JULY 2017 OCTOBER 2016 OCTOBER

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE REGION'S CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS

We design.. we construct.. we build.. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, PO Box 65697 Riyadh 11566 Tel: +966 11 293 1193 Fax: +966 11 293 1170 www.albawani.net POWER AND PRECISION // Power 60

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www.casece.com EXPERTS FOR THE REAL WORLD SINCE 1842 construction business news me // July 2017 // 35

885B_200x265_GB.indd 1 01/08/16 14:46 // Power 60 s e rti pe labbar , chairperson A ed m

1 Emaar Pro Moha Projects: • Creek Harbour • • Dubai Hills Estate • •

maar Properties topped off Revenue for 2016 rose by 14 percent new residential launches in Downtown another busy 12 months with year-on-year to AED 15.540bn. Net profit Dubai, Dubai Marina, Harbour the big news that it will seek for the first quarter of 2017 also saw a big and Emaar South. a stock listing for up to 30 rise of 15 percent to AED 1.384bn ($377mn) The company hospitality division is percent of its UAE real estate compared to the first leg of 2016. also thriving thanks to a number of new Edevelopment business. Emaar has a number of major develop- launches in the past year in the UAE, The IPO will allow investors who value ments ongoing in Dubai, most notably The Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. the proven track record of one of at Dubai Creek Harbour, which will Perhaps the most high profile launch UAE’s biggest and most prestigious overtake its own as the tallest was the spectacular 290 metre Ad- developers to invest directly in the com- building in . Emaar accomplished dress hotel and residences at pany and benefit from the strong growth a key milestone recently with the comple- Beach Residence (JBR) with a shimmer- outlook of its UAE business. tion of the pile foundations for what is ing façade and a distinctive ‘hole’ in the The Mohamed Alabbar-led company re- certain to become a new global icon. middle. Emaar Hospitality has a pipeline corded net profit of AED 5.233bn ($1.425bn) Significant progress has also been made of 27 upcoming projects to add to the for the full year 2016, a huge 28 percent on Dubai Hills Estate, developed as a joint 10 operational hotels and three serviced higher than the previous 12-month period. venture with Meraas Holding, as well as residences already in service.

36 // construction business news me // July 2017 wasl Asset Management 2 HE Hesham Al Qassim, CEO ne of the top property Wasl also revealed this year plans to bring developers in Dubai, wasl a second luxury Mandarin Oriental hotel is probably best known for to Dubai by the end of 2020. The hotel will being the company behind be the main feature of a 300 metre tower some of the most pres- being built on Sheikh Zayed by Dubai-based Otigious hotels in the emirate. That trend Arabtec, which was awarded a AED 1.46bn continued this year with the announcement ($397mn) construction contract earlier this Projects: of a number of major projects that should year. wasl’s first Mandarin Oriental hotel is be- keep Dubai near the top of the list of lead- ing built on the waterfront at • Port Views ing hotel destinations in the world. and will open in the fourth quarter of 2018. Chief among those was arguably the And finally wasl also said this year that • Mandarin Orientel news that wasl is bringing the first MGM it would build the Hyatt Centric on Palm hotels, Dubai hotel to the Middle East. The famous Las Jumeirah, a hotel with 217 rooms and 116 • MGM Hotels, Dubai Vegas-based hotel group will bring its serviced apartments. • Hyatt Centric, Palm iconic brands - including a Bellagio hotel Subsidiary wasl Properties manages – to a new beach front mega resort to be an extensive real estate portfolio of over Jumeirah built on an artificial peninsula off Jumeirah 35,000 residential and commercial proper- not far from the . ties in Dubai.

