The Big Project Middle East

ARCHITECTURE n ENGINEERING n CONSTRUCTION n PMVPUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

JUNE 2011 PLUSCHINA’S GCC TRAdE TIES

THE BRIBERy ACT 2010 fM RE-dEfINEd

hanging oUt with MegarMe

The rise of The superTallsThe inside story on a new generation of skyscrapers transforming cities worldwide

www.thebigprojectme.com | 3

June

Contents

26

23

REGULARS

Editor’s letter 4

News bulletin 7

Frontline 18Rope access specialists Megarme

on the extreme side of facilities

management

On site 26Royal City Contracting ‘s Dubai villas

make us of energy saving material

‘Insulated Concrete Form’

Project update 31Abu Dhabi’s waterfront development

built exclusively for emirati families

Talk 33Damac’s naill McLoughlin on

overcoming delays and building tall

Trends 51 Byrne Rental and FAMCO on

powering the region’s biggest

projects

Tenders 69

Diary 73

Your shout 74

FEATURES

15 News analysis China will be the GCC’s primary

trading partner by 2020, but what

does it mean for the region and the

quality of goods supplied?

23 Comment: The Bribery Act 2010 Clyde and Co senior associate Iain

Jones on the implications for the

regional construction industry

36 Rise of the supertallsThe recording breaking Burj Khalifa

could soon be overshadowed by

Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Tower, but

how high is too high?

43 The rise of Jeddah The infrastructure developments

addressing the city’s long term

flooding problem

58 FM specialFour FM providers explain how

they are changing the face of

facilities management

62 Supplier hotseatthe science behind Pitsburgh

Corning’s Foamglas insulation

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| www.thebigprojectme.com4

EDITO

R’S COM

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PublisherDominic De Sousa

Chief operations officerNadeem Hood

Associate publisherLiam [email protected]: +971 (0)4 440 9158

Director business developmentAlex [email protected]: +971 (0)4 440 9154GSM: +971 (0)50 458 9204

EditorMelanie [email protected]: +971 (0)4 440 9117 GSM: +971 (0)56 758 7834

Assistant editorChristine [email protected]: +971 (0)4 440 9116 GSM: +971 (0)55 105 3772

Senior sales managerScott [email protected]: +971 (0)4 440 9144 GSM: +971 (0)50 557 3677

Business development managerRhiannon [email protected]: +971 (0)4 440 9152 GSM: +971 (0)50 554 0116

Business development managerNayab [email protected]: +971 (0)4 440 9153 GSM: +971 (0)55 542 6032

Designer/PhotographerMarlou Delaben

PhotographerCris Mejorada

WebmastersTroy MaagmaElizabeth ReyesJerus King BationErik Briones

Printed byPrintwell Printing Press LLC

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Head OfficePO Box 13700Dubai, UAETel: +971 (0)4 440 9100Fax: +971 (0)4 447 2409Web: www.thebigprojectme.com

© Copyright 2011 CPI.All rights reserved.While the publishers have madeevery effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine,they will not be held responsiblefor any errors therein.

This month, speculation contuned to mount over Saudi Arabia’s ‘mile high’ Kingdom tower, with

reports that Burj Khalifa architect Adrian Smith has been appointed to design the project.

Nearly 200 metres higher than the current world record holder, Kingdom Tower is the latest in a new generation of ‘supertall’ structures changing the skyline of the world’s cities.

Not to be outdone, Qatar’s Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Al Thani announced plans to build another record breaker in Doha, with reports in the Qatari press the project is already under-way. Qatar’s unnamed tower will also stand taller than Dubai’s record holder.

In light of the announcements, it seemed fitting to return to our roots for a big projects special.

The news has been met with caution, excitement and awe — it is rumoured Kingdom Tower will cost US $30 billion to build and will be surrounded by a newly-constructed city for 80,000 resi-dents and one million visitors.

According ro research from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats (CTBUH) 25% of the world’s skyscrapers are now in the Middle East; of the top ten tallest buildings in the world, five are located in the region, with even more set to join the list over the coming 12 months.

When asked why the Middle East not only sets, but continues to break this gravity-defying record, Burj Khalifa project director John Mills responded: “Because they can”.

More than mere record breakers, the new ‘supertalls’ are changing our cities, creating vertical communities referred to as groundscrapers, cityscrapers and urbanscrapers — developments that “open up to the city on all levels”, according to CTBUH chair, Professor Sang Dae Kim.

Also in this issue, continuing the theme of ‘all things extreme’, rope access specialists Megarme share stories about their work scaling the world’s tallest and most iconic structures, per-forming the services nobody else can. While back on the ground, Damac’s Niall McLoughlin talks about the devel-oper’s own sky-scraping projects.

While concens for the welfare of workers on the region’s mega-projects still exists, The Big Project welcomed the news this month that PricewaterhouseCoopers has been appointed to oversee workers’ rights on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, following a recent petition signed by artists linked to the island’s Guggenheim Museum.

This month also saw the launch of our latest big project; our new website thebigprojectme.com.

No longer under construction the redesigned site, which launched last month, provides daily news and even more interviews, comment, features and galleries from The Big Project team, between issues.

The site will also allow readers to comment on the most significant developments in the region (and beyond). So log on, get involved and tell us what you think.

“Because they can”

Melanie MingasEditor


Demand for fabricated aluminium in Qatar, which was predicted to reach US $53 billion by 2015, will stall if Qatar lose the 2022 World Cup due to allegations of corruption against officials. In addition to the demand created by Qatar’s numerous stadia projects, the sectors expecting to experience the most growth as a result of December’s successful bid

included property, hospitality and infrastructure.

Prior to the allegations made against the bid team and FIFA offi-cials, it was expected the total con-struction sector would grow at a compound average growth rate (CAGR) of 12% from $7 billion in 2010 to $12 billion by 2015.

Despite the possible set back,

construction of Qatarlum’s $5.6 billion aluminium smelter has not been affected.

The joint venture with Norwegian firm Hydro Aluminium, is expected to start producing prime aluminium at the end of 2011.

The plant’s output will also sup-ply the GCC’s other projects.

The total building construction

spend in Qatar is estimated to reach $53 billion by 2015, exclud-ing projects currently on hold. Despite the potential set back to the growth of the industry it is believed housing projects will still go ahead.

The total projects under way in the country constitute 13% of the total value of projects in the GCC.

NEWS BULLETIN

ABOVE: Yasser Al Jamal, technical director for Qatar’s bid committee.

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The legitimacy of Qatar’s World Cup bid has been called into question following allegations of corruption.

British newspaper The Sunday Times, claims to have obtained information from a whistle-blower that FIFA execu-tive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma were each paid US $1.5 million to vote for Qatar to host the games in 2022.

An email leaked by banned FIFA vice president Jack Warner makes fur-ther claims that Mohamed Bin Hammam “bought the games for his country”. Bin Hammam ran for FIFA president but was suspended last month following the email leak and withdrew from the presidential race.

In addition, The Sunday Times has since claimed to have seen evidence that the Qatari bid team had intentions to establish corporate social responsibility (CSR) “initiatives” during last year’s finals, breaching FIFA guidelines.

In a statement issued at the end of May, Qatar’s bid team called the allega-tions “distressing, insulting and incom-prehensible”, and also deny any CSR initiatives took place.

The bid team also claim the whistle-blower does not possess any details or first hand evidence of bribery.

Within days of the announcement of the successful bid in December 2010, Qatar’s General Secretariat for Development Planning said 200 new construction projects would be launched over Q1 2011, including 12 stadia pro-jects; a huge drive to double the number of hotel rooms in the country; comple-tion of the Friendship Bridge linking Qatar to Bahrain; and airport expan-sions at Doha International Airport.

A large proportion of those projects now face uncertainty until FIFA makes a final decision on whether a re-vote will be held in the coming weeks.

The official statement from the bid committee read: “The aim of the bid committee has always been to show that the Middle East is a realistic option for staging the World Cup and it has worked extremely hard to bring the tournament to the Middle East for the first time.

“To have this achievement tarnished by completely unsubstantiated and false allegations, and for those allegations to be propounded by the parliament of the

Qatar’s 2022 World Cup crisisNumerous corruption allegations made against Qatar’s 2022 bid committee and FIFA officials

Growth of Qatar aluminium industry jeopardised

United Kingdom, is something we find distressing, insulting and incomprehensible.

“For The Sunday Times to suggest ‘nobody of sound mind could be persuaded the support for Qatar’ was based purely on merit, because Qatar is a ‘small desert state with a minuscule population, no football tradi-tions and hostile summer

temperatures’ is not only insulting, it exemplifies the sustained and unbalanced reporting that the bid commit-tee has been subjected to,” the statement continued.

The election for a new FIFA president will take place on Wednesday June 1; Sepp Blatter has run uncontested since 1998.

Predicted 12% CAGR depends on retaining 2022 World Cup games


Middle East construction disputes are world’s most expensive Average cost of disputes stands at US $21.15m more than global average

Construction disputes in the Middle East cost US $21.15 million more than the global average according to recently published research.

The first Global Construction Disputes Index released by EC Harris, the international built asset consultancy, also confirms the num-ber of disputes in the region’s construction projects has increased over the past two years.

“Resolving these disputes represents an

extremely expensive, time consuming and often unnecessary distraction for clients and contractors alike,” said David Dale, head of contract solutions, at EC Harris Middle East.

Globally, the average value of disputes handled by EC Harris in 2010 was valued at $35.1 million, with the average value in the Middle East standing at $56.25m.

The highest value dispute handled in the Middle East dur-ing 2010 cost $100 million.

The research revealed the most common cause of dis-putes to be poor administration. The other most common causes were: failure to properly administer the contract; incorrect contract selection when compared to a best fit with the project characteristics; unrealistic contract comple-tion dates defined at the tender stage; employer imposed changes; problems associated with construction slow down; and project funding.

“In an age of ever slimmer margins, the industry needs to focus far more attention on anticipating and preventing complex disputes in the first place and where disputes have already arisen, to resolving them swiftly and effectively, before they disrupt — or even jeopardise — construction projects,” Dale added.

Despite the costs, the research also found the average dis-pute is resolved around one month quicker than the global average, which currently stands at nine months.

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released by UPCManual and workshops to enhance awareness of rating scheme

ABOVE: David Dale, EC Harris

ABOVE: The official release of the manual in Abu Dhabi last month.

The Estidama Pearl Villa Manual has been officially released by Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), pro-viding guidance for owners, designers and consultants on how to achieve the mandatory one pearl rating for projects in the emirate.

“For all those involved with the design and construction of a villa, this manual aims to quicken and aid the Estidama application process by advising on what is required, who to contact for assistance and where materials can be sourced,” commented Amer Al Hammadi, UPC director of planning and infrastructure.

“It also explains the basics of Estidama and the Pearl Rating System and why these are such important initiatives for the future development and sustainability of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” Hammadi added.

Chapters in the manual include: what is Estidama and how is it measured; what is the Pearl Rating System; the need for Estidama; local challenges; process and procedures; and a summary of resources and tools to construct a sustainable villa.

The release, made at a press confer-ence in Abu Dhabi at the end of last month, is part of an education pro-gramme developed by UPC and Municipal System, which has been rein-forced by a series of workshops.

The UPC and Municipal System reported details on a series of nine work-shops, recently completed across Abu Dhabi to help villa owners comply with the requirements.

“The villa workshops were some of the tools that we designed to create new atti-tudes towards sustainability at large as we want to explain that everyone living in Abu Dhabi can — and should — contrib-ute towards it becoming the Arab world’s sustainable capital in accordance with the guiding principles of Vision 2030,” Al Hammadi said.

“Awareness, education and knowledge are the main drivers empowering behav-ioural change and a change in mindsets of individuals towards sustainability is a core part of ensuring that Estidama grad-ually and positively impacts our environ-ment,” he added.

$56.25millionTHE AVERAGE VALUE OF CONSTRUCTION DISPUTES IN THE MIDDLE EAST, $21.25MILLION MORE THAN THE AVERAGE IN OTHER REGIONS


The Big 5, one of the region’s largest con-struction shows is to add a dedicated con-crete show to its 20111 edition.

Middle East Concrete (MEC), will run along-side Big 5, from November 21-24 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The show will feature raw materials, logistics to precast prod-ucts, training opportu-nities and interactive demonstrations of plant and equipment, from its base at the Trade Centre Plaza.

Conferences, panels, workshops and seminars will also be offered to delegates.

Promoted by event organisers DMG as an “essential show-case for everything related to the concrete business”, Big 5 director Andy White says the show provides “rounded busi-ness and networking opportunities” as the regional industry demonstrates further signs of recovery.

“There is no other concrete industry event that provides such a rounded business and networking experience as MEC,” said White, who added: “The fact that it is co-located with The Big 5 is a huge plus, being located right at the centre of the biggest construction industry event in the region. It’s a unique synergy of having both your own industry plus a collection of the entire industry represented at The Big 5 at the same place,” he added.

Quoting figures from analysts Venture Middle East, DMG say planned projects in the Middle East are worth US $3 trillion, with an estimated $452 billion of these in the GCC. Projects in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE account for an 80% share.

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independent auditor on SaadiyatPricewaterhouseCoopers to monitor welfare of 20,000 workers

Following the proposed artists’ boycott of the Guggenheim Museum on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island in March, TDIC has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers as an independent auditor to monitor the welfare of construction workers.

The appointment by Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) was announced at the end of last month. It will see PwC responsible for “stringently monitoring [the] compliance” of contractors’ and subcontractors’ treatment of workers on Saadiyat’s construction sites.

The international tax, advisory and assurance firm will monitor the imple-mentation of the UAE’s labour law and TDIC’s Employment Practice Policy (EPP), which all third party companies employing workers on the island are required to comply with.

“TDIC is deeply committed to safe-guarding the rights of workers on its projects,” said chairman of TDIC’s EPP Steering Committee, Sultan Mohamed Al Mahmood.

“We are happy with the results we have achieved to date through our EPP, and the appointment of PwC will help us to con-firm that all our contractors and subcon-tractors are adhering to all their contractual obligations in relation to workers’ rights, and that they have the right support to help them meet these regulations,” he continued.

Al Mahmood is also the executive director of strategic performance for the committee.

In March, TDIC came under renewed pressure from Human Rights Watch, when more than 130 artists linked to the Guggenheim Museum signed a petition to call for better treatment of construc-tion workers on the island.

Human Rights Watch has been calling for improvements in the living and working conditions of workers on Saadiyat’s numerous sites for more than two years. TDIC said measures were already in place to safeguard construc-tion workers, and that a monitoring body would be appointed in May 2011.

In addition to the world-famous museum, other key developments on Saadiyat Island include the Louvre and Sheikh Zayed National Museum.

Annual reports will be produced by PwC on “key aspects” of workers’ wel-fare, including the rights of employers to hold personal documents; illegal recruitment fees; payment of wages; health and safety; and working condi-tions and accommodation.

In producing the reports, PwC will interview construction workers in their native languages and also meet with con-tractors and sub-contractors.

Spot checks will also be performed on construction sites and accommodation facilities at Saadiyat Construction Village; currently home to 10,000 work-ers, with that number set to double by the end of 2012 .

TDIC say the checks will be con-ducted without warning, with costs cov-ered by contractors.

According to TDIC contractors are “fully aware” of the EPP and other appropriate legislation and that failure to comply will result in “strict” financial penalties or cancellation of contracts.

“We are proud to be able to offer the substantial global expertise of PwC’s auditing and social compliance profes-sionals to support the development ambitions of TDIC,” added Ron McMillan, Middle East assurance leader for PwC.

Dedicated concrete show added to Big 5Conferences and live demonstrations to be held alongside 2011 show

ABOVE: Andy White.

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demand to drive regional exportsMiddle East to “benefit” from recent earthquake, say DCC

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce (DCC) has issued a study, which concludes the recent earth-quake in Japan will increase demand for a range of goods products by in UAE.

Sales of aluminium, plastics, copper, floor coverings and carpets are all expected to soar in the coming weeks, in addition to demand for gas

to meet Japanese demand and provide sufficient materials to rebuild areas of the country devas-tated by natural disaster. The increases are expected to be felt almost immediately.

Already a major trading partner with the UAE, Japan also has strong trade ties with Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman; which together provide 70% of Japan’s oil supply.

It is expected these trading figures will also increase, due to the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant.

In 2010, Japan ranked ninth on a list of Dubai’s top trading partner, with the volume of non-oil trade increasing 2.7% that year. According to DCC, 122 Japanese companies are registered with the authority.

According to further figures from the Chamber, other countries in Asia which cur-rently depend on Japanese products may also turn to the region to supplement their imports.

To total cost of the disaster is expected to reach US $235 billion.

Regional airport construction takes offIndustry leaders to meet in Dubai to discuss projects

Preparations for US $90bn of airport development and expansion projects in the UAE are to taking place this month.

The Airport Leaders Summit, one of the world’s leading events devoted exclusively to airport construction, operations, technology and services, will be held at this year’s Airport Expo in Dubai.

The event will provide a forum for industry decision makers from gov-ernments and businesses worldwide to find long term solutions to a num-ber of issues, in the wake of global economic uncertainty, rigid credit markets and high fuel prices.

“Airport development and expansion is projected to grow exponen-tially over the coming years in both the Middle East and Asia,” said show director Mohamad Bader-Eddin, adding: “As we near the exhibi-tion date, we are looking forward to gathering the sector’s veterans, who will exchange valuable industry insights, highlight opportunities and explore a roadmap to overcome challenges.”

