Riyadh: A quiet revolution is unfolding across the global construction sector, which has long been considered the most resistant to digitalization.
Artificial intelligence is no longer just a buzzword limited to labs and boardrooms. It is increasingly present in urban fabrics embedded in scaffolding, concrete and command centers.
One company at the heart of this shift is Viact, a Hong Kong-based AI company co-founded by Gary Ng and Hugo Cheuk. Their goal is to make construction safer, smarter and more productive using scenario-based AI engines built for complex, high-risk environments.
“Despite being one of the most labor-intensive and dangerous industries, construction remains extremely short,” Ng told Arab News. “We saw this as an opportunity to bring AI-driven automation and insights to the forefront of operations.
Unlike traditional surveillance tools that simply record footage, Viact's platform works like a digital foreman. Interpret real-time visual data to detect unsafe practices, productivity gaps and anomalies.
At the core of the platform is intelligent video analytics powered by edge computing. By handling visuals from cameras and sensors on-site, Viact can flag whether workers have entered a restricted zone, whether appropriate personal protective equipment is worn, or whether the crane is unsafe.
“It's not just about object detection,” Ng said. “Our AI understands the context. It recognizes the action. It recognizes the action and acts in real time, so that the harness or truck is too close to the edge without being at risk.”
The ability to contextualize data is important in megaprojects where risk is magnitude.
The company's technology has already been deployed in East Asia and parts of Europe. Currently, the company is focusing on Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region. There, Giga Project is transforming the skyline at record speeds.
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Ng confirmed that Viact is confirming positive debate for entering the Saudi Arabian market.
“Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is deeply in line with our mission,” he said. “There is a growing demand for AI in infrastructure, not only for safety, but also for efficiency, environmental compliance and transparency.
From Neom and Line to Qiddiya and Diriyah Gate, Saudi Arabia leads one of the most ambitious construction booms in the world. These projects include thousands of workers, advanced logistics and constant monitoring.
However, traditional safety audits and manual inspections are no longer sufficient. “A project of this scale, real-time monitoring is not a luxury. It's necessary,” Ng said.
Viact has not yet been released in the Kingdom, but its platform is fully prepared for Arabic localization and local compliance standards, including Saudi Arabia's labour laws and the Gulf Cooperation Council's safety code.
What sets Viact apart is its seamless integration with existing infrastructure. Rather than requiring expensive proprietary equipment, the platform works with standard CCTV cameras and can be deployed to both urban and remote sites.
“Our system is plug and play,” Ng said. “There's no need to overhaul the entire setup to use AI. This makes it ideal for companies in transition and timelines for staged construction.”
Using Edge AI means that data is processed on sites rather than on remote clouds, so Viact can provide insights even in areas with weak internet connections. This feature is especially useful in Saudi Arabia's more isolated development zones and early stage sites with minimal setups.
The software is also highly customizable. For example, clients building hospitals may prioritize fall detection and material delays, while contractors working on airport runways may need to monitor large machines and boundary access.
As automation forms an industry, many people worry that people are being replaced by machines. However, Ng argues that Viact's goal is not to eliminate workers, but to protect them.
“We don't make robots to take over,” he said. “We are building tools to enhance human judgment and ensure safety. When workers are warned of risk before an accident occurs, AI is doing their best.”
In fact, many Viact clients report adoption is smoother when they understand that site workers are observing dangerous situations rather than spying on the system. Managers get better surveillance and workers feel at ease.
“We think of this as a collaboration between human intelligence and artificial intelligence,” says Ng. “Each of them has their strengths. Together, they're much more effective.”
Deploying AI during construction brings ethical questions to the forefront, especially in projects run by government agencies and involving public infrastructure. Ng is ahead of time on these concerns.
“All solutions are GDPR compliant and privacy-first,” he said, noting the EU's General Data Protection Regulations, a comprehensive set of rules designed to protect individual personal data.
“We don't use facial recognition and don't track individuals. It's purely focused on safety, compliance and productivity.”
Workers are anonymized in the system, and all data is encrypted and stored securely. The dashboard used by contractors and project leads includes logs, alerts and safety scores to allow clear documentation and accountability without compromising personal privacy.
This is especially important in the Gulf, where multinational workforces and cross-border stakeholders are often involved.
Looking ahead, Viact will double its expansion in the Middle East, continue to advance its AI model, and advocate for the deployment of ethical AI in high-risk sectors.
The company is also looking for ways to integrate predictive analytics, ensuring that clients can foresee and prevent incidents before they occur. This ultimately leads to AI roles moving from reactive to aggressive predictive safety breach, delivery delays, and environmental compliance issues beforehand.
Ng believes that this kind of intelligent foresight will soon become the norm across the construction industry.
“It's not about replacing humans,” he said. “It's about building a smarter site. Here, decisions are faster, less risky, and life is safer.”
In the age of Giga Project, it is already built by future Saudi Arabia.