LEC is one of the largest construction companies in the Middle East employing around 12,000 people, the bulk of whom are based in the UAE. The scope of projects undertaken by the company includes resort hotels, themed developments, high rise Atowers, airports and large scale shopping centers. Over the past year the company has completed or is working on UAE projects including Bvlgari Resort & Residences Dubai, Phase 2 of , Al Maktoum International Airport's Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) expansion and Select Group's three-tower Marina Gate development. ALEC also overseas a number of subsidiary units which include 3 MEP (ALEMCO), fit out (ALEC FITOUT) and energy (ALEC ENERGY). Projects: The group had revenue in its most recent financial year of $1.06bn c

CEO (AED 3.9bn), and projected income of $1.09bn (AED 4bn) for 2017/18. • Bvlgari Resort & e “The construction sector at the moment is very positive and there Residences Dubai

l are plenty of opportunities in the next 5+ years,” Kez Taylor, CEO of ALEC told CBN earlier this year. “We will be focusing on operational • Dubai Festival City

A efficiency in 2017 and ensuring that we create an environment on phase 2 projects where all our stakeholders and subcontractors are able to • Al Maktoum succeed. Having effective relationships, alignment and trust in the sup- ply chain is our key priority. International Airport “There will be more emphasis on design and build projects as well expansion Kez Taylor, as diversifying the core business. Renewable energy has become a • Marina Gate priority and businesses need to respond and adapt to the changing requirements which have been set to make the UAE a smart city. • ALEC’s continuing growth is to offer complementary services which (retail component) add value to our core business as a contractor.”

construction business news me // July 2017 // 37 // Power 60

Egyptian Steel Group 4 Ahmed Abou Hashima, Chairman and CEO hen you are able to an annual production capacity of 2.3 outstanding CSR programmes, donat- call on the services million tons of rebar, wire rods and billets ing steel and funding the development of one of the world’s by 2018 – once its new Al Sokhna plant of poor areas of the country. Abou biggest sport stars in comes fully online. His company will soon Hashima signed of a deal with char- Cristiano Ronaldo to reach a 20 percent share in the steel- ity Orman which will see the company Wrally a generation of young Egyptians then hungry Egyptian market making it one of invest $6.5mn to help the construction you know that your company has arrived the leading makers of reinforced steel in of 40 villages in the country. on the global stage. the region. Rather than competing with the huge Archetypal business man and entre- Abou Hashima describes Egyptian volumes of giant steel-makers like Tata preneur, CEO Ahmed Abou Hashima is Steel as representing Egypt’s 90 million- Steel, his company is wisely focused on determined to continue Egyptian Steel’s strong population as his company making high quality steel rebars using development into a world-class steel pushes forwards. As such the company environmentally-friendly technology and producer and is driving the group towards has developed one of the region’s sustainable production.

