reduce the instances of injuries on busy construction sites. Despite this, the industry has been slow to embrace robotics and automation despite the fact that there have been many advancements in recent years. This panel discussion will explore:

• New innovations in terms of robotics and automation offerings that are now available for construction companies to deploy, and upcoming innovations that have the potential to offer significant benefits to companies
• What type of contracting work/construction activities can realistically be robotised in the region on a large scale between now and 2030?
• What standards or codes are in place governing the use of robots on job sites in the Middle East, and what needs to be put in place? Is there enough collaboration between construction firms and industry bodies such as I.A.A.R.C. and others?
• The impact modern automation can have on offsite modular construction – where is the industry now, and where it could be in three years?
• What are the current challenges regional construction firms face in terms of adopting robotics & automation (complex sites, high upfront costs, planning construction to ensure that robots are used effectively, logistics issues etc), and how can they be addressed?
• Cost considerations and the potential return on investment for construction companies investing in robotics or dedicated facilities to automate repetitive tasks
• In terms of service and maintenance, what should companies that have embraced robotics expect? How can they best manage downtime, so it doesn’t impact productivity etc in cases of failures or regular maintenance?
• Is robotics and automation a serious option for construction companies in the region, given the low cost of labor the prevails across the Middle East?

Moderator

Anas Ayoub, Founder & CEO, XD House

Confirmed Panelists

Dr. Yasemin Nielsen, Associate Professor, Heriot-Watt University Dubai

Douglas Zuzic, Chief Digital Officer, Innovo Group

Ihab Ramlawi – Managing Director & Co-Founder, DuPod, an AMANA Company

Pratik Dalai, Senior Consultant, TBH

Presentation

From Ground to Cloud: A Blueprint for Smart, Connected Construction
An insightful talk about how the construction industry is evolving from fragmented workflows to connected ecosystems. Sabarikrishnan Thirunavukkarasu, Regional Head of Sales, Trimble Solutions Middle East will explore how accurate ground-level data, when integrated with cloud platforms, can transform project delivery – improving quality, reducing rework, and enabling smarter, more resilient infrastructure.

Sabarikrishnan Thirunavukkarasu, Regional Head of Sales, Trimble Solutions Middle East

Networking

Lunch
One hour break for buffet lunch, networking, and exhibition activities.

Presentation

How Digital Technology is Reshaping the AEC industry
With expertise in construction, design, and digital transformation, Ahmed Balawi translates technical and design knowledge into practical digital solutions, driving process efficiency and impactful transformation. In this presentation, I will share strategies on Digital Construction Twins and AI in BIM, ranging from simple daily tools to advanced solutions; showing how digital technology can reshape the AEC industry for greater efficiency, quality, and innovation.

Ahmed Balawi, Engineering Manager, Engineering Contracting Company

Panel Discussion Three

Next-Generation Digital Twins for Smart Cities

Smart cities are increasingly being considered a necessity due to growing urbanisation and the need for sustainable and efficient urban living that can contend with challenges posed by climate-change. At the heart of these smart cities are high-tech digital twins that are powered by real time data and inputs from the physical asset, thus allowing decision-makers, planners and investors to make powerful data driven decisions. This panel discussion will discuss:

• New innovations in city digital twin systems, and vital features that should be incorporated (apart from AI/autonomy features etc) within the context of delivering true value in terms of planning, design, delivery, operations and decision-making?
• Next generation digital twins for smart city applications are expected to boast significant AI (including Generative AI) and ML capabilities. Where can the most benefits between this pairing of technologies be realised (anomaly detection, data quality related issues, data driven decision-making etc)?
• The integration of various technologies and level of interoperability between systems, as well as security and privacy concerns can impact the performance of a city’s digital twin. How can this challenge be mitigated, particularly in the Middle East where data sharing between entities can be a significant obstacle?
• The impact poor quality and/or inaccurate data can have on the performance of a digital twin and consecutively decision-making. How can this particularly important issue be avoided?
• The dangers/challenges of relying heavily on technology to make decisions whilst potentially overlooking important social and human factors. What checks and balances should be left in the control of human operators/decision-makers?

Moderator

Seb Davies, Director – Cost Management, RLB

Confirmed Panelists

Alan Crystal, Regional Design Technology Manager, Gensler

Giuliana Santos, Digital & BIM Landscape Lead, Dar Al Handasah

Mohamed Salah Seguen, CEO, Excellence Consortium

Samir Abdullah, Director – Smart Cities, KEO International Consultants

Event Wrap-up

MC closing remarks
Thank you for attending the 2025 Digital Construction Summit & Exhibition.