Saudi engineering teams are carrying heavier documentation workloads across commercial, healthcare, hospitality, logistics and data centre projects. Design submissions run to tight programmes, and the same architectural, structural, MEP and ELV drawings are revised several times before issue. Many consultants and contractors find that the bottleneck is not design judgement but production capacity: modelling, drafting, schedules and drawing registers.
This guide explains how a remote production partner based in India can support that work. It covers the deliverables, the workflow, the inputs a Saudi client needs to provide, and the checks that keep remote output usable. It also states where remote support stops and where local engineering responsibility, statutory approval and site work begin.
Where Remote Production Support Fits
Remote support is most useful for work that has defined inputs and checkable outputs:
- Revit modelling from approved 2D layouts or specifications
- AutoCAD drafting and detailing of design drawings, layouts and riser diagrams
- ELV and ICT model families, equipment placement and cable routing in BIM
- Shop drawing and as-built preparation from site markups or survey data
- Drawing registers, revision tables and sheet production
- Quantity take-off and BOQ support from a finished model or drawing set
Work that depends on local judgement remains with the Saudi team: design intent, code compliance sign-off, client approvals, statutory submissions to the relevant authority, installation, testing and commissioning on site.
Revit and BIM Production Workflow
A remote Revit workflow should start with a BIM execution plan agreed before modelling begins. The plan should define:
| Item | What to agree |
|---|---|
| Level of Development (LOD) | Geometry and information expected at each milestone, for example LOD 300 for coordination and LOD 400 where the model supports fabrication or shop drawings |
| Model structure | Separate linked models per discipline (architecture, structure, MEP, ELV/ICT), shared levels, grids and survey point |
| Naming and families | File naming, workset and family naming rules, and whether the client supplies a family library or the remote team builds one |
| Coordination | Model exchange format and frequency, clash detection tool, and the clash resolution owner |
| Deliverables | Native Revit files, sheet PDFs, DWG exports, IFC if needed, schedules and checking records |
Model development should follow the agreed LOD at each stage rather than modelling everything at maximum detail from the start. Revit families for ELV devices such as cameras, readers, detectors, horns and racks should carry the geometry, connection points and parameters that the client's schedules need.
CAD Drafting and Drawing Control
For CAD production, the drawing package matters more than the drawing count. A typical ELV and ICT package includes:
- Design drawings and layout drawings at agreed scales
- Schematic drawings and single-line diagrams
- Riser diagrams for ICT, fire alarm and security systems
- Detailed drawings for rooms, racks and equipment
- Typical installation details and legends
- Drawing register and revision log
Each drawing should carry a revision history, a checked-by and approved-by field, and a reference to the source markup or instruction it responds to. Revision management is where remote work most often fails. Every revision should be traceable to a comment or instruction, and superseded sheets should be archived rather than overwritten.
ELV and ICT Documentation Scope
The table below lists common ELV and ICT drawing types and the inputs they usually need. The required content depends on the project specification and the local consultant's design.
| Drawing or model | Typical inputs from the Saudi team |
|---|---|
| CCTV camera layout and coverage | Camera types, mounting heights, coverage objectives, site plans, lens or coverage criteria |
| Access control layout | Door schedule, reader types, lock types, controller locations, interface requirements |
| Fire alarm layout | Approved fire strategy, detector and device types, zoning, cause-and-effect matrix |
| PAVA layout | Speaker types and locations, zoning, acoustic requirements, amplifier location |
| Structured cabling layout | Telecom room locations, outlet schedule, cable types, pathway routes |
| Rack elevations | Equipment list with dimensions, weights, power and heat load, rack layout rules |
| MDF and IDF room layouts | Room dimensions, containment and cable entries, power and cooling provisions |
| Fibre backbone diagram | Building riser route, fibre count and type, termination points |
| BMS integration drawing | Point list, controller architecture, interface protocols, network segmentation |
Values such as camera spacing, cable fill, containment sizing and UPS capacity should come from the project design basis and manufacturer data. A drafting partner should not select them without that input.
