Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Metro Special Reports and Interviews
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Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Metro Special Reports and Interviews

YOUNGCHUN CHOI
Project Manager & Senior Samsung Representative at the FAST Consortium


YOUNGCHUN CHOI
Project Manager & Senior Samsung Representative at the FAST Consortium



12 MARCH 2018: Samsung C&T, the overseas engineering and construction arm of the Samsung Group, has a coveted track record of successfully delivering globally-iconic, world-scale projects. Having built arguably two of the world’s most famous skyscrapers, the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia and Burj Khalifa in Dubai, it also has a reputation for introducing some of the world’s most advanced technological expertise into its work, including here in Saudi Arabia.

For Youngchun Choi, project manager and senior Samsung representative at the FAST Consortium, and a 27-year industry veteran, the Riyadh Metro is on yet another level.

“In terms of [monetary] value it is the largest project Samsung C&T has ever worked on. It is a complex project on many levels. From a technical perspective it stretches our project execution capability, as our scope here covers everything from construction to operations phases.”

As a member of the Civil Joint Venture (CJV) at FAST, Samsung C&T’s scope of work covers the construction of six stations (four elevated and two underground) on Line 4, plus a seventh station earmarked for future development. Overall, the company is also responsible for 16.8km of viaduct, 3.8km of tunnels, and 7km at grade for Line 4. For the tunnels, the company has deployed what Choi describes as the ‘most advanced technology’ 9.74m diameter drill Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), which was the first large-scale application of the technology anywhere in the world when deployed from mid-2015 on line sections which either lacked space at grade or where the city layout prevented viaducts or cut-and-cover excavation. For viaducts Samsung has been deploying its pioneering full span launch method, as well as project construction management and project systems management services, since March 2015.

Choi says a measure of success of the Riyadh project from Samsung’s perspective will be its ability to offer what he calls ‘best value’ for the client.

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