01Bridge design intent and construction realityBridge design intent and construction reality
On Saudi mega- and giga-projects, by focusing on ground-related risks that affect constructability, cost, programme and performance.
3rd Annual
International Ground Engineering & Infrastructure Conference
14–15
October 2026Fairmont Riyadh
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Workshop13 October 2026
Conference Theme
Engineering the Ground BeneathSaudi Arabia’s Mega & Giga Projects
Trusted by
global partners
The institutions, societies and publishers that set the standard for ground engineering worldwide stand behind IGIC 2026.
Strategic Host Partner
Strategic Partners
Academic Partners
Official Publishing Partners
Conference Overview
A global platform
for real impact
Saudi Arabia is delivering major urban, transport, tourism, mining and infrastructure programmes across highly varied ground conditions. IGIC 2026 brings together the organisations commissioning and delivering these projects with the specialists responsible for foundations, underground works, ground improvement, rock engineering, groundwater control, testing, monitoring and construction performance.
The conference is designed around practical project delivery: how better ground information, buildable design, specialist construction methods, verification and timely engineering decisions can reduce uncertainty and improve safety, schedule certainty and long-term asset performance across Saudi Arabia and the wider region.
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IGIC 2026 Objectives
What the conference
sets out to do
A focused meeting point for project owners, government entities, contractors, consultants, mining operators, technology providers and academia.
01Bridge design intent and construction reality
02Address Saudi-specific ground challengesAddress Saudi-specific ground challenges
Hard and fractured rock, karst, sabkha and weak soils, variable groundwater, steep terrain and demanding underground construction environments.
03Share international best practiceShare international best practice
Project case studies, lessons learned and applied research that can be translated into Saudi project delivery.
04Showcase specialist equipment and digital toolsShowcase specialist equipment and digital tools
Machinery, testing, monitoring, materials and digital engineering tools that improve ground engineering decisions and construction control.
2026 Strategic Themes
- 01
Ground improvement at scale
for difficult soils and large development platforms
- 02
Deep foundations & piled systems
and foundation performance for major structures
- 03
Tunnelling & trenchless infrastructure
in complex ground and groundwater conditions
- 04
Rock mechanics & excavation support
slopes and hard-rock construction
- 05
Ground hazard management
for landslides, rockfall, sinkholes, collapsible soils and groundwater-related instability
- 06
Ground engineering for mining
open pits, underground excavations, tailings, slopes and water management
- 07
Environmental protection
through engineered barriers, drainage, containment and ground treatment systems
- 08
Digital engineering, AI, instrumentation & monitoring
for faster, evidence-based decisions
- 09
Forensic engineering & ground uncertainty
contractual risk allocation and dispute avoidance
What’s new for 2026
Pre-conference workshop13October 2026
Dedicated Mining Ground Engineering Workshop
Providing a deeper technical focus before the two-day conference.
RegisterSaudi-focused sessions on hard and fractured rock, karst, sabkha, groundwater, tunnelling, foundations and slope performance.
Expanded project-led discussion connecting Saudi giga-project design decisions with on-site execution and verification.
Stronger coverage of AI, digital engineering, instrumentation and real-time monitoring within ground engineering workflows.
Broader participation across project owners, government entities, mining operators, developers, main contractors, specialist contractors, consultants, equipment manufacturers and academia.
IGIC in numbers
Swipe to see all columns →
| Delegates | Institutional Partners | Speakers | Sponsors | Sessions | Countries Represented | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 700+ | 15+ | 45+ | 60+ | 25+ | 40+ |
| 2025 | 527 | 13 | 37 | 51 | 24 | 35 |
| 2024 | 500+ | 12 | 45 | 51 | 25 | 32 |
Project categories in discussion
Giga-projects, mixed-use cities and major urban developments
Airports, roads, bridges, rail and transport infrastructure
Tunnels, underground utilities and deep excavations
High-rise and large-footprint developments requiring deep foundations
Mining, open-pit and underground operations
Mountain developments, slope stabilisation and rock engineering
Coastal and island destinations with challenging soils and groundwater
Water, drainage, pipelines and utility infrastructure
About IGIC 2026
IGIC 2026 is an international technical and commercial platform focused on the ground engineering decisions that enable Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure and giga-project ambitions. The programme connects site investigation and ground characterisation with design, foundations, underground works, specialist construction, testing, monitoring and asset performance.
