Completed GCC Construction Projects Up 27 Percent In Value For 2013

++ Total value of completed projects reached US$69.91bn

++ Residential (US$30.3bn), Commercial (US$12.7bn) and Education (US$7.01bn) were the leading sectors

++ GCC Interior Contracting and Fit-out Market also increased by 8 percent

++ A further 17 percent and 18 percent increase forecasted in 2014 for the Construction and Interiors Markets respectively

Construction projects across all building sectors worth US$69.91bn were completed in the GCC in 2013 according to a study conducted by Ventures ME and commissioned by DMG Events. The research also looks into 2014 and estimates projects for US$83.41bn (+17.43%) to be completed and US$82.2bn to be awarded across the year. US$7.81bn is the value of the related 2013 GCC Interior Contracting and Fit-out Market that registered an 8 percent increase compared to 2012 and is expected to increase by another 18 percent this year.

This is the third consecutive year that DMG Events, the company behind INDEX - the leading MENA Design exhibition – and workspace at INDEX, has invested in the study, contributing to the global industry with useful regional market insights.

Overview of 2013 GCC Building Construction Projects:

With residential (43.3%), commercial (18.2%) and educational (10%) segments leading the way, 2013 has been a positive year for the construction market. US$69.91bn worth of projects were completed with a further US$71bn worth of projects awarded. Hospitality, medical and retail buildings were also completed – with total values of US$4.6bn, US$2.4bn and US$1.8bn respectively.

KSA and the UAE rank in the top two positions for all sectors with the exception of education and healthcare for which Qatar ranks top with completed projects worth US$4.6bn in the educational segment (KSA: US$1.01bn; UAE: US$714m) and worth US$1.12bn in the healthcare segment (KSA US$482m; UAE US$570m).

Overview of 2013 GCC Interior Contracting and Fit-out Market:

The value of the GCC Interior Contracting and Fit-out Market in 2013 was US$7.81bn – an increase of 8 percent when compared to 2012. KSA was the largest market with a 47.4 percent share (US$3.7bn) followed by the UAE and Qatar valued at US$2.39bn and US$953m respectively. The residential sector accounted for almost half of the overall 2013 market with a market share of 42.6 percent (US$3.33bn). The commercial sector followed with a 17.9 percent share corresponding to a value of US$1.40bn and the hospitality sector with 13.4 percent share and a value of US$1.05bn.

2014 Forecast:

According to the Ventures ME study, figures for 2014 are expected to increase further for both the building construction and interiors markets. US$83.41bn worth of completed projects and US$82.8bn worth of awarded projects are forecasted over the next 12 months; the interiors market is also likely to grow by 18 percent and reach an estimated value of US$9.2bn by the end of the year.

Building Construction Market 2014 Forecast:

The Healthcare Sector is expected to grow by 250 percent from a value of US$2.4bn registered in 2013, to an estimated value of US$8.4bn. The UAE in particular will be the country with the majority of healthcare buildings completed worth a total value of US$3.19bn - almost five times the value registered in 2013 - followed by KSA with US$3.09bn and Qatar US$1.7bn. Kuwait is also worth highlighting with the value of projects completed moving from US$47m in 2013 to an estimated US$317m in 2014.

Despite the huge increase in the Healthcare Sector, the building construction market will still be led by the residential and commercial sectors that together will account for over half of the market share concentrated particularly in KSA, the UAE and Qatar.

Interior Fit-out Market 2014 Forecast:

Out of an overall estimated market value of US$9.2bn, the Residential Sector will account for 35.9 percent and US$3.33bn in value, followed by the Hospitality Sector at 19.8 percent and US$1.82bn of value and the Commercial Sector with 15.7 percent and US$ 1.44bn in value. When compared to 2013 figures, the Healthcare Sector will see the biggest growth with a huge 256 percent increase and reaching a value of US$672m. The Retail Interiors Market is expected to see the biggest drop in value from US$393m to US$308m.

Commenting on the figures released by Ventures ME, Frederique Maurell, Group Event Director for INDEX and workspace at INDEX, said: “Most segments of the GCC Building Construction market have recovered significantly from the downturn and 2013 has been positive with residential, education and hospitality segments in particular showing signs of growth and a strong recovery.”