construction week - issue 295

SAUDI ARABIA BAHRAIN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES QATAR OMAN KUWAIT

ConstructionWEEK NEWS, ANALYSIS, PROJECTS,

TENDERS, CLASSIFIEDS, ANDJOBS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

NOVEMBER 7–13, 2009 [295]An ITP Business Publication CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

INSIDENEWS ANALYSISWhy construction fi rms are turning their backs on BrazilPAGE 16

FACE TO FACEIndustry experts discuss the CW Dubai Conference 2009PAGE 19

LANDSCAPINGIs making the great outdoors a priority for contractors?PAGE 31

CITY FOCUSThe latest news, projects and tenders in Doha, QatarPAGE 46

CW AWARDS

PICKS UP TOP HONOUR FOR SUPREME JUDGES AWARD 2009

WOODS BAGOT

CONTENTS

14 EVENTSIndustry dates for your diary.

16 NEWS ANALYSISWhy construction companies are not turning to Brazil for business.

19 FACE TO FACESpeakers at the Construction Week Dubai Conference talk about what they achieved from the event.

21 COLUMNChandana Jayalath discusses what to do when faced with price escalation in Qatar.

22 LEGALLuc Bauwmans suggests how the NEC3 family of contracts could help navigate the downturn.

REGULARS2 ONLINE4 MAIL

FRONT8 WEEK OF MILESTONES FOR ALDAR’S YAS ISLANDIn addition to seeing its new race track host its very fi rst F1 Grand Prix, Aldar last week completed the external structure on Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.

9 BAHRAINI CONTRACTORS ARE SUFFERINGBahrain’s contractors are under pressure and being forced to slash staff numbers due to the economic crisis according to Nass Group managing director.

11 NEWS IN PICSTopical images with the latest news.

12 CONFERENCE NEWSUpdates from this year’s Construction Week Dubai Conference.

FEATURES24 CW AWARDSCoverage from this year’s event with pictures of the winners.

26 SITE VISITCW visits Jumeirah Golf Estates to fi nd out what progress has been made.

31 LANDSCAPINGExperts talk about the current trends in the landscaping sector.

DIRECTORY38 SHOWCASE40 TENDERS41 PROJECTS

42 SPECIALIST SERVICESBACK46 CITY UPDATEThe latest news and projects from Doha, Qatar.

48 DIALOGUEDorma Gulf’s Ben Shaw discusses the increasing demand for secure door components.

NOVEMBER 7-13, 2009 | ISSUE 295

1NOVEMBER 7–13, 2009 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

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CONSTRUCTION WEEK NOVEMBER 7–13, 20092

FEATURESDesign

ON THE WAY...Three interior design projects underway in Qatar.

MEP

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTSSome points to consider when preparing contracts of employment.

Last week’s F1 Grand Prix race was held to great acclaim. We take a look back at how an empty piece of desert was transformed into one of the world’s greatest race tracks.For more images visit www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com

IN PICTURES: YAS ISLAND F1: A RETROSPECTIVE

ONLINEwww.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

MOST POPULARHI-RISE FIRE IN SHARJAHDUBAI PROPERTIES CHAIRMAN ARRESTEDUK ASKS UAE TO PAY CONSTRUCTION FIRMSNEW PROJECT DIRECTOR FOR TIGER WOODS DUBAIBAHRAIN’S CONTRACTORS ARE ‘SUFFERING’ SAYS NASS

TO VOTE IN THIS WEEK’S SPOT POLL GO TOwww.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

HAVE YOUR SAYARE YOU LOOKING TO RECRUIT AGAIN?Is now the time to start hiring staff, or is the market too risky at present?

JOBS OF THE WEEKConstruction Director, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesSenior QA/QC Engineers, Doha, QatarSupply Chain Manager, Damman, Saudi Arabia

ONLINE POLLWHO WOULD YOU NEXT LIKE TO SEE INTERVIEWED BY CONSTRUCTION WEEK?

50.0%A government offi cial, I want to know what those in charge really think

30.0%A contractor, I want to know exactly what’s going on down on the ground

20.0%A developer, I want to know what’s coming up in terms of future projects

Architect

THE CENTRE OF ISLAMIC STUDIESAn exclusive look at KSA’s Al Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud University.

PMV

BAHRAIN FOCUSSome of the plus points and pitfalls of doing business in Bahrain.

• Environmentally sound in it’smanufacturing, usage andeventual disposal

• Totally free from CFC and HCFC• 66% recycling glass content

Foamglas brings you the economical solution combined with high fire performance

ROOF INSULATION FOR FACTORY

The simple build up is very economical and still provides a high fire safetyRef: BMW factory, Regensburg Germany (since 1960 we have insulated more than 500’000m² roofs for BMW)

PITTSBURGH CORNING Europe (Branch Middle East) Arenco Tower, Media City, P.O. Box 213345, Dubai, UAETEL +971 (0)4 434 7140 FAX +971 (0)4 432 7109 EMAIL [email protected] WEB www.foamglas.ae

CHECK US OUT AT THE BIG 5 EXHIBITIONSTAND 7A305 (23rd - 26th November 2009)


MAIL

WRITE TO THE EDITOR Please address your letters to: Post, Construction Week, PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE or email [email protected]. Please provide your full name and address, stating clearly if you do not wish us to print them. Alternatively log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com and air your views on any one of a number of the latest Middle East business articles.

RE: DEMOLITION PROJECTS ENDAN-GERING PUBLIC HEALTHFinally, someone has raised the alarm over the hazards of some of the older building materials (some of which are still being used even now) and the presence of such dangers which have been overlooked for so many years. Most cities in the region are in such a rush to build more that they have forgotten how

RE: IN THE BUDGETThere are way too many designers and decorators in this residential industry that are willing to just give services away. First and foremost clients, need to be educated and taught the difference between a decorator and an interior designer. Second, all of these TV shows that showcase people going from a hairdresser or artist one day to an interior designer the next, are just not being held accountable to NCIDQ guidelines or states that require the term ‘registered interior designer’ to stand behind the real designers who are paying their Asid dues and state fees and maintaining their state licenses. They need to charge more, but I blame the very organisations we pay to start to protect and educate people as to why a professional designer charges what they do. After 35 years in this industry someone has to protect the designers, and no one is out there doing that!MICHAEL MOORE

RE: UAE CONSTRUC-TION RECRUITMENT ON THE INCREASEBeing a UAE resident myself, I can’t get my head around this report. All talk of recoveries and recruiting is still very much on paper – how can any of us believe this until we start seeing new projects and new jobs becoming available?AJITH PUTHIYA PURAYIL

to maintain and preserve what they have.ANTOINE PAULUS

After watching as thousands breathed poisonous dust from the Dubai Hilton demolition this year, I was horrifi ed – it showed a complete lack of concern for all the people breathing in this poison, the only concern was for cost-savings...it costs money to demolish correctly!IAN

RE: FAULTY ELECTRIC CIRCUITS CAUSED IMPZ FIREIt is time to employ modern cable systems and get rid of single core cables running in galvanised steel conduit. It is a great contradiction to boast about all the mega projects, biggest, longest, tallest etc. when behind the glittering facades, ancient technology in electrical works still prevails. It is absolutely imperative that construction companies employ fi rst rate site supervisors. In my experience over the last decade and more, is that site supervisors and project managers are sloppy, underqualifi ed and overpaid. The labour forces employed in this country are of limited qualifi cation and require good supervision to get a job done well. Quality has to start at the top, and be followed all the way down to the screwdriver!BARRY

RE: ARE YOU LEEDING THE INDUSTRY ON?Besides a handful of major consultants who employ a specialist environmental engineer, we found the vast majority of UAE contractors and developers have no interest in “green” products. The overwhelming response is “We don’t give a damn about the environment, what is the lowest price?”In the Gulf, environment will play second fi ddle to immediate profi t concerns for some time to come.P LONSDALE

RE: EXPERT CALLS FOR ASBESTOS BANUnlike asbestosis which is caused over prolonged exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma can be caused by contact with a single spore. It can also lay dormant in the lungs for over 40 years. My father was one such case, he worked in the shipyards in Liverpool Docks in the 1950s. He went from a healthy, active, proud man to a helpless, racked with pain, shadow of his former self in just weeks. This is not something I will ever forget nor is it something I would wish on anyone. Today there’s no excuse – it is really down to a company’s morals and integrity. KEVIN BREWER

The opinions expressed in this section are of particular individuals and are in no way a refl ection of the publisher’s views.

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In addition to seeing its new, purpose-built race track host its very fi rst F1 Grand Prix, Aldar last week also completed the external structure on Ferrari World Abu Dhabi – set to be the world’s largest indoor theme park upon completion.

“It’s a true milestone, achieved in just 14 months,” said chief commercial offi cer Mohammed Al Mubarak.

“The roof is in signature Ferrari red, inspired by the classic double curve profi le of the Ferrari GT and covering 200,000m², includ-ing the largest ‘Scuderia Ferrari’ prancing horse logo anywhere in the world.

“I’d like to thank not only Aldar, the con-tractor Besix and architects Benoy, but also the 4000 workers who worked day and night on it – it’s a fantastic achievement.”

Aldar went on to reveal that 35,000 tonnes of concrete, 12,370 tonnes of steel, 29,000m² of façade glazing and 165,000m² of roof cladding had been used to create the external structure.

FRONT

WEEK OF MILESTONES FOR ALDAR’S YAS ISLANDMatt Warnock

IT TOOK 4000 WORKERS, 35,000 TONNES OF CONCRETE AND 12,370 TONNES OF STEEL TO CREATE THE FERRARI WORLD STRUCTURE.

“For me, this has been emotional,” said Ferrari VP Piero Ferrari.

“It’s the development of a dream, which all started with the passion of my father in 1929.

“I want to congratulate Aldar on the huge job they’ve done in delivering the Ferrari World structure, as well as developing the circuit and the hotel.”

Neither Ferrari nor Al Mubarak would reveal the total investment involved in Ferrari World – “Once completed, we’ll share that fi gure with everybody,” said Al Mubarak – but the Aldar CCO did con-fi rm that the theme park would open in the second half of 2010, along with 24 rides and attractions.

Surprisingly, both Ferrari and Aldar also revealed that the completion of the theme park was unlikely to mark the end of their relationship.

“There is a massive possibility that Aldar will work with Ferrari on future ventures

in Abu Dhabi, perhaps residential or com-mercial,” said Al Mubarak.

