Construction update for the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (Invited Paper)

The Square Kilometre Array Observatory will be the world's largest radio telescope facility and will operate across the frequency range of 50 MHz to 15.4 GHz through a pair of interferometric arrays, SKA-Low (Australia; 50-350 MHz) and SKA-Mid (South Africa; 350 MHz - 15.4 GHz). With the construction approved in July 2021, and permitting access provided to both sites by December 2022, we report on the infrastructure development, manufacturing, early integration activities and initial array deployments. We highlight the progress against the planning and the trajectory for completion across the budget, schedule and performance baselines. We note the challenges encountered and navigated in the execution of large research infrastructure construction as well as the broader impacts for such investments, beyond the planned scientific research.