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Reg No. 1 GC 027 • VOL 41 • No. 06 • June 2020 • BD3.5 | KD3 | RO3.5 | QR35 | SR35 | Dh35 www.gulfconstructiononline.com

KUWAIT gulfconstructiononline.com Kuwait

means halted progress completely, confirms a top official at a leading international mul- WAITING FOR VISION tidisciplinary firm based in Kuwait. “Like every other sector and industry, the construction sector now finds itself grap- TO MATERIALISE pling with a changed world, where projec- tions have been lowered, spending has been downsized and the project pipeline seems The health crisis created by the novel coronavirus and the record a little less robust,” Tarek Shuaib, CEO of low prices of oil have added to the manifold issues that Kuwait has Pace, tells Gulf Construction. faced over the years. However, given its significant sovereign wealth The Covid-19 pandemic has served a reserves, experts believe Kuwait will weather the storms well. double whammy to Kuwait, which is still hugely dependent on oil revenues, with oil prices having recently dropped to historic lows, and the resultant dive in business confidence. Since Kuwait instituted lock- downs to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus last March, around 39 per cent of businesses in the construction, contracting, architecture sector have shut down operations, revealed a business impact survey published by Bensirri PR (BPR), an independent corporate, financial and polit- ical communications firm based in Kuwait. Nearly 31 per cent saw revenue drop by more than 80 per cent but were still operating when the survey was conducted. The Kuwait Business Impact Survey (KBIS) gathered key in- sights from 498 Kuwaiti business- Work is in progress at a key campus of Kuwait University (see Page 34). es that were profitable in 2019 across 13 different sectors. The S THE world waits with bated Since then, the country has launched vari- report is believed to be the only Covid-19 breath to be rid of the Covid-19 ous projects as part of the programme in related business impact survey conducted in pandemic that has created may- partnership with the private sector. Kuwait. As many as 45 per cent of Kuwaiti hemA in every economy and every industry, Among the largest projects inaugurated business owners said they have suspended Kuwait’s construction sector is looking to last year was the Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad or shutdown their businesses and another the country’s ambitious Vision 2035 pro- Al Sabah Causeway, one of the world’s 26 per cent were on the verge of collapse af- jects with hope to wade through this diffi- longest bridges, which links Kuwaiti City ter seeing their revenue drop by more than cult period. with Subiya area in the north of the coun- 80 per cent. No one disputes that some of the major try, paving the way for the future Silk City As part of measures to ensure business projects under the multibillion-dollar plan project, which is expected to be a significant continuity, 32 per cent of respondents have will face delays. However, the vision pro- magnet for foreign investment. adjusted employee hours or salaries in clear vides a long-term roadmap for develop- Another key enabler is the Kuwait Inter- violation of Kuwait’s labour law and 15 per ment and short-term hope to the belea- national Airport’s new $4.5-billion termi- cent have already started laying off staff. guered industry as safeguarding the health nal that aims to boost the aviation hub’s ca- Now in their third month of working cap- and well-being of its denizens is the prior- pacity to 25 million passengers, which has ital pressure, 56 per cent of business own- ity for the government agencies, for now. been making impressive progress despite ers/CEOs said they cannot afford to cover The Kuwait Vision 2035 was launched the novel coronavirus crisis. their fixed costs for another two months by His HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al The Covid-19 pandemic has decelerated under the new status quo, the survey indi- Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah over two years the pace of infrastructure development in cated. ago to transform the nation into an inter- Kuwait, as it has done in other states in the However, many in the industry expect the national hub for business and commerce. region and the world over, but it has by no ☛