38 // construction business news me // July 2017 ah, l Arabian t

Construction oo L Company (ACC) ee 5 Ghassan Merehbi,

Chairman ashid R rabian Construction Company (ACC) is best akh known for building some of the tallest buildings li chairperson N A in the Middle East. Its roster of completed projects includes well known landmarks such he past 12 months 6apartment and hotel complex, as and in Dubai have played out like is currently being designed. Aand and Gate Towers in . one long highlight Another twin tower residential Lebanon-based ACC is building on that track record with reel for Nakheel. In project is earmarked to be built a couple of high rise projects in Downtown Dubai for Emaar. August last year the next to . The contractor is currently entering the final stages of build- Tdeveloper of de- Nakheel’s retail and ing the Address Sky View, a project designed by Burj Khalifa clared itself debt-free, completing hospitality divisions are also architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill that includes a sky a five year financial restructuring experiencing a boom. In April bridge joining a pair of towers 250 metres above ground level. undertaken following the financial the company awarded United The bridge was built separately and hoisted recently into crash. That was followed by the Engineering Construction a AED place during a complex operation. announcement of the highest an- 4.2bn ($1.14bn) construction On the other side of Downtown Dubai is Fountain Views, nual net profit in the company’s contract to build the biggest consisting of three high-rise towers: two 59 towers history thanks to the expansion mall in Dubai, Deira Mall. The separated by a 65 storey (329 metre) hotel. The project will be of all three of its major divisions AED 6.1bn project will be the linked directly to Dubai Mall via a bridge. in retail, hospitality and residential centrepiece of Deira Boulevard, Contracts secured in the past year include a GBP 150mm leasing businesses. Earnings of a AED 5bn community with 16 ($188.3mn) deal in joint venture with UK-based Kier to build AED 4.96bn ($1.35bn) in 2016 residential towers. an apartment complex in Dubai for developer Nshama as were 13 percent higher than the Both of these are major part of the residential project. It also bagged the previous year. components of the deal to build a new headquarters for Mashreq Bank in Dubai. Over the past year Nakheel master development, which will has announced billions of transform the area tradition- dollars worth of new projects ally known as ‘Old Dubai’ into a and handed out construction retail, tourism, living and leisure contracts worth hundreds of hub and be home to more than millions more. In fact Nakheel 250,000 people when complete. anticipates awarding AED 10bn On the hospitality front in construction contracts in 2017 Nakheel now has two hotels alone, more than three times operational with 16 more in the the AED 3bn booked in 2016. pipeline. Total investment of Among the biggest recent around AED 5bn in the sector awards is a AED 1.5bn ($408mn) will bring over 5,800 rooms and deal with Shapoorji Pallonji serviced apartments to Dubai in to build The Palm Gateway, a line with the government’s 2021 three-tower residential, retail vision. It’s fair to say the devel- and beach club complex at the Projects: foot of the world-famous Palm Projects: Jumeirah. The project is one of • Address Sky View three high rise developments • Palm Gateway • Fountain Views by Nakheel on the man-made island. The Palm Tower, a 52-sto- • Deira Islands • Princess Tower rey luxury hotel and residential • The Pointe • Almas Tower complex is currently under con- • Ibn Battuta Mall • Etihad Towers struction, while PALM 360, a 220 • Dragon City metre twin-tower penthouse, oper has had a good year.

construction business news me // July 2017 // 39 // Power 60

Asgc 7 Bishoy Azmy, CEO SGC has grown to become Business Central Towers, Golden Mile, one of the UAE’s biggest Nestle Factory, Waldorf Astoria. Recent Projects: construction contractors for big contract wins include Dubai Arena, large-scale private and social HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Library, infrastructure projects. Since Harbour Views Towers, Dubai Airport • City Walk A1989, the company has built a reputation for Refurbishment. • Etihad Museum excellence and quality, delivering commer- With annual turnover in excess of AED • Waldorf Astoria cial complexes, high-rise buildings, hotels 3.5bn ($952mn) the Bishoy Azmy-led and resorts, industrial projects, and land- contractor employs more than 14,000 • Dubai Arena mark social infrastructure developments. construction specialists and workers in • HH Sheikh Mohamed While other notable contractors have the UAE, including its five subsidiaries Bin Rashid Library fallen by the wayside over the past decade, - Al Shafar Steel Engineering (ASSENT), ASGC has gone from strength to strength. Emirates Beton (EB), Al Shafar United for Major projects delivered in Dubai in recent Electro-Mechanical Engineering (ASU), years include City Walk, Etihad Museum, Hard Pre-Cast Building Systems (HPBS) , JBR, The Onyx, Bay Square, and Al Shafar Interiors (ASI).

