Exploring the Impact of ICT in Construction Industry in UAE

The construction industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is at the forefront of adopting Information and Communication Technology (ICT), driven by rapid urbanization and infrastructural development. This research paper aims to explore how ICT adoption has been strategically implemented within this sector, identifying key benefits such as improved project management, enhanced communication, and increased efficiency. Challenges like high costs and resistance to change are also examined. Furthermore, the study delves into future trends that might influence ICT usage in construction, providing insights for stakeholders aiming to leverage technology effectively.

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Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences
Masters in Engineering Management
State of ICT implementation and managing strategies
employed: Case of the UAE construction projects
Sami Najeh Mustafa Abu Daiyeh
ID: 5629822
Dr. Tchan Latif
"This thesis is presented as part of the requirements for the
award of the Degree
of the
University of Wollongong in Dubai"
October 2017

ABSTRACT
Construction industry involves constant exchange of data and information between
clients, consultants, contractors, local authority, government bodies, engineers, workers and
material suppliers. However, often inaccurate and untimely communication causes delays in
project deadlines and decreases overall productivity. In order to improve work efficiency, and
become more competitive and client oriented, construction industry needs to fully adopt up to
date cutting edge ICT applications and tools as it decreases data processing time and promotes
improved information sharing among involving parties in construction company. ICT helps not
only with better information sharing, but also with designing complex structures in the
construction sector. Using structural design software, such as 3D modelling and Building
Information Modelling (BIM), construction company can work effectively with all project
participants to streamline the construction process, reduce waste and save the company or client
time and money.
This research study will attempt to investigate “the state and the level of ICT
implementation, existing challenges in its implementation, and the managing strategies employed
to overcome the existing challenges in UAE’s construction industry”.
This study will help to find out what ICT applications are used by various construction
companies in the UAE and the level of expertise of the cutting-edge ICT related to the
construction industry available in the UAE in addition to the existing barriers and challenges that
hinder effective adoption of ICT in construction projects in the UAE. The main objective of this
research exercise is to examine the overall level of ICT implementation in the UAE’s
construction industry and propose strategies to adopt ICTs purposefully in the construction sector
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in the UAE. In addition, the researcher hopes that this research will serve as a motivation for
more and extensive research in this field in the UAE.
Keywords: ICT, construction industry, technology, windows.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to forward my most sincere acknowledgement to my thesis advisor and
supervisor, Prof. Dr. Tchan Latif, for his immense patience and expert guidance all along.
I am also grateful to Prof. Dr. Mohammed Watfa for his valuable insights regarding my
work.
Finally, I would like to thank my parents for their support and the most conducive work
environment, which they created for me at home and outside.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................8
What is Information and Communication Technology (ICT)?...................................................8
1.1 History of ICT........................................................................................................................9
1.3 Area of interest....................................................................................................................16
1.3.1 Relevant research studies..................................................................................................16
1.4. Significance of the research study......................................................................................18
1.4.1 Objective and Aim of the study........................................................................................19
1.4.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................20
1.4.3 Problem statement............................................................................................................20
Chapter 2........................................................................................................................................21
Literature Review......................................................................................................................21
2.1 Use of ICT in construction sector........................................................................................21
2.2 Challenges and barriers in ICT implementation..................................................................23
2.3 Strategies used in the effective implementation of ICT in the construction industry.........26
Chapter 3........................................................................................................................................32
Methodology..............................................................................................................................32
3.1 Research question................................................................................................................32
3.2 Hypotheses:..........................................................................................................................33
3.3 Survey description...............................................................................................................34
References......................................................................................................................................35
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1: 10 most promising technologies..................................................................................16
Figure 2.1 Arjen Adriaanse, Hans Voordijk, and Geert Dewulf (2010).......................................29
Figure 2.2: Conceptual Framework...............................................................................................31
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. 1 The history of ICT (1930-1990), ("Free ICT Resources - new content for IGCSE 2016
syllabus coming", 2018)................................................................................................................13
Table 1.2: Innovations and descriptions of ICT............................................................................15
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INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)?
The UAE’s construction industry is perhaps the fastest growing and the most robust of all
