Giga-Project Fire Safety: Shifting Priorities Under Vision 2030
Saudi giga-projects, such as entertainment cities, airports, high-speed rail and mixed-use developments, raise particular fire safety challenges: very large visitor numbers, wide open spaces, continuous operation and coordination between several agencies in an emergency.
Key challenges
Fire Middle East, covering projects such as Six Flags Qiddiya, New Murabba, King Salman Park, Red Sea International Airport, King Salman Gate and the Qiddiya high-speed railway, points to challenges in:
- Crowd management and evacuation planning.
- Smoke control in large spaces.
- Integration of alarm systems with other building systems.
- Coordination between agencies in an emergency.
- Tunnel safety, emergency communications and real-time monitoring on rail projects.
Performance-based design
The General Building Code (SBC 201) lets the building official accept designs that do not follow the prescriptive requirements where they give equivalent or better safety, under the guidance of the National Committee for the Saudi Building Code. According to an International Fire & Safety Journal interview with a consultancy, performance-based design was available in the 2018 edition, and the 2024 edition clarifies when and how it is used, with smoke modeling and evacuation analysis used to demonstrate safety. This kind of design needs a qualified consultant and the approval of the authority having jurisdiction.
What it means for contractors and owners
- Bring in the fire safety consultant early, before the architectural design is fixed.
- Choose systems that integrate with building management, security and access control.
- Plan for integrated testing and commissioning, because the systems work as one, not as separate parts.
See also our smoke control and stair pressurization guide and BMS and fire system integration.
Working on a large, complex project? AZEIDK provides fire alarm, smoke extraction and fire fighting systems, with programming and systems integration. Contact the AZEIDK team
