Connect | MENA // Major Panel: Building at Speed, Performing at Scale - Rethinking delivery models for lasting reliability

MENA’s hyperscale ambitions are fueling rapid construction timelines, yet traditional design-and-build contracts often emphasize CAPEX savings over long-term operational performance. The result is facilities delivered quickly but plagued by fragmented systems, weak fault management, and inconsistent service quality. This session examines how performance-linked contracting and early collaboration among operators, designers, and suppliers can help bridge the gap between delivery speed and operational excellence. Can MENA reform its project structures to build fast and smart? The discussion will explore whether current contract models undermine operational maturity by focusing too narrowly on upfront costs, and how performance-based incentives (such as uptime-linked SLAs) could create shared accountability. Panelists will also cover how early engagement with suppliers and integrated planning can reduce misalignment, avoid costly redesigns, and ultimately ensure that hyperscale growth is built on a foundation of long-term reliability.