Airport construction in 2011 remains positive with budgets at 78% of the world’s airports either remaining at higher levels or indicating further increases, according to the findings of the seventh Airline IT trends survey.

Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa are projected to see the strong-est growth in airport construction, according to the Middle East airport security market assessment report.

The research revealed safety and security remain an important focus area in which spending is expected to reach $ 57.7million by 2015.

One major project is the expansion of King Abdulaziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia which will aim to source state-of-the-art technology and construction materials for its estimated spending of $ 11.3bn.

Expansions at Doha International Airport, Qatar, will see two of the the world’s longest commercial runways completed by 2015. Mohamad Bader-Eddin, Reed Exhibitions Middle East

$57.7millionPREDICTED BUDGET FOR AIRPORT SECURITY IN THE REGION BY 2015 ACCORDING TO RESEARCH BY REED ExHIBITIONS

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Rixos chairman Fettah Tamince, who added: “As a major hotel brand, we concentrate on key hotel and residence projects and are thrilled to seal our presence in the region concurrently with our 10th year anniversary,”

The Antalya-based group owns and operates eight resorts and five hotels across Turkey, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Libya.

Turkish chain Rixos Hotels launch Palm Jumeirah projectCombined hotel and residence project for Dubai

A five star hotel and residence project by luxury chain Rixos Hotels has been launched at Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, with the first guests expected to arrive by the end of the year.

The completed resort will feature a 204 room hotel and 112 apartments, which will offer two and three bedroom residences and four and five bedroom villas.

According to the Turkish hotel chain, the

development will neighbour H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Al Maktoum’s Palace and Sofouh Road. Approximately two thirds of the land will be landscaped to create a “stunning” beach promenade.

“Middle Eastern markets have always pre-sented an invaluable investment opportunity for developing countries like Turkey,” said

Project rendering of the finished project, due to open this year.

70%OF JAPAN’S OIL SUPPLY IS IMPORTED FROM QATAR, KUWAIT, SAUDI ARABIA AND OMAN


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LYSIS | CHINAAs China is predicted to become the GCC’s most significant economic partner by 2020,

The Big Project examines how accelerated growth in the emerging markets of the East are changing the dynamics of both the trade and labour markets in the GCC

Made in China

According to a study by The Economist Intelligent Unit (EIU), China is expected to become the GCC’s most

significant economic partner by 2020. The resulting changes in global trade and

labour markets are expected to produce oppor-tunity for the GCC to address skills gaps within the region and form trading relationships with the emerging markets of the east.

While this is in part fuelled by the GCC’s increasingly price-sensitive market, EIU econo-mist for the Middle East and Africa, Ayesha Sabavala, says the strength of the manufactur-ing and services sectors in China and also India, is driving the trend.

“There has been debate as to why China, rather than India, would become the GCC’s main trading partner, but the shift in emerging markets is driven by manufacturing.

“If you look at the economic structures of both China and India, you will see manufactur-ing drives the Chinese economy, constituting one third of GDP. In India services are a more important driver, making up more than 50% of GDP,” Sabavala explains.

“In addition, China’s view of the GCC as a transhipment hub, interest in Africa, it’s unquenchable thirst for oil and the increase in domestic demand will all play a role in mak-ing China the GCC’s largest trading partner by 2020,” she adds.

The report also found that by 2015, emerging markets are predicted to account for 41% of global GDP, compared to an estimated 31% currently; a fact EIU consider proof of the evolving trend. It is also concluded that the emergency of such powerful economies will provide “massive opportunities” for the GCC.

Driving growthBy 2009, the emerging market share of GCC trade had reached 45%, a threefold increase since 1980, with an annual average rise of 11%, compared to an annual increase of 5% between the GCC and OECD countries.

The opportunities this will now provide will reach beyond the oil-related trade which powers China’s manufacturing industries, with EIU observing the GCC’s tourism industry is also feeling the benefits of China’s growing middle class.

Opportunity will also exist for GCC coun-tries to invest in infrastructure developments in Asia and some parts of the Middle East, aided by a reported shortfall in Asian capital for such projects. The primary areas for investment for GCC countries in these markets, lie in tourism, telecommunications and housing.


As a result it is expected the bulk of the GCC investments in emerging markets will focus on such tried and tested competitive strengths, in addition to energy, services, port operations, retail and financial services.

According to the report, it is also expected that Singapore, Malaysia and India will become primary partners for the technology and knowledge industries.

Non-oil trade between India and the UAE rose by 24% in the last fiscal year, bringing its value to $29.02 billion and making the UAE India’s third-largest trading partner after the US and China, according to the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

India’s non-oil exports to the UAE in the last fiscal year increased by almost $2 billion and now stand at $15.47 billion.

Yet while the changing landscape will pro-vide benefits, it will also bring increased com-petition for the region. In order to harness such potential, the report states Gulf countries will have to strengthen their labour markets and improve regulatory environments.

Changing timesThe shifting landscape is also seeing more com-panies from these emerging markets diversify-ing — industrially and geographically — towards the GCC, particularly Dubai, due to its strategic links to the rest of the world.

“Dubai has established itself as a logistics hub and companies will look to reduce their transportation costs by setting up shop in the emirate. Such companies will trade in consumer goods, warehousing, and all the other components of export and import; or be from the tourism and logistics sectors,” Sabavala observes.

“In spite of all the debt troubles that have plagues Dubai, the investment in infrastruc-ture prior to the global recession and the open business environment, make Dubai the logical choice for a business looking to service emerg-ing markets, be it Africa, Asia or further afield,” he adds.

Quality controlIn part the success of Chinese manufacturers can be attributed to the eleventh hour demands from various GCC countries and a number of business sectors during the boom; China has the man power to produce, in bulk, what other markets urgently require. Yet despite conveni-ent time-scales and prices, concerns have been

raised about the level of quality goods can achieve at these prices.

Observing the quality of aluminium goods from China is “of the lowest order”, Phil Ellerby, managing director of Rigidal Industries told The Big Project: “Chinese companies will always pose a threat to the industry here.

“As long as increasing volumes of imports are allowed, there will always be the contractors who only buy on the basis of price. We don’t buy from China at all, for a variety of reasons, despite prices being 20% less,” Ellerby asserts.

“It’s almost like going to the Souk and saying ‘I have this cladding for a building has anybody got any more discount to give?’

“Products are bought for the cheapest price without a thought for the quality side of it. At this stage their quality isn’t up to par,” he adds.

Sabavala agrees the West will maintain its competitiveness for quality products and well established international brands. “The OECD markets will maintain their edge as technology hubs — innovation, design and creativity will stay with the OECD while emerging markets will have to prove that their products are qual-ity products,” she adds.

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LYSIS | CHINA

“China’s view of the GCC as a transhipment hub, interest in Africa, it’s unquenchable thirst for oil and the increase in domestic demand will all play a role in making China the GCC’s largest trading partner”

AYEShA SAbAvALA, EIU ECoNomISt for thE mIddLE EASt ANd AfrICA, EXpLAINS thE fACtorS LEAdING thE EmErGING trENdS“The reason for the growth in trade between emerging markets and the GCC is partly owing to the acceleration of economic growth in these markets and the reduction in economic growth in the OECD countries. For example India has grown at an average of 6.1% per year since 1980; China has been even more impressive growing at an average of 10.1% in the same time period. There isn’t a single OECD country that has achieved those sorts of growth rates in the past 30 years (with the exception of Korea). The increase in growth in emerg-ing markets has led to shifting consump-tion patterns and the desire for more sophisticated products. Given the GCC’s location and the increase in quality infra-structure, the GCC has benefited from the increased trade flow into emerging markets.”

ABOVE: Phil Ellerby, Rigidal Aluminium.

ABOVE: Ayesha Sabavala, Economist Intelligence Unit.

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Question: How many rope access specialists does it take to change a light bulb at 240 metres? Answer: Not that many

Solutions at height

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PE ACCESS

“We cover a huge array of trades and disciplines that just happen to be done from a rope”

You’re a project manager nearing com-pletion on one of the region’s tallest buildings but there is a tile missing, a

bulb which needs replacing, or a window pane broken. Sending site workers to repair the problem isn’t an option, but the job still needs doing. Who do you call?

Rope access specialists Megarme are a 300 strong company with teams of skilled techni-cians whose expertise ranges across a number of disciplines. Having worked on projects such as Dubai’s Atlantis Hotel and Burj Al Arab; Bahrain World Trade Centre; oil rigs and even the world famous Burj Khalifa, they really do reach the parts nobody else can reach.

“We are known as the access specialists,” says head of business development Daniel Gill.

“Where there are challenging areas of build-ings; over hangs, under hangs, decking systems, where traditional access cannot reach, we tend to provide the solutions. Because we are man-power orientated we can arrive on site and be mobilised in a matter of minutes. It’s all non-conventional access,” he explains, adding: “There are cleaning companies out there who have rope access capabilities, but we are a rope access company with cleaning capabilities.”

Yet Megarme take responsibility for much more; with projects requiring construction,

LEFT: Megarme’s work on Dubai’s 828 metre Burj Khalifa included a two month top-to-bottom clean and installation of some of the fireworks for the official launch. BELOW: Gill onsite.


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“On the Burj Khalifa we were at 828m; you don’t get much higher”

installations, cladding, painting, welding and even non-destructive testing and inspection. Sometimes the work requires liaison and advice at a design stage to ensure architecture is practical, while the majority of jobs are con-ducted when the project is “very much out of the ground”.

“We cover a huge array of trades and disci-plines that just happen to be done from a rope,” Gill adds, with some of the more bizarre pro-jects including changing the bulb in the aircraft warning light on the top of the 240 metre Bahrain World Trade Centre.

ProjectsMegarme’s team was called in at the final stages of construction at the 414 metre Princess Tower, Dubai Marina, to install the final, and highest, panels; inaccessible because the build-ing is square with a step-in to the dome.

When the Atlantis Hotel was damaged by fire, Gill coordinated a team within days and spent five weeks on site. Recalling the project as a personal favourite, Megarme painted the complete archway and facade, provided struc-tural assistance and also repaired areas water damaged by fire fighters.

For the Yas Marina Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Megarme installed lights and glass panels, working around the clock to meet another tight deadline.

Gill recalls his other career highlights as including the, relatively low, Dubai Metro.

“We’re the largest IRATA rope access com-pany in the world; we’re the first port of call when it comes to problem solving, so that usu-ally leaves us in good stead for more of the pre-dominant projects out here. At some stage we’re involved,” Gill says.

Sense of dangerStatistically, working in the industrial rope access business is safer than travelling to site.

Strictly governed by the International Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA), each member of the team is secured

with two ropes, ready to either ascend or descend to the required point on the build-ing, rig, tower or bridge.

The highest point on the structure is accessed by lift, then stairs or ladder, with harnesses and attachment points used to reach the final rigging point.

The most senior person on site — who must hold the IRATA level three qualification — is then responsible for securing the ropes the team will work from.

Gill says he would much rather prefer to be attached to Megarme’s ropes than a cradle — where the user is dependent upon how the equipment has been stored and maintained by the third party — adding that it is the simplic-ity of the equipment, which makes it so safe.

“I always enjoyed the extreme side of life, but I never intended getting into industrial rope access when I left school,” Gill admits.

With a construction background, Gill says he met Megarme managing director Billy Harkin by chance, having arrived in Dubai to realise that he was over-qualified to work onsite but under-qualified to work off.

“My background is construction so I came to Dubai with a slightly false impression of what to expect. I just saw 80% of the world’s cranes and a construction project on every corner, but when I arrived I found I actually fit slap bang into a void that had zero requirement out here.”

Having now “inadvertently discovered his passion”, Gill says he can’t imagine doing anything else.

Racing towards the sunDespite vast experience defying gravity on some of the world’s most iconic structures, Gill says he “certainly got his kicks” working on the very top of the Burj Khalifa.

“We were at 828 metres; you don’t get much higher,” he says, recalling how he even stood on the highest point of the spire.

Having spent more than two months scaling the record breaking tower, Gill worked with the team tasked with cleaning the entire facade and installing some of the fireworks for the official launch in January 2010 — a deadline that was looking impossible to meet until Megarme arrived.

“When Tom Cruise did his abseil on the tower, a lot of online forums and blogs took what he did in a negative light. They high-lighted the fact that guys do this day in and day out in the sweltering heat for nowhere near as much recognition,” Gill says.

“I know how hard our guys work and it is incredibly hard work; mentally and physically draining. They are recognised within the com-pany, but I’m just pleased to be involved in any project we find solutions for.”

LEFT AND ABOVE: Megarme’s skilled teams also worked on Dubai’s seven star Burj Al Arab, and often carry out work on oil rigs.

CHAPTERSREGIONAL

ASHRAERAL-CRCANNUAL CONFERENCE

On behalf of The American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-

conditioning Engineering - ASHRAE Falcon Chapter in UAE, we would like to invite you to attend and participate in the annual Chapter Regional Conference (CRC) for ASHRAE Region At Large (RAL).The CRC will be accompanied by a two-day scientifi c conference, in collaboration with The United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP.

For more information about the Conference, registration and sponsorship opportunities,please visit: crc.ashraeuae.org • www.ashrae.ae

For information on sponsorship packages, please contact:Dr Ahmad AlaaEldin +971 50 641 8999

Stephanie McGuinness +971 55 667 9459 | [email protected]

“Sustainability Beyond Certifi cation’’The Conference will address many key topics, including: UNEP Energy Effi ciency – HVAC design for high-

ambient conditions. Green construction retrofi tting Environmental movement and sustainability Index Waste management Sustainable cities and buildings Urban horticulture Sustainable transport Renewable energy Low carbon economy Carbon economy and footprint Building Information Modelling (BIM)

ASHRAE RAL-CRC AnnuAL ConfEREnCE

On behalf of The American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineering - ASHRAE Falcon Chapter in UAE we would

like to invite you to attend and participate in the annual Chapter Regional Conference (CRC) for ASHRAE Region At Large (RAL ).

Our CRC annual Conference will be accompanied with a 2 days scientific Conference in collaboration with The United Nations Environment Program – UNEP.

This Conference will address many Key topics like and not limited to:

• UNEP Energy Efficiency- HVAC design for high ambient conditions.

• Green construction retrofitting • Environmental Movement and Sustainability Index• Waste Management• Sustainable cities and Buildings• Urban Horticulture• Sustainable transport• Renewable energy• Low Carbon economy• Carbon Economy and footprint• Building Information Modeling

Attractive sponsorship packages available; for more information please contact:Dr. Ahmad AlaaEldin: +971-50-641 8999 • Mohammad Ibrahim: +971-50-655 7612 Rami Alkhalil: +971-50-491 5088

ASHRAECHAPTERSREGIONALCONFERENCEABU DHABI 2011

“SUSTAINABILITY BEYOND CERTIFICATION’’

For more information about conference, registration and sponsorship opportunities; please log into: www.ashraeuae.org • www.ashrae.ae

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T | CLYDE AND CO

The Bribery Act, which will come into force on July 1 2011, has wide ranging extra-territorial application that extends to both UK commer-

cial organisations and foreign commercial organisa-tions carrying on activities outside the UK.

Individuals and commercial organisations oper-ating in the Middle East now have a three month period to amend their procedures to ensure they do not fall foul of an Act that has been described as the toughest anti-corruption legislation in the world.

Brief Overview of the Bribery ActWhen it is enforced next month, the Bribery Act will replace the UK’s existing common law and stat-utory anti-corruption laws with four new offences:

(a) a general offence of offering, promising or giving a bribe (Section 1);

(b) a general offence of requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting a bribe (Section 2);

(c) a distinct offence of bribing a foreign public official to obtain or retain business (Section 6); and

(d) a new strict liability offence for commercial organisations that fail to prevent bribery by those acting on their behalf (their associated persons), where the bribery was intended to obtain or retain a business advantage for the commercial organisation (Section 7).

The Bribery Act extends the crime of bribery to cover all private and public sector transactions; pre-viously bribery offences only applied to transactions involving public officials and their agents.

The Bribery Act does not apply retrospectively, therefore corrupt conduct that took place prior to July 1 shall be prosecuted under the existing laws.

The bribery act 2010Known as the “toughest anti-corruption legislation in the world”, Clyde and Co provide an analysis of the UK’s new Bribery Act 2010, with commentary from senior associate Iain Jones about the implications for construction companies in the Middle East

“In short, those in the construction industry are exposed to a higher level of bribery risk generally due to the nature of their business”

How much will the new legislation affect construction companies operating in the UAE?

“The level of bribery risk a commercial organisa-tion faces depends on a number of factors, includ-ing, amongst other things, the jurisdiction, business sector, partners and transactions in each case.

“The construction industry and the Middle East are, respectively, viewed as a high risk business sec-tor and jurisdiction by Transparency International.

“Construction companies in the reigon may have to engage third party agents and local sponsors to conduct business. The Guidance recognises that organisations working through or with third party agents are exposed to a higher bribery risk.

“Furthermore, construction companies will often tender for public contracts and should be aware of the bribery risks that arise when dealing with foreign public officials.

In short, those in the construction industry are exposed to a higher level of bribery risk gener-ally due to the nature of their business.”

The GuidanceThe publication of the Guidance was delayed as a result of the significant concerns businesses had raised with the UK Government regarding the prac-tical implications of the Bribery Act.

The Guidance has gone some way to addressing those concerns. The Guidance is non-prescriptive and it specifically notes that it is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution.

Iain Jones, senior associate, Clyde and Co.

