SMART BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR ENHANCING MEP PERFORMANCE IN SAUDI ARABIA’S VISION 2030 INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

Abstract

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.