Dubai to host BuildingSMART International’s first branch in the Middle East and Africa region

Dubai will be home to the first branch of BuildingSMART International in the Middle East and Africa region. The move underscores Dubai’s regional and international leadership in digital transformation and innovation in the construction and infrastructure sector. BuildingSMART UAE, the organisation’s UAE chapter, is hosted by Dubai Municipality, which aims to promote and support digital transformation in the UAE’s building and construction sector through adopting and developing open standards.

BuildingSMART International is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to drive the digital transformation of the built asset environment by creating and adopting open, international standards for infrastructure and buildings. These standards help asset owners and supply chain businesses – owners, architects, engineers, contractors and operators – work more efficiently and collaboratively through the entire project and asset lifecycle.

The opening of BuildingSMART International’s first MEA branch in Dubai further consolidates the UAE’s status among the world’s leaders in infrastructure. The UAE ranks among the top countries in several global competitiveness reports, including the construction and infrastructure sector.

Partnership

BuildingSMART International’s Dubai branch, to be established by Dubai Municipality, will join its 21 other branches worldwide. Dubai Municipality is the government body responsible for overseeing the construction sector, issuing building permits, and monitoring and regulating facilities. BuildingSMART members comprise companies, government bodies and institutions from around the world collaborating to develop unified international standards for Building Information Modelling.

BuildingSMART’s branches are local institutions that are also members of the organisation. These members share the vision and objectives to support digital transformation in construction, adopt unified BIM standards, and contribute to developing these standards and spreading awareness.

Responsibilities

The Dubai branch will support the digital transformation of the UAE’s construction sector in cooperation with the country’s government agencies and private companies, enabling information sharing and improving work methods. It will also collaborate with specialised educational institutions whose work is related to the design, construction and management of building and infrastructure assets. The branch will promote effective participation in various working groups of BuildingSMART International, especially regarding the development of building permit procedures, automated verification of building regulations, and digital twinning regulations.

In addition, it will make key contributions to developing and applying global open-source standards to enhance integration between BIM and Geographic Information System. Further, the UAE branch will raise awareness about the importance of using unified global standards for BIM by organising workshops and conferences for industry professionals in the UAE, GCC, and the wider region. In addition, it will oversee training programmes, issue internationally accredited certificates, and contribute to translating BIM standards into Arabic.

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