CHAPTERSREGIONAL

ASHRAERAL-CRCANNUAL CONFERENCE

On behalf of The American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-

conditioning Engineering - ASHRAE Falcon Chapter in UAE, we would like to invite you to attend and participate in the annual Chapter Regional Conference (CRC) for ASHRAE Region At Large (RAL).The CRC will be accompanied by a two-day scientifi c conference, in collaboration with The United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP.

For more information about the Conference, registration and sponsorship opportunities,please visit: crc.ashraeuae.org • www.ashrae.ae

For information on sponsorship packages, please contact:Dr Ahmad AlaaEldin +971 50 641 8999

Stephanie McGuinness +971 55 667 9459 | [email protected]

“Sustainability Beyond Certifi cation’’The Conference will address many key topics, including: UNEP Energy Effi ciency – HVAC design for high-

ambient conditions. Green construction retrofi tting Environmental movement and sustainability Index Waste management Sustainable cities and buildings Urban horticulture Sustainable transport Renewable energy Low carbon economy Carbon economy and footprint Building Information Modelling (BIM)












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Golden Sponsor:

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CATEGORY SPONSORS


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The Guidance offers greater clarity on the fol-lowing issues:

HospitalityThe Guidance recognises that bona fide hospi-tality that is reasonable and proportionate is an important part of doing business and will not breach the Bribery Act.

Facilitation PaymentsThere is no exemption under the Bribery Act for facilitation payments; unofficial payments made to public officials in order to secure or expedite the performance of a routine or necessary action i.e. an application for a licence or permit to carry out a particular activity.

Foreign Public OfficialsThe Guidance acknowledges that certain gov-ernments allow or require those tendering for publicly funded contracts to offer, in addition to the tender offer, an additional investment in the local economy or benefit to the local commu-nity. The additional investment must be a legit-imate part of the tender exercise and the relevant local “written law” must permit or require the official to be influenced by the addi-tional investment.

Corporate OffenceOf significance for companies based in the Middle East, the Corporate Offence applies to commercial organisations incorporated or formed outside the UK if they carry on busi-ness, or part of a business, in the UK (irrespec-tive of where the conduct which has led to the offence takes place). This leaves commercial organisations with two difficult questions:

• Which parties commercial organisa-tions do business with may be consid-ered as “associated persons”?

• What will constitute carrying on busi-ness, or part of a business, in the UK for the purposes of the Bribery Act?

Associated PersonsThis issue is of particular relevance to busi-nesses in the Middle East, where business is often carried out through, or with the involve-ment of, third party agents.

Carrying on business in the UKThe Guidance confirms a commercial organisa-tion incorporated or established in the Middle East and listed on a UK stock exchange is not deemed to be carrying on business in the UK by reason solely of its listed status. Likewise, a Middle East based company that has a UK sub-sidiary is not deemed to be carrying on business in the UK by reason solely of it having a UK

subsidiary. It will be for the UK courts to decide whether or not a commercial organisa-tion is carrying on business in the UK.

Is there scope for misinterpretation, particularly in relation to hospitality?

“The Guidance is very clear that bona fide hospitality that is reasonable and proportionate will not fall foul of the Act.

“Organisations will still be able to take cli-ents to sporting events and fly clients to meet-ings, provided that any hospitality is not extravagant. Taking a client to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to strengthen a business relation-ship will not breach the act. Offering a client a two week all expenses stay in the Emirates Palace Hotel after the Grand Prix will, however, attract the attention of prosecuting authorities.

“The position is relatively clear and organisa-tions should take a common-sense approach to any hospitality offered.”

Adequate ProceduresThe Guidance details six non-prescriptive prin-ciples which are intended to help organisations put in place policies and procedures to prevent bribery by persons associated with them. The Guidance recognises that smaller commercial organisations may not need sophisticated

“Organisations should carry out regular bribery risk assessments and put in place policies and procedures proportionate to the size, scope and nature of their business”

procedures given the nature and size of their business, whilst at the same time acknowledg-ing that the size of a business should not be the only factor considered; procedures should be proportionate to the risks faced by an organisation.

The Guidance recognises that bribery risks will vary depending on the jurisdiction, busi-ness sector, business partners and transactions involved in each particular case.

The six principles are:• Proportionate procedures • Top level commitment • Risk assessment • Due diligence• Communication • Monitoring and review

What can companies do to protect themselves if a partner is investigated/ prosecuted under the legislation?

“Organisations should ensure that they have “adequate procedures” in place to prevent brib-ery by persons associated with them.

“They should be able to produce documen-tary evidence of those adequate procedures to investigators. Evidence would include, amongst other things, documented policies, training programmes and whistle blowing procedures.

“Organisations should carry out regular bribery risk assessments and put in place poli-cies and procedures proportionate to the size, scope and nature of their business.

“In the event a person associated with the organisation is investigated, the organisa-tion should be in a position to demonstrate a top to bottom anti-bribery culture.”

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Christine Fashugba goes on site to see how Royal City Contracting is addressing the UAE’s high energy usage with the revolutionary Insulated Concrete Form system

In concrete form

While the UAE government has been pre-paring for the 71% increase in primary energy demand by 2019 and the US $2.2

trillion price tag it is anticipated to create, Royal City Contracting L.L.C (RCC) has been developing an air tight form of construction, capable of halv-ing the expenditure and reducing energy consump-tion by up to 70%.

The application of the Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) system, made of polystyrene and poly propyl-ene, is set to tackle recently published statistics, which confirm Abu Dhabi has one of the highest levels of electricity usage in the world.

Each of the emirate’s residents consumes an annual

average of 41 kilowatts (kW) of electricity; in contrast to the USA, where each person consumes around 11.4 kW annually; with both Japan and Germany’s resi-dents generally use 6kW each over the same period.

With much of this usage coming from the residen-tial sector — where 70% of electricity powers air con-ditioning in private households — the ICF system fits together to create what is called an eco-green block, and is then built in a type of Lego system, a method that drastically decreases energy use.

Energy and cost saving insulationRCC Dubai has used the system for four years and Nisar Ahmed Siraj, business development manager, is

“there are no blocks so there’s

not really a settlement

there because it’s one entity which means

maintenance-free construction”

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ABOVE: Nisar Ahmed Siraj, Royal City Contracting.


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keen to highlight the difference it can make to energy usage and financial costs.

“You would never be able to get this kind of saving in any other system, only the ICF or eco-green block,” he says.

One project successfully completed by the firm is a three storey commercial building and warehouse for DAFZA Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority, where instead of installing 250 tons of air conditioning, RCC installed just 50 tons, equating to approximate energy and cost savings of 80%.

“As far as the DAFZA project is concerned we were very happy and our client’s manage-ment are very happy because the company is saving a lot of money on air conditioning. So after a few years management will be able to save the entire cost of construction. This is only with the help of electricity savings which have been reduced by 80%,” Siraj comments.

The firm’s management calculated that if a power station currently supplying 100 houses used ICF they would be able to provide electric-ity for double the locations for the same cost, due to the 60 to 70 % saving.

Additional benefitsAs well as saving energy, the straight forward construction process which has also been used in America, Canada, Australia and Germany, decreases building deadload by 40%.

The units can be stacked using both a vertical and horizontal steel re-enforcement with a bracing system used for support on one side.

“With ICF you’re saving your time, your energy, your money and your labour. This kind of construction is a load bearing wall structure. The load of another wall comes from the top of another wall,” Siraj explains.

Normally as far as the conventional block is concerned the insulation value is R1 or R2 only but for ICF system the R value is 22. As far as a normal construction is concerned air infiltra-tion is there and you lose energy, where as with ICF construction it is air tight. You don’t lose any of the energy once you close the doors and windows,” he adds.

In addition to the benefits of high-level insu-lation, the system boasts a tornado resistant structure with crack-free internal and external surfaces. Buildings using ICF only require a foundation of up to 60 cm depth, less than half the usual two metres required.

Siraj explains that cracks often develop due to the settlement of the blocks, however since the ICF system does not have conventional blocks such damage does not occur, making the method maintenance free.

Demonstrating the claim, Siraj says both the interior and exterior of Hawk Freight Services commercial building, and a warehouse in DFZA are still crack-free around two years since RCC completed works.

Attributing ICF buildings’ resilience to their column-free structures, he explains: “If an earthquake ever came to this side of the world a building made from eco-green block shall be less affected because there are no columns.

ABOVE: The application of the isulating material will reduce energy costs for owners of the new villas.

ABOVE: construction of the villas using the Isulated Concrete Form system in Dubai.

“We are planning for it and working on it and very soon we will be able to provide a house off-grid”


“the company is saving a lot of money on air conditioning so after a few years management will be able to save the entire cost of its construction”

“Now hundreds of people are accepting the system. In the beginning we faced a lot of prob-lems in the local sectors,” he says.

“According to the law of physics if you pour

“If an earthquake comes and the building did have a column, if that column breaks the whole building goes in that particular direc-tion. With ICF construction there are no col-umns. It is one entity and a monolithic structure.”

He adds: “It is approximately two years now since we finished DAFZ yet you will not find even one millimetre of a crack inside or outside. There are no blocks so there’s not really a settle-ment there because it’s one entity which means maintenance-free construction.”

In addition to stability, management or resi-dents that opt for the monolythic structure will benefit from being able to alter their building even after construction is complete.

Speaking of the structure’s flexibility, Siraj says: “If my client comes and says they would like to have an opening for a window for exam-ple, I can do that because the structure does not have any columns.

“If there were columns I would not be able to disturb them because that would play with the unit but this kind of construction allows me to just cut an area and put a window in.”

TrainingAlthough contractors and investors in the Middle East are now willing to adapt to the ICF method, many were initially sceptical wonder-ing how material as soft as polystyrene could contain concrete.

Siraj is keen to stress that although the ICF process is a simple one, the technique is crucial and full training is required to complete a safe building with the full advantages.

RCC staff were trained by consultants from America to handle the ICF professionally and Siraj claims they are now competent enough to train others.

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concrete into marine plywood it can burst. ICF uses polystyrene but there are techniques and there is training to handle this product. Without training or education or required experience, it’s possible to make a mess of the system,” he continues to explain.

In addition to the DAFZA project, RCC recently completed a two storey villa in Oud Al Matina, Dubai, and with workers currently completing two more projects, RCC has an abundance of evidence to prove the technique cuts average construction times by half.

While construction up to the concrete stage conventionally takes six to eight months, Siraj says RCC complete the phase in an average of two months.


International certified recognitionThe energy saving system has also earned recognition from the interna-tional green building certificate system Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and ICF users will also gain points through Abu Dhabi’s Estidama Pearl Rating System, which addresses sustaina-bility as a core principle.

The contracting company has also attracted the attention of the man-agement board at Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, who recently invited RCC to discuss possible future projects with them.

Not satisfied with the prospect of cutting government energy spending in half and reducing their customers’ energy usage, RCC is now making plans to build off-grid houses which means they will privately provide amenities including internet, electricity and desalination.

“Our target is to make off-grid houses. If my client would like to have a house on top of a hill or somewhere in the middle of the desert we can do that,” Siraj says.

“We will be inserting the solar plant, water purification and desalina-tion plant. It’s forthcoming we are planning for it and working on it and very soon we will be able to provide a house off-grid.

“We won’t be using any facilities from the government. The house’s elec-tricity will be generated with the help of solar power, water purification and desalination plants and everything will be off-grid,” he concludes.


When developers ADNEC began work-ing on Marasi Village the brief was to create a community for UAE nation-

als. In a country where the majority of develop-ments are built for expats, transient foreign workers, businesses and tourists, it made a refreshing change.

“The project is located on the main island of Abu Dhabi and as per current land laws, only UAE Nationals are permitted to own property here,” explains ADNEC business development director, Sanjay Tanna.

As a government organisation, formed by Emirati Decree in 2005; ADNEC has completed a number of high-profile projects in the emir-ate, including Capital Gate. However Marasi Village is ADNEC’s first real estate project.

The construction timeline for the villas is 30 months. To date the works have been tendered, with the marine works contract to be awarded soon and channel work scheduled to begin in two months. Handover to owners is due 2013.

“Marasi Village is a unique and luxurious waterfront community on the main island of Abu Dhabi; it has been specifically designed to attract UAE Nationals as home owners,” said

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ARASI VILLAGE

This month, sales of ADNEC’s first real estate project, Marasi Village, will commence in Abu Dhabi

UAE Elite

“The development has been carefully planned bearing in mind the needs of the local community”

ADNEC managing director, H.E. Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, when the project was unveiled at Cityscape 2011.

Described by ADNEC as an “exclusive opportunity available only to an elite group of individuals”, units at Marasi Village are exclu-sively for Emiratis.

Yet while 42% of Emirati nationals live in Abu Dhabi, the group represents only 11.2% of the total population of the UAE, down from 15.4% in 2006, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics.

“The development has been carefully planned bearing in mind the needs of the local community, and we believe the market demand for this exclusive development, comprising 81 exclusive waterfront villas, is very strong indeed,” Tanna adds.

Sales of the properties commence this month, from a dedicated sales centre run by ADNEC’s Business Development Department and located at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Mortgage financing will be available from “highly reputable conventional and Sharia com-pliant banks”, say ADNEC.

A view of the villas in Marasi Village, Abu Dhabi.


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ARASI VILLAGE

“ADNEC has invested heavily in recent years to develop the site into a vibrant destination combining the very best in entertainment, business and leisure”

Both companies and individuals can buy a property, with a maximum allocation of two properties per buyer.

Future designThe location of Marasi Village was identified

by local authorities as a site of “strategic impor-tance”, incorporating an out of town feel with proximity to the facilities available at the ADNEC site.

H.E. Al Daheri calls it a “landmark addition to Abu Dhabi’s property market”.

“ADNEC has invested heavily in recent years to develop the site into a vibrant destination combining the very best in entertainment, busi-ness and leisure,” says Tanna.

“Marasi broadens the appeal of this destina-tion even further and it is a key ingredient in ADNEC’s overall plans for the development of the site,” he continues.

Designed exclusively for “connoisseurs of fine living”, ADNEC say the completed villas will feature luxury finishes, “top of the line” appliances and will also be delivered to “the highest international standards”.

All villas and the communal facilities are being constructed to meet a Pearl 2 rating,

A project rendering of the marina views.

under Abu Dhabi’s Estidama rating system. The six bedroom villas at Marasi Village will

each have a plot size of approximately 1,414sqm, while the five and four bedroom villas have a plot size of approximately 1,102sqm.

Each of the villas come with covered garden terraces, an office, two reception rooms, two dining rooms, two kitchens, European-branded appliances, four balconies, entrance porch, maid’s and driver’s rooms and parking.

All are within walking distance to commu-nity facilities, including a mosque, community centre, supermarket, café, multi-purpose hall, male and female fitness suites, landscaped grounds and promenade.

Marasi residents will be able to access the development through a private road, connect-ing from Khaleej Al Arabi Street, with addi-tional access via boat on Al Bateen channel.

National prideADNEC’s mandate was to “involve the crea-

tion of those elements that enhance the com-mercial potential of the area, in line with Abu Dhabi’s future growth plan.”

This plan includes transport infrastructure developments and the continued development

of ADNEC and its surrounding facilities. In addition to the community leisure facili-

ties at National Exhibition Centre, the locality has a number of restaurants and hotels, bank-ing and retail outlets, and is close to Abu Dhabi International Airport.

“Marasi Village broadens the appeal of the ADNEC site still further; together with our future plans for the area and planned govern-ment investment in transport infrastructure, we are convinced that the site — including the Gulf’s largest exhibition centre, the world famous Capital Gate tower, Capital Centre and Marasi Village — will continue to attract both attention and investment for years to come,” H.E. Al Dhaheri concludes.

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40% of the land used for villas.


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Heights is an executive residence; and the Courtyard, a 9 storey project, is situated at the gateway to Jordan’s Abdali master plan.

“Now that the new main contractor is on site, we expect construction to rapidly progress,” McLoughlin says and he is keen to reassure potential investors the temporary setbacks will have no bearings on the project’s future.

“It is important to point out that projects which have suffered a delay won’t necessarily be plagued by delays,” he explains.

“Customer confidence increases as projects approach completion, which means that a pro-ject which is partially completed will always be more appealing to customers than one which is starting from scratch.”

A progressing portfolioDamac’s signature residential tower, the 84-storey Ocean Heights at Dubai Marina — featuring an artistic twist at a gradient of 33 degrees from the base — was completed earlier this year. Damac is also working on the handover of two office towers at Business Bay; Business Tower and XL Tower in addition to a the commercial Smart Heights in TECOM.

Construction work on Lago Vista, a triple-tower residential development at Dubai’s International Media Production Zone (IMPZ), Emirates Gardens 2 and Tuscan Residence, low rise residential developments in Jumeirah Village, is also in progress.

Some of Damac’s more outstanding struc-tures include the 46 storey Park Towers in the

Dubai International Financial Centre - inspired by London’s iconic Gherkin tower - and a yet to be completed 49 storey tower, Al Jawharah on the Jeddah Corniche in Saudi Arabia, with an external façade creating reflective, light dispers-ing and refracting panels.

In addition to height and unique design, Damac consider comfort and functionality key factors for a building’s occupants and residents. For exmaple, Ocean Heights’ twisted exterior provides 75% of its apartments with at least one ocean view; panoramic lifts, similar to those installed at the Burj Al Arab, are a functional yet dynamic design feature of Park Towers.