40 // construction business news me // July 2017 Projects:

• Bayz • Starz • Dreamz Danube Group • Miraclz Rizwan Sajan, • Resortz chairperson and founder

anube has become a 8villas in the burgeoning neighbourhood of the first project - Dreamz scheduled household name in the past of via low rise apartment build- to commence soon. At present, Danube couple of years after the ings in Studio City to its first high rise Properties has a book value of AED 3bn company, previously better tower in Arjaan next to Miracle Garden. and Sajan says he plans to launch a new known in the construction Since its inception in 2014 the firm has project every two to three months, provid- Dindustry as a major supplier of building launched nine projects, each of which ing the previous one has sold out. materials, turned its hand to property has promptly sold out, proving the Danube continues to grow its building development. If you live in Dubai you can’t strong demand for affordable housing materials business opening a number have failed to notice advertisements for in Dubai. The latest offering is the AED of new branches throughout the region. Danube’s ‘affordable luxury’ apartments 450mn Bayz, a 29-story tower which Other highlights of the past 12 months plastered everywhere from billboards to Danube says will offer the lowest prices include the launch of a new AED 100mn the side of taxi cabs. in the . ($27.2mn) factory to meet growing Rizwan Sajan-owned Danube’s short All Danube’s projects are currently demand for fire rated building cladding journey as a developer has taken it from under construction, with the handover panels in the region.

construction business news me // July 2017 // 41 // Power 60 9 Al Bawani Fakher al Shawaf, CEO

Projects:

• KAUST Housing Expansion Project • Riyadh Metro • King Abdullah Center for Cancer and Liver Disease • ArabSAT HQ • Institute of Diplomatic Studies

nder the stewardship of its housing complexed, industrial and com- ministry of foreign affairs on the distinc- general executive director mercial buildings, hospitals, educational tive Institute of Diplomatic Studies and Fakhr Al Shawaf, Al Bawani institutions, governmental, diplomat continuing a SAR 1bn school construction has expertly steered its way missions and defence facilities. It is also a programme with AECOM and Saud Con- through the turbulence of prolific employer (it was reportedly recruit- sult. It’s other major projects have included Uthe Saudi Arabia and Gulf markets over ing 300 new employees at the turn of the ArabSAT’s headquarters and the turnkey the past year. He believes that the 100% year) and investor in training, following construction of the 23-storey King Abdul- Saudi-owned construction outfit is one of a philosophy that Al Shawaf has stated lah Center for Cancer and Liver Disease. the strongest in the region. ensure, “personal attention to our clients.” Al Shawaf recently told the media that Al Shawaf celebrates his 20th anni- Since featuring in the 2016 Power the disruption in the Saudi construction versary at the company in 2017 and the Hour list, Al Bawani has completed its sector had opened up opportunities for firm continues to make an invaluable nine-month stint, including structural companies with “the resources to deliver” contribution to turnkey projects across and enabling works, on the 14-storey and the company has continued to score the Kingdom and the wider region. CMC Tower for in the Saudi project wins including the KAUST Hous- Al Bawani is certified in Quality Man- capital ahead of schedule. ing Expansion Project in Jeddah and the agement Systems for design, engineering Al Bawani has also been highly active in development of park and ride sites for the works and construction management of the public sector in 2017 working with the Riyadh Metro.

42 // construction business news me // July 2017 Doka Peter Vogel, 10 Director middle east Projects:

• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, Abu Dhabi • The Hills, Dubai • Istanbul Marina, Turkey • La Luna Hotel, Azerbaijan • New Al Sabah Hospital, Kuwait