Project-led and execution-focused. Every session answers three questions:
- 1.What ground condition or uncertainty matters?
- 2.What engineering response is available?
- 3.How can the solution be verified during construction and operation?
Current and upcoming projects
North Riyadh01 / 07
Expo 2030 Riyadh
Major event infrastructure
The Expo site spans about 6 million m². Main utilities and infrastructure packages have moved into large-scale construction, with roads and core utility networks being delivered across the site.
Ground engineering focus
Large-area earthworks and platform preparation; foundation strategy for multiple asset types; utility corridors; settlement control; groundwater and excavation management; construction verification under a fixed delivery programme.
Stakeholder Expo 2030 Riyadh Company
Source: Expo 2030 Riyadh
Riyadh02 / 07
King Salman International Airport
Airport and logistics infrastructure
The masterplan covers approximately 57 km² and allows for six parallel runways, airport support facilities and associated mixed-use development. The airport is planned to accommodate up to 185 million passengers by 2050.
Ground engineering focus
Runway and pavement subgrade performance; large-scale earthworks; ground improvement; deep foundations for terminals and support assets; groundwater and drainage; quality assurance across extensive work fronts.
Stakeholder King Salman International Airport Development Company / PIF
Source: PIF
Note · Project facts are sourced from official owner / developer websites. Ground engineering focus points are proposed conference editorial themes, not statements from the project owners.
Who should attend?
Register NowKey stakeholder categories
- Saudi government and regulatory entities responsible for infrastructure, construction, mining, utilities and urban development
- PIF portfolio companies and giga-project developers
- Airport, road, rail, bridge, tunnel, water and utility project owners
- Mining companies and mine developers
- Real estate, tourism and mixed-use developers
- Main contractors, EPC contractors and construction joint ventures
- Ground engineering, civil, structural, foundation, tunnel and rock engineering consultants
- Foundation, piling, ground improvement, tunnelling, rock support and dewatering contractors
- Testing laboratories, instrumentation and monitoring specialists
- Machinery, equipment, material, software and engineering technology providers
- Universities, research institutes, professional associations and standards bodies
Job titles
- 01CEOs, Managing Directors, Project Directors and Programme Directors
- 02Heads / Directors of Infrastructure, Engineering, Design, Technical Services and Construction
- 03Heads / Directors of Ground Engineering, Foundations, Underground Works, Tunnelling and Rock Engineering
- 04Heads / Directors of Mining Engineering, Ground Control and Mine Infrastructure
- 05Heads / Directors of Quality, Technical Assurance, Risk, Asset Management and Operations
- 06Chief Engineers, Principal Engineers, Technical Managers and Discipline Leads
- 07Commercial, procurement and supply-chain leaders for specialist engineering packages
Why attend IGIC 2026?
- 01
Understandhow Saudi ground conditions influence foundation, tunnel, excavation, slope and infrastructure decisions.
- 02
Compareground improvement and foundation strategies for large-scale developments, transport assets and complex structures.
- 03
Learnfrom international and regional project case studies focused on constructability, verification and measured performance.
- 04
Exploretunnelling, trenchless and underground construction approaches for rock, weak soils and groundwater challenges.
- 05
Examinemining ground control, slope performance, tailings, water management and underground excavation risks.
- 06
Seespecialist machinery, testing, monitoring, materials and digital engineering tools relevant to Saudi construction.
- 07
Discusshow ground uncertainty should be allocated, documented and managed across contracts and construction interfaces.
- 08
Buildrelationships across Saudi project owners, government entities, contractors, consultants and specialist suppliers.
Sponsors & Exhibitors
Who should exhibit?