Easy does itMcLoughlin points out that although tall struc-tures can create spectacular and even over-whelming vistas, the skill of constructing them is remarkably straight forward.

“When it comes to building tall structures, the physical construction of the building is not particularly difficult,” he begins.

“Theoretically, we could keep building floor after floor until we reached the moon. What is challenging about super-tall structures is evalu-ating and accommodating the impact of ele-ments such as wind, and the force and direction of the winds at higher levels of the structure, and whether they will be likely to cause the building to sway.”

Although weather prediction may not fall within Damac’s expertise the developer has made use of wind technology advancements ABOVE: Damac’s Niall McLoughlin.

The Al Jawaraha tower, a icon on the horizon of Kuwait City.

With a proven track record for building tall, architecturally impressive build-ings Damac Properties’ is adept at

protecting high structures from both atmos-pheric and market elements. So when chal-lenges occurred with the company’s projects in Amman, Jordan, the developer changed con-tractors and got back on track.

“Every developer will do everything possible to avoid a project being delayed. Delays are costly and time consuming,” says Damac senior vice president Niall McLoughlin.

“The longer a project takes to complete, gen-erally, the less profitable they are, and the more likely it is they’ll incur a loss for the developer.”

As reported in The Big Project last month, Damac recently announced it has awarded the main construction contract for the completion of the Amman, Jordan projects to a joint ven-ture between United Engineering Construction (UNEC) and El Concorde Construction.

All three property units are expected to make an impressive contribution to Damac’s portfolio.

The Heights is a luxury 35 storey residential tower positioned beside a piazza; Lofts at the

After a temporary project setback senior vice president of Damac Properties, Niall McLoughlin, explains why the luxury developer is still one of the top in the industry

LofTy heighTS


TALK | NAILL M

CLOUGHLIN such as extensive wind tunnel testing and wind impact data on buildings during the design phase to determine the possible impact.

“Wind forces are not only critical at higher levels; they also have the potential to be damag-ing at the lower levels of a building.

“A super tall structure acts like a wind break, and when wind hits the structure, it’s propelled downwards,” he continues.

“Architects need to consider the downward wind force in their design and in the shape of the building,” he adds.

Another challenge in constructing tall build-ings is providing sufficient ways to access all floors, particularly in case of an emergency. McLoughlin confirms that although elevators are the most logical choice, the space they take up on the floor plate requires a balance to be struck between the height of the building and the footprint of the tower.

Damac enlist the help of an external com-pany to prepare a vertical study, examining the dimensions of the structure and making recom-mendations on the size, speed and number of elevators needed to service a particular building.

McLoughlin believes that innovations in ele-vator technology have been crucial to the tall structure trend, with elevators being pro-grammed to service specific sections of a super-tall structure, providing scope to build taller.

Mc Loughlin says: “Not only have elevator manufacturers made significant advancements in terms of speed, but they have also made incredible progress with regard to computer programming and the development of more intelligent lifts.”

Mc Loughlin acknowledges that every tall tower is different with unique design character-istics that require custom technological solu-tions to service every floor.

“The lighting system implemented in one tower will not easily be transferable to another tower of similar dimensions. The same is true for all electrical, plumbing and elevator systems.

“We want people to stop, stare and be in awe of every tower that we build, and to achieve that we have to continually challenge ourselves to be more creative in terms of design and endeavor to build taller”

different materials in the region is practical rather than preferential.

“It is not the case that steel formwork is being shunned in the Middle East; it’s more a matter of developers making construction decisions based on the available resources,” he observes.

“In this region it is simply more time and cost effective to use concrete, given the resource lim-itations in the market.”

However, with the completion of executive residence Park Towers in Dubai’s International Financial District (DIFC) expected later this year, obstacles are far from McLoughlin’s mind.

Speaking of future projects he says: “Damac Properties is continually investigating and eval-uating investment opportunities across the Middle East and beyond.

“We will make announcements on new devel-opments as and when the timing is appropriate. Although I can say that we are very active in pursuing new opportunities for growth, so watch this space.”

In essence, it means there is no such thing as a standard struc-ture, or a standard system.”

“Buildings are separated into zones, and elevators are pro-grammed such that they only service one particular zone. This has greatly improved the efficiency of elevators inside tall buildings,” he adds.

Despite the challenges of constructing tall buildings, including government regula-tions about zoning and design specifications such as fire escapes, McLoughlin is still keen to promote supertall structures.

“There is a certain prestige associated with tall towers, par-ticularly those distinguished by global design awards.

“Tall towers become impres-sive and enviable landmarks, and people want to be con-nected with that stature. An apartment in a super-tall tower is a highly recognizable status symbol,” he says.

Pinnacle of designAfter winning several awards, including best debut stand in 2008 at Kazakhstan’s KazRealty; best high rise development for La Residence at The Lotus; and best website for Damacpropterties.com, the company’s strategy is to continue constructing unique, architecturally impressive towers that not only attract, challenge and inspire their customers, but also the average person walking down the street.

“We want people to stop, stare and be in awe of every tower that we build, and to achieve that we have to continually challenge ourselves to be more creative in terms of design.”

McLoughlin acknowledges from an architec-tural perspective, that while steel formwork can offer more scope for creativity, this flexibility is marginal compared to what can now be achieved with concrete.

“In many other countries around the world it is cheaper and faster to build super-tall struc-tures with steel. However, this is not the case in the Middle East,” he says.

McLoughlin also stresses that the use of

“The physical construction of the building is not particularly difficult. Theoretically, we could keep building floor after floor until we reached the moon.”

Park Towers, Dubai.

| www.thebigprojectme.com36 | www.thebigprojectme.com36

The rise of The superTalls


CoV

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GSA little over a year ago the world’s tallest building was officially

opened in Dubai. Almost twice as high as its nearest rival, few expected it could be dwarfed twice in a decade by planned projects in neighbouring countries. With 50 buildings around the world already classified as ‘supertall’ Melanie Mingas finds out what the rising trend will mean for our future cities

The changing skylines of the Middle East and Asia now lead the way in skyscraper design.

total 38 million square feet and it is expected specially designed elevators will take 12 min-utes to reach the highest floor.

When facing a project of this size, it’s only natural to tap the knowledge of those who have already achieved such a feat. According to reports in the Saudi Gazette, Burj Khalifa architect Adrian Smith has already been con-firmed for this project. Since completing the Burj Khalifa, Smith left SOM Architects to establish his own firm, Smith and Gill.

The structural peer review of the Burj Khalifa, was conducted by Hyder Consulting, who became legally responsible for the design under UAE law. Enhancing the “buildability” of Smith’s design, Hyder standardised the

last year may have been the most success-ful year in skyscraper history, but this year looks to be the most exciting, as

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed has reportedly approved a US $30 billion plan to build the 1001 metre “mile high” Kingdom Tower.

Upon completion, the new tower will be twice the height of Dubai’s current record holder, the Burj Khalifa, and will be sur-rounded by 8.9 square miles of newly con-structed city, accommodating 80,000 residents and one million visitors.

Located in the little-known Obhur, on the outskirts of Jeddah, the development will pro-vide 12 million cubic feet of space for offices, a hotel and residential units. The floor area will

"The ‘world's tallest’ competition kind of shifted from North america to asia and Middle east"


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GS dimensions of the walls and columns; changed

the details of the steel work; tested materials — particularly the glass and stainless steel of the facade — and made it possible to construct the elements which appeared impossible.

“With any type of construction, the more you can standardise it, the more efficient it will become,” explains Hyder Consulting's John Mills, project director for the Burj Khalifa.

“Obviously a building the shape and size of Burj Khalifa, on the face of it there’s not a lot you can standardise but we did manage. We put a great deal of effort into the facade to keep

with the architect’s inten-tions,” Mills continues.

“The brief was not what would you like to do to change it, but here is an architectural con-cept; the structure has to be strong enough.

"Our challenges then became rapid re-design

where we had to also incorporate

buildability elements into the design by jointly working with the contractor.

"They wanted to do construction in one fash-ion and we changed the design to make it easier for him to do that,” he continues.

Explaining the enormous task of making the Burj Khalifa 'work', Mills says even the local building regulations did not anticipate a tower of such a height, with special permission granted by Dubai Municipality to allow partial occupation before the final completion.

“We started piling in January 2004, we had a formal opening in January 2010 and occupa-tion is still going on; that’s a seven year cycle. If you had to fund a project for seven years before you start getting any return on your invest-ment, that’s a huge capital outlay,” he says.

Upward trendIn addition to the Kingdom Tower, Qatar is planning a record breaker of its own, according to Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Al Thani, who is also the chairman of Qatari real estate and property developer Ezdan.

Last month, the Qatar Tribune carried a report that plans for the tower are “in the pipe-

line” but that land has not been secured. “For us at the Council on Tall Buildings, it’s

exciting to know that these projects are being considered as they will undoubtedly produce a lot of new knowledge and insights which can be beneficial to the tall building world as a whole,” says chairman for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), Professor Sang Dae Kim.

According to data compiled by CTBUH, one quarter of the world’s tallest towers are in the Middle East, with five of the top ten located in the UAE; four in Dubai.

Yet considering Mills’ statement that “most of Sheik Zayed Road is higher than New York”, it’s hardly surprising.

“Why do they build these towers? Because they can,” he says, adding: “With Burj Khalifa the money was there, the desire was there. You try and do anything like this in the UK or Europe and you’re bogged down with bureau-cracy; for example the M25 motorway was first put in for planning in 1913. The first length wasn’t opened until 1980.

“Effectively the driving force in Dubai is the Maktoum family. If they say yes, you can do anything and Dubai has grown phenome-nally,” he adds.

“There are many factors driving the trend for tall buildings,” observes Kim, recalling: “Land scarcity, high land prices and urban density are

"Being very visible objects in the urban landscape, tall buildings in the Middle east can be more likely explained for their modern and international appeal and the way skylines can embody strong, ambitious cities"

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GSsometimes pointed out as such, but it’s rather

unlikely that these are the leading motives to develop tall buildings in Middle Eastern cities.

"Experiencing a fast developing economy can be cause for a greater demand for office and residential space, but that doesn’t neces-sarily explain why that has to be a tall build-ing,” he continues.

“Being very visible objects in the urban land-scape, tall buildings in the Middle East can be more likely explained for their modern and international appeal and the way skylines can embody strong, ambitious cities. Pride can also be quite a strong motive, especially when the commissioning party is characterised by strong individual leadership.

"History has shown that if you would like to make a point or create a presence, a tall build-ing, and especially a super-tall one, is an inter-esting way to do it,” Kim adds.

Kim’s comments are echoed by Murat Tabanlioglu, of Turkish firm Tabanlioglu Architects, designers of Turkey’s highest tower, Sapphire; which this year made the top 20 tallest in the world, ranked 15th by CTBUH.

“Investors or governors all around the world desire to create a memorable building in their cities, to leave some symbol behind; in our cen-tury of high technology, this figure is usually a high-rise,” Tabanlioglu says.

“Construction has always been an indicator of economic activity and projection; many cities

in the Middle East become the showcase of this financial power, presenting brilliant samples of contemporary architecture. The ‘world's tallest’ competition kind of shifted from North America to Asia and Middle East,” he adds.

How high? Yet despite the trend being clear, continually raising the bar isn’t sustainable. When The Chrysler and Empire State buildings opened in New York in the 1930s the world was in awe. At 318 and 381 metres respectively, today they don’t even make CTBUH's top 50.

Referred to as the ‘supertalls’, currently there are 50 buildings around the world which surpass the 300 metre mark; eight of these were com-pleted last year, four of which are higher than 400 metres (see box). Additionally, 66 buildings of 200 metres or higher were completed last year, breaking the previous record, set in 2007 when 48 such structures were completed.

According to the CTBUH, this represents a 40% change in the world’s tallest ten buildings in a single year; a feat which hasn’t happened since 1930, when America was leading a sky-scraper revolution.

“Statistical research shows that in the course of time, buildings are growing taller,” says Kim.

“Based on technical and economic assump-tions it’s easy to reason that there must be a cap on this, but so far there is no indication we have reached that point yet,” he adds, saying the next

"Maybe in the future we will call these buildings cityscrapers or urbanscrapers. Whatever their name will be, it is exciting to see that the tall building is again a frontrunner in the way we shape our cities"

"overbuilding, in height and quantity, may create financial and social problems, and dead cities like idle unmanned spaceships"

Turkish architect Murat Tabanlioglu.


CoV

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GS emerging trend is not just to build up,

but to build out. As with the Burj Khalifa and its sur-

rounding Downtown area, the Kingdom Tower is planned to be surrounded by an entirely new city, which according to both Kim and Mills is the real money maker. Kim cites the Linked Hybrid Complex in Beijing and Singapore’s Pinnacle@Duxton, both winners of CTBUH Best Tall Building awards, as prime examples of “the relationship tall buildings are establishing with their horizontal environment, and the social environments which are created”.

“I think we are witnessing the birth of a tall building type which doesn’t just scrape the sky. Perhaps more in com-mon with the already familiar term groundscraper — as a building or podium that extends its horizontal connection with the ground — I see buildings that try to open up to the city on all levels.

“Maybe in the future we will call these buildings cityscrapers or urban-scrapers. Whatever their name will be, it is exciting to see that the tall building is again a frontrunner in the way we shape our cities.

Mills agrees, explaining there is eco-nomic worth in breaking records.

“As they stand on their own you probably don’t make a great deal of money out of such towers, but when you blend that in with a development, as they have done with Burj development, it becomes the centre-piece of that area and you can charge a premium on the other properties, which helps recover the costs for that tower. That’s really the success story for Burj Khalifa,” he says.

On the other hand, there are practi-calities to building at such heights which go beyond the commercial aspects.

“Structurally you can build as tall as you like. You have to have the

foundations to allow you to do that and the space, as the taller the building the more space you have to have at the bot-tom to hold it there,” adds Mills who explains the Burj Khalifa’s foundations are expected to last around 300 years.

Tabanlioglu observes: “In the present age of enlightened ecological conscious-ness, architects are trying to make new connections between the design of liv-ing space and a much wider world than they have ever dealt with before.”

“We should question what these con-nections might be in relation to the urban construction. Skyscrapers are also an outcome of high population, but is it really necessary to get this high?“ he asks.

Extreme engineeringRecord breaking, stunning structures don’t necessarily translate into practical developments where people can live and work. As Mills points out, a quick trip to the shop for a pint of milk isn’t quite the same when you live 600 metres off the ground.

When asked about the practicalities of building higher than the Burj, Tabanlioglu agrees, commenting: “I don’t think the intention is going to be ‘taller’ or ‘the tallest’, the new develop-ments should be serving wider

The new generation of skycrapers are referred to as 'supertalls' and stand more than 300 metres off the ground.

"i think we are witnessing the birth of a tall building type which doesn’t just scrape the sky"


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GScommunities and promoting sustainable

building forms extensively used by the public to help save natural resources and add value to the urban texture as well as the economy and betterment of people's lives.”

Adding that a taste for the “extreme” among the younger generation will drive the popularity of the completed Kingdom Tower, he still warns that higher isn’t always better.

“Feasibility of a building is a crucial crite-rion; overbuilding, in height and quantity, may create financial and social problems, and dead cities like idle unmanned spaceship, so such decisions should be a part of precise planning,” he says.

The Burj Khalifa was one project where every possible outcome was considered; from balcony doors that automatically lock during high winds, to reinforced stair cases and alarms linked to the Civil Defense, the project is as safe as it is possible to be and every possi-ble scenario was considered in its design.

“Put simply, a building twice as tall will probably give you four times as many head-aches,” says Kim.

“Naturally the issue of structural stability and safety is one issue, but also practical issues, such as pumping concrete all the way up to the 180th floor will require creative and out of the box thinking as normal techniques of doing so will not be sufficient,” he adds.

Mills agrees, recalling how every day work-ing on the Burj Khalifa was a test of the most innovative problem solving methods; trailing new and different techniques and methods as they were required.

The Burj Khalifa’s spire, which alone stands at almost the same height as the Eiffel Tower, is made from more than 4000 tons of struc-tural steel, weighing so much it had to be con-structed inside the building and lifted more than 200 metres using a hydraulic pump.

In order to pump concrete to the top of the structure, a range of plasticizers and retarders had to be used to prevent it from setting in the pipes. Concrete was pumped up continu-ously, and when no longer required, drained

from the pumps into a reservoir on the ground, where it could be used in the sur-rounding developments.

It is due to such techniques being tried and tested in Dubai that the knowledge, and tech-nology, now exists to reach even higher.

Since the first skyscraper was built in 1908, technology has developed at a rapid pace; so much so Mills predicts it may even be possi-ble to find a solution to strengthen the cur-rent record holder’s foundations, prolonging its projected lifespan beyond the 300 years it currently stands at.

In addition to the solutions that made phys-ical construction possible, a number of further solutions were required to make the finished project inhabitable.

“In the end, a tall buildings is designed to do what all buildings essentially do, which is offer shelter and provide a pleasant environ-ment to live and work. When for example people experience motion sickness because of the way the building has been structured, it will be difficult to present these spaces as premium real estate; record breakers or oth-erwise,” warns Kim.

The developers behind the next potential record breakers will no doubt seek the expertise of those who have already achieved the ‘impossible’.

“It’s similar to the research that goes into a Formula 1 car and how the experi-ences that comes out of that can be applied to consumer automobiles,” says Kim.

“One of the very first things we would like to talk about to anybody in the coun-tries where such developments are taking place, is to appreciate what the project is trying to achieve and recognise it is not a charity or a tower being built as a monument, but it is built to earn money,” asserts Mills, concluding: “The benefit and money that the whole community receives when the tower starts being occupied is great."