s Doka’s Dubai-based Middle Vogel believes there have been several provided us with a wealth of advantages, East and Africa office gears factors, which have helped the com- in particular reducing lead times while up for another record-break- pany to expand. offering an unbeatable level of material ing year, it is worth getting “While we have made a concerted availability on site.” up to speed with some of its effort to expand our sales force in the Perhaps another aspect of Doka’s Alatest projects and the mechanisms that past decade, I believe the decision from success has been its ability to overcome have contributed towards the company’s our head office in Amstetten to allow our obstacles no matter the project or overall regional strength. Dubai operations to increase its territorial deadline. Take for example the Istanbul With more than thirty years’ experi- responsibility has been a major part of Marina project, whose ideal solution for ence operating in the Middle East from our success story,” says Vogel. “Thanks to its five geometrically different buildings its regional HQ in Dubai, you could say the hard work, diligence and results of our was found after a 4,100-hour study, that Doka’s expansion has mimicked that team, Dubai has carved out its position or the application of its CNC machine of its surroundings. Having been involved as a regional leader, making us the logi- at the Lusail project in Qatar, which since the very beginning of what many cal choice to oversee Doka’s expansion enabled a decrease in production time, would consider the ‘boom’ period of into other markets, particularly west and while assuring accuracy for the pre- the UAE development, Doka’s existing central Asia, and more recently the whole assembly that helped the overall project reputation helped to secure contracts on of the African continent. meet its deadline. some of the country’s most iconic build- “Through a combination of outstanding Built on the strong foundation of its ings, most notably the Burj Al Arab and engineering and logistical competence, Dubai operations, Doka’s Middle East and the Burj Khalifa, in the process becoming Dubai has been able to provide the Africa office is certainly well positioned, a staple provider for many of the wider necessary support to our satellite opera- supplied and managed to play an increas- GCC’s most ambitious infrastructure and tions across the wider MEA and WCA ingly important role in supporting not just high-rise projects. regions. From a logistics perspective, the the GCC’s development, but the burgeon- In more recent years, Doka’s Direc- establishment of our Material Distribu- ing markets of central Asia and continen- tor Region Middle East & Africa, Peter tion Centre here in has further tal Africa as well.

construction business news me // July 2017 // 43 // Power 60

CCC Samer Said Khoury, 11 President E&C CC (Consolidated Contractors teamwork will continuously enhance our Company) continues to be an services and maintain our established posi- outstanding contributor to tion, and succeed in securing solid results,” the construction sector in the said Khoury. region and has rattled off a Much of CCC’s resilience stems from Cdiverse selection of projects in the past 12 its diversification into several sectors. The months, including: the Batinah Express- group now includes a raft of subsidiaries way (package 6) in Oman, the Wasit Gas that span general construction, infrastruc- Projects: Development Project in Saudi Arabia, New ture and oil & gas, including CCC Underwa- Export Transit Pipelines in Kuwait and Burj ter, CCC Oil and Gas, ACWA Services Ltd, Vista in Downtown Dubai. Morganti Group Inc, Sicon Oil and Gas and • Riyadh Metro According to Tawfiq Khoury, execu- its share of Abu Dhabi’s National Petroleum tive vice president of one of the region’s Construction Company (NPCC). • Abu Dhabi Midfield largest engineering and construction Its strength in the oil & gas sector is Terminal companies, CCC remains well-placed to typified by its list of current projects which • RHIB in Oman continue a success story that stretches includes working on the RHIB (Rabab • Jazan Refinery and back to 1952 when it became one of the Harweel Integrated Project) in South Oman, first Arab construction companies. the Clean Fuels Project at Kuwait’s Mina Terminal Project, KSA “With CCC’s existing strong governance Abdullah refinery and the $1.4 billion Jazan • Clean Fuels Project at and management I am confident that CCC Refinery and Terminal Project in Saudi Kuwait’s Mina Abdullah will continue to rise to the challenge. 2016, Arabia. The company is also highly active even with tough market conditions, ended in the residential and commercial property refinery up as another good year where CCC main- sector is a main contractor on the Emirates tained the leadership role. CCC’s effective Hills development.

he UK multinational juggernaut that has provided its engi- neering, design, project management and consultancy ser- vices to some of the region’s biggest projects, including the iconic Burj Al Arab, saw its revenues fall 6.5 percent in the region in FY2016-17 to $296.89mn but that doesn’t tell the Tfull story. According to the company, it took a hit against a year where it had benefited from a number of major projects reaching final delivery. 12 The past 12 months has seen the consultancy oversee the successful opening of house in Downtown Dubai. It also secured the con- tract for the first phase of Duqm City, Oman where it will supply the detailed master planning, market and feasibility study, and the design and prepara- , tion of tender documents. It also opened up its first Azerbaijan branch at the

frica end of 2016 to serve the energy and transportation sectors in the country

CEO and central Asia.

