OPERATIONS MANAGER AT LINQ

Modular construction is transforming hotel development in the GCC, enabling faster, costeffective, and sustainable builds. LINQ’ s Operations Manager, Graham Petty, discusses how advanced materials and regulatory approvals are driving the future of hospitality infrastructure.

What are the key technological advancements that enable modular construction to meet the GCC’ s ambitious hotel expansion goals?

The hospitality sector in the GCC is expanding at an extraordinary pace, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia leading the charge in hotel development. With room capacity set to double by the end of the decade, the industry needs a construction solution that is not only faster but also delivers exceptional quality and scalability. That’ s precisely where modular construction comes in and at LINQ, we’ re at the forefront of this transformation.

Modular construction is perfectly suited to hospitality because it thrives on precision and repeatability. By manufacturing hotel rooms, villas and resort units in a controlled environment, we ensure every element is crafted to exact specifications before it even reaches the site. This level of quality control simply isn’ t achievable with traditional construction, where weather, labour constraints and logistical challenges often cause delays and inconsistencies. With modular, we lock in 3D designs early, optimise the entire build process and eliminate waste – delivering projects in record time without compromising on excellence.

How does LINQ’ s modular construction approach compare to traditional methods in terms of efficiency, sustainability and cost-effectiveness?

Unlike traditional construction, where everything happens sequentially on-site, modular construction allows us to build key components in a controlled factory setting while site work progresses simultaneously. This parallel process speeds up project timelines significantly – by as much as 50 %, according to a McKinsey report – while also reducing project out-turn costs by 20 %.

This approach can be significantly more sustainable, as a factorycontrolled setting and highly optimised, repeatable processes enable us to minimise resource utilisation. The reduction in materials can be truly staggering – according to a report by the Waste & Resources Action Programme( WRAP), modular construction can reduce waste materials such as timber, cardboard, plastics and concrete by up to 90 % compared to traditional construction methods.

What challenges does modular construction face in the region and how has LINQ navigated regulatory and logistical hurdles, particularly with Dubai Municipality’ s licensing process?

There are still a few lingering misconceptions about modular construction in the hospitality sector, perhaps the biggest of which is that modular buildings compromise on quality, particularly when it comes to acoustics and structural integrity. Some in the industry still associate modular with outdated prefab concepts, but the reality today is completely different.

At LINQ, we’ re challenging these perceptions and one of the key turning points in our journey was securing a license from Dubai Municipality to pilot the design and construction of highly sustainable, customised modular G + 6 units for both commercial and residential developments. This official validation has been a gamechanger, giving developers the confidence that modular construction meets and even exceeds, regulatory and industry standards.

And it’ s not just theory – we’ ve proven the model in action. Throughout 2024, we successfully manufactured and installed 218 serviced apartments at Sindalah, the iconic island destination in Saudi Arabia. This project wasn’ t just about delivering at scale; it

60 www. intelligentbuild. tech