“We’re still in initial talks – very early stages – and we’ll tell you more once there’s something more concrete to report. Hous-ing is a big possibility. We’d like to look at Ferrari branded villas in Abu Dhabi.”

Ferrari added: “We’re developing Ferrari stores too – we just opened the largest in Dubai yesterday – but we’re working with Aldar to see if there are any new possibilities. We’re looking only for top quality projects.”

Asked why the supercar marque chose Abu Dhabi for its fi rst theme park, the Fer-rari VP replied: “For a long time, we spoke about Ferrari with various parties, but Abu Dhabi was the fi rst place to show a real, serious commitment to investing in and developing the Ferrari brand.”

Al Mubarak concluded: “Sometimes big projects just start by chance. For Aldar and Ferrari, you might say it was love at fi rst sight!”

>Bahrain’s contractors are suffering 9>Topical images with the latest news 11>News from CW Dubai Conference 2009 12>Events 14>News analysis: turning backs on Brazilian billions 16

WINNER

Bahrain’s contractors are under extreme pressure and being forced to slash staff numbers due to the economic crisis said Nass Group managing director Samir Nass.

Speaking exclusively to Construction Week, Nass said the entire industry is being forced to downsize because there is little construc-tion work available in the Kingdom.

“There has been a huge slowdown. A lot of ongoing projects are coming to an end, others are slowing down and few projects are coming forward. Things are very dif-fi cult for everybody right now.”

He added that cement consump-tion in Bahrain had recently dropped by 25-30% which indicated a “severe construction slowdown”.

The Nass Group is one of the largest cement manufacturers in Bahrain as well as the big-gest contractor in the kingdom. In April, Nass had a workforce of some 12,000, but numbers have since been signifi cantly reduced, he said.

Meanwhile industry insiders claim that two other big local fi rms are considering suspending their large-scale

BAHRAINI CONTRACTORS ARE SUFFERINGBy Benjamin Millington

contracting operations due to a lack of work.

Nass declined to comment but didn’t rule it out.

“When you have a slowdown like this there is always a change of faces with new players coming in and others going out, but I cannot specify names,” he said.

“Contracting is a very volatile busi-ness and there is no guarantee of continuity which means that some people will have to reduce their staff until they get a new project.

“We have decided to be more aggressive in the current climate to maintain a certain level of turn-over in construction.”

Nass said the company was looking at “a few projects” but would not reveal any details at this stage. He

said several government funded infrastructure projects and low cost housing developments would hopefully provide some stimulus to the construction industry in 2010.

THE PACE OF WORK HAS SLOWED DOWN DRAMATICALLY IN THE KINGDOM.

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FRONT> For more pictures log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

LEFT: A mixed week for Dubai Properties Group: on the positive side, it named Mohammed Bin Essa as the latest project director for its 5.11 million m2 Tiger Woods Dubai golf community, after Abdulla Al Gurg left to become group GM of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group.Bin Essa was previously the GM for strategic business development and risk management at Majid Al Futtaim Properties before being appointed director of operations for Dubailand, a position in which he will continue. However, the chairman of the state-owned developer was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement. Dubai attorney general Essam Essa al Humaidan said Hashim Al Dabal (pictured: left middle) was arrested ten days ago and is now being interrogated at a detention centre.“We are questioning him almost daily and Mr. Al Dabal indicated he is ready to answer questions without having a lawyer present,” said Al Humaidan. “We’re still trying to determine the extent of Al Dabal’s misconduct. When the investigation is complete, all details will be announced.”

LEFT BELOW : The US $2.65 billion (BHD1 billion) Uptown Bahrain development has been shelved indefi nitely and may never be built, according to a senior source at Fortune Investment House (FIH). The proposed megaproject was due to start construction in the fi rst quarter of 2009 but there has since been no activity on-site and no comment from the developer. “It’s purely an investment decision, it was a huge project and it just didn’t stack up in the current market,” said FIH head of private equity Adil Chikhi. “We’ll probably have another look at it in a year or so but there are no guarantees either way that the project will go ahead in the future. It all depends on market conditions.”

BELOW: A fortnight ago, a fi re gutted three fl oors of a 29-storey building under construction in Sharjah. Sharjah Civil Defence reported that the blaze, which began at 10pm, took around three hours to extinguish. “A large quantity of wood and construction material… caused the heavy smoke. Residents from the same area were asked to evacuate because we had to ensure the safety of children, [as] the heavy smoke could have caused them to suffocate,” said Sharjah Civil Defence director general Colonel Waheed Al Serkal. The accident is the second to recently affect a construction site in Sharjah with an under-construction car park in Abu Shagara collapsing two weeks ago.

NEWS IN PICS

Gulf Technical Construction Company (GTCC), the civil contracting subsidiary of Drake and Scull International (DSI), is competing for three huge construction tenders in Saudi Arabia, according to its executive director Saleh Muradweji.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Construction Week Dubai conference, Muradweji said GTCC was forming a joint venture with Saudi Oger to bid for con-struction of the 400m-tall Capital Market Authority (CMA) tower in Riyadh.

“We were approached by Saudi Oger to form a joint venture and bring our technical expertise in high rise construc-tion to the table,” he said.

“Now we are one of two or three pre-qualifi ed contractors, including Saudi Binladin, currently tendering for the job which closes at the end of November.”

The tower is being developed by CMA and will be the tallest in the US $10 billion (SR 37.5 billion) King Abdullah

EXCLUSIVE: GTCC VIES FOR MASSIVE SAUDI TENDERSBy Benjamin Millington

Financial District (KAFD) which is currently under construction alongside King Fahd Highway in central Riyadh.

Meanwhile, Muradweji said GTCC is also bidding for two large govern-ment-funded education facilities - the King Abdulaziz Centre for Knowledge and Culture in Dam-mam and the King Abdullah Petro-leum Studies and Research Centre in Riyadh. Both projects are being managed by Saudi Aramco.

ww He said it was the fi rst time Aramco had invited international companies to bid for its projects and they were among three or four pre-qualifi ed contractors in the running.

The King Abdulaziz Centre for Knowledge and Culture will consist of several round-shaped iconic buildings designed by Norwegian architects Snohetta, a fi rm which specialises in cultural projects.

SALEH MURADWEJI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DRAKE AND SCULL INTERNATIONAL.

CONSTRUCTION WEEK CONFERENCE DUBAI


CONSTRUCTION WEEK CONFERENCE DUBAISPOTTED

Several of the biggest names in the GCC construction industry have called for health and safety rules to cover the enture UAE.

In a panel discussion at the Construction Week Dubai Conference, Dutco Balfour Beatty GM Grahame McCaig said: “We certainly see HSE as an invest-ment and not a cost, but I wonder whether everyone sees it that way.”

Sixco GM Philippe Dessoy, however, claimed that HSE levels were rising across the United Arab Emirates.

“We’re not looking to cut into safety budgets – a healthy, safe, happy site is more productive. With the slowdown, there’s more time for training sessions, and less newcomers. So, it’s a chance for HSE to improve.”

That argument was seconded by Arabtec CEO Tom Barry. “We don’t take safety lightly,” said Barry. “It’d be sad if smaller contractors see safety as an area in which to cut costs. As Philippe said, we’re focusing on the continual training of our current labour force.”

Barry also congratulated Build Safe UAE on the job it was doing in highlighting the importance of health and safety on site.

“I hope that Build Safe UAE, along with Dubai Munici-pality, for example, takes up the opportunity to imple-ment a safety regime for the UAE. We want a safer, cleaner industry.”

McCaig, also the chairperson of Build Safe UAE, responded: “We try hard to educate but I want to reemphasise that BuildSafe is not a legislative body. That has to come from government.”

“It’d be great to see a UAE standard – for the whole country to set a benchmark.”

HEAVYWEIGHTS CALL FOR UAE-WIDE HSE STANDARDSBy Matt Warnock HARDSHIP PACKAGES

FOR TOP TALENTHR director Rhyan Anderson announced Halcrow was looking at reinstating ‘hardship’ allowances to attract top talent back to the Gulf.

She said redundancies had made markets such as Dubai unattractive to expat talent.

“People are uncertain about coming back over to the Gulf. They’ve had the experience of having to pay 12 months’ rent in advance. They know that because of employment law, they’re exposed to more risk. We expect to have to go back to hardship allowances and fi nding creative packages.”

RAISING PROFILE IS KEY TO SUCCESSTo face market conditions, raise your business profi le, Drake and Scull (DSI) GM and director of MEP Charles Leaver told delegates.

“Business should show what they are capable of. Brag about prestigious projects, that’s what we do. People need to show other clients what they can bring to a project,” he said.

HIGHLIGHTS

ANI RAY, COUNTRY DIRECTOR, SIMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE

FABIO CASTELLO,

GENERAL MANAGER,

SCANIA

JAMES PRINGLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT TDIC

NEIL KIRKPATRICK, HEAD OF

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY,

ROYAL GROUP

NIGEL TRUSCOTT, PARTNER, TROWERS & HAMLINS

PAUL TAYLOR, COUNTRY MANAGER

& HEAD OF CONSTRUCTION,

HBJ GATELEY

PHILIPPE DESSOY, GENERAL MANAGER, SIX CONSTRUCT

RHYAN ANDERSON,

HR DIRECTOR, HALCROW

TERRY JOHN-BAPTISTE, DIRECTOR FM, OMNIYAT ASSET MANAGEMENT

THOMAS BARRY, CEO, ARABTEC

UAE contractors should consider naming Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) the seat of jurisdiction when drafting contractual agreements, according to Al Tamimi & Company’s Omar Al-Saadoon.

He said the DIFC’s free zone status allows it to have its own arbitration law and court, making it an ideal alternative to local courts for dispute resolution.

“The DIFC has its own Lon-don Chamber of International

Arbitration court where arbi-tration is based on quasi com-mon law principles and judges, with common law backgrounds, come from jurisdictions such as Australia, UK and the US.

“This means you can avoid some of the diffi culties often faced in local courts when it comes to judges being inex-perienced in technical terms and matters specifi c to con-struction law.

“It’s particularly suited to companies in large scale proj-

DIFC IDEAL FOR ARBITRATIONBy Benjamin Millington

ects or complicated contractual agreements. They don’t actu-ally have to be based in DIFC itself, but they do need to give DIFC the power to preside over a dispute under the terms of the contract.”

