Construction surveying in Jeddah, Dammam and Al Khobar: what contractors should expect

Contractors working in Jeddah, Dammam and Al Khobar face the same surveying demands as in Riyadh, with a few differences: coastal sites, dense existing networks, high-rise buildings and industrial neighbours. Whether you need one survey crew for a façade package or several teams for a large structure, it helps to know what good construction surveying in Jeddah, Dammam or Al Khobar includes before you sign.

What does construction surveying cover?

Construction surveying turns the design into positions on the ground and then checks the result. On a typical project it includes:

• Survey control: establishing or verifying the control points every team works from.
• Setting out: marking grids, foundations, columns, walls, anchor bolts, road edges and utilities from the approved design.
• Level control: transferring and checking levels floor by floor or layer by layer.
• Dimensional checks: verifying positions, alignment and levels of installed elements.
• As-built surveys: recording what was built and comparing it with the design. See as-built surveying.
• Technical office support: preparing setting-out data, processing field measurements and reporting differences.

What should a contractor expect from a surveying team?

A reliable survey team should give you:

1. One reference for every trade. Structural, mechanical and façade contractors should all work from the same control and levels.
2. Prepared data before field work. Setting-out points calculated and checked in the office, not improvised on site.
3. Checked results. Measurements compared with the design, with differences reported clearly so they can be reviewed in time.
4. Calibrated instruments. YAZ teams use Leica total stations such as the Nova MS60, TS20 and TS16, Leica GS18 I, Trimble R12i and Hi-Target GNSS receivers, and Leica RTC360 and Trimble X7 laser scanners.
5. Clear reporting in Arabic and English.

What has YAZ done in Jeddah?

At Jeddah Tower, YAZ supports Saudi Binladin Group with field surveying teams and technical office survey engineers for structural and mechanical works. The scope includes structural setting-out, grid alignment, coordinate and elevation control, references for mechanical elements and routes, comparison of as-built conditions with the design, and follow-up and verification of 3D laser scanning within YAZ’s assigned scope. Our article on surveying a super-tall tower describes how field and office work together there.

For other projects in Jeddah, the same services are available: high-rise and structural surveying, setting-out, topographic surveys, 3D laser scanning and dedicated survey teams. See surveying company in Jeddah.

What has YAZ done in Dammam and Al Khobar?

At Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, YAZ provided surveying support to the façade contractor: setting-out, dimensional checks, and alignment and level verification of the assigned stadium façade works. Façade packages show why construction surveying matters: panels and supports must meet the structure at the right positions and levels, and errors are expensive to correct once installed.

The same services are available for other projects in Dammam, Al Khobar and Dhahran. See surveying company in Dammam and Al Khobar.

How are teams mobilised outside Riyadh?

YAZ has no office in Jeddah, Dammam or Al Khobar. Its headquarters and teams are in Riyadh, and teams travel to projects across the Kingdom with their own instruments. Together, YAZ’s operations in Saudi Arabia and Syria have more than 60 active surveying teams, so one crew or several can be assigned depending on the scope. Mobilisation requirements for each site are agreed in the quotation.

What should you send for a construction survey quotation?

• the project location and type of structure or works;
• the survey scope: control, setting-out, checks, as-built or laser scanning;
• the number of teams and the expected duration of the work, if known;
• design drawings or models and the coordinate system;
• site rules for access, safety and working hours.

YAZ prices each request in a written quotation. Use the quotation form, or request surveying teams for longer site support. For Medina projects, see surveying company in Medina.