Saudi Regulatory Context
Saudi design documentation sits within the Saudi Building Code framework and the requirements of the authorities that review each system. The Saudi Building Code is published through the official portal at sbc.gov.sa. Its parts cover general building, electrical, mechanical, fire protection and energy requirements, and the applicable edition and amendments should be confirmed on that portal before a project starts.
Fire alarm and life safety documentation is subject to the requirements of the General Directorate of Civil Defense (998.gov.sa). Telecommunications and ICT infrastructure is governed by guidance from the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (cst.gov.sa). Cybersecurity considerations for connected building systems fall under the National Cybersecurity Authority (nca.gov.sa). Sector-specific requirements, for example for financial or government facilities, apply only where the project is in that sector.
A remote drafting partner prepares documentation to the design basis supplied. Statutory approval, certification and the selection of applicable codes remain the responsibility of the locally responsible consultant and the relevant authority, and should be confirmed for each project.
Required Inputs from the Saudi Client
Remote production speeds up when the input package is complete. Before work starts, the client should provide:
- Approved architectural, structural and MEP drawings, in DWG or PDF, with the revision status shown
- Survey data and the agreed coordinate and level reference
- The ELV and ICT design basis or specification, including system types and performance criteria
- Equipment schedules and manufacturer data where selections are fixed
- Markup and comment files with a named reviewer for each issue
- The BIM execution plan, naming rules and family standard, if they exist
- Deadlines for each package and the review and approval routine
Quality Assurance and Coordination
A remote package should pass four checks before issue:
- Self-check: the modeller or drafter verifies against the input drawings and the checklist for the drawing type.
- Peer check: a second engineer reviews geometry, labelling, scales, symbols and revision status.
- Coordination check: clash detection against the linked architectural and MEP models, with each clash logged and assigned.
- Client review: the Saudi team reviews the package and returns comments through the agreed route.
Model and drawing exchange should follow a fixed schedule, for example daily file transfer and a weekly coordination call. The time difference between Saudi Arabia and India is small, which allows same-day turnaround on comments when the comment log is kept current.
BOQ and Quantity Take-Off Support
Quantity take-off from a model is only as reliable as the model. Before quantities are extracted, the team should confirm that families carry the correct category, that cable and containment runs are connected to their systems, and that device counts match the schedules. Cable quantities should include termination allowances and route lengths. Containment quantities should be checked against the route plan. Each BOQ line should be cross-checked against the drawing or schedule it came from, and any assumption should be written in the BOQ notes.
Commercial Considerations
Remote production can reduce the cost of peak workloads because it avoids local hiring for short periods. It is most cost-effective when scope is defined up front, the input package is complete, and the team stays with the project for its duration. Costs rise when scope changes late, when inputs arrive in pieces, or when comments are not consolidated. Agree on a fixed scope per package, a revision allowance, and a change-control route before work starts.
How ASDV Consultant Supports Saudi Engineering Teams
ASDV Consultant is an India-based ELV and ICT design consultancy. It provides remote CAD, Revit and BIM production support, and ELV and ICT design documentation, to engineering consultants, contractors and system integrators. Support is delivered against a client's design basis and drawing standards. ASDV does not provide statutory approval, installation, testing or site execution in Saudi Arabia.
Explore the ELV design services, read our BIM coordination and Revit guide for ELV/ICT design, and see the Saudi Building Code ELV and ICT compliance overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a remote team from India produce Revit models for a Saudi project?
Yes, when the input package, BIM execution plan and review route are defined. The model must meet the agreed LOD and the client's checks.
Does ASDV provide statutory approval for Saudi projects?
No. ASDV prepares design and production documentation. Statutory approvals are obtained by the responsible consultant and submitted to the relevant authority.
Which software is used?
Revit for BIM and AutoCAD for 2D drafting. Output formats are agreed per project, typically native files, DWG, PDF and IFC.
How are revisions controlled?
Each revision is logged in the drawing register, linked to the comment that caused it, and archived when superseded.
What information should be sent first?
The latest approved drawings, the design basis for the ELV or ICT system, and the BIM execution plan if one exists.
Discuss Your Saudi Arabia Project
Need CAD, Revit, BIM, ELV or ICT design support for a Saudi Arabia project? Discuss your drawing packages, BIM scope or engineering resource requirements with our team via the ASDV Consultant contact page.