Industrialized Building Systems for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Rapidly expanding population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a massive impact to put pressure on the shortage of housing and existing infrastructure. With average population growth rate of 1,9% yearly, the population in Saudi Arabia is projected to increase from 31 million in 2015 to 37 million in 2025. According to the housing ministry, Saudi Arabia needs to provide 3.3 million units to meet the demand in 2025, which is about 300,000 unit a year. In the past 40 years, using the conventional construction method, the Saudi construction industry was only able to build about 150,000 units per year. To meet the demand gap for the housing shortage, a new approach and innovation in construction methods are needed. Industrialized construction as an approach in construction methods has been studied and implemented in some countries that experienced similar corncerns. Industrialized construction can be defined as the implementation of manufacturing methods to construction-related activities to improve quality, reduce cost and project duration. Compared to the conventional construction method, prefabrication as industrialized construction methods has reduced construction labor on-site by 9.5%, construction project duration by 20%, and construction waste by 56%. It improves the quality, durability and cost saving not only for construction project owners, but also construction contractors. This paper discusses the possibility of 'industrialization' of building system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a solution for the housing shortage. It is an initial part of a study aims to develop a framework to develop industrialized building system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The is paper based on extensive literature review and case studies.