Young Jeddah
Oscar Wendel , April 8th, 2012
Having held conferences in Saudi Arabia since 2009, it was particularly satisfying for Construction Week to return last week to welcome the Mayor to present the opening keynote address at the Jeddah Expansion 2012 conference held at the Park Hyatt.
With its kilometre-tall Kingdom Tower project, the world’s eyes are on Jeddah as the historical city is transforming into a modern metropolis.
The extent of the overall complexities involved with real-estate development in Jeddah cannot be understated. These range from the planning stages of understanding the needs of, and best supporting, the potential of the population to managing the diversity of foreign professionals and labourers needed to deliver on the rapid urban growth required.
We are living in a time and in a region experiencing enormous leaps forward, and it is fascinating to be a witness to these ongoing historical shifts from the perspective of the construction sector.
In the various panel discussions between representatives from government and developers and contractors at the conference, it became increasingly clear to me just how closely linked are the challenges of expanding urban environments and social policy making.
The joint decisions and projects undertaken today by the construction and real-estate sectors, from architects to urban planners and engineers, will impact the competiveness of the nation in ways that cannot be precisely measured or completely understood today.
Urban design and infrastructure development shapes societies at their core by how they empower the people in creating the best circumstances, environment and opportunities. What is built, as well as how it is built, ultimately impacts lifestyles, industries, public health and even the national identity of a people.
Look only at how the US has been transformed since the 1950s with the car and the development of road infrastructure that connected towns and communities and lead the way to the ‘mall’ culture. It can even be argued that these decisions had greater influence on US culture and society than any ideology or political leader.
Clearly, real-estate development is about meeting the needs of a nation’s evolving demographics. An oft-quoted fact on this point is that the majority of the population in Saudi Arabia under 25.
A big question at the moment is how to meet the needs for their housing when they start their own families.
Similar challenges face much of the region in terms of this predominance of youth in the demographic profile. With the Arab Spring having seen enormous masses of young men rising up, it solidifies the impression of a gigantic youth bulge with increasing demands.
It was therefore surprising to read a recent op-ed piece in The New York Times entitled ‘The Fertility Implosion’, in which David Brooks highlights the mysteriously little noticed decline in birth rates across much of the Arab world. For instance, Saudi Arabia has seen a decline of nearly 60% in the last three decades – among the fastest declines in recorded history.
These figures are culled from a recent report from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) that notes the “widely perceived notion that Muslim societies are especially resistant to embarking upon the path of demographic and familial change that has transformed population profiles in Europe, North America, and other areas.
In reality, however, fertility levels are falling dramatically […] traditional marriage patterns and living arrangements are undergoing tremendous change.”
As cities across the Middle East are expanding, their destinies are taking shape alongside their changing demographics. With this in mind, it is well worth considering that the cities being built will have to take into account the needs and demands of many future generations – needs that are guaranteed to continue to change substantially over the decades ahead where, like most of Europe, the challenge will be more focused on ageing pensioners rather than the restless youth.
Young Jeddah
Oscar Wendel , April 8th, 2012
Having held conferences in Saudi Arabia since 2009, it was particularly satisfying for Construction Week to return last week to welcome the Mayor to present the opening keynote address at the Jeddah Expansion 2012 conference held at the Park Hyatt.
With its kilometre-tall Kingdom Tower project, the world’s eyes are on Jeddah as the historical city is transforming into a modern metropolis.
The extent of the overall complexities involved with real-estate development in Jeddah cannot be understated. These range from the planning stages of understanding the needs of, and best supporting, the potential of the population to managing the diversity of foreign professionals and labourers needed to deliver on the rapid urban growth required.
We are living in a time and in a region experiencing enormous leaps forward, and it is fascinating to be a witness to these ongoing historical shifts from the perspective of the construction sector.
In the various panel discussions between representatives from government and developers and contractors at the conference, it became increasingly clear to me just how closely linked are the challenges of expanding urban environments and social policy making.
The joint decisions and projects undertaken today by the construction and real-estate sectors, from architects to urban planners and engineers, will impact the competiveness of the nation in ways that cannot be precisely measured or completely understood today.
Urban design and infrastructure development shapes societies at their core by how they empower the people in creating the best circumstances, environment and opportunities. What is built, as well as how it is built, ultimately impacts lifestyles, industries, public health and even the national identity of a people.
Look only at how the US has been transformed since the 1950s with the car and the development of road infrastructure that connected towns and communities and lead the way to the ‘mall’ culture. It can even be argued that these decisions had greater influence on US culture and society than any ideology or political leader.
Clearly, real-estate development is about meeting the needs of a nation’s evolving demographics. An oft-quoted fact on this point is that the majority of the population in Saudi Arabia under 25.
A big question at the moment is how to meet the needs for their housing when they start their own families.
Similar challenges face much of the region in terms of this predominance of youth in the demographic profile. With the Arab Spring having seen enormous masses of young men rising up, it solidifies the impression of a gigantic youth bulge with increasing demands.
It was therefore surprising to read a recent op-ed piece in The New York Times entitled ‘The Fertility Implosion’, in which David Brooks highlights the mysteriously little noticed decline in birth rates across much of the Arab world. For instance, Saudi Arabia has seen a decline of nearly 60% in the last three decades – among the fastest declines in recorded history.
These figures are culled from a recent report from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) that notes the “widely perceived notion that Muslim societies are especially resistant to embarking upon the path of demographic and familial change that has transformed population profiles in Europe, North America, and other areas.
In reality, however, fertility levels are falling dramatically […] traditional marriage patterns and living arrangements are undergoing tremendous change.”
As cities across the Middle East are expanding, their destinies are taking shape alongside their changing demographics. With this in mind, it is well worth considering that the cities being built will have to take into account the needs and demands of many future generations – needs that are guaranteed to continue to change substantially over the decades ahead where, like most of Europe, the challenge will be more focused on ageing pensioners rather than the restless youth.
Young Jeddah
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