Gulf Construction, June 2020 29 Kuwait gulfconstructiononline.com

☛ construction sector to bounce back once the lockdown ends, pandemic regulations ease and the world finds its balance again. As Pace’s Shuaib says: “As priorities are reas- sessed and budgets reallocated, development will remain a vital need and a key priority on the national level. Its timeline might change and priorities reshuffled, but Kuwait’s development agenda will move forward.” The country’s development agenda laid out by the ‘Kuwait 2035’ initiative aims to transform the country from a petro-state to a financial, logistics and trade hub by 2035. The country currently derives around 55 per cent of its GDP, more than 90 per cent of exports, and about 90 per cent of its revenue from hydrocarbon products. The new terminal at Kuwait International Airport ... work well under way. Hence, both the government and legisla- tors – who do not see eye to eye on various thority for Housing Welfare (PAHW). its commitments to Opec. The deficit will issues – agree that private sector involve- In the oil and gas sector, Kuwait is ex- be plugged through withdrawals from the ment is the way forward for the country. pected to commission its clean fuel project General Reserve Fund (GRF). Kuwait seeks to attract $200 billion in for- (CFP) in September after 36 new produc- eign investment during 2020-35 to become tion units at its two main refineries – Al- SILK CITY a global centre for trade and finance. Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah – were com- Plans have been launched for $86-billion Also, with a large oil production capacity pleted in nearly five years. Meanwhile, Phase One of Silk City, a China-backed and significant sovereign wealth reserves, work is well advanced on the $13-billion Al construction project. This phase is expect- Kuwait has room to weather economic dif- Zour Refinery project, which is being con- ed to include an airport, rail network and ficulties. structed by a consortium including Dae- establishment of a trade zone. The project The ‘Kuwait 2035’ programme – which is woo (South Korea) and Sinopec (China). will be built around the Mubarak Al Ka- looking to draw a considerable amount of According to media reports, Kuwait has beer Port and aims to attract massive local foreign investment and has received already active projects worth around $495 billion, and foreign investment to turn the sparsely interest from China – is believed to include with nearly half of them in the design stage populated narrow northern end of the Gulf an array of 709 mega projects with a com- and close to 30 per cent in the construction into a trade hub and further Kuwait’s eco- bined estimated value of $230.4 billion. Of stage. nomic diversification plans. these, some 58 per cent are reported to be In its Kuwait Infrastructure Report for The project, however, has continued to under construction. the Q4 of 2019, Fitch Solutions forecast an be dogged by delays, not least by the latest A key project in the programme is the annual average growth for the construction Covid-19 crisis. ongoing $16-billion Mubarak Al Kabeer sector of 3.3 per cent between 2020 and port, located on Bubiyan Island. It forms 2028. While growth in Kuwait’s transport AIRPORT the centrepiece of the country’s develop- infrastructure sector will outperform the Leading Turkish builder Limak and local ment plans for the proposed $300-billion wider construction market, driven by the construction firm Kharafi National have Silk Road Project, which envisages the con- strong project pipeline in the road and port achieved considerable progress on the new struction of the $82-billion Madinat Harir segments, it will account for only a small state-of-the-art terminal at Kuwait Inter- (Silk City) and the development of five un- proportion of the country’s total infrastruc- national Airport. Terminal column works inhabited islands. ture industry value over the coming decade, are reported to have attained around 60 In the transport segment, another major the report states. per completion, while the floor slab works development that is eagerly awaited is the Growth in Kuwait’s energy and utilities (44 per cent) are ongoing along with shell $7-billion Kuwait Metro, which will extend infrastructure sector will underperform the cassette fabrication. The concreting work is 160 km, with 68 stations along three lines. growth in the wider construction sector, reaching the halfway mark, while the shell In the roads sector, considerable impor- due primarily to limited electricity demand cassette installation is ongoing. tance has been given to the development of and a poor track record of project imple- Limak Insaat Kuwait, a subsidiary of roads that connect the new housing cities mentation. Turkish builder Limak Group, is also the such as the South Al Mutla Roads and In- Meanwhile, Kuwait approved its 2020/21 lowest bidder for Phase Two of the new frastructure Development. budget early this year projecting a KD9.2 Kuwait Airport project with a figure of At least five major housing programmes billion deficit – another huge deficit for KD169 million. The scope of work includes have been launched and are making pro- the sixth year in a row due to lower oil construction of a parking area, outdoor gress under the purview of the Public Au- prices and production curbs in line with works and landscaping, a sewage and rain-

