ATTME was founded by Borje Persson, Tim Webb, Rany Zein, Mark Haebler, Thomas Christiansen, Paul Harwood, and myself, David Henderson, all of whom have either lived, worked, or supplied and promoted trenchless technologies to service providers in the region for many decades.
The lack of industry representation in the Middle East has been a topic that I and the founding members have discussed over the years. I am pleased to announce that the legal entity for the association is now active, and that ATTME was officially launched at the recent, very successful Trenchless Middle East exhibition in Dubai. Thank you to Paul and the Westrade team for such an engaging event.
Depending on context, the exact number of countries included in the Middle East can vary between 15 and 20. However, the founding members decided that the association would initially focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The board will, however, consider the inclusion of individuals or organisations from countries included in the wider context of the Middle East should they wish to join the association.
HDD, microtunnelling, CCTV inspection and condition assessment, and CIPP technology have been in widespread use in the region for the past 20–30 years across the water, wastewater, oil, and gas sectors. However, until now, and unlike many other countries and regions worldwide, there has been no official association to promote the skills of local and international companies operating in this sector, particularly in the promotion of trenchless techniques to municipalities, end clients, and local universities. One of the key objectives of ATTME is to advance knowledge, encourage young engineers to get involved in the industry, and raise awareness of the use of trenchless technologies and methods throughout the Middle East. This will, however, only be possible with the support of its members.
Other key aims of the Association are to provide a platform for training trenchless professionals, a forum for knowledge exchange, to encourage the application of standards and best practices in the sector, and to provide a network of trenchless professionals and organisations, nationally and internationally, for their mutual benefit.
The benefits of becoming a member of ATTME are numerous. Members will receive updates with the latest information on new technologies and developments and will have access to a network of contacts, including municipalities, clients, consultants, contractors, suppliers, government, and academic institutions.
Members will also be invited and encouraged to join a ‘pool’ of speakers who will be given the first opportunity to provide abstracts for events that align with their expertise.
Student members are highly encouraged and will receive guidance on continuing professional development. Like all members, they will also enjoy excellent networking opportunities through regular industry events. Like other associations around the world, ATTME will hold an annual dinner and award ceremony to celebrate the achievements of trenchless projects or products from its members.
So, what does the future hold for the trenchless technology industry in the Middle East?
Many of the major cities in the region have initiated significant infrastructure projects, including the $8.2 billion Dubai ‘Tasreef’ rainwater drainage project, aimed at enhancing the city’s resilience to extreme heavy rainfall. The project, which is being managed by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Municipality, is one of the largest infrastructure investments in Dubai’s history. The scale of the investment reflects the importance of improving the city’s drainage infrastructure to handle increased rainfall due to climate change and aligns with Dubai’s vision for sustainability, outlined in the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which emphasises smart cities, environmental protection, and the efficient use of resources.
Those who attended the recent Trenchless Middle East exhibition will understand that Dubai has become one of the most densely urbanised cities in the world, which means there is limited space for new infrastructure. Constructing large underground tunnels and storage basins without disrupting the existing urban landscape or daily activities will be a significant challenge, which can only be met with the use of trenchless technologies.
In 1875, Joseph Bazalgette famously constructed the London sewer system to be twice the size required for the needs of the time. This meant the system was fit for purpose until 1965. Dubai’s rulers are following in his footsteps by preparing for future needs to become a more sustainable, smart, and resilient city in the face of changing weather patterns. This is echoed throughout the region in major cities such as Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, which are also investing in the creation or upgrading of stormwater networks, future-proofing against climate change predictions and ensuring that the infrastructure can handle worsening rainfall patterns and increased water volume. This is not unique to this region and can be seen all over the world; however, the major advantage in these regional projects is that their move from inception to actualisation is far quicker than in Western countries.
However, we cannot discuss the Middle East without mentioning the aspirations of Saudi Arabia and the ‘Vision 2030’ of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). We have all seen the amazing and futuristic $500 billion NEOM mega city!
Part of Vision 2030 is innovation and infrastructure development. The plan emphasises the role of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, one of the largest and most influential funds globally. PIF is investing in new technologies and startups and is responsible for developing projects such as NEOM, the Red Sea Project, and Al-Ula (a UNESCO World Heritage site). All these projects will require the knowledge and expertise of professionals from the trenchless sector in the coming years.
There will also be further opportunities in the Kingdom in the next 2–3 years, as the Saudi government prepares for the privatisation of its National Water Company (NWC) to manage all its water distribution and sewage activities. We are already seeing the beginnings of a large-scale inspection and condition assessment programme for the wastewater networks of major cities. This will inevitably lead to the triple R’s: Repair, Replacement, and Rehabilitation, as has been seen in Qatar and the UAE, both of which have continuous investment in RRR and a rolling programme of ongoing projects in Doha and Abu Dhabi.
Alongside the municipal water and wastewater utility sector, the region has some of the largest oil and gas producers in the world. The national oil companies (NOCs) ARAMCO, ADNOC, and Qatar Energy all have ageing utility infrastructure, much of which was installed in the 1960s and 70s, and they all welcome the use of trenchless innovations.
This is just a small snapshot of the opportunities in the GCC. For more information, I would encourage all organisations or individuals to get involved in the association and register to become a member either on the website ATTME.org or by sending an email to info@ATTME.org.
