Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 infrastructure portfolio requires buildings that can be designed, commissioned and operated as high-performing digital assets rather than static civil works. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are central to this requirement because they determine energy demand, indoor environmental quality, water security, fire safety, maintainability and operational cost. This review develops a smart building management systems framework for enhancing MEP performance in Saudi infrastructure projects by synthesising literature published between 2020 and 2025 on building management systems, BIM, IoT, digital twins, energy management, facility management, interoperability and Saudi sustainability policy. The study follows a structured narrative review methodology supported by thematic coding and framework synthesis. The proposed model links BIM-based asset information, sensor networks, building automation, analytics dashboards, commissioning feedback and facility management workflows into a lifecycle performance loop. Findings indicate that the main value of smart building management is not isolated automation, but the integration of design intent, real-time data and operational governance. The review identifies six performance domains: energy and carbon reduction, HVAC stability, electrical load optimisation, water and pumping control, fire and life-safety readiness, and maintainable handover data. It concludes that Vision 2030 projects can improve long-term MEP outcomes when smart building systems are specified early, connected to open information standards, governed through measurable KPIs and embedded into owner-led facility management routines. The paper contributes a Saudi-oriented review framework, two visual models and practical KPI tables for researchers, consultants and infrastructure owners.
Saudi Arabia's mega-project portfolio is reshaping the operational logic of the built environment. Smart districts, high-rise mixed-use assets, hospitals, transport hubs, hotels and mission-critical public facilities are expected to perform as continuously optimised systems rather than static construction outputs. This review examines how digital twin applications can improve smart building operations, maintenance and risk management in Saudi mega projects under Vision 2030. The paper synthesises peer-reviewed literature from 2020 to 2025 and develops a building lifecycle framework linking BIM, IoT, building management systems, artificial intelligence, facility management platforms and governance controls. The central argument is that a digital twin becomes valuable only when it converts live building data into verified operational decisions: fault detection, energy optimisation, predictive maintenance, safety alerts, resilience planning, asset lifecycle analysis and executive risk visibility. The review identifies four implementation layers: data foundation, analytical intelligence, operational intervention and governance assurance. Findings show that digital twins can reduce fragmentation between design, construction and facility management; however, success depends on data quality, interoperability, cybersecurity, workforce capability, procurement discipline and ethical use of automation. For Saudi mega projects, the strongest value is expected in MEP-intensive assets where energy, cooling, lifts, water systems, fire safety, indoor environmental quality and equipment availability directly affect public value. The paper proposes a practical roadmap for staged adoption, beginning with priority assets and moving toward portfolio-level digital twin governance. It concludes that digital twins should be treated as socio-technical operating systems for smart buildings, not merely 3D visual models.
Ibad Ullah· Global academic journal of e...· 0 citations