30 Gulf Construction, June 2020 gulfconstructiononline.com Kuwait water treatment plant, storage tanks, roads, ed by the PAHW. Among them is Jaber is expected to see partial completion this and multi-level bridges that will connect to Al-Ahmad City project, currently in the year, with the entire project expected to be Building 2 under construction. handover phase, which will provide 25,000 ready in 2023. On completion, the airport’s capacity will housing units. Work on the South Saad Al- Meanwhile, the issue of housing of expa- grow threefold to 25 million passengers a Abdullah City, which will comprise 45,000 triate labourers has gained urgency in view year. The terminal is being designed to ac- housing units, and South Sabah Al-Ahmad of the current Covid-19 situation. Kuwait’s commodate all aircraft types through 51 City, which will offer 9,600 housing units, is Ministry of Public Works is planning to gates and stands. It has set a target to be- reported to be behind schedule due to pro- erect temporary dwellings for some 25,000 come one of the first airport terminals in ject modifications, among other challenges. expatriate labourers working at the Health the world to achieve Leed (Leadership in The other two major projects include Ab- Ministry under contract as part of the Energy and Environmental Design) Gold dullah Al-Mubarak suburb, which is about measures to prevent the spread of the coro- certification. 46 per cent complete and the KD2-billion navirus, reported Kuna (see also Regional Al-Mutlaa Residential City project, which News, Page 6). n ROADS The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) is implementing approximately 70 projects over the next two years at a cost of about KD1.5 billion, including 22 projects to be carried out by the Public Authority for Roads Transport (PART) and the rest being maintenance and health projects. PART has an extensive portfolio of projects planned in the long term including the Wafra Road, the Seventh and Sixth

Hessa Al Mubarak District, a mega mixed- use development in the tendering stage.

Sabah Al-Ahmad City and the Sixth ring roads and the Al-Salmi Road involving a total investment of KD2.4 billion. Another ambitious project being spearheaded by the authority is the metro and railway project, which is currently being studied by a global consultant in coordinating with relevant government authorities including the Min- istry of Oil and the Kuwait Municipality Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR).

HOUSING The Public Authority for Housing Wel- fare (PAHW) is racing against time to se- cure housing care for Kuwaiti citizens and reduce the waiting list for housing which includes over 87,828 applicants. Some five major projects are being implement-

Gulf Construction, June 2020 31 Kuwait gulfconstructiononline.com KUWAIT AT A GLANCE Package name Owner Status** $ Million* Consultant Contractor Start date End date

