STRATEGIC COST MANAGEMENT AND VALUE ENGINEERING FOR SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT UNDER SAUDI VISION 2030
Abstract
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 has accelerated investment in transport, utilities, urban development, tourism, logistics, housing and other infrastructure systems while simultaneously raising expectations for fiscal discipline, environmental performance and long-term public value. In this setting, conventional cost control that concentrates on tender price and retrospective variance reporting is insufficient. This review examines how strategic cost management and value engineering can be combined with life-cycle costing, sustainability assessment and digital information management to improve infrastructure value under Vision 2030. A structured integrative review was undertaken using recent peer-reviewed literature, verified publisher records and official Saudi policy sources. The synthesis focuses on five themes: the Saudi infrastructure cost-performance challenge; value engineering as a function-oriented decision process; whole-life cost and sustainability integration; digital enablers including BIM and data-driven cost control; and governance conditions required for implementation. Evidence from Saudi studies shows persistent exposure to design changes, incomplete information, change orders, schedule growth, fragmented decision-making and limited institutionalization of value engineering. At the same time, recent research demonstrates that value management, life-cycle cost analysis and BIM can improve option evaluation, cost visibility and sustainability outcomes when applied early and through multidisciplinary governance. The paper proposes an integrated Strategic Sustainable Value Management framework linking strategic objectives, functional requirements, whole-life economics, environmental and social criteria, risk, procurement and digital controls across the asset life cycle. The review argues that the principal opportunity for Vision 2030 is not simply to reduce capital cost, but to institutionalize value-based investment decisions that preserve required functions, reduce avoidable whole-life expenditure, strengthen resilience and align infrastructure delivery with national sustainability outcomes.