COMMENT

There was a big event happening as we put the final touches to this issue before sending it off to the printers – my daughter lost her first tooth. The tooth had threatened to come out for several days, wobbling precariously back and forth, and in the end – with some encouragement – came out of her mouth and under her pillow, accompanied by a very sweet note that she had written for the tooth fairy. Oh, and there was also the US Presidential election.

All elections to choose a President or Prime Minister matter, regardless of where in the world they take place, but the US one is seismic. I like the saying, ‘When America sneezes, the world catches a cold.’ America is a superpower and what happens with the President – how they manage the relationship with China, their views on Ukraine, their approach to sustainability, whether they are insular, affect all of us.

We all wait to see what happens in the future while, as my daughter’s tooth illustrates, life goes on. In our last issue of the year, we do dust off our own crystal ball and take a look at how construction technology might have changed the industry by 2030 and also ponder what the future of road building looks like.

Out of all the countries in the world, Saudi Arabia has a good claim to be the most exciting construction market at the moment. With a whole host of wildly ambitious and eye-catching megaprojects underway we spoke to one of the people heading up the US$63 billion megaproject Diriyah to find out more.

With other articles on high-rise construction, modular construction and training women in the Ukraine to operate equipment, we have ended the year with a bang. I wish you and your family a happy and a healthy festive period. Now – does anyone know what amount of money the tooth fairy is leaving in 2024?

KHL’S CONSTRUCTION PORTFOLIO