Al Abdaliyah Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Plant (ISCCP) Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) Feasibility Study 3,000 - - 2008-Q1 2022-Q2 Al Adan Hospital Expansion Kuwait Ministry of Health (MoH) Construction 769 Hill International, System Sayed Hamid Behbehani and Sons Company 2013-Q1 2020-Q2 Development & Project Management (SDPM) Al Farwaniya Hospital Expansion Kuwait Ministry of Health Construction 1,000 Hill International, SDPM Sayed Hamid Behbehani and Sons Company 2012-Q3 2021-Q1 Al Khairan Residential City Project Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) FEED 25,000 First Investment Company (FIC) - 2008-Q1 2024-Q1 Al Khiran Real Estate Development Tamdeen Real Estate Construction 829 - Al Ghanim International 2014-Q4 2021-Q1 Al Nuwaiseeb Road Construction Project Kuwait Ministry of Public Works (MPW) Construction 560 Gulf Consult, Parsons Brinckerhoff Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Company), Kuwait Arab Contractors Company, 2012-Q3 2020-Q2 Al Sabah Hospital Expansion Kuwait MoH Construction 700 - Shapoorji Pallonji & Company, Al Sager General Trading & Contracting 2013-Q1 2020-Q4 Andalus Road Expansion and Sewage Pipe Replacement Kuwait MPW EPC ITB 950 - - 2014-Q4 2021-Q1 Bubiyan Seaport Project – Phase 1 – Package 3A Kuwait MPW Design 500 - - 2013-Q2 2020-Q4 Bubiyan Seaport Project – Phase 1 – Package 3B & 3C Kuwait MPW E&P 500 - Copri Construction Entreprises 2013-Q2 2020-Q3 GCC Railway Network – Kuwait Kuwait MPW – Ministry of Communications Design 14,000 Systra Consulting, Khatib & Alami, - 2005-Q2 2023-Q1 Canarail Consultants Jahra Road Development Project Kuwait MPW Construction 980 Louis Berger Group, Pan Arab Kuwait Arab Contractors Company, Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Company) 2009-Q2 2020-Q2 Consulting Engineers Jeleia Power Plant Kuwait Ministry of Electricity & Water (MEW) Feasibility Study 1,200 - - 2014-Q3 2023-Q1 Kabd Municipal Solid Waste Project KAPP EPC ITB 790 - - 2013-Q3 2021-Q1 Kuwait City Cancer Center Kuwait MoH Construction 650 Hill International, SPDM Al Ghanim International General Trading & Contracting 2010-Q4 2020-Q3 Kuwait International Airport Expansion – Overview Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) – KPW Construction 7,000 Ingenieria & Consultoria de Transporte Limak, Kharafi National 2007-Q2 2022-Q3 (Ineco), Dorsch Consult, SSH International Consultants Kuwait International Airport Expansion – Package 1 Main Terminal Kuwait MPW – DGCA Construction 4,500 Ineco Limak, Kharafi National 2007-Q2 2020-Q4 Building (Terminal 2) Kuwait Metropolitan Rapid Transit System (KMRT) KAPP Feasibility Study 7,000 - - 2015-Q4 2023-Q1 Kuwait National Railroad (KNRR) KAPP Feasibility Study 10,000 - - 2008-Q3 2023-Q1 Kuwait Olympic Village PAHW Design 1,000 - - 2013-Q1 2020-Q4 North Kuwait Effluent Water Treatment and Injection Plant EF1761 Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Construction 1,000 - Dodsal 2012-Q1 2020-Q2 North Kuwait Mega Airport Project DGCA Project Announced 12,000 - - 2018-Q1 2028-Q1 Nuwaiseeb Independent Water and Power Project (IWPP) Kuwait MEW Feasibility Study 2,500 - - 2012-Q1 2024-Q1 Palace of Justice Amiri Diwan Construction 1,000 Gulf Consult, Atkins Mohammed Abdul Mohsin Al Kharafi & Sons 2015-Q1 2021-Q3 Rehabilitation of Al Ghouse Road – Overview Kuwait MPW Construction 500 - Ahmadiah Contracting & Trading Company, Combined Group Contracting Company 2015-Q2 2021-Q1 Sabah Al Salem University – College of Social Sciences, Law, Kuwait University Construction 550 - Al Sager General Trading & Contracting, Shapoorji Pallonji & Company 2012-Q1 2020-Q3 Sharia & Islamic Studies Sabah Al-Ahmad Residential City PAHW Construction 7,000 - Mohammed Abdul Mohsin Al Kharafi & Sons, United Gulf Construction Company (UGCC), 2006-Q1 2036-Q1 Alamiah Building Company, Combined Group Contracting Company, First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting Company, United Building Company, Nusaiba Company for General Contracting for Buildings Shuwaikh Maternity Hospital Kuwait MoH – MPW Construction 1,000 - Impresa Pizzarotti & C 2011-Q1 2021-Q3 Small Boat Harbour Project KOC Construction 1,000 SSH International Consultants STFA 2011-Q1 2020-Q2 South Al Mutlaa City – Housing Package PAHW Construction 1,000 Hill International Real Estate Construction & Fabrication Company (Recafco), Canar Trading & Contracting 2010-Q3 2023-Q1 Company (CTCC), Bayan National Construction Contracting Company, Limak Construction South Al Mutlaa City – Infrastructure Package PAHW Construction 1,800 - Limak, Salini Impregilo, Kolin, China Gezhouba Group-Cengiz, Polatyol 2010-Q1 2020-Q3 South Al Mutlaa City – Overview PAHW Construction 20,000 Hill International Limak, Salini Impregilo, Kolin, China Gezhouba Group 2010-Q1 2023-Q3 South Saad Al-Abdullah Smart City PAHW E&P 4,000 - Hyundai Architects & Engineers Associates, Posco 2016-Q2 2023-Q1 Special Needs School Complex Kuwait MPW FEED 1,226 Gulf Consult - 2012-Q1 2022-Q1 Subiya Power Plant Expansion – Phase 3 Kuwait MEW Construction 600 - Al Ghanim International 2014-Q1 2020-Q4 The Silk City Project (Madinat Al-Hareer) PAHW Design 82,200 - - 2011-Q1 2036-Q1 Umm Al Hayman Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) – Phase 2 KAPP-Kuwait MPW Feasibility Study 900 - - 2017-Q1 2021-Q1

** E&P = engineering & procurement; FEED = front-end engineering design; EPC ITB = engineering, procurement and construction invitation to bid.