"it is exciting to see that the tall building is again a frontrunner in the way we shape our cities"

The Top TeNBurj Khalifa, Dubai, 828m

International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong, 484m

Nanjing Greenland Financial Centre, Nanjing, 450m

Guanghzou International Finance Centre, 438m

Index Tower, Dubai 328m

HHHR Tower, Dubai, 318m

Ocean Heights, Dubai, 310m

Capital City Moscow Tower, Moscow, 310m

Sky Tower, Abu Dhabi, 2191m

Excellent Century Plaza Tower 1, Shenzhen, 228m

iN shorTThe global number of buildings 200m or higher has risen from 286 to 602 in the last decade alone.

The UAE can now boast 44 buildings over 200 meters in height. For a country of 4.7 million people, this means that there are only 100,000 citizens for every 200 m+ building. In contrast, China, with 200 buildings at the 200 m+ level, has nearly seven million citizens for every 200 m+ building.

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مارس لقرارات١٨ واسعة أصداء

ورجال يتفاعل الوطنالمقدمة األعمالفي

مارس لقرارات١٨ واسعة مارسأصداء لقرارات١٨ واسعة أصداء

ورجال يتفاعل الوطنالمقدمة األعمالفي


In the aftermath of natural disaster, Christine Fashugba finds out how Saudi Arabia’s commercial capital is attempting to re-build better than ever before

The rise of Jeddah

W ith a construction industry on track to be worth US $23.19 billion, by the end of 2011, growing at a rate of 4%, one

could almost forget Saudi Arabia became one of several countries to be struck by natural disaster earlier this year.

Jeddah has been hit by devastating floods for a number of years, yet this year’s did not only devastate the city’s residents, it shook the foun-dations of the commercial capital’s vision.

Formed in 2006, the Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Company (JDURC) adopted the ambitious remit of ensuring Jeddah transforms into a “world-class” city.

Since the tragedy of more than 100 deaths and thousands of surviviors left homeless, much of the vision has been forced to turn practical with infrastructure brought to the forefront.

Instead of solutions to aging systems addressed in the Jeddah Strategic Plan, govern-ment efforts have now turned to devastation prevention, securing overdue projects and add-ing to projects already commissioned.

A public service contract with AECOM,

leading suppliers of government and business technology, has recently been signed for a man-agement services work order worth $ 171m.

The agreement includes consultancy, engi-neering, and construction of a citywide storm water, flood-control, and wastewater infrastruc-ture improvement program in Jeddah.

John Dionisio president and chief executive officer for AECOM Technology Cooperation has particularly high hopes for how the devel-opments will contribute to Jeddah.

“We are very excited to play the lead role in support of Jeddah’s infrastructure improvement plan. This flood control and wastewater program will enhance the quality of life for the city’s approximate 3.2 million residents,” he says.

Despite the sudden visionary changes, direc-tor of projects for Albalad Al Ameen develop-ment and urban regeneration company, Ziad Aazam confirms that traces of Jeddah’s previ-ous plans still remain.

“Jeddah Strategic Plan draft, written in 2009, was meant to initiate various projects across the sectors in the city. The flood changed that

“The solution has to come from the government

to control land speculation and encourage real

physical development of lands.”

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Despite huge investment in mega projects, Jeddah's basic infrastructure still requires upgrade.

AECOM CEO and president John Dionisio.


“This flood control and wastewater program will enhance the quality of life for the city’s approximate 3.2 million residents”

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intended vision,” says Ziad, who is the former director of planning and strategic studies at Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Co (JDURC).

“However, the city remains persistent in pur-suing other sector developments of the city, such as Tahlia Street and water channel improvement projects,” he adds.

Among other projects that still appear to be going strong is the highly ambitious Qasr Khozam Regeneration. The concept is derived from the custodian of the two holy mosques King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, and the plan is to transform part of central Jeddah’s social, eco-nomic and construction standards, including links into the city’s networks.

Housing solutionsThe severe shortage of homes has rendered housing projects of a particularly high priority in order to meet the rising needs of low and middle income residents.

Private and public development targets include building a total of 1.65 million homes over the next six years.

Construction and home financing compa-nies are emerging, in line with the Saudi Arabian government’s plan to increase home ownership by 80% within 13 years, by boosting the supply of affordable housing.

A recent Banque Saudi Fransi real estate survey for H2 2010, revealed the average price of a large apartment in Jeddah was $129,500 while small villas were $ 282,600. Under new rules the maximum bank loan is $133, 300, which although expected to help bridge the cost gap, will not solve all the current issues.

For example, the monthly salary require-ment for a villa in Jeddah is $ 7,700, more than three times the average salary paid to residents, which currently stands at $2, 130.

This year, Cityscape Jeddah is hoping the majority of the real estate networking event’s visitors will be locals, capable of and willing to make a financial contribution to the sector.

“We hope that 60% of our visitors will be from Jeddah and that many are interested in buying properties and investing in the market,” says exhibition director Deep Marwaha.

Mortgage law approvalA recent development is the amendments approved by the kingdom’s formal advisory body, the Shura Council, to both Jeddah's and Riyadh’s mortgage laws.

One feature of the approved draft allows banks to provide funds on real estate under the

mortgage scheme, with a set of guidelines for the financing companies clearly spelling out procedures for repayment.

Marwaha believes this development is partic-ularly significant for the younger generation looking to establish a life in the city.

“I think the most important thing is the mortgage law. Unlike western countries there was no regulatory structure behind housing law before, although it has been talked about for quite a few years,” Marwaha says.

“There is a huge demand for housing, specifi-cally affordable housing. Saudi Arabia has a very young population looking to buy houses after getting married. This law enables them to do that,” he adds.

King Abdullah has already responded to that demand, having approved the designs for 500,000 housing units which he had already ordered to be constructed across the country earlier this year, following the announcement of a multi-billion dollar social welfare pack-age. His Highness also said he will personally follow the progress of the work, which will fall under the authority of the new housing minis-try, upon completion.

Overpriced unitsAl-Thaghar is the first housing scheme set to contribute to Jeddah’s affordable homes. The project began in 2010 and is expected to produce eight buildings with a total of 216 apartments.

Aazam is keen to see the Kingdom's author-ities focus on the completion of such initia-tives, believing overpriced units to be the result of inflated land values.

“The solution has to come from the govern-ment to control land speculation and encour-age real physical development of lands,” Aazam says, adding: “Comprehensive urban planning and building communities are some of many problems not being addressed clearly and with determination.”

“Studies have been conducted but rarely implemented and followed up,” he adds.

Since the mandate of the Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Company is to invest in the pre-design phase before construction begins, Jeddah’s develop-ment progress has yet to be determined. However, Aazam believes that officials are still in the beginning stages of the city’s upgrade.

“There is a lot of basic work that needs to be


“There is a lot of basic work that needs to be done before the city can claim to offer

acceptable standards of living”

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done before the city can claim to offer accepta-ble standards of living. This leaves urban development companies open to criticism.”

Direct multinational operationsDespite infrastructural problems, the Saudi Arabian Government’s recent decision to allow international companies to set up and manage

their sales and distribution operations from the country promises to open up a new chapter of the kingdom’s business market.

The decision attracted the management of confectionery giant Nestlé’s, a company keen to make its mark on Saudi Arabia’s 28 million inhabitants and sizeable youth population, with plans to establish its headquarters in Jeddah.

The move makes them one of the first FMCG multinationals to have a direct operational presence in the Kingdom.

Along with additional office branches in Riyadh and Khobar the brand will create 225 jobs in Saudi Arabia. Although in the first year of operations management is already at 30% of the local Saudisation targets, which they are determined to exceed.

“We see the commencement of direct sales and distribution operations as the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in Nestlé’s long operational history in Saudi Arabia,” says Yves Manghardt, chairman and CEO of Nestlé Middle East FZE.

Saudi’s young talent In addition to expanding the business network the international food and nutrition company is organising initiatives which will boost KSA’s education providing training for external Saudi national graduates through Nestlé’s expertise.

“Nestlé’s commitment to young Saudi talents goes beyond meeting the Saudisation targets as we are looking to partner with key universities and institutions in the Kingdom through the establishment of the Nestlé Centre Of Excellence,” says Roger Meguerdichian, coun-try manager for Nestlé Saudi Arabia.

“The centre is a sales training academy, which will also focus on a Nestlé female Nutrition Development Program and our Graduate Development Program for young Saudi graduates,” he adds.

Although JDURC is unable to fully establish the progress that Jeddah has made to become a world-class city, the wide range of projects it is overseeing across the city and its surrounding regions reveals that Jeddah’s officials have the motivation, vision and capital investment to deal with the city’s issues.

These fact, coupled with the clear project aims, which focus on Jeddah’s urgent need for urban regeneration, the redevelopment of unplanned settlements and even developing whole communities Jeddah, means it is still a city to watch.

LEFT AND BELOW: the King Abdullah Economic City development, which lies between the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, 120km north of Jeddah. BELOW: Traditional architecture in the city.

PROJEcTs in dEvELOPMEnT JEddAh LAndfiLL GAs UTiLisATiOn

Considered one of Jeddah’s most important, the project will capture gaseous and uncontrolled particulate emissions using the Clean Development Mechanism.

sTATUs: in development

ThE QAsR KhOzAM REGEnERATiOn

One of the most ambitious urban renewal projects in the history of Saudi Arabia. Plans are to dramatically upgrade social, economic and construction standards.

LOcATiOn: south/ central Jeddah city

PROJEcT dURATiOn: 2008- 2015 approx

WAdi AL AsLAA

A major recreation and leisure destination with housing units for 83,000 residents, high quality amenities, a university campus and a “world class” technology park.

sTATUs: In development

AL-ThAGhAR hOUsinG

The first housing scheme to address Jeddah’s severe shortage of housing. A complex of eight buildings with 216 apartments.

PROJEcT dURATiOn: 2010-2013

ciTy cEnTRE PARKinG

The first parking solution project awarded covering a number of city centre streets, in downtown Jeddah bound by Al Falah highway, Haramain, King Abdullah Street and the Corniche

sTATUs: in development

$171millionCONTrACT SIgNED BETWEEN AECOM AND THE gOvErNMENT OF SAuDI ArABIA FOr CONSuLTANCy, ENgINEErINg, AND CONSTruCTION OF A CITyWIDE STOrM WATEr, FLOOD-CONTrOL, AND WASTEWATEr INFrASTruCTurE NETWOrK


Demand for fresh water in the construction industry has driven per-capita consumption in the region to 500 litres per day. Experts from leading water management companies talk about the technology available to control our growing requirements

Quality and quantity

Soil compaction, dust control, and batch con-crete production all require huge amounts of water, as do the road, rail and other projects

currently underway across the region. The construction industry requires high-qual-

ity water in order to produce usable materials; it should be free from alkalis, acid, oils, salt, sugar, organic materials, vegetable growth and other substances that may be deleterious to bricks, stone, concrete or steel. It should also have a pH value of no less than six.

The use of low-quality water in building pro-cesses can reduce the strength of the bond between cement paste and aggregate, causing a knock-on effect on the quality of the entire fin-ished project.

Add to this the fact that our most precious resource is scarce in the desert climate, and an unsustainable pattern of use soon emerges.

Three water industry experts explain to The Big Project how our water is produced and what can be done to reduce consumption.

Peter Neuschaefer, Waagner Biro Gulf LLCHow can treatment facilities be improved to increase our efficiency of use? Used water is transferred to treatment plants via gravity pipes with a depth of up to 16 metres below ground — depending on the slope of the

drainage pipe. From time to time pump stations with high energy requirements lift the wastewater back to a height of three metres and then run back down to 16 metres and so on until it eventually reaches the treatment plant. There it is treated using a lot of power, chemical additives, spare parts and maintenance, to a quality that can be used for irrigation and other purposes.

However, not all the water can be reused because of a lack of an established irrigation net-work, consisting of pressure pumps, power, and chemical additives and maintenance, to return the cleaner water to the area the wastewater was originally produced.

This concept of treating water is an old tech-nique that originated in Europe and has been established and utilised for over 100 years. Is this not strange? We like to use the latest technologies for our cars, computers, mobiles and other elec-tronics, however we do not know how our sewage will be transported from one place to another.

It is vital that we educate ourselves of the pro-cess so we may pass on this knowledge, and learn about this complicated component of the infra-structure of the city.

This region consumes more water than any other region in the world, a great 500 litres per person per day. If a population of one million inhabitants, excluding agriculture, is multiplied by these 500 litres we discover that we use

“Not all the water can be reused because of a lack of

an established irrigation network, consisting of

pressure pumps, power, and chemical additives and

maintenance”

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25%REDuCTiON iN THE sTRENGTH Of CONCRETE mANufACTuRED WiTH CONTAmiNATED WATER

Peter Neuschaefer.


“As years passed, fresh water supply has reduced, particularly for getting non-contaminated, pure water - the industry was more focused towards water treatment”

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500,000,000 litres per day. Now we multiply this number by 365 days to get 182,500,000,000 litres per year. What about the desalination process in which we separate salt from seawater to produce the demanded supply of water? Mainly all the salt that outputs from this pro-cess is returned to the sea. Can we ask a ques-tion now? Are we reusing water properly if we don’t have natural resources?

Sabyasachi Dasgupta, sales manager, AG Aqua As a result of increased demand, how has water management technology developed in past few years and what does the future for water technology?The water management technology has evolved accordingly to the demand, to be precise. In early years, water was never looked after as a scarce resource and both the use and misuse were never under surveillance. Our water sources started showing signs of stress after a few years, and that changed our usage pattern.

Earlier, water management was limited to establishing a flawless pipeline, a good storage and a nominal water treatment. As years passed, fresh water supply has reduced, partic-ularly for getting non-contaminated, pure water — the industry was more focused towards water treatment.

In current years, the water supply itself is becoming scarce; whatever water is available, is not fresh and even water procurement

processes have become more complicated. This scenario forces the industry to completely turn around water management strategies, which comprise of: water procurement from deep underground sources, distant rivers, lakes and other reserves; water storage and treatment and supply; effective and efficient use of water and reuse of water to minimise the use of this precious resource.

Yousef Yasmineh, Dow Water and Process Solutions, regional commercial manager, MENAHow do your products help meet regional demands?The Middle East and North Africa are impacted by a shortage of water, as such, it must be treated as a very valuable asset. One way to address this challenge is by leveraging desalina-tion technology to provide a fresh water source. We are also trying to create awareness and shift the culture towards waste water treatment and water reuse. Simply put: if water is recycled, it is not wasted. There is a lack of awareness about water recycling and its advantages, and that’s something that we believe will change as people become more aware of the benefits of using the right technology to address water scarcity.

Desalination has become more economically viable thanks to major cost efficiencies, many achieved through advances in reverse osmosis membrane technology. Dow Water and Process Solutions is bringing down the cost of reverse

osmosis by improving the flow rate and salt rejection allowing water treatment systems to operate more consistently and with less clean-ing and maintenance, making essential potable water treatment processes more affordable.

Today, Dow Filmtec Reverse Osmosis mem-branes sell for half the price they did 10 years ago and produce at least twice as much water in desalination applications. Dow’s overarching goal is to reduce the cost of seawater desalina-tion by 35% by 2015. In June 2009, Dow launched two new Dow Filmtec elements for brackish water treatment — both reduce system operating and maintenance costs through improved water quality and extended mem-brane life, enabling lower-cost purified water for power plants, manufacturing operations and municipalities around the world.

The outside-in, hollow fibre configuration of DOW Ultrafiltration (UF) modules set the standard for reverse osmosis pre-treatment, stand-alone drinking water production, and wastewater treatment and reuse.

Advantages include excellent filtration per-formance with high flux, high chemical resist-ance and temperature tolerance for effective membrane cleaning and high removal effi-ciency of bacteria and viruses.

500 litresPER PERsON DAiLY CONsumPTiON RATE iN THE REGiON

THE EffECTS of bAD wATEr oN CoNCrETE Presence of salt in water such as calcium chloride, iron salts, inorganic salts and sodium, reduce the initial strength of concrete and in extreme cases contaminate the batch so much, no strength can be achieved.The presence of acid, alkali, industrial waste, sanitary sewage and water with sugar, also reduces the strength of concrete, as does the presence of silt or suspended particles.

Water contaminated with oils such as linseed oil, vegetable oil or mineral oil, in quantities of more than 2% reduces the strength of concrete by up to 25%.

Algae and vegetable growth in water that is used for mixing cement concrete reduces the strength of concrete considerably, and also affects the bond between cement paste and aggregate.

Dow- Yousef Yasmineh

Concrete technology at its best…

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How do your operations differ from each other?Graham McDonald: FAMCO meets requirements from small-range to project-size, supplying equipment with the capacity to provide anything from 2.2 up to 2800 kilovolt-amps (KVA), and we are supplying both the generators and accessories required; for example extra capacity fuel tanks, noise level containment systems and so on.

We have one of the best reputations for after sales service in the country and a set of commitments, which we follow very strictly and measure in terms of speed of delivery; installation of parts and availability of parts; and service support.

We also have an Al Futtaim training cen-tre, where we train mechanics across all lev-els of the company; from technicians to supervisors. It is a very dynamic scheme and even managers go through training, which allows us to build capacity all the time.

Patrick Fallon: Byrne Equipment Rental is purely a rental company; we do not represent anybody and the problem we find now is that we are competing with our suppliers. Many of our suppliers have developed rental wings to their businesses and this to me is somewhat of a conflict of interests.

