Leading regional design-build contractor AMANA says it is “consolidating its leadership in modular construction” with a new factory in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia.
The factory is a response to the surging demand in the Kingdom for offsite manufacturing technologies enabled by DuBox and is vital to successful project delivery for the Kingdom’s raft of ambitious hospitality and entertainment projects. DuBox shifted 85% of construction from its Saudi megaproject sites such as Qiddiya and Red Sea Global’s tourism destinations to its Rabigh factory.
AMANA has been at the forefront of disrupting the construction sector, making it faster, safer, greener, and smarter, by leveraging technology and modular methodologies. Established in 1993, the company has a three-decade long legacy in the region. It has rapidly expanded since then, founding its subsidiary DuBox in 2010 and DuPod in 2020. Today, both DuBox and DuPod have transformed construction in the region and KSA, with intelligent solutions and innovative technology. Through AMANA Manufacture, DuBox has delivered 130,000 sq m of construction in KSA since 2012. AMANA Manufacture has also completed over 2,500 pods and designed over 50 units since 2020 through DuBox and DuPod.
Overall, modular construction reduces the need for manpower by up to 30%, and up to 85% of the construction can be completed off-site, in a factory. Modular buildings can also be constructed within up to 50-70% of the time of a conventional project of a comparable size, with 50% fewer carbon emissions, 50% lesser construction waste and up to 70% improved work safety environment.
Hattan Ghazi Nazer, VP KSA at Group AMANA said: “AMANA has been a pioneer in adapting modular construction to solve complex challenges, streamline efficiencies, and build greener. We are well-positioned to support the country’s Saudization efforts by sourcing materials locally and supporting talent development. We are humbled to be a part of the Kingdom’s marquee projects, deploying modular construction for positive socio-economic and environmental impact.”
Modular construction delivers substantial cost savings, driven by the economies of scale achieved in a factory environment. At the 70,000-sq m Rabigh factory, DuBox designs, manufactures and assembles entire buildings. It can produce 16 modules every day, and the factory has sufficient output to ensure repeatability, learning, consistency in quality and volume savings on procurement..
The Rabigh factory not only ensures smoother logistics, ensuring modules reach project sites in record time, it has also created opportunities to retain and develop Saudi talent, claims AMANA.
It is also deeply invested in reskilling and upskilling local talent, so as to facilitate the shift from traditional construction to a digitalized manufacturing environment. Group AMANA has delivered a total of 50 projects from Jan to December 2022.
As projects across the region race to completion, modular construction has emerged as a viable solution. It offers a safer building environment, decreasing the need for manpower and making it an ideal solution for the post-pandemic environment. It enables far lower wastage rates than an open construction site. The final products are easily relocatable, further enabling the client to shift and relocate in sync with market demands.
Ian Williamson, group chief projects delivery officer, concluded: “We selected DuBox based on their innovation and proven track record in delivering pre-finished modular units to a very high standard of quality. These capabilities will allow us to provide the residents of our newly constructed town on the Red Sea coast with stand-out accommodation while maintaining our commitment to protecting the environment, even during the construction phase.”