32 Gulf Construction, June 2020 gulfconstructiononline.com

Package name Owner Status** $ Million* Consultant Contractor Start date End date

* List includes projects worth over $500 million only. Source: DMS Projects

Gulf Construction, June 2020 33 Kuwait gulfconstructiononline.com CREATING LANDMARKS

The Kuwait National Museum, Sabah Al-Salem University City “The expansion included the construction Campus’ New Administration Facilities and the New Maternity of new buildings, a grand library and land- Hospital in Al Sabah Health Zone are examples of the diverse scaping. In addition to structural renova- projects that have first taken shape on the drawing boards of the tions, the museum will also feature a whole new collection of artefacts from different multidisciplinary firm Pace. cultures, set to be added to the exhibits, complete with cutting-edge display, security and preservation systems.” The museum halls are divided into folk- lore wings to exhibit the different aspects of ancient life in Kuwait, including an exhibit on a traditional Kuwaiti house and neighbourhood, the Safat Square market, and life at sea. Additionally, visitors can also explore Kuwaiti handcrafts, fashion, jewellery and musical instruments. Other wings of the museum include the ancient

Kuwait National Museum ... in the final stages of work.

ITH more than 1,850 pro- CAL), is part of Kuwait’s ambitious efforts Shuaib ... 1,850 projects in Pace’s portfolio. jects completed or in pro- to revitalise the tourism sector, and show- gress in Kuwait and around case its national heritage and folk culture. theW globe, including multiple globally- The NCCAL collaborated with Dar Al monuments wings, displaying various col- awarded national landmarks, leading in- Athar Al Islamiyyah (DAI), Unesco and lections of ancient antiquities across the ternational multidisciplinary firm Pace Pace to spearhead the re-designing and ages – from the Stone Age, through to the certainly has a finger on the pulse of the construction supervision of the renova- Bronze Age and the Hellenistic era, all the market as a long-trusted development tion and expansion of the iconic museum, way to the early days of Islam and the es- partner of the state for over 50 years. which was first established in 1983 and suf- tablishment of the state of Kuwait. The practice has been overseeing numer- fered extensive damage during the 1990 In order to elevate the viewing experi- ous development projects under various Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. ence, all existing exhibition halls have un- sectors that have been unveiled under the Pace has already completed and delivered dergone full structural refurbishment and umbrella of the New Kuwait Vision 2035, all construction packages on the project, interior revamping. A new single-storey including the Kuwait National Museum, in preparation for the museum’s opening main entrance building, with a basement, Sabah Al-Salem University City Campus’ which will be scheduled upon the procure- covering an area of 863 sq m, has been New Administration Facilities and the ment and transportation of antiquities as constructed to host the reception and reg- New Maternity Hospital. part of the final package, the company’s istration offices, along with the administra- CEO Tarek Shuaib tells Gulf Construction. tive and technical departments. Another KUWAIT NATIONAL MUSEUM Elaborating on the work involved, he says: two-storey (plus basement) building with Pace is currently overseeing the final “The restoration process entailed a series of an area of 1,297 sq m, is dedicated to the stages of a major revamp and expansion of structural and architectural renovations of national library, in addition to a new build- Kuwait National Museum. various halls within the museum and the ing that houses the antiquities and relics The project, by the National Council for total re-design and modernisation of its in- renovation workshops. Culture, Arts and Letters in Kuwait (NC- teriors, as well as its external facades. The project includes a planetarium, which

