USD 355 billion worth of projects in the UAE either delayed or placed on hold amidst the global economic crisis

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Projects in the UAE that have been delayed or placed on hold have reached a collective value of USD 355 billion, thereby exceeding the total value of projects that are underway at USD 254 billion, according to data from Meed Projects. With aims to help create cost effective and resource-efficient building designs that can be implemented easily and efficiently, Autodesk, the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building, and media and entertainment markets, has announced the launch of its 2010 ‘Building Information Modeling’ (BIM) and ‘Infrastructure Modeling’ (IM) software portfolio, at a ceremony held today, (June 17th, 2009) at the Crowne Plaza, Abu Dhabi.

The latest portfolio of revolutionary software is packed with enhanced features, and new conceptual design tools and consistent user interface highlights that update key product lines of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industries. Furthermore, the company has also launched new ‘Infrastructure Modeling’ software products, which can help UAE-based users in the utilities, telecommunication sectors as well as government agencies, to improve the design and management of their infrastructure.

“Developers in the region have to be more efficient in managing their resources now, and in this regard, we believe that the latest versions of our BIM and IM solutions can help optimize the construction and design process amidst the challenges posed by this period of economic downturn,” said Manish Bhardwaj, Field Marketing Specialist, Autodesk Middle East. “With the launch of our 2010 portfolio, we are aiming to provide the architecture, engineering and construction companies in the country with more powerful tools that will help them deliver projects more quickly and cost-effectively amidst the challenges of today's economic climate. This new breed of solutions incorporate the best technology the AEC industry can have today, as they continue to deliver on the promise of BIM and IM by further bridging communication between extended design and construction teams.”

The updated software in Autodesk's BIM portfolio include 2010 versions of popular products including Revit Architecture, Revit Structure, Revit MEP, AutoCAD Civil 3D and Navisworks. Designed to help increase industry adoption of the BIM process, the products under Autodesk’s 2010 portfolio is focused on helping project teams across disciplines to innovate, analyse energy performance and increase productivity. The company also revealed its strategy, which will involve educating AEC companies in the UAE on how investing in BIM can help them visualize more accurately, while simulating and analysing project performance, appearance and costs to create more resource-efficient buildings and infrastructure.

Furthermore, Autodesk’s Revit platform based products for BIM, feature an aligned user interface giving the entire range of products a consistent look and feel. The updated Autodesk Revit platform also allows a greater level of interoperability for green building analysis, providing support for the green building extensible markup language (gbXML) format. Providing users with world-class design, mapping, data aggregation and management tools, Autodesk’s new IM technologies helps professionals build an integrated digital model and make better, faster decisions, whether they are designing smart electric utility grids, planning city projects, or managing complex telecommunications networks. Consequently, this can facilitate enhancements in their designs for new systems and efficient management of existing infrastructure.

“Technology plays a crucial role in addressing the urgent need for more cost effective and energy-efficient building designs and practices, in addition to the development of projects across the industry. Our BIM and Infrastructure Modeling technologies have helped customers across the globe in solving design and construction challenges more efficiently and productively, thereby helping them understand and improve the performance and operation of their designs before they are built,” concluded Dr. Jayant M. Deshpande, Director, CAD Division, OMNIX.