OMAR AL-SAADOON, AL TAMIMI & CO.


EVENTSEvent: CID Awards 2009Overview: This year’s CID Awards will celebrate the success of the Middle East design industry and demonstrate how the region’s sector can stand alongside its international peers. Date: November 15Venue: Park Hyatt, DubaiPhone: +971 4 435 6133Email: [email protected]: www.constructionweekonline.com/cidawards

Event: MEP Awards Overview: The MEP Awards 2009 is a platform for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing sector in the Gulf to recognise its achievements and to acknowledge the latest innovations, technology and processes that have helped drive down costs and ensure adherence to best-practice standards.Date: December 9Venue: The Westin, DubaiPhone: +971 4 435 6133Email: [email protected]: www.constructionweekonline.com/mepawards

Event: Construction Week North Africa Conference.Overview: This Construction Week conference will provide a fi rm basis for all interested parties to come together and share their experience of the economic renaissance in North Africa. Date: December 17Venue: Semiramis Intercontinental, CairoPhone: +971 4 435 6127Email: [email protected]: www.constructionweekonline.com/conferences

Event: International Symposium on Architectural MembranesOverview: The workshop will address the theoretical bases for structural analysis necessary for computer implementation. Date: October 14-15Venue: American University in DubaiWebsite: http://isam-dubai.web.offi celive.com/about.aspx

Event: Index 2009 Overview: Index is the Middle East’s largest contemporary interiors trade show. Now in its 19th year Index is established as the must-attend annual event for buyers and suppliers of the world’s fi nest interiors.Date: 14-17 NovemberVenue: Dubai World Trade CentrePhone: +971 4 438 0355Website: www.indexexhibition.com

Event: The Big 5Overview: Big 5 is the annual meeting place for all industry professionals. Over 58,000 key buyers and decision makers from the public and private sectors attended the 2008 event.Date: November 23-26

Venue: Dubai World Trade CentreWebsite: www.thebig5exhibition.com

Event: The Big 5 PMVOverview: International exhibition for plant, machinery and vehicles.Date: November 23-26Venue: Dubai International Exhibition CentrePhone: +971 4 332 9029Website: www.big5pmv.com

Event: Construct Libya 2009Overview: Three-day construction fairDate: November 24-26Venue: Tripoli International FairPhone: +218 333 2255Website: www.eventseye.com

Event: Home and Life Style 2010Date: March 2010Venue: Oman International Exhibition CentrePhone: +968 24 512 100Email: [email protected]: www.eventseye.com

Event: Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition and Symposium 2010Date: April 4-7, 2010Venue: Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention CentrePhone: +966 2 654 6384Email: [email protected]: www.eventseye.com

Event: Front Roof and Cladding 2010Date: March 8-10, 2010Venue: Expo Centre, SharjahWebsite: www.eventseye.com

Events: DWRW 2010Overview: A trade show for doors, windows, roofs and walls, as well as cladding products, machinery and accessories.Date: March 8-10, 2010Venue: Expo Centre SharjahWebsite: www.eventseye.com

Event: Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition and SymposiumDate: April 4-7, 2010Venue: Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Centre

Events: Saudi International Windows, Doors, Shutters, and Solar Exhibition 2010.Date: March 11-14, 2010Venue: Riyadh Exhibition CentreWebsite: www.eventseye.comPhone: +966 2 654 6384

Events: Buildex Syria 2010Overview: Building, tourism, construction and real estate expo.Date: May 12-16, 2010Venue: Damascus International FairgroundWebsite: www.eventseye.com

Event: Build Smart 2009Overview: Build Smart 2009 will present solutions, new technologies and best practice for improving effi ciency and productivity during project development. But, the main focus at the event will be the offi cial launch of new association, Building Smart Middle East. It will demonstrate that by establishing standards for the

construction industry, Building Smart can facilitate improvements in profi tability and sustainability in the region. Building Smart will eventually operate throughout the Middle East, as well as North Africa, as a not-for-profi t organisation.Date: November 15-16Venue: Yas Hotel, Abu DhabiWebsite: www.itp.net/events/buildsmart

This year’s CID Awards will celebrate the success of the Middle East design industry and demonstrate how the region’s sector can stand alongside its international peers when it comes to ambition, imagination and quality of interior design. Presented by Al Aqili Furnishings, the Commercial Interior Design Awards will pay tribute to the projects, interior design fi rms and designers making their mark on the Middle East’s industry. Award categories include interior design of the year within the fi elds of retail, hospitality, leisure, offi ce and the public sector; innovative lighting award; environmentally sustainable design of the year; and young interior designer of the year, among others. �

Event focusCID AWARDS 2009

DATE: 15 NOVEMBERLOCATION: DUBAIPHONE: +971 4 435 6133EMAIL: [email protected]: WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM/CIDAWARDS

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ANALYSIS

Why are construction companies turning their backs on Brazil’s billions?DESPITE A TERRITORY RIPE WITH OPPORTUNITIES IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND REAL ESTATE MOST GCC-BASED COMPANIES ARE NOT INTERESTED IN EXPLORING BRAZIL

By Matt Warnock

the planet just two years apart – which, experts calculate, means at least 80 new projects going up for grabs.

In terms of the size of investment in stadi-ums, airports and transport systems alone, between US $16 billion and $50 billion will be ploughed into Brazil, without account-ing for the numerous commercial, tourism

and residential opportunities that World Cups and Olympi-ads always bring. More than 600,000 visitors will fl ood to Brazil for the World Cup, with the Rio Olympics likely to attract triple that number.

The UK’s Offi ce of Trade and Investment (UKTI) recently advised all British fi rms to look to South America in order to tap into a multi-billion dollar boom that is set to blast off; however, in spite of their heavy involvement throughout the Middle East, most fi rms are choosing to ignore this potential goldmine.

Brazil has been chosen to host the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Rio Olympics in 2016 – the biggest two sporting events on

“BOTH BRAZIL AND MEXICO ARE TIPPED TO BECOME MAJOR

PLAYERS IN THE WORLD ECONOMY IN THE COMING YEARS”

And, according to two reports authored by Dmh Consultancy’s David How-ell on behalf of UKTI, Mexico is hot on Brazil’s heels.

“Both Brazil and Mexico are tipped to become major players in the world economy in the coming years, but the current lack of infrastructure is severely hindering eco-nomic growth. Both governments recognise this and have committed a combined total of nearly £300 billion [$490 billion] to this sector,” said Howell.

“Quality infrastructure is a key component of a successful economy. With our expertise in the services required to build and operate

BRAZIL’S PRESIDENT LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA (L), RIO 2016 BID PRESIDENT CARLOS ARTHUR NUZMAN (C) AND BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL LEGEND PELE (R) CELEBRATE AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT RIO DE JANEIRO HAD WON THE BID TO HOST THE 2016 SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES.

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Arab Emirates, will be setting up in Rio as we speak?

“We aren’t involved in Brazil at all and have not hitherto seen it as a target market. The Middle East is where we’re focused,” commented head of corporate communica-tions Giles Scott.

Carillion, involved in mega-projects such as Dubai’s Festival City and Motor City surely has the track record required for taking on large developments, as well as sports stadiums, as the National Cricket Ground on the Caribbean’s St Lucia demonstrates.

“We do have a joint venture construction business in the Middle East, but have no ambition to grow this business outside the Middle East. Carillion has no interest in construction in Brazil or the US,” Caril-lion group corporate affairs director John Denning told Construction Week.

“Carillion is very much focused on its strat-egy of growing its support services business to enhance its position as the UK’s largest support services company. We regard our construction business in the UK as a capability to support that growth and also to support our Pubic Private Partnerships projects business.

“Although construction is an important capability, UK construction contributes only about 7% of the group’s profi t.

infrastructure, UK companies can play an important role in the successful implemen-tation of Brazil and Mexico’s plans.

“Rapid growth within the construction sector coupled with a severe skills short-age in both Brazil and Mexico means that opportunities for UK companies are plentiful – for project managers, planners, architects, engineers and fi nance specialists.”

The reports go on to highlight the impor-tance that BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) will play in the coming years.

“In diffi cult times for the global economy, it’s vital that UK fi rms seek out opportunities where they exist with an eye to future growth. UKTI’s research has identifi ed Brazil and Mexico as being among the most exciting places to invest, not just for construction but across the board,” added UKTI chief executive Andrew Cahn.

It’s almost impossible to name a major Middle East project that has not benefi ted from British experience or know-how at some point in the architectural, engineering, fi nancial, legal or management process; given how quickly British fi rms jumped on the real estate and infrastructure explosion across the GCC, you would then expect them to be tripping over themselves to take advantage of the Latin American boom too.

Interserve, for example, which also has operations in Oman, Qatar and the United

> For the latest analysis log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

“Our construction business in Canada is also focused on Public Private Partnership Projects, ie. helping us to win PPP projects for which we can secure long-term support services contracts and where we can also make equity investments,” said Denning.

If British companies operating in the Mid-dle East are refusing to take advantage of all that Latino loot, then maybe the GCC’s homegrown companies will be strengthen-ing their international portfolios?

“It does not impact Arabtec’s work and Arabtec has no direct involvement or interest in these markets,” said a spokesperson.

So, there’s a territory ripe for real estate and infrastructure investment, with – in the form of the world’s two major sporting events – as close a guarantee of success and liquidity as it’s possible to get and yet fi rms that have thrived in the GCC are reluctant to get in on the act, even as JVs. Could it be because they fear getting burnt?

While many British fi rms made hay while the sun shined in the GCC, large numbers

now fi nd them-selves at the mercy of a residential real estate bubble that has well and truly burst; the UK’s sec-retary of state

for business, innovation and skills, Lord Mandelson, has even had to step in.

The subject of the non-payment of Brit-ish construction fi rms was at the top of the agenda when Mandelson met with UAE interior minister of economy, Sultan Saeed Al Mansouri for the inaugural gathering of the UK and UAE Joint Economic and Trade Committee (Jetco), in London.

Al Mansouri also raised the possibility of the UAE investing in British projects, such as port developer DP World considering a scheme in the Thames Gateway, and Emira-tis being granted easier access to UK visas; but, one source close to the talks revealed that the UAE is also concerned that it cur-rently buys $4billion more from the UK than fl ows in the opposite direction.