34 Gulf Construction, June 2020 gulfconstructiononline.com Kuwait features an astronomical dome and show- KUWAIT UNIVERSITY ing of the administrative landmark com- room displaying planetary orbits, the solar FACILITIES plex will rise to 75 m above ground level.” system, and the history of astronomy in an- Pace is currently providing a full suite of The project currently stands at 60 per cent cient civilisations on its upper floor. specialised and integrated architectural, completion, with structural works com- The museum also features a new multi- engineering and planning services for the pleted for the seven buildings. Up until the level car park and shaded parking area. Ex- implementation of the Sabah Al-Salem lockdown enforced due to the Covid-19 isting canopies in the outdoor areas have University City Campus’ New Adminis- pandemic, Pace was already supervising been renovated with a more contemporary tration Facilities project – in collaboration work on the steel structures, façades and design, as Pace seeks to seamlessly infuse with the US-based architectural and en- high-quality finishing. rich cultural and heritage inspirations into gineering firm SOM. The award-winning In line with its goal of continually trying its modern concepts. New steel bridges project, which is owned by Kuwait Univer- to push design and architecture bounda- have been constructed to connect the up- sity, entails the construction of seven build- ries, Pace is implementing the ‘Shades per levels of the museum halls. ings located at the heart of the campus, of Knowledge’ concept for this particu- These new design features enhance the marking the entrance and a new gateway lar project which entails the use of light, interconnectivity of the old and new struc- to the ‘University City’, with a total plot lacy shading ‘veils’ that will envelope each tures to improve circulation inside the mu- area of 55,085 sq m and a total built-up building surrounding the ‘Arrival Garden’. seum for visitors. In terms of material, the area of 318,867 sq m. These shading veils will create an ephem- museum facades are built using curtain- Poised to be the architectural icon of the eral play of light and shadow similar to that walls and marble stone cladding, and roofs campus, the facilities will serve as its main of the sun, following its daily arc across the are revamped using titanium zinc sheets. gateway, housing the main administra- sky. The sustainable screens, to be made For enhanced security, Pace has employed tive and ceremonial functions. The project of aluminium panels and currently being the latest technologies to safeguard and components include the university’s grand installed for the facades, will further ar- protect the exhibits. Furthermore, state- central library (The Cube), the adminis- ticulate the shading function, screening out of-the-art acoustics, lighting, and other tration building, convocation hall, a grand harsh solar radiation and creating a cooler technical installations have been set up to mosque, a conference centre, a cultural cen- microclimate zone around each building, provide a more immersive display of the tre, and visitor’s centre, in addition to the allowing outdoor spaces to be more com- museum’s components for an exceptional welcoming gardens. fortable and encouraging social interac- touristic experience. Commenting on the project, Shuaib says: tions. This soft perimeter will extend the The project itself serves as a memora- “By identifying the primary goals for the space of each building outward creating a ble milestone in Pace’s project repertoire, design of these facilities, Pace has managed shady mashrabiyah/verandah kind of envi- which includes several others that promote to create a unified architectural language ronment. tourism in Kuwait. “However, this project for the seven buildings with distinctly dif- “Calligraphy cut-outs crafted in repetitive specifically is quite special and holds great ferent programmatic requirements. The patterns for the shading veils feature verses significance to us, as it commemorates a structure also mitigates the effects of the related to education and cultural citations time of Kuwait’s great achievements and harsh desert climate of Kuwait, with de- by prominent historic figures, poetry, prose contributions to the entire Arab world,” signs that draw inspiration from the local or the Holy Koran. The verses draw upon notes Shuaib. vernacular architecture. The highest build- important references from the history of the Arab/Islamic world. All of these design elements will work together to create innovative functionality and lasting and mean- ingful value for the stakeholders,” Shuaib explains. The focal point of the project is ‘The Pearl’, a performing arts theatre located at the heart of the campus in the centre of the main Arrivals Garden axis, with all project components surrounding its ovoid structure. The design for The Pearl is unique as it is a symbolic building with a visually distinct architecture, he points out. Within The Pearl will be the convocation hall, covering an area of 31,390 sq m with a capacity to accommodate approximately 1,600 people, which will be fitted with state-of-art visual and acoustic installations. The cultural centre will consist of four The university city campus’ New Administration Facilities ... 60 per cent complete. ☛

