How CAD-to-XR supports the execution of Middle East giga-projects

Using live CAD and BIM data for design review, coordination and construction decisions across multi-billion-dollar projects A Middle East giga-project is not executed from a single master plan.

It is executed through thousands of engineering decisions, design revisions, procurement packages, contractor interfaces, fabrication activities and construction milestones happening in parallel. Projects such as NEOM, Qiddiya, Red Sea Global and Diriyah illustrate the scale of development underway across Saudi Arabia. Boston Consulting Group estimates Saudi Arabia's megaproject pipeline at approximately $1 trillion in investment, with the potential to create around one million future jobs. BCG

At this scale, the challenge is not simply creating accurate CAD or BIM models.

The challenge is making that engineering information useful to the people who have to review it, coordinate it, procure against it, construct it and ultimately operate the asset.

This is where CAD-to-XR can become part of the project execution workflow.

Instead of exporting engineering information into a disconnected visualization process, project teams can bring CAD and BIM models into immersive environments and use them to review facilities at scale, coordinate disciplines, examine constructability and communicate decisions before physical work progresses.

Key takeaways

• Giga-project execution involves continuous engineering change across multiple organizations and project packages.
• CAD and BIM provide the digital foundation, but stakeholders often need more intuitive ways to understand complex 3D information.
• CAD-to-XR converts existing engineering models into immersive environments for design and project reviews.
• VR can support multidisciplinary coordination, constructability reviews, procurement discussions and construction planning.
• BIM-to-VR can provide a shared environment for large building and infrastructure projects.
• The strongest use case is not a one-time VR demonstration but repeated use throughout project execution.
• Project owners can evaluate CAD-to-XR against practical indicators such as review time, issue discovery, RFIs and late design changes.

How are multi-billion-dollar giga-projects actually executed?

A giga-project is typically divided into numerous programs, packages, disciplines and contractors. Engineering may be progressing while procurement is underway. Contractors may be preparing construction activities while designers are still resolving interfaces. Equipment suppliers may be developing components that need to integrate with the wider facility.

That creates an enormous coordination requirement. PwC Middle East has highlighted the importance of strategic CAPEX planning as organizations manage uncertainty across capital-intensive programs. For project teams, this means engineering information cannot remain confined to the design office.

• A piping layout may affect construction.
• An equipment location may affect procurement.
• A structural change may affect multiple packages.
• A maintenance requirement may need to be considered before installation.

The faster stakeholders can understand these relationships, the earlier they can discuss the consequences. That is the practical context in which CAD-to-XR becomes useful.

What role does CAD-to-XR play in giga-project execution?

CAD-to-XR brings existing CAD models into an immersive VR, AR or MR environment so project stakeholders can experience and review engineering information in 3D and at physical scale. The important word is existing. A giga-project already has engineering systems and data.

The objective is not to recreate the project as a separate visualization asset. Instead, CAD-to-XR can provide another interface through which project teams interact with engineering information. For example, a project team reviewing an industrial facility could use an immersive environment to examine:

• Equipment placement
• Pipe routing
• Structural interfaces
• Access routes
• Maintenance clearances
• Equipment orientation
• Construction areas
• Package interfaces

Exxar's CAD to VR capability is built around bringing engineering CAD information into immersive environments for this type of review.

How can VR design reviews support an active project?

The value of VR is not limited to reviewing a finished design. On an active project, the model can become a common reference point for different project stakeholders.

1. Design review

Engineering teams can review layouts and spatial relationships in an immersive environment. Instead of discussing a complex area around a desktop screen, stakeholders can inspect the same environment from different viewpoints.

2. Multidisciplinary coordination

Mechanical, electrical, structural, process and other disciplines can review how their systems interact. This can be particularly useful where a problem exists at the boundary between disciplines rather than within an individual design package.

3. Constructability review

Construction teams can examine the physical implications of the design. Questions can include:

• Can equipment be installed as planned?
• Is there sufficient access?
• Can components be lifted into position?
• Are temporary access requirements understood?
• Do package interfaces create installation constraints?

4. Stakeholder approvals

Owners, EPCs and non-design stakeholders can review a design without needing to interpret every engineering drawing or navigate a complex authoring environment. This can make technical discussions more accessible across organizational roles.

