Transport sector poised for growth

Saint Gobain has announced a new ‘Lead & Grow’ strategic plan, which envisages around €12bn (approx. US$13.95bn) in growth capex and acquisitions globally over the 2026-2030 period

With a focus on light and sustainable construction, the group says it is raising its profitable growth trajectory in the years ahead, and aims to increase its exposure to the non-residential and infrastructure sectors.

“In the current geopolitical context, Saint-Gobain benefits from the powerful operating model it has established and optimised country-by-country, based on local value chains,” said Benoit Bazin, Saint-Gobain’s chairman and CEO.

The group outlined growth plans across major developed regions, including Asia, North America and Europe, especially in the Middle East. 

Its latest investments across the region aim to support local manufacturing and sustainability efforts.

Growth across sectors

“We will also expand into new growth markets: in infrastructure, particularly thanks to our established leading position in construction chemicals, and in non-residential, where the group holds key advantages,” added Bazin.

The widening of the group’s product offer over the past few years has opened up new opportunities in non-residential (including educational and healthcare facilities, hotels and data centres) and infrastructure (transport, energy), the company added in a statement.

In the data centre segment, it highlights solutions including focusing on speed of construction, low-carbon partitions and concrete, airflow management and improved thermal insulation.

On the infrastructure side, it said it was targeting niche areas in the bridges and tunnels segment, such as technical waterproofing, specialty admixtures, expansion and injection grouts, repair and protection mortars.

And on the airports side, it highlighted products for runway reinforcement, fire-resistant and fire safety glass, solar controlled façades, technical flooring and acoustic partitions.

Construction projects are growing in scale and complexity, demanding smarter ways to manage cost, time, and performance. ProjectVIEW ERP by DANAOS Projects brings all these elements together in a single platform, helping contractors maintain control and drive efficiency from planning to execution. Read on:

Driving Saudi Arabia’s construction digital transformation

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 places digital transformation at the core of its economic evolution—demanding not just digitisation, but specialised transformation tailored to each sector’s unique workflows. In construction, mining, and project-based fabrication—industries that form an interconnected value chain—success relies on systems capable of managing complexity, cost, and accountability from bid to execution.

As each sector feeds into the other—mining, fabrication, and construction—data integration across all three domains becomes critical to achieving visibility, control, and efficiency throughout the entire project lifecycle.

ProjectVIEW ERP by DANAOS empowers contractors and enterprises across all project-based industries—construction, mining, and fabrication—to build a better world through data-driven precision and unified control. By integrating time, cost, and performance into one intelligent platform, it unifies fragmented processes into a connected value chain—driving efficiency, accountability, and agility for every project-based industry under Vision 2030.

Why Saudi contractors need a construction-specific ERP solution

Despite their size and sophistication, many contractors in KSA still rely on decoupled, non–industry-specific systems—one for finance, another for scheduling, and countless spreadsheets for cost tracking—creating silos that limit visibility, accuracy, and control.

This fragmentation leads to:

• Cost overruns caused by delayed information flow between site and office.
• Inaccurate budgets due to disconnected BoQ and resource data.
• Limited visibility into project progress and productivity.

A construction-specific ERP like DANAOS ProjectVIEW ERP unifies every process—from design and estimation to procurement, fabrication, and site execution—into a single command centre, delivering one version of the truth across all projects and operations.

Developed internationally, DANAOS ProjectVIEW ERP is an industry-specific solution purpose-built for the realities of construction and fabrication in Saudi Arabia. Tailored for Saudi contractors and manufacturers, it delivers an end-to-end project management and cost control ecosystem that enforces accountability, and measurable performance through real-time cost control and analytics, fully aligned with the Kingdom’s operational standards and Vision 2030 objectives.

ProjectVIEW ERP

Unlike generic ERP systems, ProjectVIEW ERP has been designed by construction experts for the construction-specific and project-based manufacturing industries. Its architecture revolves around three fundamental pillars:
• BoQ ↔ WBS ↔ Cost codes integration for absolute project transparency.
• Procurement and warehouse management with eRFQ portals for suppliers and subcontractors.
• Integrated HR, payroll, and machinery management ensuring real cost allocation per project.

This modular approach transforms ProjectVIEW ERP into the definitive construction ERP software in Saudi Arabia, delivering an all-encompassing project cost control system that operates at an enterprise-wide scale and seamlessly integrates with other ERP systems when required.

Fully Compliant with Saudi regulations

Regulatory compliance is a top priority for every Saudi enterprise. ProjectVIEW ERP is ZATCA-compliant—fully supporting Phase 2 e-invoicing with XML file generation, QR codes, and real-time integration with ZATCA’s Fatoora system. DANAOS Projects ensures its solution adheres to Saudi VAT ERP system rules and provides seamless e-invoicing software workflows.

Real-time project performance

The BoQ–WBS–Cost Code integration is ProjectVIEW’s DNA. This triad delivers real-time construction performance monitoring, linking planning, cost control, and execution into a single data model.
Contractors gain immediate insights into budget-versus-actual performance, resource productivity, and deviation alerts—empowering project managers to take corrective actions before overruns occur while aligning financial outcomes with project costs and payments. 