Gulf Construction, June 2020 35 Kuwait gulfconstructiononline.com

In order to further enhance circulation and movement across the medical complex, Pace has designed three air-conditioned pedestrian bridges connecting the existing hospital to the new buildings. The hospital will be further integrated into the com- pounds of the Al Sabah Health Region in terms of coordination of infrastructure and the delivery of services and facilities. A multi-storey car park with two base- ments, a ground floor, five podium levels, and shaded roof parking is being constructed to provide 1,300 parking places. Pace has established itself as a regional leader in delivering world-class healthcare The New Maternity Hospital ... designed to offer 70 per cent of the in-patient rooms a projects, having recently delivered one of view of the adjacent bay and coastline. the largest multi-award winning, globally- recognised healthcare projects in the world ☛ of the critical-care component of the facil- – the New Jahra Medical City. halls: one serving as a museum of Kuwaiti ity, will tie to the wider emergency response history, another for public shows, and two network of the region. The annex building PACE others that will be used for conferences and will host ambulatory services, administra- Pace’s portfolio is far from limited to any scientific research presentations. The grand tive offices and an auditorium. specific industry or sector. The firm has library will feature the latest technologies in It will provide state-of-the-art facilities been putting its expertise and innovation the field of digital archiving and references, for the diagnosis and treatment of all ob- to good use to support development on the with innovative technical installations. stetrics and gynaecology patients, as well larger, national scale. Other notable projects Even before its completion, the New as housing a fully-equipped neonatal unit. currently being overseen by Pace in Kuwait Kuwait University Campus’ Administra- Upon completion, the hospital will accom- include the New Palace of Justice, set to be tion Facilities project has already won the modate 780 beds and 27 operating theatres the largest judicial building in the region; American Institute of Architects (AIA) to serve obstetric, gynaecological and IVF Assima Mall and Tower, a new regional Middle East’s Merit Award and has been (in vitro fertilisation) needs. The scope of destination for leisure and entertainment; shortlisted for two international awards work for the project entails the design, con- The Kuwait Scientific Centre expansion, a – the World Architecture News Awards struction, furnishing, medical equipment cultural, scientific and touristic landmark; (WAN) and the World Architecture Fes- provision, and operational maintenance for and finally the Sabah Al Salem Stadium, a tival (WAF), Shuaib points out. this integrated and specialised medical fa- venue destined to become a flagship in the cility. national sporting culture. NEW MATERNITY HOSPITAL Pace’s services will also include the archi- So, what is a major point of pride for the In the healthcare sector, Pace is working tectural design, construction supervision, firm? Shuabi says seeing Kuwait earn global with Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works infrastructure design and MEP (mechani- recognition for some of the key develop- on the New Maternity Hospital project, cal, electrical and plumbing) works. For this ment projects that have been delivered by which will ultimately be handed over to the project, Pace will utilise the Revit Building Pace, the most recent being The Interna- Ministry of Health. The new facility aspires Information Modelling (BIM) software in tional Road Federation (IRF)’s Global Road to bring together all aspects of maternity collaboration with its partners throughout Achievement; the World Stadium Congress care to a single complex, creating a special- the design and development phase. – Best Future Stadium award; the Ameri- ised hospital. Commenting on the location of the pro- can Institute of Architecture; and multiple Construction work is currently underway ject, Shuaib says: “The spectacular site for Meed Projects awards. A host of Pace pro- on the New Maternity Hospital, which this project on the coast of Kuwait Bay of- jects in Kuwait have also been shortlisted covers an area of 59,781 sq m in Al Sa- fers a particularly exciting location to de- at global architecture awards including the bah Health Zone. With all excavation and velop an environment with strong connec- World Architecture Festival, Mipim Future foundation works completed, structural tions to the sea. Upon the client’s request, Project Awards, Dezeen Awards and World works are at almost 85 per cent complete. the project design offers 70 per cent of the Architecture News awards. The hospital’s main building will consist in-patient rooms a view of the adjacent “We are proud to have always played an of three large towers for in-patient beds bay and coastline. Being located close to active role in Kuwait’s development plans, – of which the highest will have 18 floors the bay area, the New Maternity Hospital as we have worked alongside our partners – situated atop a dense clinical podium, will be equipped with a sea wall along the for more than 50 years now to push the and adjacent to the out-patient clinical 320 m shoreline as part of its green design. boundaries when it comes to project de- buildings, parking and a multi-level entry There is also a landscaping plan for the ex- sign, innovation and delivery,” concludes atrium. An Emergency Department, part ternal areas and rooftops.” Shuaib. n

38 Gulf Construction, June 2020

Rvsd Al Yamamah GC Ad_27580.indd 1 5/22/13 5:20 PM