Suggested Reads: **Why Integrated Digital twins Are the New Standard for LNG CAPEX Optimization**

Why is 1:1 CAD visualization valuable before construction?

The physical asset will not be experienced as a collection of drawings. People will build it, move through it, maintain it and operate it in three dimensions. A 1:1 immersive environment allows stakeholders to evaluate the model from that perspective before the asset exists physically. Consider an equipment room.

On a desktop, an engineer can rotate the model and inspect clearances. Inside VR, the team can stand in the intended location and examine the relationship between the equipment, surrounding systems and available access. That does not replace engineering calculations or formal design checks. It provides another way to identify spatial issues that may be difficult to communicate through conventional views.

For large projects, that shared understanding can be particularly valuable when owners, EPCs, consultants and contractors need to discuss the same design. Exxar's XR for CAD offering is relevant to this type of immersive engineering visualization workflow.

How does CAD-to-XR help when the project keeps changing?

This is one of the most important issues for an active giga-project. Engineering does not stop after the first design review. Models change because of:

• Equipment specifications
• Vendor information
• Design coordination
• Procurement decisions
• Constructability requirements
• Regulatory requirements
• Site conditions
• Client changes

A conventional visualization workflow can involve:

CAD → export → conversion → optimization → visualization → review

If this process requires significant manual work every time the model changes, the immersive environment can fall behind the current engineering information. A more direct CAD-to-XR workflow aims to reduce that friction:

Engineering model → XR environment → review → decision

The term instant CAD-to-XR should be understood as the objective of minimizing this workflow delay, rather than assuming every model requires literally zero preparation. This distinction is important for enterprise deployment. A giga-project needs its visualization process to remain useful as engineering evolves.

How can CAD-to-XR support procurement and fabrication?

Engineering decisions do not stop at design approval. Procurement and fabrication introduce another set of interfaces. For major equipment, project teams may need to understand how an item fits into its surrounding environment before fabrication, delivery or installation. An immersive review can help stakeholders examine:

• Equipment orientation
• Connection locations
• Access requirements
• Surrounding clearances
• Installation space
• Interfaces with adjacent systems

For example, a contractor could review an equipment package together with the surrounding facility rather than evaluating the equipment independently. This creates an opportunity to identify questions while the relevant design or procurement decision is still being discussed.

How does BIM-to-VR support construction coordination?

Giga-projects also involve extensive building, infrastructure and multidisciplinary BIM information. Bringing BIM models into VR gives project teams another environment for reviewing the physical relationships represented in the model.

With BIM VR, project stakeholders can use immersive visualization to examine areas such as:

• Building layouts
• Structural systems
• MEP coordination
• Circulation
• Equipment placement
• Construction interfaces

This can be particularly useful for stakeholders who need to understand the project without working directly inside the BIM authoring environment. The model remains the underlying digital representation. VR becomes the environment for experiencing and discussing it.

Can CAD-to-XR support modular and off-site construction?

Yes, provided it is integrated into the project's engineering and construction workflow. Saudi Arabia's construction sector is increasingly exploring modular construction, automation, robotics and off-site production, according to Oxford Business Group. These approaches place additional importance on interfaces.

A module fabricated away from the final site has to arrive with the required dimensions, connections and installation assumptions aligned with the receiving environment. Before fabrication or installation, immersive review can help teams examine:

• Module-to-module interfaces
• Equipment fit
• Connection access
• Installation sequence
• Lifting and positioning areas
• Maintenance access
• Adjacent package interfaces

The purpose is not to replace fabrication documentation. It is to give project teams another way to understand the physical context around the component being fabricated.

How can early contractor involvement work with CAD-to-XR?

Early Contractor Involvement, or ECI, brings construction knowledge into the project before the design is fully finalized. That makes it particularly relevant to immersive design and constructability reviews. A contractor can enter the model and discuss practical questions such as:

• Where will the equipment arrive?
• How will it be lifted?
• Where will workers access the installation area?
• What temporary works are required?
• Does the proposed sequence make sense?

HKA's analysis of Middle East giga-project risk highlights ECI as one approach for addressing the complexity of major project delivery. CAD-to-XR does not replace contractor expertise. It gives that expertise a common 3D environment in which the design can be examined.

