Adoption barriers to automation in the Saudi Arabian construction sector

This paper explores the adoption barriers to automation in the Saudi Arabian’s construction industry, from the perspectives of contractors, consultants, and owners. Eighteen barriers were uncovered through literature review and pilot-testing. A questionnaire survey was designed and presented to practitioners in the construction sector before distributing to the targeted professional. Ninety-five responses were analyzed utilizing the Relative Importance Index (RII). Cronbach’s alpha tool was employed for examining the reliability of the collected data. The agreement level among the stakeholders was determined. The analysis shows that there is moderate agreement among the stakeholders. The top barriers of adopting automation are “High initial capital cost of automated equipment”, “Shortage of fund in automation research and development”, “Individuals’ resistance to change”, “Shortage of skilled workforce”, “Lack of knowledge in automation applications”. This research contributes to expand the boundaries of knowledge in the field of construction automation through presenting the barriers that should be taken into account by researchers and practitioners in developing countries, prior to implementing automation, so that future solutions can be investigated. The finding can benefit authorities in setting plans, developing strategies and introducing incentive programs to encourage the primary stakeholders in the construction industry to adopt automation.