Maybe if the Middle East’s design, engineer-ing and materials experts were quicker to react to burgeoning opportunities overseas, that fi gure would be more equal. �

“IT DOES NOT IMPACT ARABTEC’S

WORK AND ARABTEC HAS NO DIRECT

INTEREST IN THESE MARKETS”

LORD MANDELSON HAS HAD TO STEP IN TO NEGOTIATE PAYMENT FOR BRITISH CONSTRUCTION FIRMS.

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Alumil Gulf fzcsubsidiary of ALUMIL in the Middle EastTechnology Park, RAK FTZ, RAKtel +971 7 2444106, fax +971 7 2444107email [email protected], [email protected]


FACE-TO-FACE

We are a new company and we wanted to introduce ourselves to

the contractors. We have one of the biggest and youngest fl eets

and we want to make ourselves known. Also, we spoke about the

safety and training programmes that we have in place for labourers

using our equipment. It has to address problem solving. The dream

is over and we should face reality.

WHAT DID YOU ACHIEVE FROM THIS YEAR’S CONSTRUCTION WEEK DUBAI CONFERENCE?

WHAT DID YOU SPEAK ABOUT AT THE CONFERENCE?

WHAT MESSAGE DID YOU HOPE TO GET ACROSS TO DELEGATES?

HABIB MIKATIEjar Cranes and Equipment technical manager

GRAHAME MCCAIGDutco Balfour Beatty general manager

WHAT WERE THE GENERAL THEMES OF THE CONFERENCE?

Hopefully the various participants and disciplines of the

construction Industry acknowledged that everyone has been

affected by the downturn. The construction Industry is not just

about contractors - it’s about a complex heirarchy of consultants,

clients, subcontractors and project managers as well. We need to

foster better relationships at all levels and have a common focus

- to ensure the ultimate success of a project for all parties.

We talked about how companies should be ready to take what they

gained from their previous experience and carry it over to

new locations. In addition, we talked about the companies who will

fi nancially sustain during this tough period.

I acted as the chairman of the conference. I wanted people to

acknowledge the issues and the causes of the chaos, but at the

same time to focus on the future and areas where we should be

looking to change so that we don’t experience these impacts again.

The construction industry had seen similar crises before.

It happened in the 1980’s and mid 1990’s of the previous century. We

hope, like before, it will pick up again.

In times of good we need to prepare for times of struggle. We

need to get back to basics, revisit the principles of teamwork

and synergy and acknowledge that they are relevant to the

construction Industry.

Financials dominated technical discussions but also covered

availability of equipment, the boom of Oil and Power projects and

the construction industry in Abu Dhabi. In addition, it addressed

problem solving. Instead of addressing the construction boom and

shortage of equipment it addressed issues like funding, accurate

and intelligent bidding and exploring new markets.

The construction Industry has been hard hit by the economic

downturn and I’m sure most of the delegates looked for ideas

and strategies on how to deal with the impact of the downturn.

Hopefully many of them came with an open mind to discuss and

agree positive ways of moving forward.

HOW OPTIMISTIC ARE YOU ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AS WE HEAD TO 2010?

I am very optimistic. In fact, I think that when the third quarter of 2010

comes around we will all be busy and smiling for years to come.

Unfortunately there is an old saying that construction is the fi rst

industry to enter a recession and the last to leave it. I think 2010

will be another tough year for construction in general.

SPEAKING OUT

WINNER


> For the latest news and comments log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/comment

COMMENT

The opinions expressed in this column are of the author and not of the publisher.

The majority of contractors in Qatar have been locked into lumpsum fi xed-priced contracts where there is no provision for price escalation. Open market vacillations are a risk to the contractors, even in contracts having long durations. But a surge in material costs has considerably affected the bottom line where profi t margins are not as high as they once were. For example, in Qatar, during the last ten months steel prices went up by an average of 65%, Red Meranti timber by 70% and asphalt by 40%. As a result, contractors have been searching for recovery means through claims on their own basis. Many contractors use consumer price index (CPI) as the basis for claims although the purpose of the index is far different.

However, contractors will have a diffi -cult, if not impossible task in getting respite from such increases. Even if the contract has become economically burdensome, it is unlikely to be suffi cient to excuse per-formance. The only way to get rid of this issue is to compensate the additional cost on an ex-gratia basis in existing contracts and share the risk on a contractual basis in future contracts.

The aim behind any strategy should be to reasonably reimburse the contractor for changes in input prices over which they have no control at all. This means the contrac-tor can be eligible if he could not foresee in advance. On the other hand, it may be cheaper in the long run for the employer to pay for what happened rather than what the contractor thought might happen in those areas of doubt, which the contractor cannot infl uence. The benefi t of the doubt would then be passed on to the employer.

Albeit contract provisions do not provide for claims that are not capable of being con-tractually supported, the employer may well be in a position to consider them at corporate level since it is a macro economic global crisis that has been unprecedented.

The foregoing is not only limited to con-tractors; consultants also face a similar situ-

ation in their contracts. PSA which stands for professional services agreement has been extensively adopted in the procure-ment of consultancy services in public infrastructure projects in Qatar, although it is relatively an old version that goes far back to 1984.

Typically, the contracts for professional services, be them design or supervision, include a project brief prepared by the employer describing what he intends to obtain or the scope of service. In addition to the project brief, there are three separate schedules forming part of many consultancy contracts in Qatar. A clause in schedule B of the memorandum of agreement states that “should there be any extension to the con-tract period, the consultant must continue the services at the same monthly rates and prices” so that it expressly forbids any fee adjustment in the contract and shall pass the pricing risk onto the consultants for an indefi nite period of extension.

It further contradicts the clauses 7.6 and 7.7 of the PSA which says that “service during longer periods shall be deemed to involve additional services” and “the government and the consultants shall agree any addi-tional or reduced fees prior to beginning any additional or changed services”. This provides an opportunity to agree on new rates for longer periods than shown in schedule C in the contract. Optionally, the engineer may treat each case individually by recom-mending compatible rates.

A consistent criteria is important, particu-larly when the professional service market is so volatile in nature that prediction on the fee structures for longer periods is hard, requests for the period is beyond the original completion date, reasons for extension is no fault of the consultant and when uninter-rupted service is critical to fi nish.

In these circumstances, a ‘reasonable’ compensation within a ‘contractual’ frame-work is imperative for the well-being of the industry as a whole.

Price escalation in QatarCHANDANA JAYALATH DISCUSSES WHAT TO DO WHEN FACED WITH PRICE ESCALATION IN QATAR

Dr Chandana Jayalath is a Member of the Royal Institution

of Chartered Surveyors and a senior contracts specialist for the

Public Works Authority (PWA) in Qatar. His latest industrial

exposure has been sidelined in the settlement of various

commercial and contractual issues, claims and disputes arising

in the infrastructure projects spearheaded by the PWA.

“REASONABLE COMPENSATION WITHIN A

CONTRACTUAL FRAMEWORK IS IMPERATIVE FOR THE

WELL BEING OF THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE”

Organised by

Co-located with

Official MagazineAwards Partner

National Media Partners

Organised by

Co-located with

Official MagazineAwards Partner

National Media Partners


LEGAL> For more legal advice log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/comment

The opinions expressed in this column are of the author and not of the publisher.

Luc Bauwmans is the vice president for Sukad. He has a

Masters degree in Architecture from Belgium and has practiced

and lectured architecture and interior design in South Africa.

He has also managed projects in the construction, energy,

commercial and public sectors. Since 1999 he researches project

management related topics and teaches a multitude of clients in

Africa, UK and Middle East.

Achieving benefi ts of partnering with NEC3LUC BAUWMANS SUGGESTS HOW THE NEC3 FAMILY OF CONTRACTS COULD HELP NAVIGATE THE DOWNTURN

Partnering in construction is still the subject of much debate. The simplest form of partnering occurs when two parties to a contract have aligned some of their objectives for a project. Lately more complex forms have emerged such as multi-party arrangements of single contracts on a project.

Besides public-private partnerships (PPP), most partnering approaches to construc-tion contracting have been tentative, and at best, of a tactical nature.

In March 2009 Reuters Dubai reported that in UAE, US $263 billion of real estate projects had been postponed. Many client organisations have since reissued invitations to bid; contriving more favourable offers from contractors who in turn, continue to squeeze down the supply chain.

About partnering contractsPartnering between a supplier and a customer has always appealed, taking on many forms.

In a supply driven market the main ben-efi ciary of a partnering arrangement is gen-erally the client. Here partnering aims to curb uncontrolled price hikes from over-busy, fi nicky contractors and suppliers, and ensure preference of supply. But unless a long-term payback is clear, contractors won’t settle for limiting their profi t potential over a promise for continued work.

But in a demand driven market the cli-ents will not see immediate benefi ts from partnering, as it is seen to blunt competitive pricing. But contractors will prefer this for this exact reason.

A milestone on the road to partnering was the report “Constructing the Team” by Sir Michael Latham in the UK in 1994.

Sir Latham’s report made some 30 rec-ommendations towards a well designed partnering approach along the whole sup-ply chain. It also recommended the use of the new engineering contract (NEC) as a preferred vehicle for construction projects in the UK. It contained suggested improve-ments to NEC, which the NEC panel took

to heart, producing the NEC 2nd edition by 1995. It included the engineering and con-struction contract (ECC), the engineering and construction short contract (ECSC), the engineering and construction subcontract (ECS), the professional services contract (PSC) and the adjudicator contract (AC).

Later, a multi-partner option, now known as secondary option X12 was added that, if selected, created a contractual obligation between partners to achieve client objectives, coupled with shared and interdependent incentives, managed by a core group.

But, the NEC2 remained mostly tactical in nature and partnering was focused on multiple suppliers of the same project. The release of NEC3 in 2005 hushed many a criticism of NEC. The right grouping of NEC3 documents bundled together with the X12 could be used to structure a strategic multi-partnering setup, for cradle-to-grave management of a facility.

In order to grasp the power of such a tool as a behaviour driver, simply imagine a design consultant, a construction contractor and a term services contractor sharing incentives on a chemical process plant project.

Framework contractingFramework contracting is still in its infancy stages, pioneered the last 10 or 15 years mostly by public authorities in Europe seeking quick access to suppliers.

A framework contract is an umbrella agree-ment that lays down the rules of co-opera-tion but does not scope the individual work packages required under it. That is done by separate single contracts issued under the framework. A degree of competitiveness is maintained, as one or more preselected suppliers can bid, under specifi ed condi-tions, for supply of an item of work.