& A Early in 2017, Power & Renewables won the contract to provide technical advisory services for the development of the Power 2021 Procure- Projects:

tkins ment Cycle in Oman, a project that will add 800MW of combined cycle gas ast turbine generation to the current installed capacity of around 6,000MW. • Dubai Opera E A

More recently, WS Atkins agreed to purchase and merge with SNC- • Burj Al Arab Lavalin Group, one of the leading engineering and construction groups in

on Moon, the world and a major infrastructure player for $3.6bn. SNC-Lavalin is a force • Riyadh Metro m iddle in the Middle East in its own right, with 300 projects worth $12bn in power, • Doha Metro i M WS S infrastructure and oil and gas completed over the last decade.

44 // construction business news me // July 2017 Meraas Abdulla Al Habbai, 13 Group Chairman Meraas doesn’t see itself as a tra- residential and retail topped off with the ditional developer. We’re here to world’s tallest observation wheel. Some of Projects: deliver a legacy for this city,” said the biggest names in the construction busi- Michelle Seywood, Vice President ness are hard at work to bring the project to of Design at Meraas, back in April. fruition in early 2018. • Citywalk “That assessment got to the heart of what Another major project is The Bulgari • The Beach this extraordinary developer is trying to Resort & Residences Dubai, a first-of-its- • Bluewaters Island be. Projects successfully concluded to kind master development in scale and date - The Beach at JBR, Citywalk, Box- magnitude, situated on another man- • Dubai Parks and park, Last Exit and Dubai Parks and Re- made island 300 metres off the coast of Resorts sorts – have each introduced completely Jumeirah. Spreading over 1.7 million square • Bulgari Resort & new concepts to a city previously better feet, the luxury marine complex is only the known for shopping malls and skyscrap- sixth Bulgari Hotels & Resorts property in Residences Dubai ers. The government-controlled company the world. A penthouse apartment in the is quite literally on a mission to change exclusive project recently sold for a record the face of Dubai. AED 60mn ($16.3mn). The biggest project Meraas is working on Future projects include ‘Dubai Arena’, a right now is undoubtedly Dubai’s Bluewa- new state-of-the-art multi-purpose arena ters Island. This mega development on an with a capacity of 20,000 to host large scale off JBR includes hospitality, concerts and sporting events.

construction business news me // July 2017 // 45 // Power 60 14 Hill International Mohammed Al Rais, Regional President

ill International has long been a big player on the Middle East construction scene, working on a number of major projects. Its most notable activity this year was probably to renew a contract for work on the Doha Metro system. Philadelphia-based Hill leads a consortium providing project management services for Hthe of the transport system which is still under construction and due to finish in 2019. The company won a string of smaller contracts in the region this year, including a deal with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) to provide project management services during construction of the Masdar Institute Neighborhood in Abu Dhabi. The three-year deal has an estimated value of approximately AED 12.2mn ($3.3mn). However the firm’s most notable activity this year was to sell its claims division to Bridgepoint Development Capital for $147mn, a move that left it as a pure play project management firm. Following the divestment its longstanding CEO David Richter stepped down. Other major projects Hill has been involved in in this part of the world include the ongoing Riyadh Metro, Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi International Airport. Hill employs 4,300 profes- sionals in 100 offices worldwide.