The difficulty I find is that as they dilute and get into the rental business, some of the basis upon which their business was founded has started to suffer; for example the level of service delivered.

The reality is that these companies, post crash, have had to look elsewhere for busi-ness, some by starting rental businesses. In addition, a lot of suppliers unfortunately don’t carry stocks as they did in the past, and don’t provide key services it’s a worrying trend in the market.

We are in the position where any client can approach us with confidence and feel Byrne are the people who can start off with

Project powerSolution providers Byrne Rental and FAMCO talk about the challenges they overcome to bring power to the Middle East’s biggest projects

LEFT AND BELOW: Representatives from FAMCO and Byrne discussed their operations

“The trend emerging is that, in addition to suppliers becoming competitors, there are some seriously small companies having an impact on the rental industry as a whole”

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the most fundamental requirements on a site or project and work right the way through with that client until the end. Not many companies can say that.

What trends are you witnessing in the market and how have these developed? GM: Outside of the UAE, we are seeing an increase in the size of the generator sets required in Africa, where many countries have infrastructure issues to do with electricity and the grids. As the macro economies begin to increase and develop, there is more prosperity and they are looking for a higher range of gen-sets; we’re now exporting around 3000 units per year up to 75KVA.

In terms of potential, for example, statistics show Nigeria imports around 45,000 gensets a year and Angola is not far behind. There is an enormous amount of opportunity in Africa.

Within the UAE this year, we are seeing par-ticular requirements for anything from 100 to 700 KVA, now our enquiries are mainly coming into that size. With a lot of projects currently on hold, not all those enquiries are turning into orders at the speed they were before, but we are seeing that sort of trend.

the position we are in because we have a busi-ness built on good service and good people, but there are plenty of threats out there.

GM: We are a solutions provider and it’s quite right our business is to sell solutions to buyers like Byrne.

PF: To do both sales and rentals you have to set up two different businesses with very different structures to do justice to what you want to do. As Graham will confirm, you have to provide all the associated services and do it properly — claiming to be able to deliver and physically delivering are two very different positions.

We on the other hand present ourselves in the rental market as equipment rental solution providers; as Graham said, if there are rental providers in the business for a quick buck, and therefore damaging it, that puts pressure on your margins right there.

Which are the strongest markets and what are the issues are occurring in these and others?PF: We have four depots in Saudi Arabia, one large depot in Qatar, two depots in Oman and three businesses in the UAE. In the UAE, while Abu Dhabi is quite strong, there is still pressure on price, particularly on the power generation side, and this looks set to continue.

Qatar has seen a major influx in competitors, particularly in the last 12 to 18 months who, regardless of the World Cup, still believe it holds enormous opportunity in terms of wealth, vision and ability to fund infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia has been steady for years; it is a market that will continue to develop as they have major requirements, particularly in the oil and gas industry and infrastructure develop-ment; it’s definitely a place of the future.

Credit terms and credit management is an enormous problem. Unfortunately if you lay down the rules and say this is the basis on which I am prepared to work, some people decide to take chances and blow you out of the water with risky terms- often at a huge loss to themselves.

GM: The demand for primary and stand-by electricty will continue to increase across the GCC, so in principle the market will allow us to have a strong genset business. Price pressure continues to be a factor and a number of pro-jects are suspended or awaiting another phase.

We also represent Yanmar Marine and have done for 30 years. It’s one of the oldest fran-chises in Al Futtaim (FAMCO). We supply up

PF: We didn’t expect some trends to develop as they did; you have to look at where we stand now. Graham has talked about exporting to Africa and that is indicative of how it goes as a supplier; you have to look at new markets and innovate. From our perspective in rentals, nobody expected what was going to happen in 2008 and 2009 and we have been forced to go back to the building blocks.

In terms of competition, in 1995 we did a survey of all competitors strictly in rentals. From memory we identified 22 rental compa-nies, construction companies renting surplus plant and transport, and other companies dip-ping into rentals.

Three years ago, we repeated the exercise. We stopped counting at 77.

From the mid-2000s people jumped on the bandwagon, when generators in particular became very popular. Even today I am still coming across companies I have never heard of, dipping into rentals. The trend emerging is that, in addition to suppliers becoming competitors, there are some seriously small companies hav-ing an impact on the industry as a whole. These people operate from a smaller cost base and clients — who you cannot blame — think they are saving money. Unfortunately you are being forced to compete and clients don’t look beyond lowest price. It doesn’t matter where you are trying to position yourself, the word ‘discount’ rolls off people’s tongues far too easily. We hold

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“The market in its current state is challenging us all to be sharper in terms of competition, delivery, competence and capability “

BELOW: During the discussion FAMCO reported increases in demand for products from macro economies, due to power infrastructure issues.

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propulsion package is as they want and then we do the installation and so on.

There may be a flat construction market, but we have a growing marine business.

Where do the primary opportunities lie for each of your companies?GM: For us it is across a number of sectors; industrial, commercial and providing standby power or supplementing demand on the grid through the utilities companies, based on the infrastructure they have now.

Construction will return to a stable growth rate and provide opportunity for us again in the future, but currently the main niche for us now is projects with the higher KVA require-ment. In terms of doing what we are good at, we are good at projects and putting a solution together for clients, and there are a number of sectors we are targeting.

PF: I tend to agree. There is opportunity here for both our companies, taking into account the economic problems faced by the western world.

Quite rightly, in terms of the project busi-ness; no supplier can make it selling generators of 100KVA at a time, one by one. Building busi-ness is about big project work.

Dubai has problems to a point, but they are not quite as serious as what we see elsewhere around the world so in time people will slowly look to develop and invest here more and that presents us with opportunity.

Outside of the region it is hard to know because as a business we are very much within the GCC so the footprint hasn’t gone outside the GCC as yet. We will look to develop our existing markets and here in the UAE we will position ourselves for the market recovery.

Qatar can produce an opportunity, particu-larly because of who they are with their gas reserves. My sense is that Oman will also develop as they have big plans, but need to over-come recent political problems and Saudi Arabia is an area of tremendous opportunity for the future.

to 1800 horse power, so we’re in the medium classification for diesel propulsion. We don’t just supply the engines but also the propulsion systems; it could be a water jet, a stern drive or a straight forward stern gear and propeller.

We’re into oil and gas in terms of supply cargo vessels; also the leisure sector; and we have supplied many privately owned boats with their power requirements. We have a naval architect on our team and can work with the boat’s designers from the early stages. The

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LEFT: Graham McDonald, general manager, FAMCO.

GRAhAM MCDONALD, GENERAL MANAGER, POWER & INDuSTRIAL DIvISION, FAMCO, AN AL-FuTTAIM GROuP COMPANy. GRAhAM WAS jOINED By COLLEAGuE MuhAMMAD kAShIF MAIG, PRODuCT MARkETING MANAGER FOR POWER SOLuTIONS

PATRICk FALLON, ChIEF OPERATING OFFICER, ByRNE EquIPMENT RENTAL LLC

the Panel

“It doesn’t matter where you are trying to position yourself, the word ‘discount’ rolls off people’s tongues far too easily”

ABOvE LEFT TO RIGhT: Patrick Fallon, Byrne Rentals and Muhammad kashif Maig and Graham McDonald, FAMCO.


the availability and affordability of fossil fuels here I think the Middle East will probably be the last to get on the boat. People think this region should be alive with solar power and it’s just not. It has never been properly developed or understood.

There is expense involved in dealing with alternative sources and right now there is a cheap method of doing so through the likes of power generation. I think the pressure to become green over time is there. Most compa-nies are trying to address that and the emis-sions targets are getting tougher.

GM: The Euro Tier 3 engines have been in effect for some time so the need to produce a cleaner environment around desiel is going to be very strong. But saying that diesel fuel does

give you the benefits and gensets can be trans-ported across the world at a moment’s notice; it is reliable, instant and cheap, so it will continue to be a solution. I think the long term market for clean diesel engines will remain.

PF: It’s like anything else, the need for alterna-tive energy sources comes from cost. You have oil prices as they stand now and countries heavily dependent on oil screaming for alterna-tive energy sources.

When the issue of cost becomes that impor-tant here; you are going to have tremendous pressure meanwhile you have the other issue of shortage of power. Even today most of the mar-kets in which we operate do not have sufficient power resources. As long as that remains so will the market for power generation.

GM: I agree.

How do you predict the market will develop?PF: Predictions are a dangerous thing. What we have started to see from a fundamental

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Do eastern markets pose any threats to your operations?GM: Chinese and Indian competitors are crowding into the market place, making things difficult in a certain band of kilowatt range. But saying that, if you have good quality product, like Yanmar, you can compete successfully.

In addition to the export potential in Africa, the UAE re-exports US $400million of products; that market is huge and has been controlled from Deira for hundreds of years. You can see the products waiting for re-export, demonstrating the enormous amount of traffic passing through; it truly is the hub for the region.

PF: From the rental perspective on competition there are opportunities, particularly from the Caspian region and former CIS states, and further around the Gulf as areas like Iraq settle down.

Not so much from the east, but competition-wise in rentals we have seen a number of new companies join the market here from Europe. So far they haven’t had the expected impact, but in future you will see more companies in Qatar,

RIGhT: Patrick Fallon, chief operating officer, Byrne.

in particular coming from Europe, looking for the 2022 magic.

For the sellers, some are of the carpet bag variety; coming in and trying to sell something then flying off again. In this market you have to be able to back up the sale, service it, live up to the conditions of the warranty, and if that isn’t provided clients are effectively burning money.

How has the market for renewable power affected operations and product development?PF: In the rest of the world, the race is on to look for new ways to generate power. Because of

“Prices are very competitive and so the sales force has to turn from order taking to consultative selling“


“After sales is a major part of business operations, and if you build that capability you will position yourself well to build demand for new products”

cycles and here the market is facing a similar case, but it is a demanding market.

Clients are being very demanding about the products they get and the quality. After sales is a major part of business operations, and if you build that capability you will position yourself well to build demand for new products.

PF: People have an expectation to be sold, rather than to go out and buy.

The capability for that has to be sharpened

to new levels. The order taker is gone — that’s what we, like many other industries, were in 2006 and 2007.

Even the approach from our suppliers was “this is the price, take it or leave it”. If you missed that price, somebody else would come and take it.

Even at Byrne we are spending more and more time developing these key selling and servicing skills.

perspective, is that the market in its current state is challenging us all to be sharper in terms of competition, delivery, competence and capa-bility to back up what we do and, on the whole, sharper in the rental solutions business.

That demand from customers, which will often be at prices that we will often find unpal-atable, will continue. Equally, based on what we witness in the market some of the compa-nies which have created the poorer practices will fall away, and in fact some have already begun to do so.

Professional companies are keeping stand-ards high and staying in business, and I think that can only be good for the future.

Perhaps our traditional markets are not as strong and buoyant as they were in the past, but you have to innovate and diversify to succeed in the future.

Hunger is good salt and the hunger to stay in business is something that will bring innova-tion to our business in the years ahead.

GM: It was a seller’s market and clients now are becoming very demanding about what they want and pricing levels are very competitive, and so the sales force has to turn from order taking to consultative selling.

We work very hard with our sales staff to build their capacity and it’s a case of manag-ing the decline.

Some of us who worked in the European business survived through a number of these

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FAMCOGRAhAM MCDONAlD general manager, al-

Futtaim Power & Industrial division, FaMCO.

Al-Futtaim was established in Deira, Dubai in 1930

and today is the largest private investor in the

region with over 65 companies. FAMCO is part of

the Automotive group and represents a number of

super brands including, exclusively, volvo; yanmar,

Ingersoll Rand and himoinsa, for generators, and

other products, with a mix of business coming from

power generation to compressed air solutions

and the marine and construction industries.

Al-Futtaim and FAMCO is also represented across the

region in places like qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

ByRNE PATRICk FAllON chief operating officer, Byrne

equipment Rental llC.

Byrne Rentals was established in Dubai, uAE, in

the early 1990s as a broadly-based rental company,

Today Byrne operate across the uAE, Oman, qatar

and Saudi Arabia, exclusively as a rental company

providing diverse solutions for equipment, plant

and tools, temporary portable cabins and power

generation requirements , which alone accounts for

40% of the company’s total business in the region.

Byrne supplies solutions to the leisure, commercial,

construction and marine industries and offers

a 24/7 support service to clients through

dedicated call centres.


outside the boxFrom jobs to energy management and transforming healthcare, four of the biggest exhibitors at Dubai’s FM Expo explain the evolution of asset management

“Usually when a client asks me to define FM I will return the question and ask ‘what is your core business?’ are you sure of the boundaries of your core business and if so I will say to them that facilities management is what is not your core business”

SPECIAL FEAtU

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strategic benefitsImdaad recently signed a contract to provide FM services in Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) buildings. CEO Jamal Abdulla Lootah talks about public sector contracts and job creation.

In comparison to the more mature FM mar-kets in Europe and North America, facilities management in the Middle East is relatively

young and this is one of the primary reasons why the potential for growth is considerably huge in this region. It has also helped a lot in driving growth in the FM industry, that there is now greater awareness among businesses across the region about the strategic benefits of FM, particularly in terms of cost savings, efficiency, quality and sustainability.

“Typically, a comprehensive FM solution should start from the inception of the property, which allows FM professionals to develop an effective, sustainable and cost-efficient strategy.

“A comprehensive FM strategy is particularly important considering that up to 80% of the total lifecycle cost of a property is spent on maintenance, management and energy. A care-fully developed FM strategy therefore creates huge long-term cost savings, consequently making businesses more profitable.

“While the impact of the FM industry on the business sector is quite tangible, the gradual growth of FM practices has actually created

opportunities in other areas that are only start-ing to be fully appreciated, particularly in the job market. The market is projected to reach a value of up to US $8 billion by 2013 and per-haps higher in the succeeding years. This figure indeed also represents new prospects in a wide range of job categories.

“New jobs are being created as a growing number of companies continue to adopt out-sourced solutions. With the recent economic impact on the job market, I believe fresh employment prospects in the FM industry will somehow contribute in revitalising the region’s employment market.

“However, I believe that the government and private sector should act proactively to take full advantage of emerging, untapped employment opportunities. For instance, universities can perhaps start developing and offering FM-related academic programs, courses and even certifications. A number already have and this is certainly a very positive step towards further enriching the job market for FM profes-sionals in the region.

“Here at Imdaad, we are focussing more on government contracts between now and 2012 but we try not to make a differentiation between public and private contracts; anybody who signs with us should get the same high quality service with a very reasonable price.

We are focussing on our public sector con-tracts because I feel Imdaad can add value.

“When my team told me about the Musanada contract for schools in Abu Dhabi, I told them to go ahead, regardless of the profit margin. We can add value to the contract and it benefits both us and Musanada to work together.”

ABOVE: Jamal Abdulla Lootah, second left, signing Imdaad’s RTA contract.


“there is now greater awareness among businesses across the region about the strategic benefits of facilities management”

“Our mission is to really understand how the client company is organised and offer alternative structures to transfer to activities”

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fM abcsEmcor Facilities services (EFS) is introducing a new training programme, covering everything from etiquette to management, explains HR manager rebecca Coleman

the training programme with EFS is going to be split into three tiers; the first tier is for technicians and basic technical provi-

sions, including workshops and hands on courses in things like grooming and etiquette.

“The second tier is for senior and mid-man-agement level staff and focuses on ‘soft skills’ required by them, such as leadership. In addi-tion we are taking some of the courses from MEFMA (Middle East Facilities Management Association) and rolling these out within our courses, to fully cover all aspects.

“We are also going to introduce an Emiratisation programme; recruiting about 15 nationals a year through graduate programmes. We will take people who have studied FM, straight from universities such as Heriot Watt and induct them in a graduation programme, before putting them into inventory and coach-ing. It covers all spectrums.

“The response from all involved has been positive; even though people have to juggle their projects and the training at the same time. We have just recruited a training coordinator and a lot of the mangers really want to get

involved in FM and the technical side, also.“The primary benefit to EFS is staff retention.

We are retaining and training our staff; we can train people to supervisor level and then make them into coordinators, FMs, assistant FMs etc. If we retain the employees we are keeping that knowledge within EFS as well.

“We are starting to recruit local people from local institutions and are training them for the local market.”

redefining fMHestia’s approach to facilities management in hospitals redefines how services are delivered, general manager Frederick Martin explains.

U sually when a client asks me to define FM I will return the question and ask ‘what is your core business?’ are you sure of

the boundaries of your core business and if so I will say to them that facilities management is what is not your core business.

“The business model that the client has, like in any activity, includes risk factors. FM is about mitigating the risk which doesn’t pertain to the core business of a client.

“For example, cleaning the corridors is not the core business of a hospital, nor is cleaning the patient rooms. Now we move to cleaning the operating room after an operation, again it is not a core business but there is degradation in the risk factor and the responsibility.

“For example, sterilisation of the instruments surgeons use; some clients say it is core busi-ness, some say not. So there is a boundary between what can be outsourced and what is the core business function.