The NEC3 framework contract can be used for mega projects (related projects) or portfolios of projects (unrelated). It may cover consulting, construction or other work, through the use of various other appropri-ate NEC3 stand-alone forms.

“IN A SUPPLY DRIVEN MARKET THE MAIN

BENEFICIARY OF A PARTNERING

ARRANGEMENT IS GENERALLY THE CLIENT”


CONSTRUCTION WEEK AWARDS 2009

Australian architectural and design fi rm Woods Bagot has picked up the top honour at the 2009 Construction Week Awards held at the Grand Hyatt Dubai last week.

Wood Bagot was awarded the Supreme Judges Award for its work on the Qatar Science and Technology Park in Doha.

The unique roof structure of the main building at the Park has been designed by Woods Bagot and was con-sidered an environment-friendly and sustainable option to provide respite from the desert sun.

The design fi rm last year also won the contract to design the world’s tallest skyscraper – the 1km-tall Nakheel Harbour and tower in Dubai.

The annual Construction Week Awards, now in its fi fth year running, is the industry’s leading awards recognising industry best practice across several sectors which include, contractors, developers and engineers and architects.

The award for the contractor of the year was picked up by Alec for its work on Majid Al Futtaim’s Mirdif City Centre project in Dubai.

Aldar won the developer of the year award for work on its Yas Island while Ramboll bagged the top spot for the engineering company of the year award.

This year’s awards also included people awards where Dutco Balfour general manager Grahame McCaig walked away with the prize for the hotly contested Health and Safety manager of the year. GTCC’s Moustafa Hassan picked

WOODS BAGOT WINS TOP HONOUR AT CONSTRUCTION WEEK AWARDS 2009

By CW staff

up the project manager for the year award for his work on the Royal Amwaj Hotel project on the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai while Al Jaber Heavy Lift and Equipment’s Assim Hajjar won PMV manager of the year.

Other winners included Carillion Mena for corporate social responsibility, Wade Adams for research and devel-opment and Al Futtaim Carillion for the newly instated Construction Week Build Safe award for best practice.

Projects that won awards were the Burj Dubai for best tower project, Ferrari Experience in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi for commercial project of the year, Al Reef, also in Abu Dhabi for best residential project and Interchange 5.5, better known as the Jumeirah Lake Towers interchange for infrastructure project of the year.

NICOLE FARRAH AND MARK MITCHESON-LOW, REGIONAL MANAGING DIRECTOR, WOODS BAGOT COLLECTING THE SUPREME JUDGES AWARD.

PHILIPPE DESSOYGENERAL MANAGER, SIX CONSTRUCT

COMMERCIAL PROJECT OF THE YEAR

ABDULLA BIN LAHEJEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DUBAI

PROJECT MANAGMENT, EMAARTOWER PROJECT OF THE YEAR

FAYZA AL ZARROUNICHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

AL REEF ABU DHABIRESIDENTIAL PROJECT OF THE

YEAR

DUTCO BALFOUR BEATTYINTERCHANGE 5.5

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE YEAR

PROJECT AWARDS 2009


CONSTRUCTION WEEK AWARDS 2009

ASSIM HAJJARAL JABER HEAVY LIFT AND EQUIPMENT

PMV MANAGER OF THE YEAR

GRAHAME MCCAIGDUTCO BALFOUR BEATTY

HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

MOUSTAFA HASSANGTCC

PROJECT MANAGER OF THE YEAR

PEOPLE’S AWARDS

2009

COMPANY AWARDS 2009

BEN LEGGCARILLION MENA

BUILD SAFE UAE AWARD FOR BEST PRACTICE

BEN LEGG, KATHRYN MAYESCARILLION MENA

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE

YEAR

PEYMAN MOHAJERMANAGING DIRECTOR, RAMBOLL,

ENGINEERING COMPANY OF THE YEAR

KEZ TAYLORMANAGING DIRECTOR, ALEC

CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR

NICOLAS TANDELES, ABDUL NAZERWADE ADAMS

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AWARD

MATTHEW SOUTHWELL, DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR, ITP BUSINESS

ACCEPTS AWARD ON BEHALF OF ALDAR

DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR

It’s not long now before the eyes of the world descend on Jumeirah Golf Estates. (JGE) November will see golf’s Race to Dubai reach its fi nal conclusion with the Dubai World Championship held at the estate, located on Emirates Road in Dubai.

Leisurecorp is understandably buoyant about the event’s prospects. Both the Fire and Earth courses have, in fact, been ready for around a year now.

However, the future of the development may differ from the original plans set forth. When announced in 2007, JGE was supposed to have courses representing the four different elements – earth, fi re, wind and water.

The Greg Norman-designed Earth and Fire courses are ready, but the Wind and Water courses appear to have been shelved for the foreseeable future. “Wind and Water are still part of the long-term plan, but we’re evaluating when we’ll begin on those, according to market conditions,” says Leisurecorp sports events director Colin Smith. “We haven’t started selling on those projects yet.”

The courses also had active involvement from Greg Norman right from their inception. The former champion golfer and designer was at JGE as recently as May this year, making minor changes to the overall course.

ESTATE OF PLAYIn addition to the courses, the ‘estates’ part of the development is progressing, with 2010 looking to be the year of delivery. The development is split into ‘streets’, essentially clusters of villas based around certain themes, with enigmatic sounding names, such as Whispering Pines and Fireside.

The developers are a mix of subdevelopers and Nakheel Leisure, which is developing fi ve of the ‘streets’. Smith says some subdevelopers are expected to hand over in the fi rst half of 2010.

The majority of properties on Fire and Earth have now been sold, with Smith estimating around 90% of the villas having been purchased. “We’ll be releasing more proper-

THE FINALSTROKEJUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES OPENS ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC AT THE END OF NOVEMBER. CW FINDS OUT HOW LEISURECORP HAVE

TRANSFORMED DESERT INTO A CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF COURSE

By James Boley; Photos by Efraim Evidor


“WIND AND WATER ARE STILL PART OF THE LONG-TERM PLAN, BUT

WE’RE EVALUATING WHEN WE’LL BEGIN ON THOSE, ACCORDING TO

MARKET CONDITIONS”



JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES – PROJECT DATA SHEET:CLIENT Leisurecorp – A division of Nakheel Leisure

CONSULTANT Mott MacDonald

PROJECT MANAGER/MANAGEMENT CONTRACTOR Mott MacDonald

MAIN CONTRACTORS Laing O’Rourke – Clubhouse, Tennis Academy & Whispering PinesANC – Fireside and Flame Tree Ridge DistrictsKhansaheb – Golf CourseAscon Roads – Underground Pipeworks and RoadsAl Buraq – Electrical and TelecomsDesert Landscape - Landscaping

ADDITIONAL CONTRACTORS Hennessey (Agronomy Centre, Boundary Walls and Pools)

ARCHITECTS Rice Perry Ellis – Clubhouse, Tennis Academy & Whispering PinesGodwin Austin Johnson – Fireside and Flame Tree Ridge Districts

PLANT CONTRACTORS Various

MATERIALS SUPPLIERS Various

M&E CONSULTING ENGINEERS Rice Perry Ellis – Clubhouse, Tennis Academy & Whispering PinesAMCDE – Fireside & Flame Tree Ridge Districts

MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS Crownhouse Technologies – Clubhouse, Tennis Academy & Whispering PinesMacAir – Fireside & Flame Tree Ridge Districts

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS Crownhouse Technologies – Clubhouse, Tennis Academy & Whispering PinesMacAir – Fireside & Flame Tree Ridge Districts

PLUMBING CONTRACTORS Crownhouse Technologies – Clubhouse, Tennis Academy & Whispering PinesMacAir – Fireside & Flame Tree Ridge Districts

“WE’D HAVE LIKED TO HAVE HAD THE MAIN CLUB HOUSE READY BUT I DON’T

THINK PEOPLE WILL NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE,

IN TERMS OF EXPERIENCE”

ties in the future, but right now the priority is delivery,” he says.

Perhaps surprisingly, the clubhouse will not be ready in time for the tournament and is in fact at least another six months away from completion. During CW’s visit it was clear that work was taking place on the building, with the exterior decking cur-rently undergoing varnishing. Smith says that the clubhouse was likely to be fi nished in the second half of 2010.

Therefore, preparations for the tourna-ment have had to fi nd temporary construc-tion solutions in order to ensure specta-tors and players are adequately catered for. As a result, UK fi rm GL Events Owen Brown have been contracted to provide a temporary clubhouse and media centre for the tournament.

The fi rm is providing a complete turn-key solution which has also resulted in the unusual sight (for the GCC) of British construction labourers working to ensure the facilities are ready in time.

RIM Scaffolding is also currently working on site, having previously provided tem-porary scaffolding for the Abu Dhabi Golf Classic in 2008.

DWC tournament director Colin Smith is upbeat about the lack of a dedicated club-house. “It’s a temporary structure but it has everything we need for the tournament so it doesn’t lesson the experience. Of course, we’d have liked to have had the main club house ready but I don’t think people will notice the difference, in terms of experi-ence,” he says. He explains the delay for the clubhouse is a result of focusing on ensuring the courses are delivered on time.

The media centre is a particular point of pride for Leisurecorp. Unlike many media centres at golf courses, journalists will be housed directly on the 18th hole with a clear view of all the action.

One thing that does impress about the course is how well the landscaping work has been done. Looking down the 17th hole, it’s hard to believe that a short distance away

LEISURECORP SPORTS EVENTS DIRECTOR COLIN SMITH.

LEISURECORP EXPECTS THE CLUB HOUSE TO BE READY FOR THE SECOND HALF OF 2010.

is the dust and noise of Emirates Road. The course does indeed ‘feel’ like it has been there for some time.

“The consistent high temperatures are con-ducive for growing turfgrass. The advanced construction schedule for the Earth course has also enabled us to benefi t from two full growing seasons before the tournament begins,” says Leisurecorp senior agronomy manager Hamish McKendrick. “These are grasses which are perfectly suited to the Dubai climate. Couple the grass types with the high sand content, soil temperatures and an advanced irrigation system and you have the perfect conditions for a golf

course. We’ve also been able to rescue a large number of mature trees and plants from other developments in Dubai and this is going to help give a real feel of an estab-lished course.”

Some 3500 mature trees were relocated as part of the construction of Earth and Fire.

