Government support for BIM across the Middle East is “finally coming” said Tekla executive vice president, Risto Raty.
The Finnish director, who has witnessed government support for BIM across the world, said major projects in Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are all benefiting from the implementation of construction software technology. He added that the next step would be to find a “champion” within government with an understanding of the technology, business models and legislation to drive the next wave of changes.
“The support is finally coming but now we need a champion within government. It could be an individual or a small group but it’s a visionary multi-skilled role that must incorporate understanding of projects, business models and technology,” Raty said.
Praising BuildingSMART for its progress to date, Raty added that it is now time for government to take the lead, organising endorsed CPD and education programmes and the writing of BIM standards.
“It’s not a question of BIM not being adopted, it’s just a case of how quickly, how companies will train staff and how governments will help to support that financially. How companies overcome training their employees will be the next hurdle,” he added.