“The responsibility to our client does not start at the entrance of the hospital and finish at the end of a doctor or nurse’s shift. If you are working in a hospital it means your personal hygiene is coming from your home; you

80%OF THE TOTAL LIFECyCLE COST OF A PROPERTy IS SPEnT On MAInTEnAnCE, MAnAgEMEnT AnD EnERgy

FM In nUMbErSthe projected value of local FM markets over the next 25 years:

•UAE Dh2.5 trillion

•Saudi Arabia Dh352 billion

•Qatar AED 337 billion

ABOVE: Alison Kitching, third from right with the Emril team at FM Expo. ABOVE: Rebecca Coleman EFS- FM expo.


perform your duty and you go back home. Whose responsibility is it to make sure that your staff, doctors and nurses are in well kept, healthy organised environments to mitigate the risk of infection, which is the core business of the client, while they are performing their duty.

“We stretch the responsibility of non-core activities far beyond the boundary of the site itself, looking at any ancillary activities not defined in the vision of a client. The bit in between the technical anchorage business and the knowledge of facilities management is what Hestia is doing.

“Our mission is to really understand how the client company is organised and offer alterna-tive structures to transfer to activities to Hestia in a way which will optimise your CAPEX and OPEX. It is very theoretical and abstract, but there are some very hands on decisions to be taken at that stage.

“When you enter a hospital as a patient, sta-tistically you will spend 25% of your time undergoing medical treatment. Somebody has to attend to the other 75%. That is not the core business of doctors, but facilities management.

“That is why we are redefining what facilities management is. We are not nuts and bolts; we are not MEP; we are not cleaning; we are not waste management. We go beyond to identify core staff and responsibilities. For example the secretaries, drivers, clerks are not core business activity staff. Why should they be on your pay roll? Does it make sense or is it just the way it has always been done? So let’s brain storm again, why are things done this way?

“I very much admire what the health author-ity is doing in Abu Dhabi. The work they have tackled and the streamlining of guidelines in order to structure local health provision is out-standing; and I don’t think it exists anywhere else in the world.”

the next stepSenior FM Alison Kitching talks about the impact of the Strata Law and energy management initiatives on Emril’s integrated services.

As a whole we deliver services as an inte-grated company; we have over 4000 staff delivering the hard and soft services

which is the energy maintenance services, which ties in with energy saving; an increas-ingly important part of service delivery. This includes maintaining assets to ensure they are running at their most efficient and making sure our people are empowered to meet client expectations.

“Energy costs are quite high particularly here where water is scarce and desali-nated so very expensive to produce.

“Therefore anything we can do to reduce consump-tion has a really positive impact on energy owners and communities both are affected in similar ways but differing ways.

“The main opportunity now is the Strata Law in Dubai, where developers are no longer responsible for selecting the service providers within the communities, instead forming owners’ associations.

“As a result we’re going directly to owners who vote for their service providers. For us this opens new doors and new challenges, which is exciting and we have been delivering services for almost 10 years in communities so it’s fantastic for us to go to new areas.

“We are also doing some work with Al Futtiam and

they have exciting technology in use at Dubai Festival City to help manage utilities across the portfolio, called iViva. They remotely monitor technology and building management systems in one control centre and use the data to make positive decisions on how resources are consumed.

“We are working closely to bring this into the residential portfolio and have also intro-duced an online portal to allow the residents in the communities we serve to contact us directly for water saving appliances and devices, energy saving monitors and so on for property owners.

“The awareness to achieve the most value from an asset over a long period of time, is about lifecycle costs rather than the transaction costs for individual services.

“Where we see the greatest value in long term partnerships is delivering all services for people who work together to reduce the whole life cycle cost of an asset rather than looking purely at a month to month cost, because ulti-mately that is more expensive.”

“the awareness to get value from an asset over a long period of time is about lifecycle costs rather than transaction costs for individual services.”

ABOVE: Frederick Martin Hestia FM.

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Despite its futuristic properties Pitsburgh Corning’s Foamglas dates back to the 1930s

During the development of Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art — located on a man-made island exposed to high humidity — an insulating material was required that would offer enough durability to withstand demanding climatic conditions; and it was required in bulk to cover a space of 22,000 square metres.

“The external wall of the museum is finished with 6,500 M³ of natural stone work,” says Vincenz, adding: “High temperatures com-bined with high humidity and an open joint application of the facade demanded high qual-ity in the structure below, especially for thermal protection, because access to the ventilation space is not provided any more.

“The protection Foamglas offers also means HVAC upgrades are never required.”

“Degradation through humidity abortion is the biggest problem in the Middle East for wall insulation, next to fire issues.

“Foamglas is fully inorganic and will not support any fire. With no flame spread and no smoke development it provides the highest safety and ensures the highest standards even in the building envelope,” he adds.

One of a number of research and design pro-jects, the manufacturer is looking at combining Foamglas with photovoltaic solar panels to inte-grate the panel and insulation. The project began in December 2010 and will be brought to the Middle East in the near future.

Tomorrow’s worldIt sounds like a product from the future:

water, fire and degradation-proof; environ-mentally friendly; and strong enough for use

under concrete slabs. Yet Foamglas has been specified in projects for more than 50 years.

The stuff tomorrow’s science is made of, Foamglas is an insulation material composed of millions of hermetically sealed glass cells, lock-ing in a vapour barrier which facilitates its waterproof and vapour-tight properties. It is due to this cell geometry that it has high com-pressive strength, even under long-term loads.

“The most important part is that we have 66% recycling content and in the production we use only renewable energy,” explains Middle East sales director Marco Vincenz, adding: “We do not need water to produce FoamGlas and it has a very long durability.”

Continuing to promote the benefits of Foamglas for applications in the Middle East, Vincenz says that due to climatic conditions, pressure comes from inside a building — where air is cooler — meaning insulation materials require protection from atmospheric moisture.

However, Foamglas includes a “wave of tight-ness”, which forms a moisture barrier; one property which manufacturers Pitsburgh Corning say makes the material unique.

“This is a very old principle, the product has developed but this is glasfoam. The only thing we do at the moment is use small cells to improve thermal conductivity and we improve the compressive strength,” Vincenz continues.

“If the cells inside the insulation are smaller the product can carry more weight. If you look at the flat roofing in this region, Foamglas can carry those loads so you can apply it to parking decks, roof gardens, and so on,” he adds.

Behind the sciencePitsburgh Corning began when the American Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company and Corning Glass merged, forming the Corning Corporation, in 1937. The new company spent two decades researching the science behind industrial glass applications.

The company then moved into the European market, opening a production unit in Belgium in 1962, close to vast resources of sand, to reduce transportation of raw materials. Today, Foamglas products are manufactured in facili-ties Tessenderlo, Belgium; Schmiedefeld, Germany; and Klàsterec, in the Czech Republic.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Pittsburgh Corning Europe was established in Dubai in 2006, to provide sales and technical support, design and onsite technical training to the Middle East market.

Foamglas has since been specified by both the region’s and the industry’s biggest names, such as Al Futtaim and architects I. M. Pei and Roger Tallibert.

The most high profile projects to date have included the Armed Forces Officer’s Club, Abu Dhabi; the Intercontinental and Crown Plaza Hotel, Dubai Festival City; Doha’s Texan A&M University and the Museum of Islamic Art.

Commenting on the application of Foamglas at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club, Vincenz says the product was specified after the failure of other systems.

“At the end of the nineties the roof required a refurbishment of the sprayed polyurethane thermal insulation and waterproofing, which had failed. The client followed the architect’s recommendation and chose the Foamglas com-pact roof build up with a metal roof covering.”

Built to lastFor the A&M University project, Foamglas was specified for its resistance to humidity and durable performance.

“A two-layer brick wall does not provide a fully water and vapour proof external shell and high humidity and extreme heat can affect the thermal insulation between layers. Foamglas, will never warp, slack or lose any of its perfor-mance qualities over the whole lifecycle of the building,” Vincenz explains.

ABOVE: Marco Vincenz

FOAmgLAS APPLICATIONSArmed forces officers’ Club Abu Dhabi:25,000m2 applied to concrete shell with metal covering. Intercontinental and Crown Plaza Hotel, Festival City, Dubai: 8000 m2 applied behind stone cladding facade.Texan A&M University, Doha: Foamglas used in cavity wall. Museum of Islamic Art, Doha: Foamglas used behind stone cladding facade.

PROdUCT PROPERTIES • Waterproof• Impervious to water vapour and all other gases• Non-combustible• High compressive strength• Resistant to attack from vermin, acid or chemicals • Dimensionally stable• Easy to cut and install


Suppliers in the spotlight

Jotun paintsNew office opened in Saudi Arabia

Norwegian paints and coatings supplier Jotun has opened a new sales, marketing and admin-istration office in Bilda Mall, Riyadh, to strengthen the company’s local operations.

The Norwegian supplier’s new facility was inaugurated by His Excellency Carl Schiotz Wibye, at an event attended by Jotun Group senior officials and other guests, last month.

“The opening of our new Jotun offices in Saudi Arabia shows the continued business growth that we are enjoying in the country and also marks our commitment to better serve our growing customer base,” said Kjell Gundersen, managing director, Jotun Saudia Co. Ltd, speaking at the opening.

Jotun Saudi has been present in the country for more than 20 years with two factories located at the major sea port Yanbu and neigh-bouring Jeddah. The new offices are strategi-cally located to provide access to the warehouse and customer service department facilities, which will remain in Riyadh. It will also pro-vide a base for Jotun’s protective marine and powder functions.

The office features a fully computerised set-up, equipped with communication software which facilitates a “constant, seemless connec-tion” with the rest of Jotun’s global network.

Jotun said the opening reflects their “contin-uing business growth” and complements initia-tives aimed at providing better service.

“Jotun Saudi remains steadfast in its com-mitment to implementing key initiatives in customer servicing, quality of products, HR and IT resources,” Gundersen added.

Teka Küchentechnik20% regional growth predicted for 2011

German kitchen manufacturer Teka Küchentechnik, predict its market share will grow by a further 20% this year, following a successful 2010.

Since 2009, the company has reported sale increases of more than 40% and has increased its dealer network to 112 outlets in the UAE alone. Teka Küchentechnik now has 150 pro-jects across the country.

“Though it has been a struggle for all of us during the past two years, our vision to support our partners and clients at all times has been unwavering and we are finally seeing the bene-fits,” said Arturo Manso, Managing Director at Teka Küchentechnik Middle East.

The predicted 20% growth will also be rein-forced by the launch of a new range of sinks, which include LED illuminated glass basins and sustainable kitchen appliances, which also feature low power consumption products.

The announcement was celebrated at Teka’s annual event, held in Abu Dhabi last month and attended by more than 400 industry guests.

“Abu Dhabi has been a key focal area for us this year with steady, focused growth and a site on sustainability. Our commitment of quality, outstanding installation, commissioning, war-ranty and post sales service has meant that numerous developers and contractors in the city and across the UAE and Middle East are returning to us in 2011,” Manso added.

In addition to the dealer network in the Middle East, Teka Küchentechnik has 38 sub-sidiaries worldwide and 32 factories, predomi-nantly in Germany and Spain.

Victaulic Easy to install devices introduced

International developer of mechanical piping systems, Victaulic, has introduced its FireLock NXT line to the Middle East.

The new range of pre-assembled couplings and valves are the “easiest to install devices currently available on the market”, according to the company.

The components are already in position so installers can place them in systems and make only minor adjustments. The components are also easier to service and maintain.

“Specifying and installing a manufacturer whose range of devices provides an efficient total solution whilst meeting installation and maintenance challenges brings many benefits to the client,” said James Keown, fire protection sales engineer at victaulic. “The pressure on engineers is the same globally and it is impor-tant to find the supplier with the right solu-tion,” he added.

In addition to the ease of use, the company claim the products save space by having the smallest footprint in the industry.

For added convenience and security the devices are easy to reset as the FireLock NXT line only requires externally resetting, eliminating the need to open cover plates.

The products are compatible with all system types and are fully rated and tested at 300 PSI without the need for pressure reducing valves.

The device line also eliminates the air-to-water differential, allowing faster delivery of water to sprinklers and controlling friction loss on high-rise installations, ensuring maximum efficiency within the fire protection system.

A round-up of the latest news and announcements from industry suppliers in the Middle East


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Baker HughesDrill bit plant opened in Saudi Arabia

A new drill bit manufacturing plant, located in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia is now fully opera-tional, forming “an integral part of the Baker Hughes super base”.

The new facility manufactures polycrystal-line diamond compact (PDC) bits to the Saudi Arabian and wider Middle East markets, and as a result consolidates all the manufacturing pro-cesses for PDC bits in Saudi Arabia.

The plant offers opportunity for local work-forces also, by employing 80 people.

“Proximity to markets and customers is criti-cal to ensuring client alignment and fit-for-pur-pose products,” said Art Soucy, vice president of supply chains for Baker Hughes.

“Saudi Arabia and the Middle East are key markets for Baker Hughes and, after several years of successfully assembling drill bits in Saudi Arabia, we took the next logical step of manufacturing bits from raw materials.

“The investment underscores our commit-ment to diversify our manufacturing footprint to better serve our global client base,” he added.

Baker Hughes’ operations in Saudi Arabia date back to the drilling of the first famous dis-covery well, 37 Dammam, over 70 years ago.

The company’s range of PDC bits include the Quantec Premium; Quantec Force; Quantec D Directional: Genesis XT: Genesis PDC; Genesis D Directional; Triton; and Tricone Roller Cone. Baker Hughes also spe-cialises in performance drilling, hole enlarge-ment, coring and drilling optimisation.

“We welcome this opportunity to develop the oil and gas reserves of Saudi Arabia,” he added.

Sharjah EDDCounterfeit sanitary ware destroyed byt authorities

Sharjah Economic Development Department (EDD) has destroyed 21,182 pieces of counter-feit sanitaryware stored in an industrial area after tip-offs from a trademark holder.

The initiative was conducted in collaboration with GROHE, a leading manufacturer of pre-mium sanitary fittings and Saba and Co, an intellectual property company, as part of the department’s commitment to fight commercial fraud. The counterfeit goods were destined for supply in the UAE.

“We received a complaint from GROHE, the trademark holder, regarding the existence of counterfeit goods in the domestic market,” said Khalifa Al Misbah Ketbi deputy director of control and protection of trade department.

“As soon as we received the complaint and confirmed its validity, SEED’s Trade Protection department went to the site. Their visit resulted in the seizure of 21,182 counterfeit pieces of sanitary ware,” he added.

H.E. Al Salem Al Mahmoud, president of the department was present during the destruction along with a number of senior officials.

“The Department’s initiative is part of its plan to rid the market of counterfeit goods. It’s also in line with the directions of the govern-ment of Sharjah to preserve the rights of trade-mark holders and consumers, which is one of our key objectives and is part of our strategic priorities,” he said.

As a result of the seizure, SEDD has increased its inspection teams, enabling its counterfeit department to control a large num-ber of counterfeit goods.

Danube550,000 square feet warehouse opened in Dubai

Danube building materials, supplier of both private and industrial-scale construction pro-jects has opened a new 550,000 square feet warehouse in JAFZA South, Dubai, to meet increasing demand.

The facility was inaugurated by Ibrahim Mohammed Al Janahi, deputy CEO and chief commercial officer for Jafza, joined by Danube’s Rizwan Sajan, chairman; Anis Sajan, managing director; Adel Sajan, director; and Thamimul Hussain, group general manager.

JAFZA senior officials and representatives from key partner companies of Danube were also present at the opening.

“We commend Danube for tapping local opportunities in the building materials indus-try and for its ambitious development and growth over the years,” said Ibrahim Al Janahi.

Rizwan Sajan added: “The opening of the new warehouse facility signals a good time to invest in strategic expansion efforts as costs are lowered as a result of the downturn. We acknowledge the constant support that we have received from JAFZA and the UAE govern-ment, who have become strategic partners in our move towards driving development.”

“Danube remains committed in its efforts to expand through 2012, targeting the opening of 15 more branches. With our plans to create a stronger market presence in Qatar, India, and KSA, the new warehouse in JAFZA will act as a key back up facility to house and store all our products,” Sajan continued.

Danube has also revealed its investment in a new facility in Dubai Techno Park.

21,182 itEMS of CouNtErfEit SANitAry-wArE DEStroyED by SHArjAH ECo-NoMiC DEvElopMENt DEpArtMENt

”Jotun Saudi remains steadfast in its commitment to implementing key initiatives in customer servicing, quality of products, HR and IT resources”

•vitroglaze advertorial.pdf 1 3/7/11 3:27 PM


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”I have specific expertise in sustainable communities and middle-income housing which my Masters dissertation and career to date has focused on”

one of four appointments announced this month, Sarah Richardson speaks about her new role as associate planner with international architecture, urban planning and design firm Broadway Malyan

W ith a career spanning the globe, Sarah Richardson’s experience is vast. Prior to accepting a new position in

Broadway Malyan’s Abu Dhabi office, Richardson worked in Libya, Egypt, Uganda and the UK, on some of the largest urban plan-ning projects, in addition to training colleagues on how to streamline and improve their urban planning processes.

“My background is a mix of planning and project finance, key skills in the provision of affordable housing, and ensuring design pro-posals are developed in sync with financial models,” she says, adding: “Joining Broadway Malyan provides me with the opportunity to work and see planning concepts and projects being developed into detailed architectural design with on-site supervision.”

Having already worked for the Municipality of Abu Dhabi with Mouchel Middle East, Richardson is well prepared for work on some of the emirate’s biggest projects, including Broadway Malyan’s 860 hectare project, Mina Zayad, for client ALDAR.

During her time at Mouchel, Richardson held the title of urban planning subject matter

expert, where she advised and trained staff on methods to streamline and improve urban planning processes, currently and in the future.

