Why Saudi’s giga projects are changing how cities are built

The Gulf is undergoing one of the most ambitious infrastructure investment cycles globally. But according to Campbell Gray, CEO of AtkinsRéalis Middle East, the real story is not scale — it is structural maturity. Over the past five years, the region has shifted from delivering landmark projects to building integrated systems designed to support long-term economic transformation.

“In recent years, the region has shifted from delivering individual projects to building fully integrated systems and approaches that support long-term economic transformation,” Gray explains. “National visions now provide a clear sense of direction, aligning investment, delivery models, and expected outcomes.”

That shift is redefining everything from design briefs to procurement frameworks.

From projects to interconnected ecosystems

Giga projects across Saudi Arabia and the UAE are no longer conceived as standalone developments. They are designed as interconnected ecosystems, raising expectations for integration, governance and delivery discipline.

“Sustainability has become a standard requirement, and digital tools now sit at the centre of how risk, sequencing and performance are managed,” Gray says. “The key difference now though, is the necessity for clearly defined brief and basis of design leading to a development investment that provides a demonstrable and tangible return.”

This focus on measurable outcomes marks a departure from earlier phases of rapid growth. Governments and developers are placing greater emphasis on front-end clarity, lifecycle performance, and return on investment rather than simply project completion.

“The region’s accelerated localisation agenda is reshaping procurement and supply chains, creating clearer pathways for national participation,” he adds. “Collectively, these changes signal a more mature development environment; one increasingly focused on measurable results rather than activity alone.”

Saudi Arabia’s urban reset

Saudi Arabia’s giga projects are frequently discussed in terms of sheer scale, but Gray argues their real impact lies in how they are redefining city-making.

“These programmes reflect a deeper understanding that cities are dynamic systems that have evolved over decades. Planning now begins with how people will move, live, work, and interact with their environment, as well as how places will perform socially and environmentally over time.”

This systemic approach is influencing mixed-use design, mobility integration and long-term asset stewardship. Development companies are increasingly structured as long-term custodians rather than short-term delivery entities.

“Digital integration has become essential, enabling thousands of decisions and interfaces to be managed with clarity and consistency,” Gray notes. “Once operational, these cities rely on real time data to optimise energy use, transport and public services, creating urban environments that can adapt to changing needs and continue to generate value long after construction is complete.”

Industrialised construction methods, local manufacturing investment, and performance-driven commercial frameworks are also becoming standard features of delivery models. Economic diversification across the Gulf is creating new asset classes, from cultural districts to innovation hubs. That, in turn, is reshaping demand for engineering and advisory services.

“Diversification is driving a clear shift toward integrated and multidisciplinary thinking,” Gray says. “Cultural districts, innovation hubs and creative clusters need planning, engineering, mobility, landscape, digital and ESG considerations to be shaped as a single coherent strategy rather than separate workstreams. ”He highlights the growing importance of upstream advisory work. “The difference now is the clear need for up front technical advisory expertise, to ensure the vision can be matched in delivery, ultimately around return on investment, quality, cost and of course programme.”

Saudi Arabia’s SAR81bn commitment to cultural infrastructure underscores this shift, with culture targeted to contribute around 3 per cent to GDP. Consultants are increasingly expected to stay engaged across the full asset lifecycle, connecting policy ambition with delivery discipline. Sustainability in the Gulf is no longer a differentiator — it is a baseline expectation. But the definition has evolved.

“Sustainability is now viewed through the lens of long-term resilience,” Gray explains. “Clients want assets that reduce emissions, manage climate risks, and maintain strong performance over many decades.” Whole-life carbon analysis, circularity, water efficiency and extreme heat adaptation are now embedded in project briefs from the outset. Nature-based solutions are gaining traction alongside engineered resilience measures. “Importantly, performance is increasingly evaluated during operation, not just at handover,” he says. “This shift shows how deeply sustainability is now embedded in everyday decision making.”

Speed versus value

The Gulf remains known for pace. However, Gray believes the narrative has shifted from speed at any cost to speed with discipline.

“The region has moved beyond the mentality of building fast at any cost. The prevailing approach now is to build fast while safeguarding long-term value.”

Front-end planning, scenario modelling and closer contractor collaboration are becoming essential. “A key part for us is a much closer working relationship with the contractor as well as the clients. Very much a joint problem-solving approach.”

Yet challenges remain. “Governments are increasingly assessing projects based on whole-life value rather than upfront cost or delivery timelines alone. This is however very immature, and whilst the rhetoric is improving, lowest cost still wins, and this rarely creates value for money.”

Digital assurance tools are playing a crucial role in managing complexity at scale, offering real-time risk visibility while maintaining quality and resilience. Across the built environment, digital tools are reshaping decision-making.

“Digital technology is fundamentally reshaping how decisions are made and how assets are managed,” Gray says. “Digital twins and advanced modeling enable teams to test scenarios and understand impacts well before construction begins.”

AI-enabled delivery tools are enhancing predictability and productivity, while integrated data platforms allow urban systems — energy, mobility and public services — to be managed proactively.

“This shift from project-level decision-making to system-level planning is creating more resilient, efficient cities and enabling governments to allocate resources with far greater confidence.”

Global lessons, regional benchmarks

Gulf cities continue to draw on global best practices, particularly in transit-oriented development and low-carbon planning. However, the region is increasingly setting its own benchmarks through the pace and scale of implementation.

“The focus has shifted from iconic individual assets to integrated citywide strategies that connect land use, mobility, climate resilience, and quality of life,” Gray notes.

Major waterfront regeneration projects, heritage districts and large-scale public realm initiatives demonstrate how global expertise can be adapted to local ambition. Looking ahead, Gray believes the next phase of growth will centre on systems that support diversified, knowledge-based economies.

“Green and resilient infrastructure will be essential as populations expand, and climate pressures intensify. Social infrastructure and mixed-use districts will play a central role in developing talent and strengthening quality of life.”

Mass transit will play a defining role. “With rapid population growth, mass transit and how we move around cities will significantly impact how we work, play and live in the future; and fundamental for regional developers. For the first time, commuter times will play a much bigger part in where and how we spend our time.”

Logistics, industrial and digital infrastructure will reinforce the Gulf’s role as a global trade and innovation hub. Meanwhile, experience-led cultural destinations are emerging as critical pillars of diversification.

Across all sectors, Gray sees a consistent theme emerging. “Across all sectors, the focus will be on long-term performance, integration, and value creation rather than short-term delivery milestones.”

For the Gulf’s built environment, scale remains impressive. But maturity, not magnitude, is increasingly the defining characteristic of this infrastructure cycle.

Why Saudi’s giga projects are changing how cities are built

Campbell Gray

Explore further