Saudi building managers focus on air quality

Over two-thirds of the building managers in Saudi Arabia are planning to invest in indoor air quality optimization and other healthy building solutions, according to a new survey.

The survey, from US firm Honeywell, found that 81 percent of building managers in the Kingdom said the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had made them rethink how their building operated and the changes and investments that were needed.

The survey also found that seven in 10 respondents were planning to invest in smart building solutions, especially ways to make the properties more efficient and sustainable.

“The COVID-19 (pandemic) has accelerated digital transformation and is prompting Saudi Arabia’s building leaders to reconsider their operational strategies and invest in smarter, healthier technologies,” said George Bou Mitri, president and general manager of Honeywell Building Technologies in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. “They are increasingly looking for new procedures with efficient, sustainable solutions that better support their safety, comfort and enhance their experiences, in the immediate and longer term.”

The need for smarter and digitized buildings came as 73 percent of respondents said that remote working during the global health emergency had accelerated the need to revamp and analyze their working environment.

COVID-19 is prompting Saudi Arabia’s building leaders to reconsider their operational strategies and invest in smarter, healthier technologies.

George Bou Mitri