Building Materials

Acciona’s corporate slogan – “business as unusual” – could have been designed for times like these, as economies across the globe reel from the global COVID‑19 pandemic.

To date, it is fair to say Sri Lanka has weathered the global coronavirus outbreak better than most countries. As of 20 August, it had recorded some 2,902 cases and just 11 deaths.

The annual International Construction Cost Index (ICC) by global design and consultancy organisation Arcadis indicated that social unrest in the second half of 2019 and COVID-19 this year have hit the construction industry hard, while environmentally friendly practices need to be more widely integrated to ensure a carbon-neutral future.

The past few months have seen significant developments at Oman's Duqm Special Economic Zone, a venture backed by Mainland China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.