Before arriving in the Middle East, Richardson’s portfolio included a US $50 billion housing and infrastructure project in Libya, with lead responsibility for the urban planning of the Eastern region; a project comprising 95,000 houses and their associated infrastructure.

She spent two years in Uganda, working on rapidly growing urban centres and also spent time in India and Nepal working with empow-ering community groups as part of urban plan-ning. During her time in the UK with Manchester City Council, Richardson was pro-ject manager for the largest single planning application submitted to Manchester City Council, Holt Town.

Richardson’s first project with Broadway Malyan is on North Yas, a mixed use commu-nity with an estimated population of 55,000. Concept approval from the UPC is currently pending, but the project has already won an award for ‘best urban design and master plan-ning’, at Cityscape Abu Dhabi this year.

“I have specific expertise in sustainable com-munities and middle-income housing which my Masters dissertation and career to date has focused on. I am particularly looking forward to supporting Broadway Malyan in its objective to become a regional leader in the planning and provision of affordable and middle-income housing in the region, something which I see as vitally important to the MENA region,” Richardson explains.

Due to both Richardson’s and the firm’s expertise in middle-income housing, Broadway Malyan is now hoping to win more such pro-jects across the region.

Director James Rayner says Sarah’s expertise will bring “another dimension” to the firm’s regional urbanism team.

“Sarah’s background in urban planning pol-icy for developing regions, sustainable commu-nities and affordable and mid income housing is very in-tune with a range of significant devel-opment issues,” he comments.

“Sarah will allow us to offer a more in-depth and informed response to clients dealing with specific development projects or development policy and strategy. Her presence in the Abu Dhabi office allow will also help us connect up our urban planning teams in London, Weybridge and Singapore,” he adds.

Regional development

BRoADWAy MALyAn AppoIntMEnts Philip heaton: director of public realm responsible for the growth of the international landscape and public realm team

adam ross: director of planning

Jeff nottage: associate director of planning, UKSarah richardson,

associate planner.

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TENDERS The latest tenders and project updates for developments in MENA region

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Development L.L.C (Dubai)Tender Categories: Hotels, housing projects, leisure

Saudi arabia

� Project namerayhaan hotel Project

Project number: ZPR271-SASaudi ArabiaClient name : Abdulla Fouad Holding Company (Saudi Arabia)Address : Abdulla Fouad Holding Company Bldg., Prince Mohammed Street, Hay Al SouqCity : Dammam 31411 Postal/Zip Code : 257Country : Saudi ArabiaPhone : (+966-9) 2001 2100Fax : (+966-3) 810 2100Email : [email protected]: www.abdulla-fouad.com

Description: Construction of five-star Rayhaan Hotel comprising (240) rooms.

budget 70000000

Priod: 2014 Status: New Tender Remarks: This project will be located in Dammam. The hotel will be managed by UAE-based Rotana Group. Local Shuaa Capital Hospitality Fund will finance the scheme. The design consultancy contract has been awarded. However, the client has not disclosed the name of the consultant. The excavation works contract is expected to be awarded in September 2011. Excavation works and design are expected to be completed in March 2012. Invitation to bid (ITB) for the main construction contract is expected to be issued in March2012.

Tender categories: Hotels, Prestige Buildings

� Project nameburj rafal mixed-uSe Project

Project number: MPP2361-SATerritory: Saudi ArabiaClient name : Rafal Real Estate Development Company Ltd. (Saudi Arabia)Address : 9th Floor, Tatweer Tower, King Fahd Highway (Southbound), Almohammadeyyah District City : Riyadh 11547 Postal/Zip Code : 69290Country : Saudi ArabiaPhone : (+966-1) 200 8333Fax : (+966-1) 200 9393Email : [email protected]

Description: Development of Burj Rafal mixed-use scheme comprising a 62-storey tower consisting of 260 luxury apartments on 23 floors; a 2,000-person-capacity ballroom and 24 meeting rooms on one floors; a 297-room Kempinski Hotel and 54 serviced apartments over 17 floors; office space, which will occupy 13 floors; two wellness spas on one floor; and 6,000 square metres of retail space on the building's podium.

Period: 2013Status: Current projectRemarks: This project will be developed on a site of 22,000 square metres in the northern Assahafa district of Riyadh. UAE-based Dubai Contracting Company (DCC) has been appointed as the main contractor.

budget $55000000

uae

� Project nameal jalila oilfield Production facilitieS Project

Project number: ZPR053-UTerritory: DubaiClient name : Dubai Petroleum Establishment (DPE)Address : 1st Interchange, Shaikh Zayed Road, Al Safa Street, Next to Al Khazzan ParkCity : Dubai Postal/Zip Code : 2222Country : United Arab EmiratesPhone : (+971-4) 343 2222Fax : (+971-4) 301 2200Email : [email protected]: www.dubaipetroleum.ae

Description: Engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning (EPIC) contract to build production facilities at the offshore Al Jalila oilfield

budget $100000000

Period: 2011 Status: Current Project Remarks: This project is in Dubai. Scope of work involves the installation of an unmanned offshore production platform, a compressor unit and 12 kilometres of flow-lines. The field is located at east of the existing Rashid field. US' Global Industries Limited and UAE-based Lamprell Middle East have been appointed as the EPC contractors on this scheme. Construction of the facilities has commenced. The project is expected to be completed in fourth quarter of 2011. Main contractor: Global Industries (Sharjah), Lamprell plc (Dubai)

Tender categories: Oilfield Development

� Project namefour SeaSonS hotel reSort Project - jumeirah beach roadProject Number: MPP2475-UClient name : Bright Start Holdings (Dubai)City : Dubai Country : United Arab EmiratesPhone : (+971-4) 221 5333

Description: Construction of five-star Four Seasons Hotel Resort comprising guestrooms, a ballroom, spa, fitness centre, main hotel restaurant and bar, a roof top bar and lounge, including recreational facilities such as tennis courts and swimming pools, retail facilities and other small cafes along with food and beverage outlets.Status: New Tender Remarks: This project will be located on the old Jumeirah Beach road in Dubai and cover a total built-up area of 65,000 square metres. The new hotel will replace the existing Jumeirah Beach Club. The hotel will include basement parking. Ground level will include a valet parking, parking facilities and operational facilities. Client has already opened the pre-qualification process for the main construction package in April 2011. In early April 2011, an enquiry was also sent to piling contractors for foundation work on the planned development. The main construction package will involve structural and civil works, architectural and mechanical, electrical and plumbing works. Construction work is scheduled to take two years to complete. Main Architect: DSA Architects International (Dubai)Project Manager: HH Investment &

ESTIMATING AND PROJECT CONTROL


MEN

A PRO

JECTS | TENDERS

Qatar

� Project nameheadQuarterS building Project-17Project number: MPP2427-QTerritory: QatarClient Name : International Bank of Qatar (IBQ)City : Doha Postal/Zip Code : 2001Country : QatarPhone : (+974) 4447 8000Fax : (+974) 4447 3745Email : [email protected]: http://www.ibq.com.qaDescription: Construction of 32-storey, 225-metre-high headquarters building, including five basement levels for a bank

budget: $ 137000000

Status: Current Project Remarks: The tower will be built on Al-Taawon Street, near the Qatar Olympics building and cover a total built-up area of 35,000 square metres. The building has been designed by US-based architecture firm Kohn Pederson Fox. Doha-based KEO International Consultants is acting as the consultant. Main consultant: KEO International Consultants (Qatar)Design consultant: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (USA)Main contractor: AKTOR (Qatar) Redco Construction (Qatar)Tender categories: Prestige Buildings

� Project namePetrochemicalS comPlex Project - raS laffan induStrial cityProject number: ZPR353-QTerritory: QatarClient Name : Total Petrochemicals (France)Address : Total Bldg., 2 Place, Jean Miller La Defense 6, CourbevoieCity : Paris Postal/Zip Code : 92400Country : FrancePhone : (+33-1) 4744 4546Fax : (+33-1) 4744 7878

Website: http://www.total.com

Description: Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build a petrochemicals complex with production capacity of 1.2 to 1.3 million tonnes a year (t/y) of ethane in Ras Laffan Industrial City

budget: $6000000000

Period: 2015 Status: new tenderRemarks: This project is in Qatar. The scheme is currently under planning. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the client and Qatar Petroleum to develop the complexTender categories: Industrial & Special Projects

bahrain

� Project namemina Salman Port interchange Project

Project number: ZPR257-BTerritory: BahrainClient name : Ministry of Works (Bahrain)Address : Ministry of Works Bldg., Diplomatic AreaCity : Manama Postal/Zip Code : 5Country : BahrainPhone : (+973) 1754 5555 / 1754 5454Fax : (+973) 1754 5608Email : [email protected]: http://www.works.gov.bn

Description: Construction of a 3-level interchange at Mina Salman PortBudget $585000000 Period: 2014 Status: new tenderRemarks: This project is in Manama and aims to improve traffic congestion in the area. The development will include an overpass from Shaikh Isa bin Salman Highway to Al Fateh Street. It will also include a tunnel from Shaikh Isa bin Salman Bridge to Shaikh Khalifa

bin Salman Port. Bids have been submitted for the main construction contract. Bidders include India's Afcons Infrastructure Limited; local Ahmed Mansoor Al Aali Company, Nass Contracting Company; a joint venture of Federici Stirling and local Batco; and a joint venture of Belgium's Six Construct and local Haji Hassan. Award of the main contract has been delayed, as the bid prices submitted were higher than the client's estimated budget. Tender categories: Bridges, public works, road and earthworks

oman

� Project namemukhaizna Water treatment Plant Project

Project number: ZPR316-OTerritory: Oman Client Name : Occidental MukhaiznaAddress : Occidental Mukhaizna Bldg., Street 16, Athaiba AreaCity : Muscat 130 Postal/Zip Code : 717Country : OmanPhone : (+968) 2458 1000Fax : (+968) 2458 8147Website: http://www.oxy.com

budget $72000000

Period: 15/03/2013 Status: current projectremarks: This plant will be located in Al Wusta region of Oman. The project will generate steam that will be used for the extraction of oil from the field besides the field's central processing facilities upgrade. Scope of work includes:- Construction of a water treatment plant (WTP lots 1, 2 and 3)- Upgrade of the central processing facilities in the field- Dehydration unit- De-oiling train.India's Punj Lloyd has been appointed as the EPC contractor. Construction is progressing as per schedule. The project

is expected to be completed in March 2013main contractor: Punj Lloyd Ltd. (Oman)Tender categories: Oilfield DevelopmentPotable Water Works

iraq

� Project namemiddle euPhrateS international airPort Project

Project number: MPP2473-IQTerritory: IraqClient name : Civil Aviation Authority (Iraq)Address : Baghdad International Airport, Babylon Terminal, 2nd FloorCity : Baghdad Country : IraqPhone : (+964-1) 813 2467 / (+964-790) 531 9779 Fax : (+964-1) 543 0689Email : [email protected]: http://www.iraqcaa.com

Status: New Tender Remarks: This project is in Iraq. The airport will be built between the cities of Karbala and Najaf to serve millions of Shia pilgrims and tourists that visit the two cities each year. Phase 1 will have a capacity of six million passengers a year. Work involves building two passenger terminals, one of which will serve normal traffic, while the other will be specifically used by pilgrims. The second phase will see capacity increase to 12 million passengers and the third phase will have a capacity of 19.5 million passengers a year. Future plans also involve building a 50-hectare airport city at the entrance. Master plan of the airport was approved November 2010. Detailed design is due to be completed by 2012 . Tenders for the main construction contract are expected to be issued early 2012. Master plan consultant: Aeroports de Paris - AdP (France)Tender categories: AirportHousing ProjectsPublic Works, Roads & Earthworks

ESTIMATING AND PROJECT CONTROL


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Cityscape JeddahJeddah: June 11-13

Now in its second year, Cityscape Jeddah brings together real estate investors, developers,

consultants, architects and all other senior level real estate professionals from the region and the

Kingdom to create joint venture partnerships and discuss key opportunities and challenges in Saudi

Arabia’s real estate industry.

Hospital Build Dubai: June 13-15

The only regional platform dedicated to showcasing and promoting current and future healthcare

projects. Hospital Build is aimed at senior managers and commissioners in healthcare facilities; investors,

planners, builders, contractors, architects and designers, looking to meet key suppliers.

Public safety and security summit

Doha: June 22-23 Qatar’s bi-annual gathering for government authorities, municipalities, large scale project

owners and developers, regional and international safety and security specialists. The summit identifies,

investigates and resolves safety and security challenges in Qatar.

Interbuild EgyptCairo: June 23- 27

Showcasing the latest achievements, best practices and innovations in design, products, services and

solutions for construction and building. The show is a forum for industry professionals to forge business

relationships rooted in the implementation of the new construction and development initiatives,

focussing on infrastructure development.

DIARYJUNE

GLOBAL TRENDS

$200million Project value for Abu Dhabi’s new aluminium plant; the first of its kind in the region and the first to be launched in the 417 square kilometre Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad).

$450million Infrastructure investments to be made by ADCB’s Macquarie infrastructure fund by Q2 2012.

56% The year-on-year growth in container handling reported by Abu Dhabi Terminals on the back of heightened construction infrastructure activity.

$1.33billion Investment to be loaned by the government of Saudi Arabia to launch construction of the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) project.

$74 The price per ton of cement in Bahrain following increases of 11% on Saudi Arabian imports.

DIA

RY | IN

DUSTRY EVENTS

InternatIonalMena

Build IndiaGujarat: June 4-6Bringing together a range of products and services and the related infrastructural industry, the show is Gujarat’s largest infrastructural exhibition, showcasing exhibitors from across India and beyond at the Surat International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Neocon World Trade Fair Chicago: June 13- 15 Tradeshow providing the architecture and design community with over 150 CEU-certified association forums and seminars, leading keynote speakers, building and design resources and materials, latest products and modern exhibits. More than 700 top exhibitors will draw over 40,000 tradeshow visitors from all over the world.

Metal buildings and steel structures expoNew Delhi: June 23-25India’s flagship event on steel structures and allied products will be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. MBSS promotes the use of steel and allied metals in construction and serves as a platform to showcase the latest products and innovations in the industry. The event is also a platform to explore new business opportunities and knowledge.

Complete Surface Preparation, Coating & Testing Solutions

Blast Rooms

Metal Spray Equipment

Paint Booths

Wheelblast Machines

Paint Booths


TEA BREA

K | FM

and desig

n

Majed Zeitun, MABOur job might be easier if FMs were consulted during design but not necessarily, because after design we get the whole informa-tion, like the as-built, in detail so it won’t make a difference.

However, it could be much easier in the maintenance phase and we can get more details on the electro mechanical aspects.

In Dubai in particular, design is more professional and those involved really think about the details of the details when designing buildings. In other markets, we might face issues.

Sinead Bridgett, MEFMAWe established our design and focus groups because we have seen, particularly in Dubai, a lot of major project developments have gone ahead and the FMs are left with problems to solve, which are design issues.

Obviously if the FMs came in at the design stage it could be rectified there and then.Cleaning and access to AC areas can cause problems.

I have heard stories before of carrying water up to the top floor because there’s no water supply there. It’s a bit of a nightmare in some developments; people don’t realise that buildings look nice, but can be hard to maintain.

This should definitely become a standard in the industry and MEFMA is trying to provide benchmarks for the industry.

Talal Aburashed, KhansahebI agree, it has to be introduced in the design stages. The duration of the lifecycle of a building is judged on how it is built. So if it is built with FM in mind, for example keeping the building sustainable and things like that, then it’s a lot easier to maintain. If FM is to come at the end there will be issues to accommodate.

James Khan, MBMFM is thought about once the building is ready so clients can sometimes panic about how to deal with the hard services; often things like waste management aren’t thought of.

In providing hard services FMs can struggle because they have to work around the client and the logistics of the building. If, at a design stage, things are imple-mented the transition is easier. For example, I have known pro-jects where cradle systems haven’t been installed.

Your Shout

Get involved: Visit: www.thebigprojectme.com Follow us on Twitter: METheBigProjectBecome a group member on LinkedIn Or become a fan on Facebook: Thebigproject

”The duration of the lifecycle of a building is judged on how it is built. So if it is built with FM in mind then it’s a lot easier to maintain”

The Big Project asks exhibitors at dubai’s FM expo: Should facilities management planning begin in the design phase?

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BahrainInternational Agencies Co LtdTel. +973 17 728 691www.intercol.com

EgyptGhabbourTel. +20 2042107794/5/8www.volvotrucksegypt.com

IranSaipa Diesel CompanyTel. +98 21 44196512www.volvotrucksiran.com

JordanJamal Asbah & Partner CoTel. +962 6 5929666jordanvolvotrucks.com

KuwaitAl Qurain AutomotiveTrading Co KSC Tel. +965 2492 3145www.volvotruckskuwait.com

LebanonGabriel Abou AdalTel. +961 1 614615www.volvotrucks.com

OmanInternational HeavyEquipment L.L.C.Tel. +968 24 52 76 20www.ihe-oman.com

QatarDoha Marketing ServicesCompany – DomascoTel. +974 4 451 6690www.volvotrucksqatar.com

Saudi ArabiaZahid Tractor & HeavyMachinery Co. Ltd Tel. +96626209173www.volvotruckssaudiarabia.com

SyriaNahas for Trade and Machinery Tel. +963 11 212 97 36www.volvotruckssyria.com

UAEAl-Futtaim – FAMCOTel. +9714 213 5100www.volvotrucks.ae

YemenElaghil Trading Co LtdTel. +967 1 20 75 95www.elaghil.com

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