Ian Williamson is responsible for delivering the vast Red Sea Project. He tells Rod Sweet why worker welfare and technical innovation are central to his construction planning.
When complete in 2030, The Red Sea Project will comprise 50 resorts on Saudi Arabia’s pristine Red Sea coast, including some 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. Complete with its own international airport, the scheme will include luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment and leisure facilities.
Work is on track to welcome the first guests by the end of 2022, when the first hotels will open. Phase one, which includes 16 hotels, will complete at the end of 2023.
“Progress at The Red Sea Project has been continuous; with plans laid to welcome guests by the end of this year, slowing down has not been an option,” explains Ian Williamson, chief projects delivery officer for The Red Sea Development Company.
Ian Williamson CV
Since October 2017: Chief projects delivery officer for The Red Sea Development Company, responsible for The Red Sea Project and Amaala
2015-2017: Managing director, Arcadis Middle East, based in Dubai
1999-2015: Various roles at Aecom, latterly senior vice president, Aecom Middle East
1990-1999: Senior development team member, Sainsbury’s
Education
MBA, Cass Business School, London
BSc Electrical Engineering with Mathematics, University of Reading, UK
“One of the key routes to achieving speed while not sacrificing quality has been our willingness to be flexible. We’re attempting something that has never been achieved before, so there is no established road to follow. The process has required calculated risk taking, but on countdown to welcoming our first guests, it’s an approach that has proven considerate construction can happen at pace.”
Building a luxury destination in a remote location poses many interesting challenges, one of them worker welfare – which Williamson is uncompromising on. “Our main priority is the wellbeing of our workforce – keeping our workforce safe in close proximity to the site,” he says.
The company has established a ‘Basecamp’, providing a home and HQ for onsite personnel and a construction village with housing for 10,000 workers.
“To ensure we had a happy and healthy team, in the best possible position to deliver on our vision and ambitious timeline, we made the choice to set a new benchmark in employee living conditions,” he adds.
“We provide privacy, personal safes for belongings, computers for checking emails and wi-fi available in all areas so that staying in touch with friends and family is easy. We also included cricket pitches, gyms and a cinema to ensure workers enjoy their downtime.”
Williamson takes conservation very seriously. “We recognise the huge responsibility of protecting this pristine region, home to some of the world’s last thriving coral reefs, and preferred nesting sites of the critically endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle,” he explains. “We know we can do more than protect – it’s in our power to enhance this natural environment too, so that our actions leave a positive imprint.”
The Red Sea Development Company partnered with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)to conduct a marine spatial planning exercise.
“Through this study, we were able to map our development area, identifying important habitats and creatures including several species of global conservation importance,” Williamson says. “The results of this exercise allowed us to take steps at the earliest stages to minimise our environmental impact, from setting a cap on visitors in line with the maximum number of guests the destination can safely accommodate, to leaving 75% of the archipelago’s islands untouched.
“It also helped us to set our commitment to deliver a 30% net conservation benefit by 2040.”
Digital technology and innovation has been central to Williamson’s delivery planning.
“Our use of a delivery management system integrated with BIM ensured everyone on the project was in sync, as well as avoiding any materials being under or overstocked,” he explains.
“We also champion offsite manufacturing methods to minimise the environmental impact of construction while maximising efficiencies. Units are built elsewhere in Saudi Arabia and beyond, and then shipped to the destination for assembly and installation.
“As a result, the human impact of construction activities on site has been significantly reduced, while speed of construction has increased.”
Williamson adds: “We have shown that an open mindset and willingness to take calculated risks, when coupled with experienced experts in their fields, can ensure speedy construction with quality and sustainability built in.
“We have developed new ways of working and ensured we avoid a situation of endless planning and over-designing. We are on the ground, making this vision a reality. We are leading the way in responsible development, and there’s a lot the industry can take from the lessons we have learned along the way, both here in the region and globally.”