TIME FOR TEEBoth courses are scheduled to open to members from December 1, although it’s the Earth course that’s stealing the limelight for the tournament. Richardson explains

why it was this course, rather Fire, which was selected.

“It was collective decision by Greg Nor-man and the European tour. They decided earth was what they wanted to go for. Fire was three months behind, but has caught up,” he says.

Nevertheless, both courses are now ready for action, and from the middle of next year, it’s hoped that the fi rst residents will be able to move in. And with the eyes of the world watching, it will be interesting to see if Jumeirah Golf Estates can deliver. �

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The Middle East is renowned for its fi ve star resorts and picturesque hotels, but where would Downtown Burj Dubai be without its

famous dancing fountain? Or Atlantis without the beach side promenades of The Palm Jumeirah?

Mega-projects from theme parks to man-made islands depend on striking landscaping to attract business. And, whether develop-ers and contractors choose to believe it or not, investing in sustainable landscaping both helps the environment and is proven to save money.

The world around us is changing. Construction projects can no longer rely on picture perfect developments at the cost of

THE GREAT OUTDOORSLANDSCAPING WAS ONCE ABOUT MAKING A PROJECT LOOK EYE-CATCHING BUT NOW PRIORITIES HAVE CHANGED AND CONTRACTORS HAVE TO CHOOSE SUSTAINABILITY

OVER BEAUTY, AS CW DISCOVERS

By Sarah Blackman

that we are environmentalists, not only by profession but by nature.”

A specialist in master planning, land-scape architecture, project management and irrigation engineering, Cracknell is one company which has several projects under its belt that take sustainable landscaping into account.

“We have been working on Yas Island and with the Grand Prix recently taking place – this has been one of our key priorities,” says Cracknell associate Lee Allen.

The Yas Marina Circuit undoubtedly looks green with its grass running around the track. But, behind the scenes, the company has planted foliage that is locally sourced and requires less water.

“Planting has become more Middle East-ern,” adds Allen. “There has been a shift from the use of tropical plants, which were

being unsustainable. Beauty is a priority but, right now, sustainability is an even greater one.

KEY TO SUSTAINABILITYWhen it comes to landscaping, what does it mean to be sustainable? “Sustainable landscaping basically is defined as landscaping that not only can be constructed cost effi ciently, but can also be maintained and preserved effi ciently as well,” explains Rafael Khanoyan director of Al Ryum General Contracting, a designer and manufacturer of landscape solutions.

“In my opinion, this trend didn’t just start; rather it has developed and through technol-ogy, has improved. As a landscape contrac-tor we are always trying to create cheaper, more effi cient methods of construction, as well as using the ‘green’ approach, being

THE MASTER PLANS OF THE MIDDLE EAST ARE GOING GREEN IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE AS COMPANIES BEGIN TO INVEST IN SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING.


popular in the past, to locally produced plants as they thrive best in the region’s tough weather conditions.”

Contractors and developers are also lean-ing toward softscape (plants and trees) rather than hard-scape (tiles and granite) because of cost savings.

“Clients are choos-ing schemes that are pleasant on the eye without having the costs that previous landscape projects incurred,” adds Khanoyan.

Green Concepts Landscape Archi-tects (GCLA) principal Geoff Sanderson takes this further by saying that there is a trend towards using lower heat retain-ing materials for hardscape elements.

“Even concrete, with its very high CO2 emis-sion, will be rejected in the near future in favour of carbon neutral ‘e-crete’, shortly to be produced in the UAE,” he predicts.

But, Nazneen Sabavala director of Landscape design for 3 Square says: “Clients are not just ask-ing for softscaping but for outdoor enclosures.”

She also believes that there is not a trend

towards sustainable landscaping, especially within the private residential sector.

“People say they want to be sustainable but we fi nd that when they are given plants, which don’t require a lot of water, they don’t like the way they look,” she says.

“If you want sustainable plants you have to go with those that hold a lot of water

on their own. These tend to look dry and people don’t like them.”

IRRIGATION When it comes to large areas of land such as public parks, the argument whether to use recycled or non-recycled water has stirred up a lot of debate.

On the one hand, the use of non-recycled water is not good for the environment, for obvious reasons, but the use of irrigated water can also have nasty consequences.

“You have to be careful with treated sewage effl uent (TSE) because sometimes there is a terrible smell that comes from it,” says Sabavala.

“In general, grey and recycled water is a great idea to use on landscaping, but the waste water generated is generally not enough to meet the demand of irrigation.”

PLANTING FOR THE FUTURE

Foilage that can cope with the Middle East climate

GRASS: Paspalum

Bermuda

PALMS: Phoenix dactylifera

Washington robusta

TREES: Delonix regia

Azadirachta indica

Acacia

Ficus

Conocarpus

SHRUBS: Tecoma

Allamanda cathartica

Bougainvillea

Hibiscus

GROUND COVERS: Pennisetum

Vitex

Leucophyllum

Alternenthera

Ruellia

Hymenocallis littorali

CRACKNELL ASSOCIATE LEE ALLEN.

“AS LONG AS THE PRODUCT QUALITY IS NOT SACRIFICED, SOLAR IS BECOMING THE NEW TREND OF LIGHTING”

DEVELOPERS ARE NOW USING PLANTS THAT CAN COPE WITH SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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“We must use TSE as it is a second use of the expensively produced potable water,” advices Sanderson.

“It contains some biological nutrients, although it must meet WHO standards before it can be used in public environments.”

TSE is not suitable for water features as it sustains algae and it is not safe for swim-

ming pools or any place that could come into human contact.

Khanoyan sees both sides of the debate: “Potable Water has some advantages over TSE. It does not have the high sodium levels that TSE does, which makes managing turf and plants more diffi cult and makes the mortality rate of the landscaping higher. Potable water also is a clean source of water that doesn’t have any toxic elements.”

However, he adds that potable water is much more expensive than TSE and is not as environmentally friendly.

“Water is scarce in some parts of the world and by treating and recycling water for dif-ferent purposes helps preserve our most important resource.”

Cracknell also has a preference towards TSE and, according to Allen, TSE can be obtained, processed and redistributed locally, for example, on site.

GREEN CONCEPTS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS PRINCIPAL GEOFF SANDERSON.

“WE MUST USE TSE AS IT CONTAINS BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENTS AND IS A SECOND USE OF THE EXPENSIVELY PRODUCED POTABLE WATER”

GCLA recently came second amidst a very large number of entries from fellow consultants and academics in a world wide competition for sustainable cities.

Its entry promoted use of edible plants in an effort to make more sense of the way we use irrigation water and the way we relate to species of animals, birds, fi sh and insects.

THE DUBAI FOUNTAIN IS A KEY PART OF THE BURJ DUBAI’S LANDSCAPE DESIGN.

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Due to the limited amount of water, particu-larly in the Middle East, can the number of golf courses being developed in the region really be sustainable?

Khanoyan says yes: “The large amount of landscaping that goes into a golf course is appealing to the golfers, as well as people who just appreciate nature. They will be sustainable because not only will they be used by regular customers seeking different challenges, but professional golf associations will be searching for quality courses to hold events. This in turn will generate revenue and popularity where they are held.”

Sanderson believes that golf courses are not sustainable if water used to keep them maintained is potable, or comes from aquifers. He also believes that if there are too few golfers using them to justify high maintenance costs and the high volume of nutrients used to keep the grass healthy, golf courses cannot be sustainable.

However, he also adds: “Great golf course designers like Gary Player have created some amazing courses that are environ-

mentally sensitive as well as good golfi ng experiences.”

VITAL ELEMENTSWhen it comes to developing a sustainable project, the choice of lighting is also crucial. And, according to landscape experts, green has become the trend in this sector.

“Clients are inquiring about solar tech-nology and other methods of powering lighting naturally. As long as the product quality is not sacrifi ced, rather enhanced, solar is becoming the new trend of light-ing,” states Khanoyan.

There is also the debate over the use of natural versus composite decking. Compos-ite decking tends to have a longer life-span but, according to Khanoyan, decking made from natural resources is much better.

“Although it is very feasible to go with manufactured products, they do not give the natural feel of the real thing. The smell, texture, and feel of natural products creates a much nicer and more ‘real’ experience,” he says. But, Sanderson says: “Natural

decking means rainforest hardwoods that are rightly losing popularity for environ-mental reasons.”

There will always be an argument over the pros and cons of sustainable design. But, the Gulf is now starting to take a long, hard look in the mirror and spotting the damage beneath the surface of its impres-sive exterior. And, with new standards and regulations coming into place, it may not be long before non-sustainable products and services are gradually phased out. �

LANDSCAPING COMPANIES TO KNOW

CRACKNELLCracknell was established in Dubai in

January 1993 and in London in 1987. The

company is an award winning business

and offers master planning and urban

design, landscape architecture, concept

architecture, irrigation engineering,

horticulture, project management and

construction supervision. It is currently

working on projects such as Yas Island, Abu

Dhabi International Airport, sustainable

housing in Abu Dhabi, Burj Dubai and Abu

Dhabi Central Market.

TERRAVERDETerraverde is a professional landscape

contracting company based in Dubai

and is specialised in creating outdoor

living spaces. This year, the company

was awarded the honour ‘Landscaping

Contractor of the Year’ for the

implementation of innovative ways in

landscaping maintenance, including the

conservation of natural resources.

Arabia, Sharjah Lagoons redevelopment

and Al Masoudi Nature Park in Al Ain, which

is due to start shortly.

EXOTICA Exotica provides services in the landscaping

sector and since 1978 has planted more

than 1000 gardens. Exotica has three

departments including landscaping,

irrigation and maintenance. Based in

Lebanon, the company has several projects

progressing around the region from small

balconies and private gardens, to big

commercial or public centres.

3 SQUAREFormed in 2006, 3 Square is a Dubai-

based company specialising in interiors,

but also deals with landscape designs and

installations. Most of the company’s projects

are private residential villas located in places

such as Dubai Sports City. 3 Square also has

a potential green roof project coming up, but

details are being kept under wraps.

AL RYUM GENERAL CONTRACTINGAl Ryum General Contracting has six

companies under its belt. Three companies

are based in Abu Dhabi including Al

Ryum Contracting, which specialises in

construction, design and landscape solutions;

Arco International, which offers landscape

maintenance and maintains around 75%

of Abu Dhabi; and Al Ryum Trading, which

supplies a range of projects including sports

surfaces and irrigation products. Dubai

also has a landscape solutions provider

(Arco General Contracting), as well as Arco

Electromechanical and Arco Tech Trading.