Projects:

• Doha Metro • Masdar, Abu Dhabi • Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi • Riyadh Metro • Abu Dhabi International Airport

46 // construction business news me // July 2017 Thumbay Group Thumbay Moideen, 15 founder and president humbay Group is a diversified international business con- to include property brokerage, leasing and facilities manage- glomerate with its headquarters in DIFC - Dubai. Over the ment. The company is also aiming to grow its business in the past two decades, the company has spread its wings into next five years. various fields of social and business endeavours. What Among its major newest projects is the Thumbay Hospital, started in 1998 with the establishment of the Thumbay a 300-plus-bed teaching hospital, over an area of 356,000 TGroup by its founder, a third generation entrepreneur from India, sq ft, a dental hospital covering an area of 37,000 sq ft and a Mr. Thumbay Moideen (pictured in the white shirt), has grown into a rehabilitation centre spread across 27,000 sq ft, all within the diversified business group with operations across 20 sectors. existing campus of Gulf Medical University, where the group’s One of those is Thumbay Builders, which has become a flagship hospital and university is located. The company is also leading real estate company in the Northern Emirates of the working on a number of projects including a housing scheme UAE. Its portfolio of services cover four core areas of real for students and staff at the GMU premises. It includes a hotel, estate development – design, construction, project manage- separate hostels for boys and girls and staff accommodation ment and asset management – which it intends to expand over an area of 760,000 sq ft.

construction business news me // July 2017 // 47 // Power 60 16 17 Aecom David Barwell, Faithful+Gould chief executive, Campbell Gray, Middle East Middle East managing director

and India aithful+Gould started and health and safety man- as a four-man quan- agement related to the pre- Projects: tity surveying busi- and post-contract phases of ness in the UK and the development of the multi- • in the Middle East it purpose venue of Yas Arena, a Fhas been appointed on some 650-key hotel, as well as din- • Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi of the region’s largest, most ing, retail and entertainment • Etihad Railway Stage 1 prestigious projects as project facilities. It is also currently • Midfield Terminal Complex and programme managers. working on The Royal Atlantis • Etihad Towers The company has logged Resort & Residences. With 791 a series of key projects in keys and 231 residences, upon its portfolio in recent years completion it’s set to become ECOM has been bringing its global expertise including the King Abdulaziz the largest development on and experience of large-scale projects for International Airport in Saudi Dubai’s Palm. over 50 years to the Middle East. Today it Arabia, the Doha Oasis in Qa- To celebrate its 70th an- offers a full range of consultancy and design, tar and Dubai Creek Harbour niversary, it launched its 70 build, finance, operate (DBFO) services. in Dubai. days of giving campaign at AThe company played a direct role in the development of a As part of a four-year the end of March where em- number of iconic structures that have shaped the landscape contract, it is acting as project ployees organised a number and infrastructure of the UAE since beginning its operations management consultant for of initiatives across 70 days, in the country in 1965. Starting with Maqta Bridge and Al Miral’s Yas Bay. The four-year designed to give back to the Bateen Airport it has continued to provide quality consulting long consultancy services communities it works in and on some of the country’s largest developments. agreement includes the fundraise for a number of Projects as diverse as the Taweelah Aluminium Extrusion design, construction, logistics global and local charities. Plant (TALEX), Etihad Rail, Etihad Towers, ADIA’s Midfield Terminal Complex and the Al Raha Beach hotel have all benefited from its expertise. It has also made a weighty contribution to the infrastructure development of Saudi Projects: Arabia (where it worked to alleviate cost pressures for its cli- ents when the latest downturn struck) including its ongoing development of the 168sq km King Abdullah Port in KAEC. • The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences AECOM teamed up with SYSTRA this year to win Dubai’s • Miral’s Yas Bay Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) contracts for phases • Four Seasons Abu Dhabi 2 and 3 of the Dubai Tram which will sees them take charge of transport planning, preliminary design and invitations to • King Abdulaziz International Airport tender for the second and third phases, a process which is • Dubai Creek Harbour expected to be completed in the H1 2018.

