A North East architecture practice is expanding its operations with a new move designed to support international growth and business development.
AirView Park, Woolsington-based Architects-Group has secured a special MISA investment license from the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia, which is a mandatory permit that allows foreign investors to establish and operate businesses within the country.
The initiative is part of planned expansion into the Saudi Arabia and wider Middle East markets by the practice – trading as SadlerBrown in the region – on the back of strong growth in the last 12 months following a raft of project wins.
With a dedicated regional office expected to be operational for late spring in Riyadh, the Architects-Group, which has had to comply with Saudi Council of Engineers (SCoE) regulations to secure the license, can now bid for dozens of national government and private sector contracts.
It will also benefit from legal protection and compliance under Saudi regulations as it looks to tap into the lucrative Middle East construction market.
And as part of this international expansion, the firm’s architectural director Dan Cogdon and BIM manager Husham Taha have both become members of the Saudi Council of Engineers.
Saudi Arabia alone is predicted to become the world’s largest construction market as the country continues to invest billions in infrastructure and development projects to overhaul and diversify its economy*- it’s expected to be worth in excess of USD $180bn by the end of 2028.
Indeed, Minister of Investment Khalid AlFalih has confirmed the country has surpassed its Vision 2030 targets, with investments in the core economy expected to reach $3.3 trillion by 2030, further strengthening its position as a global investment hub.
The license comes on the back of in-country project success for the firm with design work on two multi-million-pound new metro stations in the country’s capital Riyadh already under its belt.
The Architects-Group now plans to build on its SadlerBrown registered brand experience and success as it goes for growth, said managing director Tony Harmieson.
He added: “Now, that we have secured the MISA license, we are extremely excited to be able to start to lay down some real foundations with clients and contacts as the next step to our expansion within the international market place.
“The sheer scale and number of potential developments within Saudi Arabia requires experienced international design consultants with the requisite expertise and experience. Local consultants will undoubtedly struggle to cope with the volume of developments over the next 5 – 10 years.
“It was on this basis that we have teamed up with local partners to enter the Saudi market and look forward to engaging in this exceptional country’s growth.”