Having recently opened a regional office in the MENA region, world-leading building safety association, the International Code Council hosted its inaugural workshop yesterday in Dubai, focusing on a safety-first approach to innovative building systems.
The event commenced with opening remarks from notable industry leaders including Dominic Sims – CEO, International Code Council, Meghan Gregonis – U.S Consul General, Dubai, Aisha Al-Mulla – Head of Research & Building Section, Dubai Municipality and Eng. Riyadh Al Rasheed, Director of Technical Affairs, Saudi Building Code National Committee.
Over 90 delegates attended the event from the industry’s leading Authorities Having Jurisdictions (AHJs), Developers, Contractors, Architects, Designers and Manufacturers, among others, where International Code Council showcased its on-ground support to organizations involved in building safety including government entities, construction management corporations, manufacturers and design professionals.
Hosted by Mohamed Amer, Regional Director of Operations, ICC MENA, the workshop explored the need for increased compliance in the construction industry, especially in growing markets of the MENA region. Joined by Dominic Sims CBO, Chief Executive Officer, International Code Council and Shahin Moinian PE, Executive Vice President, Conformity Assessment Group, as well as International Code Council senior executives and board members from the United States, the workshop delved into the challenges and opportunities in the region, touching on the importance of robust regulatory framework for advanced and new building systems.
“The region is poised for huge growth in the building and construction industry, especially with the UAE’s 2050 vision to make the country the first in the MENA region to achieve net-zero emissions. It’s crucial to underpin these projects with effective building codes and standards, especially where innovative materials, systems and methods are being deployed,” said Dominic Sims CBO, Chief Executive Officer, International Code Council.
Further talking about the MENA region, Mohamed Amer, Regional Director of Operations, International Code Council MENA said, “There’s no doubt the region is pushing the boundaries of engineering and architecture with ambitious projects like The Line in Saudi Arabia, and more recently completed projects such as Atlantis The Royal and the Museum of the Future in Dubai. They all need to start with a solid foundation, stringent compliance, education and technical knowledge sharing back to the community.”
The International Code Council has been involved in projects in the region for more than 27 years and several jurisdictions use the International Codes as the basis for their building safety regulations. In 2012, Abu Dhabi government, through its Department of Municipal Affairs, introduced the Abu Dhabi International Building Codes, which are based on the International Codes (I-Codes) developed by the International Code Council to be the standards to guide the development of construction projects in the Emirate.
While the I-Codes have been widely referenced in specific projects in Saudi Arabia for many years, including most of Saudi Aramco construction, in 2018, the Saudi Building Code National Committee introduced a mandatory suite of codes based on the I-Codes. The Gulf Building Codes, which were announced by the Gulf Standardization Organization at the end of 2022, are in turn based on the Saudi Building Code, drawing heavily from the I-Codes. Some of the new Saudi giga projects, including Neom, will see the implementation of the codes to create resilient projects.
The International Code Council provides a wide range of building safety solutions including product evaluation, accreditation, certification, consulting, codification and professional development. With more than 60,000 members worldwide – from government officials, architects and engineers to contractors and students – The International Code Council develops model codes and standards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.
The workshops hosted by the International Code Council enable increased confidence of building safety professionals in approving groundbreaking products by using a rigorous, independent third-party compliance process. Sustainable design, installation and maintenance practices embodied in state-of-the-art building systems need to be fortified by robust conformity assessment procedures to ensure that regulatory approvals are fulfilled, leading to ease of market access.