Seamless integration with multiple systems

ProjectVIEW ERP operates as an centralised ERP ecosystem, natively integrating with Oracle Primavera, Microsoft Project, and BIM systems such as Revit, Navisworks, and Tekla. Through these integrations, ProjectVIEW synchronises schedules, quantities, and costs—delivering a unified digital thread across planning, design, and execution. This ensures total synchronisation between Primavera integration ERP, BIM ERP Saudi Arabia, and construction scheduling integration environments.

Cloud-ready and scalable 

Built and running on a Microsoft Azure Cloud environment—private and dedicated to each client—or deployed directly on the client’s preferred premises, ProjectVIEW ERP is cloud-ready and fully scalable, making it ideal for Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects and multi-tenant environments such as NEOM, The Red Sea, Diriyah Gate, and Qiddiya. Its architecture enables multi-company, multi-project, and multilingual environments, providing centralised control with distributed access across contractors, consultants, suppliers and subcontractors.

ProjectVIEW ERP is hosted on ISO-certified cloud infrastructure, complying with:
• ISO 27001 (Information Security)
• ISO 20000 (IT Service Management)
• ISO 9001 (Quality Management)
• ISO 27018 (Data Protection)
• ISO 14001 (Environmental Management)

ProjectVIEW ERP transforms financial management into a live performance cockpit. Through real-time dashboards, cash-flow projections, and budget vs. actual analytics, financial managers gain a consolidated view across multiple projects. The system integrates directly with accounts payable, receivables, and subcontractor ledgers—delivering true project accounting system KSA functionality. For executives, it offers predictive insights that drive profitability through robust construction finance management software dashboards .

Why leading Saudi contractors choose ProjectVIEW ERP

From large EPC contractors to infrastructure developers and marine construction firms, Saudi Arabia’s leading companies rely on ProjectVIEW ERP to achieve operational excellence. By enforcing a unified project structure (BoQ–WBS–Cost Codes), ensuring ZATCA compliance, and supporting both office-to-site collaboration and mobile access, ProjectVIEW ERP has established itself as the top ERP software Saudi Arabia and the preferred construction management ERP system for visionary contractors driving Vision 2030.

Find out more on DANAOS Projects

The GCC construction market is valued at SAR666bn in 2025. (Image source: Eurovent Middle East)

Eurovent Middle East, in collaboration with the Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA), will host the second edition of the Middle East Industry Congress – HVACR Next Generation: Sustainability in Extreme Conditions – on 28 October 2025 at the InterContinental Durrat Al Riyadh Resort & Spa, Saudi Arabia.

Supported by leading HVACR manufacturers, the event will bring together government officials, industry leaders, and stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the HVACR sector in one of the world’s most demanding climates.

According to ‘Research and Markets’, the GCC construction market is valued at SAR666bn in 2025 and projected to reach SAR850bn by 2030, growing at a CAGR of more than 5% during the forecast period.

This rapid growth is expected to drive robust demand for HVACR equipment, reinforcing the sector’s vital role in a region where cooling represents up to 80% of building energy consumption and more than 50% of total national energy use.

Adopting to climatic changes

“With sustainability, energy efficiency, the refrigerant transition, and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) at the forefront of regional priorities, this congress will highlight the essential role of HVACR in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while delivering reliable and affordable cooling, ventilation, and refrigeration solutions,” said Markus Lattner, managing director of Eurovent Middle East. “As rising temperatures and extreme conditions intensify across the region, our sector is central to balancing climate action with economic growth.”

Hassan Abou Jawhar, director Europe and Middle East of AMCA, added, “Eurovent Middle East and AMCA remain committed to advancing technical regulations and minimum energy performance standards across a wide range of HVACR products and technologies. By fostering dialogue between policymakers and industry, this congress will accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions and chart a more sustainable pathway for the future of cooling and ventilation.”

The congress will also feature the regional launch of Desert Certification, the first high-ambient performance certification tailored specifically for the Middle East, ensuring HVACR products are tested and proven under the region’s extreme climatic conditions.

The programme will include keynote addresses from international experts and panel discussions featuring representatives from government, regulatory authorities, and industry. Afternoon sessions will highlight practical solutions and next-generation technologies, showcasing case studies that demonstrate the business case for sustainability, from the refrigerant transition in high-ambient countries to energy-efficient projects designed to improve indoor air quality.

Read more: 

ACCIONA unveils Atlas to drive safer, greener construction

Caterpillar unveils C32B engine with enhanced power and durability

Nemetschek partners with WakeCap in GCC

Mohamed Amer, managing director of ICC MENA. (Image source: ICC)

The International Code Council (ICC) successfully took part in Urban October 2025, held alongside the Home and Building Expo at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre from 6-8 October 2025.

During the event, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP) launched the National Building Requirements and Standards Guide, a unified framework consolidating safety, quality, and sustainability standards across Oman’s governorates.

Organised by MoHUP, Urban October brings together local, regional, and international experts to promote sustainable urban development and address the challenges and opportunities of urbanisation in the Sultanate.

At the event, ICC engaged with government representatives, industry leaders, and technical experts to advance discussions on implementing building codes, regulations, and sustainable construction practices that contribute to safer, more resilient communities.

The Council’s participation underscores its ongoing collaboration with Oman’s designated authorities to strengthen building safety and construction standards. Throughout 2024 and 2025, ICC conducted a series of workshops and training sessions in Muscat, supporting the Sultanate’s efforts to enhance safety, innovation, and sustainability within the construction sector.