Construction Week Saudi sits down with Laurent Farge, the general manager for ALEC FITOUT – a part of ALEC Group, which specialises in the fit out and refurbishment of five-star hotels & resorts, cinemas, commercial offices, retail, cultural and luxury mixed-use developments.
With an annual turnover of more than $163mn, ALEC FITOUT was established in 2009, and has completed several iconic projects over the years in the UAE and has now pivoted towards Saudi Arabia.
A kingdom of opportunity
Saudi Arabia offers enormous opportunity due to the demand for highly capable fit-out contractors based in the kingdom who can consistently deliver large-scale, luxury fit-out solutions, says Farge, who has been with the company since its establishment.
“We are currently delivering design and build for a seven-star luxury sales and experience centre in the kingdom – this project is a combination of luxury finishes coupled with extensive technology-enabled experiences,” he reveals. “We believe this project by ALEC FITOUT will raise the bar in terms of quality delivered in-country, and we expect it to be our “calling card” for future projects in the kingdom.”
Farge says that their interest in the KSA market is not new and that they have been closely monitoring developments in the kingdom, and have in recent years seen the potential for a massive pipeline of luxury fit-out projects due to be delivered shortly.
He further adds: “It’s a market we believe we can bring significant value to and add to the client delivery teams there. Moreover, in the last 10 years, we have delivered over $1.06bn worth of luxury fit-out projects covering 1.1 million m2 in the region – and it’s time we expand to the kingdom.”
Farge adds that they plan to have a combination of experienced ALEC FITOUT management to oversee and deliver new projects with support from Saudi nationals as part of their expanding team. He also notes that this is a critical step to future development in the kingdom, as he believes qualified Saudi nationals will form a fundamental part of their delivery and support teams in the country.
Successful first strides
ALEC FITOUT’s team is now fully mobilised in the kingdom and is completing its first project there.
The company has had a positive experience delivering the KSA pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai, and Farge points out that they are “very confident about working with clients from Saudi Arabia in the coming years to help bring their ambitious project plans to reality.”
“The market capability in Saudi Arabia is growing,” he says. “Many of the gigaprojects and megaprojects that are coming up are being designed with sustainability at the forefront, and this helps the industry naturally evolve and mature over time in terms of adopting sustainability.
“We are very excited with the kind – variety and scale – of projects planned in the kingdom and believe that significant opportunities related to our core sector of activity, including but not limited to luxury hospitality, cultural & immersive projects and corporate HQ buildings, are gaining traction.”
Collaborating with key clients
ALEC FITOUT has delivered projects for luxury operators such as One&Only, Jumeirah, Waldorf Astoria, Address by Emaar, Bvlgari, and Mandarin Oriental, among others, and the experience has provided them with the confidence to bring out luxury fit-out solutions to their clients in the kingdom, in Farge’s opinion.
He continues: “We are in close communication with various clients and development teams who are planning to deliver luxury hospitality and F&B and entertainment concepts in the kingdom. There are many opportunities, and it’s essential to carefully select the right ones and partner with key clients to deliver repeat projects in the future.
“We are fully committed to expanding our geographic footprint in the kingdom and delivering large-scale, complex fit-out and refurbishment projects in the country. We will closely work with a combination of private clients and gigaprojects the government handles.”
Farge also notes that the most important aspect of targeting a specific client is for the firm to believe they can work closely with the team and bring value to the project. He adds that with numerous projects planned in Saudi Arabia, it is impossible to aim for everything, so ALEC FITOUT’s initial focus, geographically, will be on Riyadh to grow alongside key clients and specific projects in the kingdom.
Continuing, Farge says there are some exciting technological developments in the kingdom: “Upcoming entertainment, hospitality and cultural experiences are using the latest technologies in design, specification, and delivery.
“Many projects are being designed in BIM, which we are very comfortable with, and also have an experienced BIM team in-house. In addition, we have our own QA/QC and planning applications that we intend to utilise in Saudi Arabia, which can help bring value to the project and facilitate timely, high-quality fit-out and refurbishment delivery.”
Farge on ALEC FITOUT’s work on the KSA pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai
ALEC FITOUT was involved with the delivery team for the complete KSA pavilion – from start to finish for the Expo 2020 Dubai. As a result, the pavilion is LEED Platinum-certified and holds three Guinness World Records: the largest interactive lighting floor with around 8,000 LED lights, the longest interactive water feature at more than 32m, and the largest LED interactive digital mirror screen at 1302.5 m2.
Farge says: “The immersive visitor experience of the KSA pavilion was a highlight at the Expo 2020 Dubai. The pavilion also included a 68 m2 curved LED screen that greeted visitors as they embarked on a technology-enabled journey. In addition, visitors could also experience 14 cultural landmarks along an escalator ride, including UNESCO World Heritage sites from Saudi Arabia.”
Elaborating further on the experiences, he adds that the immersive 360-degree audio-visual guide was a one-of-a-kind exhibition which included a 30m floating virtual sphere and a bespoke interactive floor.
“We will take lessons learnt from the delivery of the KSA pavilion and apply these to the variety of upcoming cultural and immersive projects planned in the coming years,” discloses Farge.
He summarises that ALEC FITOUT’s approach to delivery in Saudi Arabia is a combination of dedicated on-site delivery and engineering teams with the support of centralised teams – who will implement processes and procedures that have been refined after the delivery of many successful projects.
“ALEC FITOUT’s core sectors of delivery are aligned with the ambitious Vision 2030 and its development strategy, including luxury hospitality, cultural, entertainment, and visitor experiences. We are very excited about the opportunities and projects expected in the coming years,” concludes Farge.
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