Sweett wins deals for Saudi tourist attractions

Sweett Group, the international property and infrastructure consultancy, has said it has won deals to work on two projects in the 1.6 million sq m King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh. The company said the deals were “the latest step in the Group’s strategy to capitalise on Saudi Arabia’s buoyant construction market”. Sweett Group said it is supporting Germany-based architect Gerber Architekten to deliver two public attractions in the heart of the KAFD -the Info.HUB and Butterfly Dome. Info.HUB is KAFD’s primary tourist attraction and includes a library, media activity rooms, tourist information area, exhibition space and other community facilities. The building has been uniquely design as a contemporary interpretation of a desert mushroom. The Butterfly Dome, with its spherical envelope designed to provide the optimal internal environment for the world’s most exotic butterfly species, will offer visitors a calm retreat from the hustle and bustle of the financial district. The two commissions come on the back of Sweett Group’s expanding portfolio in the kingdom which include the Capital Market Authority (CMA) tower, Museum of the Built Environment, Men’s and Women’s Spa and three mixed use towers. Acting as the project and cost manager on the CMA tower, Sweet Group’s project team has been managing the challenges of delivering the tallest structure in Riyadh and focal point of KAFD, which will house the headquarters for the regulator of the Saudi Arabian stock market. Spencer Wylie, director of cost management, Mena, said: “The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of our key strategic focus areas as we look to strengthen our position and service offering in the region.”