Opportunities and challenges of digital twin applications in the Middle East construction industry
Purpose – Over the years, the Middle East (ME) has experienced significant advancements in technology, particularly in the digital realm, initiated by Dubai’s 2013 Building Information Modeling (BIM) mandate. However, there are ongoing questions regarding how digital twins (DTs) have been adopted an...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Emerald Publishing
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Urbanization, Sustainability and Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/USS-07-2024-0041/full/pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850221143946952704 |
|---|---|
| author | Diala Barham Sandra T. Matarneh Algan Tezel Saed Hasan Wajdi Mereb |
| author_facet | Diala Barham Sandra T. Matarneh Algan Tezel Saed Hasan Wajdi Mereb |
| author_sort | Diala Barham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose – Over the years, the Middle East (ME) has experienced significant advancements in technology, particularly in the digital realm, initiated by Dubai’s 2013 Building Information Modeling (BIM) mandate. However, there are ongoing questions regarding how digital twins (DTs) have been adopted and awareness within the region’s construction industry. This paper aims to explore the current state of DT technology within the construction industry in the ME. It seeks to understand the trends, benefits and challenges associated with the adoption of DTs, as well as the level of awareness among industry professionals regarding this innovative technology. Design/methodology/approach – Conducting a comprehensive literature review and semi-structured interviews with 10 construction professionals from various firms in the ME, each possessing significant experience (ranging from 7 to 26 years) in digital construction. The interviews were designed to gather in-depth insights into the advantages, challenges and awareness of DTs in the region. The data collected from these interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis facilitated by NVivo 14 software, allowing the identification of key themes and patterns related to the implementation of digital twin technology in the region. Findings – There is a growth in Middle Eastern digital twin trends, with developers exploring efficient implementation. Despite theoretical advancements, practical implementation lags. Identified benefits include sustainability enhancement, roles in risk assessment, predictive maintenance, documentation, stakeholder communication, customer satisfaction, safety, production increase, efficiency and real-time monitoring. Challenges involve 26 obstacles categorized into six groups, notably a lack of awareness and understanding of digital twin technology and concerns about data uncertainties. Research limitations/implications – The research focused only on the applications of DT within the ME region. Practical implications – This paper underscores the importance of standardized policy frameworks for DT adoption in the ME construction industry. Standardization enhances project execution, regulatory compliance and innovation while fostering collaboration among stakeholders. Awareness and education programs are crucial for understanding DT benefits, promoting sustainability and improving operational efficiency, offering a clear roadmap for the effective integration of DT solutions. Originality/value – The value of this research lies in its in-depth examination of DT technology’s definition, components, benefits and challenges within the Middle Eastern construction industry. It sheds light on the early stages of DT adoption, emphasizing the need for infrastructure, skilled management and standardization to optimize its integration. The study bridges theoretical knowledge with practical insights, addressing barriers like cultural change, data uncertainties and regulatory gaps while highlighting lessons from related technologies like BIM. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9b7ce5e7bc2a45219d76eb474894db4d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2976-8993 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Emerald Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Urbanization, Sustainability and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-9b7ce5e7bc2a45219d76eb474894db4d2025-08-20T02:06:47ZengEmerald PublishingUrbanization, Sustainability and Society2976-89932025-04-012122925610.1108/USS-07-2024-0041Opportunities and challenges of digital twin applications in the Middle East construction industryDiala Barham0Sandra T. Matarneh1Algan Tezel2Saed Hasan3Wajdi Mereb4School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UKDepartment of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, JordanDepartment of Civil Engineering and Management, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UKSchool of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UKEngineering Digitalization _BIM and Digital Twins, Miral, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesPurpose – Over the years, the Middle East (ME) has experienced significant advancements in technology, particularly in the digital realm, initiated by Dubai’s 2013 Building Information Modeling (BIM) mandate. However, there are ongoing questions regarding how digital twins (DTs) have been adopted and awareness within the region’s construction industry. This paper aims to explore the current state of DT technology within the construction industry in the ME. It seeks to understand the trends, benefits and challenges associated with the adoption of DTs, as well as the level of awareness among industry professionals regarding this innovative technology. Design/methodology/approach – Conducting a comprehensive literature review and semi-structured interviews with 10 construction professionals from various firms in the ME, each possessing significant experience (ranging from 7 to 26 years) in digital construction. The interviews were designed to gather in-depth insights into the advantages, challenges and awareness of DTs in the region. The data collected from these interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis facilitated by NVivo 14 software, allowing the identification of key themes and patterns related to the implementation of digital twin technology in the region. Findings – There is a growth in Middle Eastern digital twin trends, with developers exploring efficient implementation. Despite theoretical advancements, practical implementation lags. Identified benefits include sustainability enhancement, roles in risk assessment, predictive maintenance, documentation, stakeholder communication, customer satisfaction, safety, production increase, efficiency and real-time monitoring. Challenges involve 26 obstacles categorized into six groups, notably a lack of awareness and understanding of digital twin technology and concerns about data uncertainties. Research limitations/implications – The research focused only on the applications of DT within the ME region. Practical implications – This paper underscores the importance of standardized policy frameworks for DT adoption in the ME construction industry. Standardization enhances project execution, regulatory compliance and innovation while fostering collaboration among stakeholders. Awareness and education programs are crucial for understanding DT benefits, promoting sustainability and improving operational efficiency, offering a clear roadmap for the effective integration of DT solutions. Originality/value – The value of this research lies in its in-depth examination of DT technology’s definition, components, benefits and challenges within the Middle Eastern construction industry. It sheds light on the early stages of DT adoption, emphasizing the need for infrastructure, skilled management and standardization to optimize its integration. The study bridges theoretical knowledge with practical insights, addressing barriers like cultural change, data uncertainties and regulatory gaps while highlighting lessons from related technologies like BIM.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/USS-07-2024-0041/full/pdfDigital twinsConstruction industryMiddle EastBenefitsChallenges |
| spellingShingle | Diala Barham Sandra T. Matarneh Algan Tezel Saed Hasan Wajdi Mereb Opportunities and challenges of digital twin applications in the Middle East construction industry Urbanization, Sustainability and Society Digital twins Construction industry Middle East Benefits Challenges |
| title | Opportunities and challenges of digital twin applications in the Middle East construction industry |
| title_full | Opportunities and challenges of digital twin applications in the Middle East construction industry |
| title_fullStr | Opportunities and challenges of digital twin applications in the Middle East construction industry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Opportunities and challenges of digital twin applications in the Middle East construction industry |
| title_short | Opportunities and challenges of digital twin applications in the Middle East construction industry |
| title_sort | opportunities and challenges of digital twin applications in the middle east construction industry |
| topic | Digital twins Construction industry Middle East Benefits Challenges |
| url | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/USS-07-2024-0041/full/pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dialabarham opportunitiesandchallengesofdigitaltwinapplicationsinthemiddleeastconstructionindustry AT sandratmatarneh opportunitiesandchallengesofdigitaltwinapplicationsinthemiddleeastconstructionindustry AT algantezel opportunitiesandchallengesofdigitaltwinapplicationsinthemiddleeastconstructionindustry AT saedhasan opportunitiesandchallengesofdigitaltwinapplicationsinthemiddleeastconstructionindustry AT wajdimereb opportunitiesandchallengesofdigitaltwinapplicationsinthemiddleeastconstructionindustry |