Book a Stand- 01Piling rigs, drilling systems, tooling and foundation equipment
- 02Ground improvement equipment and specialist contractors
- 03Micropiles, anchors, retaining walls and deep excavation systems
- 04Tunnelling, trenchless and underground construction systems
- 05Rock bolts, anchors, mesh, shotcrete systems and rock support
- 06Dewatering, pumping, drainage and groundwater-control systems
- 07Laboratory and in-situ testing systems
- 08Instrumentation, sensors, data acquisition and construction monitoring
- 09Grouting, soil mixing, stabilisation binders and specialist materials
- 10Geosynthetics and engineered ground / containment systems
- 11Engineering analysis, numerical modelling, BIM-linked ground data and AI-enabled decision-support tools
- 12Quality assurance, technical review and forensic engineering services
Why partner?
- 01
Engage directly with Saudi project owners and delivery teams working on major infrastructure and giga-projects.
- 02
Position technical capability around specific project challenges rather than generic product promotion.
- 03
Demonstrate equipment, methods and engineering solutions through case studies, technical sessions and exhibition displays.
- 04
Build relationships with consultants, main contractors and specialist subcontractors involved in Saudi project delivery.
- 05
Use the event as a focused platform for market-entry, partnership development and technical brand positioning in the Kingdom.
Programme & agenda
Three-day structure: a technical workshop followed by two conference days. Exact speakers and timings to be confirmed.
13
October 2026
Workshop Day
6 sessions
Pre-conference
Mining Ground Engineering Workshop
- Ground control strategy for open-pit and underground mining
- Slope stability, highwalls, waste dumps and stockpiles
- Tailings facilities: stability, seepage, monitoring and risk management
- Groundwater, flooding and dewatering in mining environments
- Rock support, underground excavation and construction control
- Observation, trigger-action-response planning and operational monitoring
14
October 2026
Conference Day One
7 sessions
Ground Conditions, Design & Constructability
- Opening: Engineering the ground beneath Saudi Arabia’s mega and giga projects
- Ground improvement at scale for sabkha, weak and collapsible soils
- Deep foundations and foundation optimisation for major Saudi developments
- Tunnelling and trenchless infrastructure in difficult ground and groundwater
- Rock mechanics for hard-rock excavations, tunnels and mountain projects
- Ground hazards: karst, sinkholes, slopes, rockfall and groundwater-related instability
- Project owner panel: improving early ground information to reduce delivery uncertainty
15
October 2026
Conference Day Two
8 sessions
Construction, Verification & Performance
- Ground improvement QA/QC and performance verification
- Deep excavation, retaining systems and protection of adjacent assets
- Groundwater control, dewatering and drainage for underground works
- Environmental protection through engineered barriers and ground treatment
- AI, digital engineering, instrumentation and monitoring for construction decisions
- Forensic engineering: learning from unexpected ground behaviour and failures
- Ground uncertainty, contractual responsibilities, claims avoidance and technical assurance
- Closing panel: transferring global practice into Saudi project delivery
Workshop
13 October 2026
Conference
14–15 October 2026
Venue
Fairmont Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Technical Advisory Committee
Conference Chairman
Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie
Senior Manager – Geotechnical Engineering,
Dubai Development Authority
Co-Chairman
Hamzah M. B. Al-Hashemi
CEO & Technical Director, GeoStruXer; Adjunct Faculty
American University of Bahrain
Bahrain
Co-Chairman
Dr. Saeed Alzahrani
Assistant Professor
Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Saudi Arabia
Co-Chairman
Dr. Ahmed Stifi
Managing Director,
Acumen Consulting
Germany
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Sebastien Burlon
Geotechnical Manager
Cerema
Prof. Pedro Simao Pinto
Professor
University of Coimbra
Dr. Alejo O. Sfriso
Geotechnical Engineer
SRK Consulting
Prof. Ki-Bok Min
Professor, Department of Energy Resources Engineering College of Engineering
Seoul National University / Vice President for Asia, ISRM
Prof. Hesham El Naggar
Distinguished University Professor Director
Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership & Innovation Western University
What they say about IGIC
01 / 09
I’m very happy to see IGIC creating awareness about international corporation, especially in this region which is the leader in advanced mega projects. The conference is bringing together experts from all around the world, and I’m here to support the cause.
Dr. Marc Ballouz
President, ISSMGE, U.S.A
One major aspect of this conference is that you have multiple perspectives; you have people who are practitioners, people from institutions, and academia, which I believe is extremely beneficial for young engineers and students.
Prof. Dr. Mourad Zeghal
Professor of Civil Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), USA
