Alsehaimi, A O and Sanni-Anibire, M O (2026) Industry 4.0 technologies: An examination of benefits, challenges and critical success factors for implementation in the Saudi construction industry. Construction Innovation, 26(2), pp. 607-630. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose – The construction industry is witnessing a paradigm shift as a consequence of the fourth industrial revolution (IR 4.0). The implementation of IR4.0 technologies is, however, elementary in emerging economies such as Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to carry out an examination of benefits, challenges and critical success factors for IR4.0 implementation in the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology entailed a thorough review of the extant literature and consultation with experienced construction professionals in Saudi Arabia through questionnaire surveys. The data collected was further analyzed using the relative importance index approach and the confirmatory factor analysis. Findings – The most important benefits, challenges and critical success factors established by this study include "Improved Communication and Coordination, " "Cost of implementation (initial investment and maintenance)" and "Clear goals and objectives, " respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis established a theoretical model to serve as a foundation for IR4.0 adoption in the Saudi construction industry. Research limitations/implications – The limitations may be perceived in terms of the local context of the research, as well as the sample size. This prevents the potential for generalization of the study's results. Practical implications – It is of practical value to the Saudi construction industry in facilitating the successful implementation of technology through policies, frameworks and best practice guidance. Originality/value – The study advances the theoretical knowledge of technology implementation in the construction industry. Emerging economies such as Saudi Arabia seeking to leverage the capabilities of digital technologies will find the results of this to be of crucial value.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction industry; digital technologies; industrial revolution 4.0; Saudi Arabia |
| Index terms: | Saudi Arabia, industry 4.0, emerging economy, sample size, fourth industrial revolution, construction professional, paradigm, best practice, coordination, implementation, construction industry, survey, confirmatory factor analysis, relative importance index, questionnaire, methodology, critical success factor, digital technology |
| Subjects: | contractual arrangements, Geography, research methods, economic development, computing systems, control systems, research design and methodology, business, risk assessment, data collection methods, technology adoption, professional development, education and knowledge transfer, management, statistical analysis, industry analysis |
| Topics: | Procurement, Risk Management, Project Management, Geographical Context, Information Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Organizational Design, International Construction, Digital Applications |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here