GCLAGCLA is a global company made up of

international designers including specialists

in landscape architecture, horticulture,

engineering, urban design and project

management. GCLA is currently working

on a housing development in Sharjah, Tunis

Sports City, several smaller commercial and

residential projects in Abu Dhabi and Saudi

SWIMMING POOLS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF LANDSCAPE DESIGNS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

LEIL

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DIRECTORY

NOVEMBER 7–13, 2009 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 37

38 SHOWCASE40 TENDERS41 PROJECTS

SPECIALIST SERVICES42 Building materials43 Construction chemicals/concrete44 Education & training/fl ooring45 Recruitment/steel

CITY UPDATE46 Dubai, UAE

SHOWCASE | TENDERS | PROJECTS | SUPPLIERS | CITY UPDATE

ABOVE: In November 2006, Tameer Holding

Investments announced plans for the

development of the Princess Tower in Dubai.

Three months later, the construction contract

was awarded to Arabian Construction

Company (ACC) and work began

immediately. The development is due to be

completed on July 8, 2011.

RIGHT: Due to stand at 420m-high Princess

Tower will be the tallest residential building

in the world once completed. ACC has now

reached the 58th fl oor and construction is

contuning to progress on schedule. The

project will stand at 100 stories

once complete.

To b

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in t

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emai

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imag

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itp.

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or

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�SHOWCASEITP IMAGESTO BUY IMAGES WITHIN THESE PAGES PLEASE EMAIL [email protected] OR VISIT WWW.ITPIMAGES.COM

PRINCESS TOWER, DUBAI MARINAPhotos by Efraim Evidor

The US $190.58 million (AED 700 million) Princess Tower Project in Dubai Marina is a residential tower, which will consist

of approximately 580 apartments. It has gymnasiums and swimming pools on levels fi ve and six, and has six fl oors of car

parking below ground and four above. The project looks over the Palm Jumeirah and the docks of the marina. The contract

for the tower has increased by less than 3% in over two years despite the downturn as costs have been controlled by the

use of Primavera construction software. The tower is expected to lose its crown as the world’s tallest tower in 2013 when

the 129-storey Pentominium Tower is due to be completed. This project is also being built by ACC.

To b

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or visit itp

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:

ACC project manager Bill Parker says that on

a tall structure such as the Princess Tower,

the need to protect a building overrides the

need for seismic provisions. At the base of the

tower, concrete elements are 130cm-thick

and the contractor is currently using 60cm-

thick concrete at level 57, ACC will reduce

this thickness to 30cm by the 100th fl oor. The

building perimeter is progressively becoming

thinner, so that the fl oors below can handle

the load. In order to combat logistical

challenges the contractor has implemented

systems such as Grocon’s jump form system,

which reduces crane hoisting requirements

for concrete structures.



�TENDERSFREE TENDERS AND SERVICES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRYTO INCLUDE YOUR TENDERS IN THIS SECTION EMAIL TENDER DETAILS TO [email protected]

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BAHRAIN

Issuer: Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: 286/2009/4310Description: Erection of crane platforms in transmission substations.Closes: November 18Fees: BD15Bond: BD500Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.bh

Issuer: Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: 283/2009/4130Description: Supply, installation and commissioning of chimney lights for Riffa phase one and two.Closes: November 25Fees: BD15Bond: BD500Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.bh

EGYPT

Issuer: Chamber of Commerce in AssuitDescription: Construction of the Chamber’s new residence.Closes: November 23Fees: EP1000Bond: EP150,000Contact: Al Awqaf Buildings, Building No.5, Assuit

OMAN

Issuer: Ministry of Transport and CommunicationTender No: 290/2009Description: Pavement works for Thumrait Al Maziona RoadCloses: November 9 Fees: OR900Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Ministry of HealthTender No: 294/2009Description: Consultancy engineering services for the design and supervision of a new general hospital in Saham.Closes: November 16Fees: OR125Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Oman Tender BoardTender No: 289/2009Description: Construction of women’s association building in Shinas.Closes: November 16Fees: OR225Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Petroleum Development OmanTender No: C311132Description: Engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning of an integrated power station at Qarn Alam.Closes: November 21Contact: www.pdotenders.com

Issuer: Ministry of HealthTender No: 307/2009Description: Construction of health centre at Musanah.Closes: December 7Fees: OR375Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

QATAR

Issuer: Public Works AuthorityTender No: PWA/GTC/009/09-10Description: Construction of trunk and internal sewers within Ain Khalid Area – phase 2.Closes: November 10Fees: QR8000Contact: Contract department, Public Works Authority

Issuer: Public Works AuthorityTender No: PWA/GTC/038/09-10Description: The construction of the remaining part of Al Amir Road and a roundabout junction at the end of the road.Closes: November 10Fees: QR2000Contact: Contract Department, Public Works Authority

Issuer: Public Works AuthorityTender No: PWA/GTC/036/09-10Description: Construction of a medical training centre, a car park, roads and all related service works. Closes: November 10

Fees: QR2000Contact: Contract Department, Public Works Authority

SAUDI ARABIA

Issuer: Royal Commission for Jubail and YanbuTender No: PIC G-1679BDescription: Procurement, testing, commissioning and construction of two mosques in Yanbu.Closes: November 15Fees: SR1000Contact: Director for Purchasing, Contracting Department, PO Box 30031, Madinat Yanbu Al Sinaiyah

Issuer: Ministry of FinanceTender No: 1200Description: Construction of a dual carriage way in Al Regei outlet.Closes: November 17Fees: SR2000Contact: www.mof.gov.sa

UAE

Issuer: Dubai Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: CE/0409/2009Description: Installation, testing and commissioning of 132KV cable laying works for 132/11KV substations and related works.Closes: November 15Fees: AED5000Contact: www.dewa.gov.ae

Saudi Railway Organisation (SRO) manages all of the rail transport in Saudi Arabia, which provides a freight service on three main lines totalling 1018km. These tracks currently connect the region’s capital of Riyadh with the Eastern Province’s city of Damman. The fi rm, however, plans to expand this network by adding the Saudi Landbridge, a 945km line from Riyadh to Jeddah and a 115km line from Dammam to Jubail, and the Haramain High Speed Rail Project linking the Saudi’s two holy cities, Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah.

Currently, there is a tender out for the consultancy contract for phase two of the Haramain High Speed Rail Project. This covers supplying rolling stock to the project, operations and maintenance services, as well as providing railway signalling and a communication system. SRO invited qualifi ed consortiums including

Saudi Binladin Group consortium, Badr consortium, Chinese consortium, Al Shoulah consortium and Al Rajhei consortium to submit proposals for the project. �

Tender focus

SAUDI RAILWAY ORGANISATION

A TENDER IS OUT FOR PHASE TWO OF THE HARAMAIN RAIL PROJECT.

> For more tenders check online at www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/tenders

ONE TO WATCHIssuer:Issuer: Saudi Railway OrganisationSaudi Railway OrganisationDescription:Description: Consultancy contract for phase two of Consultancy contract for phase two of the Haramain High Speed Rail Project.the Haramain High Speed Rail Project.Closes:Closes: February 2010 February 2010Project Value:Project Value: US $2 billionUS $2 billionContact:Contact: +966 3 871 4000+966 3 871 4000

� PR

OJECTS To

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is section

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etails to ed

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�PROJECTSA SAUDI ARABIA DATABASE - BUILDING PROJECTS FOCUSTO LIST YOUR PROJECTS IN THIS COLUMN EMAIL DETAILS TO [email protected]

Construction of the Jamaraat Bridge in Mina, Saudi Arabia near Makkah began in 2006. The bridge was originally constructed in 1963 and has been expanded several times since then. The purpose of the bridge is to enable pilgrims to throw stones at the three Jamrah pillars, which extend up through openings in the bridge. The stoning is part of the Hajj ritual. Dar Al Handasah Consultants is the main consultant on the project, while Saudi Binladin Group is the main contractor. Seventy percent of the bridge is now completed and it is set to be fully operational during the Hajj season of 2010. �

Project focus

JAMARAAT BRIDGE

SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE BRIDGE IS NOW COMPLETED.

PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAINCONTRACTOR

VALUE(US$MN)

STATUS

SAUDI ARABIAKAYAN PETROCHEMICALS COMPLEX AT JUBAIL - EP CRACKER PACKAGE

Sabic/Saudi Kayan Petrochemi-cal Company

Fluor Arabia Kellogg Brown & Root 1200 project under construction

ISO-OCTANE PLANT AT JUBAIL Alujain Corporation/Noble Americas

In House Not Appointed 550 award awaited for the construction contract

SECOND ALUMINIUM SMELTER IN JIZAN ECONOMIC CITY

Saudi Binladin/MMC Corporation Berhad/Chalco

Not Appointed Not Appointed 3000 project under study

TANTALUM AND NIOBIUM DEPOSITS AT GHURAYYAH AREA

Tertiary Middle East St Barbara Consulting/SRK Consulting

Not Appointed 100 project under study

KAYAN PETROCHEMICALS COMPLEX AT JUBAIL - POLYCARBONATE PACKAGE


Asahi Kasei Daelim Industrial Company 500 project under construction

KAYAN PETROCHEMICALS COMPLEX AT JUBAIL - EO/EG PACKAGE


Fluor Arabia China Technical Consultants Incorporate

500 project under construction

KAYAN PETROCHEMICALS COMPLEX AT JUBAIL - PP PACKAGE


Fluor Arabia Samsung Saudi Arabia 400 project under construction

RAS TANURA PETROCHEMICALS COMPLEX Saudi Aramco/Dow Chemical Company

Kellogg Brown & Root Not Appointed 17,000 project under design

AL-ZABIRAH BAUXITE DEVELOPMENT Maaden Bechtel Not Appointed 2,000 project under design

SYNTHETIC RUBBER PLANT AT KEMYA Sabic / ExxonMobil Chemical Not Appointed 31 - 100 project under design

HIGH-TECH COATING FACILITY IN DAMMAM BLDGTEC/Nukote Coating Systems

Building Technology Trading & Contracting

10 project under construction

CAUSTIC CHLORINE/ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE FAC-TORY IN JUBAIL

Arabian Chlor Vinyl Company CMAI Consulting Company Not Appointed 400 award awaited for the construction contract

KAYAN PETROCHEMICALS COMPLEX AT JUBAIL 2 DOUBLE - WALL TANKS PACKAGE


Fluor Corporation Chicago Bridge & Iron 40 project under construction

KAYAN PETROCHEMICALS COMPLEX AT JUBAIL - LDPE PACKAGE


Fluor Arabia Simon Carves 400 project under construction

STEEL PLANT IN JIZAN ECONOMIC CITY - PHASE 1 Pan Kingdom Investment Company

Corus Consulting Sabac 250 project under construction

JUBAIL 2 EXPORT REFINERY - COKER UNIT PACKAGE Saudi Aramco / Total Foster Wheeler Samsung/Chiyoda 850 project under construction

ALUMINA REFINERY IN RAS AL ZOUR Maaden/RCJY/Alcan Bechtel Fluor Arabia 6000 project under construction

> For the latest projects information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/projects


�SPECIALIST SERVICESCONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MADE EASY IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK’S DIRECTORYTO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL +971 4 435 6375, OR EMAIL [email protected]

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SP

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BUILDING MATERIALS

Terrain is a supplier and manufacturer of plastic pipes, fi ttings and associated products for all types of applications including above and below ground drainage, water-supply systems, ventilation and water management. Whether a customer is working on a retail complex, hotel, apartments, housing, a public building or a commercial project they can source their products from Terrain.