the industries in the country. Newer and bigger construction projects are underway and
significant investments are being made in this sector. “The construction market in the United
Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) is a key driver of the nation’s economy and is second only to Saudi
Arabia within the GCC region.” ("Key sectors in science and technology", 2018)
Success of construction industry as the key player in nation’s economy is dependent on
conventionally established factors such as meeting cost, schedule, and performance targets.
However, the need for communication and technology is the key here. Especially adopting new
and up to date IC technologies will propel the construction sector forward in a big way.
Information and communication Technology (ICT) can be defined in several ways starting with
ICT in general. “An umbrella term that includes any communication device or application,
encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software,
satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications” ("United Arab
Emirates - Construction | export.gov", 2018).
“In simple terms, Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are the technologies used
in the conveying, manipulation and storage of data by electronic means.” ("What is Information
and Communication Technology", 2018)
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“In the construction industry the term is used both in relation to the ICT adopted by the project
team to design, construct, operate and manage the development, and in relation to the inclusion
of ICT in the completed development itself.” ("ICTs in everyday life", 2018)
Examples of ICT use in construction would mean, AutoCAD, Electronic document management
system, telecommunications, Video Conference, spreadsheets, Building Management
System(BIM), Visual 4D Planning, GPS, Wireless network technology, Wearable technology,
etc.
1.1 HISTORY OF ICT
The below table shows the history of ICT starting from 1930’s until 1990’s containing some of
the inventions made throughout that period of time.
Year Innovation Description
1930’s the HP 200A Audio
Oscillator
rapidly became a popular piece of test equipment for engineers
1940’s
Project Whirlwind The team first built a large analog computer, but found it inaccurate and inflexible. After
designers saw a demonstration of the ENIAC computer, they decided on building a digital
computer.
EDVAC programming Electronic storage of programming information and data eliminated the need
for the clumsier methods of programming
First commercial
computer
Engineering Research Associates of built the ERA 1101, the first commercially produced
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1950’s
computer
Core memory Core memory made computers more reliable, faster, and easier to make.
First mass Spinning at 12,500 rpm, the 650´s magnetic data-storage drum allowed much faster access
to stored material than drum memory machines.
1960’s
First networked
computers
IBM announced the System/360, a family of six mutually compatible computers and 40
peripherals that could work together.
BASIC
programming
language
BASIC was the forerunner for the advanced programming languages in use today.
First UNIX
operating system
UNIX combined many of the timesharing and file management features offered by
Multics, from which it took its name.
1970’s
First email sent the first e-mail is sent by Ray Tomlinson of the research firm Bolt, Beranek and Newman
Microsoft born in 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen form a partnership called Microsoft.
Like most start-ups, Microsoft begins small, but has a massive vision - a computer on
every desktop and in every home.
Apple Steve Wozniak designed the Apple I, a single-board computer
1980’s First hard disk drive
(HDD)
Seagate Technology created the first hard disk drive for microcomputers, the ST506. The
disk held 5 megabytes of data, five times as much as a standard floppy disk, and fit in the
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space of a floppy disk drive.
MS-DOS The MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) basic software for the newly released
IBM PC
Apple Macintosh Apple Computer launched the Macintosh, the first successful mouse-driven computer with
a graphical user interface Based on the Motorola 68000 microprocessor
1990’s
World Wide Web The World Wide Web (www) was born when Tim Berners-Lee, a researcher at CERN,
developed Hypertext Markup Language.
Windows 3.0 Microsoft shipped Windows 3.0 on May 22. Compatible with DOS programs, the first
successful version of Windows finally offered good enough performance to satisfy PC
users.
First Graphical
Internet Browser
the Mosaic web browser is released. Mosaic was the first commercial software that
allowed graphical access to content on the internet
Yahoo and Hotmail Yahoo would quickly expand to become one of the Internet’s most popular search engines.
Hotmail founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith, is commercially launched on
Independence Day in the United States, symbolically representing freedom from Internet
service providers.
Windows 98 Microsoft released Windows 98.
Google Google began in January 1996 as a research project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin when
they were both PhD students at Stanford University in California.
2000 Playstation 2 Sony releases the Playstation 2
2003 iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated
by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000
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items to purchase
2004 Facebook Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated
and privately owned by Facebook Inc. Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg with
his college roommates and fellow computer science students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin
Moskovitz and Chris Hughes.
2005 Youtube YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. The company
announced that was receiving 100 million video views per day.
2007 First iPhone The iPhone went on sale in the United States on June 29, 2007, at 6:00 pm local time,
while hundreds of customers lined up outside the stores nationwide.
2009 Windows 7 Windows 7 was released on October 22, 2009, less than three years after the release of its
predecessor, Windows Vista.
TABLE 1. 1 THE HISTORY OF ICT (1930-1990), ("FREE ICT RESOURCES - NEW CONTENT
FOR IGCSE 2016 SYLLABUS COMING", 2018)
Year Innovation Description
2010 The arrival of 3D 3D television entered the marketplace this year and the technology to create your own 3D
content wasn't far behind. January saw Panasonic's unveiling of the world's first integrated
twin-lens Full HD 3D camcorder, followed by the first 3D consumer camcorder. (noel-
mckeegan, 2010)
2011 Nanorobotics One of the most marked breakthroughs in 2011 was our control of nanorobotics, or
nanobots. We now have the ability to control nanobots inside a living, breathing body, and
using them to deliver highly-targeted medications — like cancer drugs — is now just a
year or two away. (Sebastian Anthony, 2011)
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