Imagine a new construction technology that takes the usual Saudi method of poured concrete to a new level, providing integral thermal and sound insulation while decreasing costs in materials and labour dramatically. 

Sounds impossible?  Or smart. Plastbau Arabia Limited (PAL), a joint venture formed between the Saudi company Advanced Projects and Building Systems Limited (APBSL), the Saudi Offset Limited Partnership (SOLP) established under the auspices of the Saudi Economic Offset Programme, and the Bahraini company Plastbau Holdings BSC (c), will bring the advanced technology of Plastbau Building Systems, patented by Plastedil SA (Switzerland), to Saudi Arabia in 2005. 
The Plastbau system is an Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) shuttering system, using locally produced polystyrene specially engineered for load bearing walls and floor/roof.  The unique proprietary design ensures speed of construction without sacrificing architectural flexibility.  Particularly appropriate for new buildings, it can also be used for the reconstruction of damaged buildings and for extensions to buildings constructed with conventional shuttering.  The system of shuttering fully meets all international and local standards of construction.
The magic of the Plastbau system lies in the ease of construction.  The lightness of the forms makes it possible to build without the use of heavy cranage.  The simplicity of the design and its connectors make it possible to build with regular, rather than specially skilled, labor.  The pre-planning of the form construction makes it possible to build more efficiently as the forms slot easily into the foundation and each other.  A model building constructed in Saudi Arabia cuts the overall costs of construction by 30 per cent.  Using the Plastbau system can cut construction time by 40 per cent.
The Plastbau system building also offers additional savings in the initial HVAC system, which can be smaller than that of the conventionally built structure, and in continuous energy savings during the entire life of the buildings, thanks to the integrated thermal insulation. In addition, the Plastbau system simplifies the integration of plumbing and electrical work.  A hot knife can cut a channel through the polystyrene form for the introduction of electric lines or plumbing pipes.
The Plastbau system has further advantages for the economy of Saudi Arabia as a whole.  The advanced ICF technology uses polystyrene, a local resource, as a base.  Consequently, by using Plastbau ICF forms, builders no longer have to depend on imported wooden shuttering; instead, the building industry in Saudi Arabia will become more self-sufficient, using materials that are manufactured locally.
Furthermore, the Plastbau system benefits all the stakeholders in the building sector.  Contractors save in construction time and cost; real estate developers benefit by highlighting the unique advantages of the system and building housing or office developments more economically; the ultimate building owners benefit by the substantial reduction in their HVAC power costs over the life of the building and through the added comfort of noise insulation from traffic.
At this time Saudi Arabia is entering a new building boom, with ambitious plans for new schools, new housing and related infrastructure; modern tourist resorts and expansions in the hospital and university systems.  The Saudi shareholders of APBSL, Engineer Tariq Al Kassabi, Dr Nasser Al Muhawwas, Dr Abdul Rahman Al Husseini, and Sheikh Abdullah Al Houresh, have taken a 50 per cent stake of the SR11.25 million equity of PAL because the opportunities offered by the construction industry in Saudi Arabia are so vast. 
Al Kassabi points out, “At a time when the construction industry in Saudi is booming, there is an urgent need for innovative technologies which utilise the locally available materials, facilitate quick construction, reduce manpower needs and also give sufficient flexibility for the architects and designers.
“There is also increasing awareness about the need for environmental requirements including conservation of energy through effective insulation of the air-conditioned buildings. The Plastbau building systems essentially consisting of the Plastbau wall and the Plastbau floor/roof seem to fit the bill almost to perfection providing a cost effective solution.” 
Al Kassabi considers the Plastbau system particularly valuable for the current school expansion since the schools can become operational within a short time, the students will study better in quiet, temperature-controlled environments, and the government will save on costs. 
He noted that “adopting the Plastbau system can reduce the construction time by almost 30 per cent, with resultant cost savings. The extremely effective thermal insulation provided by the Plastbau building system can reduce the initial investment cost on the HVAC system by 25 per cent and enable savings of up to 40 per cent on the recurring power bill.  The supplementary benefit of acoustic insulation would make the Plastbau system an ideal choice for schools.”
Meticulous project planning and structuring by the promoters - SOLP and its general partner DevCorp International - have resulted in a long-term equity involvement of the technology company Plastedil SA in the Bahrain holding company, thus insuring continual technological updating.  Plastedil is considered to be a pioneer in the development of applications using polystyrene and has recently entered into a long-term technical association with the largest manufacturer of polystyrene in North America for adopting the Plastbau building system.
PAL will construct the first plant to manufacture the Plastbau system in Dammam Industrial City in 2005 and PAL expects to build another five to six manufacturing plants in the kingdom over the next few years.  Interest has already been expressed in the first two years’ production of the Dammam plant, which will service the Eastern Province and may extend into the Bahrain and Qatar markets for seed projects.  The next two plants will be established in Riyadh and Jeddah to meet anticipated growing demand. 
PAL will also establish an Engineering Support Division to provide architectural, design, planning, and construction services using the Plastbau system to design engineering companies and contractors using the new system.  The system is easily understood and, as they become familiar with the system, designers and contractors will be able to develop their own projects internally.