Speaker session in progress at the Smart Skyscrapers Summit 2015

Vertical Transportation Meeting the Rising Heights of Skyscrapers

TUESDAY JANUARY 19, 2016

With Dubai home to 18 of the 100 supertall structures in the world, the construction sector in the Middle East region has flourished tremendously. According to a GCC construction report released a few months back, UAE accounts for the largest value of projects worth $525.6bn, followed by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman respectively. The same report also indicated that the GCC’s construction industry is expected to reach a record high of $126 billion.

The steady growth witnessed in the construction industry also facilitates the growth of facility management and building facilitation services. Harnessing the power of technology, the construction industry has indeed come a long way. Integrating digital technology, in ways more than one, for the design and construction of buildings has proved to be extremely advantageous.

While supertall skyscrapers play a pivotal role in the vertical growth of a city, delivering effective vertical transportation solutions is critical to the overall design of the building. The vertical transportation industry has undergone widespread transformation that is in tandem with the uptake witnessed in the construction sector. With the implementation of innovative techniques, vertical transport solutions have now visually appealing designs and significantly faster in speed. It is estimated that every day, more than 7 billion elevator journeys are taken in buildings all over the world. Given how elevators consume up to 10 per cent of a skyscraper’s electricity usage, use of new technological innovations also allow a considerable reduction in energy consumption.

Mr. Brad Hariharan, Regional Director, Expotrade Middle East, said, “With the increase of supertall structures, there is an imperative need to determine the advancements in lift technology. Our summit will prove to be an invaluable platform to discuss the various vertical transportation strategies that provide maximum space utilization and also improve building efficiencies.”

Referring to the world’s top five tallest buildings, Burj Khalifa (Dubai), Shanghai Tower (Shanghai), Makkah Royal Clock Tower (Makkah), One World Trade Center (New Yprk City) and Taipei 101 (Taipei), sector specialists will discuss and highlight the trends and latest technologies dominating the vertical transportation at the 3rd Smart Skyscrapers Summit. The summit will be held on 16-17 May 2016, at Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa. More information on the Summit is available now at http://www.smartskyscrapers.com/. Follow the Summit on social media with the hashtag #SKYSUM2016.