Where does CAD-to-XR fit across the project lifecycle?

The commercial value of CAD-to-XR becomes clearer when it is treated as a reusable project capability rather than a one-time demonstration.

This lifecycle approach also means the investment in engineering visualization does not necessarily end when the design review is complete. The same digital information can support subsequent project activities where appropriate.

How should giga-project owners measure CAD-to-XR value?

The business case should be connected to project objectives. Instead of measuring success through headset usage or visual quality alone, owners can establish baselines for:

• Design review cycle time
• Issues identified before construction
• Construction RFIs
• Late design changes
• Engineering change orders
• Rework
• Approval time
• Physical mockups
• Construction readiness
• Commissioning issues

For example, if a project wants to improve multidisciplinary coordination, review duration and issue discovery may be useful indicators. If the objective is constructability, the project could track relevant issues identified before construction and compare them with its existing process. There is no universal ROI percentage for CAD-to-XR. The appropriate measurement depends on the project's baseline, workflow and intended use case.

What should project owners look for in an enterprise CAD-to-XR platform?

For a multi-billion-dollar program, choosing an XR headset is only one part of the technology decision. Engineering and digital leaders should evaluate:

1. CAD compatibility: Can the platform work with the engineering systems already used by the project?
2. BIM support: Can multidisciplinary BIM information be brought into immersive review?
3. Model scalability: Can the workflow handle large and complex engineering models?
4. Revision workflow: How quickly can updated engineering information reach the immersive environment?
5. Multidisciplinary collaboration: Can multiple stakeholders review the same environment?
6. Enterprise deployment: Can access and project information be governed appropriately?
7. Contractor participation: Can EPCs, consultants and contractors use the environment within the project's operating model?
8. Lifecycle reuse: Can the digital environment support activities beyond the initial design review?
9. Integration: Can the technology fit into existing engineering and project workflows?
10. Measurement: Can the project establish KPIs before deployment?

The objective is to avoid creating another isolated digital silo.

What does CAD-to-XR change for giga-project execution?

A multi-billion-dollar project is ultimately delivered through decisions.

1. Which layout should be approved?
2. Does the equipment fit?
3. Can it be installed?
4. Is the access adequate?
5. Does the package interface work?
6. Can the contractor execute the proposed sequence?

These questions are often easier to discuss when stakeholders can experience the engineering model in a shared 3D environment. CAD-to-XR provides that bridge between existing engineering data and immersive project review. CAD and BIM remain the foundation.

XR adds another way for owners, engineers, EPCs and contractors to understand that information and use it in project discussions. For Middle East giga-projects, the commercial opportunity is therefore not simply "using VR." It is using the engineering model that already exists to support design review, coordination, constructability, procurement, fabrication and construction decisions throughout an active project.

Frequently asked questions

How can CAD-to-XR be used in giga-projects?

CAD-to-XR can bring existing engineering models into immersive environments for VR design reviews, multidisciplinary coordination, constructability assessment, procurement discussions, fabrication review and construction planning.

How does VR help project owners review CAD models?

VR allows project owners and other non-authoring stakeholders to experience complex CAD models at immersive scale, making spatial relationships, layouts, equipment arrangements and access easier to discuss.

Can CAD-to-XR be used during construction?

Yes. Depending on the project workflow, immersive CAD or BIM environments can support constructability reviews, installation planning, contractor coordination and construction-readiness discussions.

What is the difference between CAD-to-VR and CAD-to-XR?

CAD-to-VR specifically brings CAD models into virtual reality. CAD-to-XR is a broader term covering extended reality workflows that can include VR, AR and MR.

Can BIM models be used in VR for giga-projects?

Yes. BIM-to-VR workflows can provide immersive visualization of buildings, infrastructure, MEP systems and other coordinated project information.

Does CAD-to-XR replace CAD or BIM?

No. CAD and BIM remain engineering information systems and authoring environments. CAD-to-XR provides an immersive way to visualize and review that information.

Turn your project CAD into an immersive review environment

Exxar enables enterprises to bring existing CAD and BIM data into immersive VR environments for design review, engineering visualization, multidisciplinary collaboration and constructability discussions. Explore Exxar CAD-to-VR and see how your project's engineering data can support immersive project execution.