The company is based in Dubai but it has been supplying its prod-ucts throughout the Middle East for over 50 years, during which time it has built up a network of well-established relationships in the construction industry. Cur-rently, Terrain is in the process of increasing the size of its Dubai operation. By doing so, the company intends to remind its distributors that it is committed to the Middle East market.

Its products meet British Standards and the manufac-turing quality of the company’s products also allows it to

Supplier focus

TERRAINMANUFACTURER OF PLASTIC PIPES, FITTINGS AND ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS

TERRAIN HAS BEEN SUPPLYING PLASTIC PIPES IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOR OVER 50 YEARS.

provide a good performance in the harsh environments of the Gulf.

Terrain has supplied products to many different projects in the region, including The Burj Al Arab, The Bahrain World Trade Centre, The Sheraton Hotel in Qatar, and Bahrain’s Reef Island project. �


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BUILDING MATERIALS HARD LANDSCAPING SUPPLIER

> For directory information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

DEWATERING

Engineering Works Foundation Infrastructure (L.L.C.)

SPECIALIZED DEWATERING SERVICES:• Specialized in Deepwell, Wellpoint,

Open pumping techniques

• Professional Service

• Round the clock backup

• Effective Groundwater control

P.O. Box: 111245, Dubai - U.A.E. P.O. Box: 2752, Abu Dhabi - U.A.E.Tel: +971 4 340 9022 Fax: +971 4 340 8952 E-mail: [email protected]

CEILINGS/PARTITIONS

CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURERS

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CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURERS

Calcium silicate and cement � bre boards of thickness 6mm, 9mm and 12mm.Tiles vinyl fabricated and painted.

Full range of plaster, tiles and gypsum tools

OTAL (LLC) Dubai, U.A.EPhone: (+971-4) 267 9646 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.otal.ae


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CITY UPDATEDOHA, QATAR

Either way, it’s safe to assume that Qatar is a country with enough financial potential to realise construction projects, even in the reduced circumstances being reported across the world.

According to Deloitte Middle East’s GCC Powers of Construction 2009 report, the Depending on your

source of informa-tion, Qatar either has the highest GDP per capita in the world or it’s in the top three.

future looks very bright, with Qatar overall predicted to see its construction sector grow by 17%, thanks to gas revenues.

“In the future, governments are most likely to be the dominant force in breath-ing life into their respective countries’ construction sectors,” said Deloitte Cor-porate Finance construction and capital projects advisory leader Rizwan Shah.

“Through leveraging their reserves, they will be able to stimulate their economies to create opportunities for construction and development - emphasising again

Rich futureDOHA IS ONE OF THE MOST CONFIDENT CONSTRUCTION MARKETS IN THE GCC. CW FINDS OUT WHAT’S NEW IN QATAR

By James Boley

DOHA IS ONE OF THE MARKETS THAT HAS BEEN LEAST AFFECTED BY A GLOBAL SLOWDOWN.

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“GOVERNMENTS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE THE DOMINANT FORCE IN BREATHING LIFE INTO THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES’ CONSTRUCTION SECTORS” DEVELOPMENT IS ALSO PROGRESSING IN DOHA AWAY FROM THE WATER FRONT.

“WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE CONSORTIUM WILL BE ABLE TO ADD TREMENDOUS VALUE TO QCON AS IT ENTERS THE NEXT PHASE OF ITS GROWTH”

In fact, reports suggest that Qatar is the most confi dent construction market within the GCC. A survey of 3000 GCC projects by Proleads, released in spetemeber, suggested that just 5% of projects had been placed on hold or cancelled, compared to a GCC-wide average of around 18%.

Tenders are still fl owing thick and fast. Qatar National Bank’s submission date for the main con-struction contract closed at the end of October. The project is worth a total of US $250 million.Meanwhile, the end of October saw Qatar’s Public Works Authority, Ashghal, sign 16 contracts worth $412 million that will see a variety of schools, earthworks, road improve-ments and sewage mains constructed.

Schools appear to be growing in impor-tance in the contracting stage. In Q3 2009, Combined Group for Trading and Contract-ing picked up a $63 million order for fi ve schools on Doha’s outskirts. The project is estimated to be delivered in Q3 2011.

TOP PROJECTS US$New Doha International Airport 11bnLusail 5.5bnThe Pearl Qatar 5bnDoha Metro 3bnDoha Convention Centre and Tower 1.5bn

Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance Company is also preparing to issue a tender for the $200 million Doha World Trade Cen-tre tower. The project, located opposite the Sheraton hotel on Doha corniche involves the construction of a 50 storey tower with four basement levels of parking and a total built up area of 140,000m2.

Meanwhile, big news has been the sale of Qatar Engineering and Construction Company (QCon) to a Qatar-Bahraini consortium.

Qatar America Asia Consortium (QAAC), Bahrain-based Unicorn Investment Bank, Qatar First Investment Bank (QFIB) and The First Investor (TFI) acquired 100% of QCon from Qatar Shipping. QAAC is the co-originator of the transaction, with Unicorn acting as co-originator and arranger.

“We are proud to have formed a strategic alliance with three of the region’s leading fi nancial institutions to acquire QCon, and we are confi dent that the consortium will be able to add tremendous value to the company as it enters the next phase of its growth,” says QAAC chairman Shaikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Jabor Al Thani. �

that, education and healthcare as well as infrastructure are likely to be the sec-tors where most demand for building will lie in the future. Another emerg-ing trend linked to this scenario is the increasing occurrence of public-private partnerships.”

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CONSTRUCTION WEEK NOVEMER 7–13, 200948

DIALOGUEBEN SHAW

What products and services do you offer?Dorma basically has fi ve product divisions which include door control, automatic, moveable walls, glass, and security time and access. Obviously the door control department covers everything to do with the door, such as door closers, handles, hinges and locks. The automatic division includes revolving doors, sliding doors and swing doors. The majority of our glass systems are used for internal glass architecture and this covers not only doors but walls as well. We also produce exterior systems for components for facades. The security department is split into two sections. The software solution section is more European based and is predominantly marketed in Germany and France. On the other side of the division we cover components including access, security and safety control.

Which projects have you worked on?Some of the more prominent projects we have been working on include the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and a number of universities in Riyadh. We are working on the convention centre in Qatar and the Dubai Metro. We are also still working on the Burj Dubai. We are supplying products from all of the divisions to the Burj and every single product is being used throughout the project.

When will you fi nish work on the Burj Dubai?We are aiming to meet the fi rst deadline, which is December 2. It’s quite intense at the moment but it is going well.

Do you have plans to attend The Big 5 exhibition this year?No. A few years ago we decided to take a different market approach. We used to attend The Big 5 every year and it gave us a good introduction to the market. But, we found a different approach to marketing i.e. going directly to developers and architects and showing them presentations. This works for us because it’s more focused. We have done some exhibitions in between such as Index 2008.

Opening doorsDorma Gulf regional director Ben Shaw discusses the increasing demand for secure door components and how his company is progressing

By Sarah Blackman

Contractors have been requesting bomb resistant doors in recent years. Do you provide these as part of your security division?We are not the experts in producing doors as such, other than the automatic doors, but we do provide products to manufacturers who are making systems such as bomb resistant doors. What we supply is the systems and technologies that will complete the door.

Has the demand for security systems increased? Yes, for sure. We have certainly found components in our security time and access division are increasing in demand year after year, particularly in the more high traffi c areas and institutional projects such as the Dubai Metro and the airports. I think the increase is due to the continuing maturity of the market. Once people have understood the value of products of a particular standard with a particular function in relation to security, they start to use them more.

How has your company been affected by the downturn?Our growth rate has dropped from over 40% per year in the boom period down to 20%. There is still a growth rate, it is just

that the dynamics have changed. Dubai has slowed down, although it still has a lot of ongoing projects. And, what we have lost in Dubai, we have picked up in the other growing areas, such as Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

How have your technologies changed over time?The technologies are always changing. One of the reasons for Dorma’s leadership is innovation. We introduce new technologies that relate to doors. The future of technology is through IT and electrical components that are more effi cient, produce more information and are more safety and security conscious. The ultimate technology advancement in the future, which is already here to a certain extent, would be the ability to talk to your door and ask it to open and close.

Ben Shaw established the Dorma Middle

East offi ce in Dubai in 1997. As a regional

director, he has grown Dorma’s business

to bring more innovation to the industry

and further expansion across the region.

Under his leadership, Dorma opened up

offi ces in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait

with a network of over 1000 distributors. In

2007, Dorma built its regional headquarters

at Jebel Ali Free Zone to serve the region’s

construction sector meeting the demand

for better technology in door hardware,

automatic doors, glass fi ttings, security

systems and partitions. Twelve years on,

Dorma has four companies in the region

– three in the UAE and one in Saudi Arabia,

with branches and staff located in eight

cities throughout the Middle East.

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HARVESTwww.balmoralrainwatersystems.com

STOREwww.sectionaltanks.com

TREATwww.sewagetanks.com

LEARNwww.balmoraltankstraining.com

BALMORAL TANKSOur products mean [email protected] T +44 (0)1224 859000

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construction week - issue 295

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