48 // construction business news me // July 2017 WSP Greg kane, 18 managing director, Middle East t may have lost the Parsons Brincker- The company is now being led by re- hoff (the former professional services gional managing director Greg Kane who division of Balfour Beatty) part of its helped to restructure the firm’s operating name but WSP remains one of the model during the integration of Parsons foremost engineering and design Brinckerhoff before the departure of pre- Iconsultancies in the world. decessor Tom Bower. Projects: While the Middle East market has In addition to its portfolio which includes faced a challenging 12 months, WSP has the Royal Atlantis on the Palm, the Mall of • Jeddah Corniche a relatively low exposure to the turbulent Emirates expansion and the Jeddah Cor- Saudi Arabian market. While it awaits op- niche in Saudi Arabia, it has also emerged • One JBR portunities in the Kingdom relating to the as a major contributor to building safety in • Royal Atlantis Vision 2030 programme, it has maintained the region, working alongside the civil de- • Mall of Emirates a high level of activity in the UAE, securing fence authority in the UAE on the new fire • United Tower contracts and is confident that its property safety code. It also contributed to develop- and buildings business can continue to be ing accessibility within the built environ- a success. ment with the .

rabtec clinched a AED 1.46bn ($400mn) contract in May to build a 300 metre tower for wasl Asset Management. The win took the contractor’s project pipeline to over 22 projects under construction in the UAE 19 Aand a project backlog of approximately AED 17bn, it said at the time. Not bad for a company still in the midst of a

, financial restructuring.

c The overhaul has involved bringing in new senior tt management to orchestrate a turnaround in fortunes. The e

roup reorganisation combined with an upturn in the market has

G improved Arabtec’s prospects, says Hamish Tyrwhitt, ap- pointed as CEO of Arabtec Holding in November 2016. Tyrwhitt subsequently brought in Boyd Merrett as CEO of Arabtec Construction, recruiting him from CIMIC Group where he was general manager for Leighton Asia in Hong rabtec ish Tyrwhi

rabt Kong. The appointment followed that of Peter Pollard as

m the Group Chief Financial Officer in April. Projects: a A In the midst of all that Arabtec Holding returned to profit

H for the first time in more than three years, booking net CEO, A earnings of AED 18mn ($4.9mn) compared to a net loss of • Bahrain International Airport AED 46mn in 1Q16. • Tiara Towers, Dubai “With the combination of the strategic repositioning of the • Louvre Museum, Abu Dhabi business, strong industry fundamentals and catalyst events • Midfield Terminal Building, such as Expo 2020 fast-approaching, we believe that the year ahead will see Arabtec continue on its path to a suc- Abu Dhabi cessful and sustainable future,” said Tyrwhitt at the time. • The Address, Downtown The signs are that one of the biggest names in Dubai construction in this part of the world may have finally turned a corner.

construction business news me // July 2017 // 49 // Power 60 20 TAV 21 DR Eng Sani Sener, Projects: president • Dubai Water Canal bridges he origins of TAV 1 global ranking in airport con- • Al Hikma Tower Group subsidiary, struction by Engineering News • Viceroy Palm Jumeirah Dubai TAV Construction, Record (ENR) in 2014, 2015 reach back 20 and 2016. While the building of • Paramount Tower Hotel & years ago when it airports and related facilities Residences Twas formed as joint-venture to remain TAV Construction's main • ADIB’s Midfield Terminal Building help two leading Turkish con- area of expertise, it has applied glomerates, Tepe Group and its know-how to non-aviation Akfen Holding to successfully projects as well and expanded bid on the Build-Operate-Trans- its portfolio and has a project China State Construction fer (BOT) contract for the then portfolio that is estimated to be Engineering Corporation new Istanbul Ataturk Airport. in excess of $19 billion. Yu Tao, At its head is Dr Engineer The GCC is a huge area of Mustafa Sani Sener who has led focus for the company with the president and CEO the company over the two pro- UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, ceeding decades, drawing from where its JV with Arabtec won he Middle East outlier of the world’s second his past experience managing the $1.1bn new terminal contract largest construction company, China State many national and international for Bahrain International Airport, Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) projects. Under his guidance, being identified as strong is a formidable player in the region. Few other the company (officially branded markets for growth. Projects it construction firms can rival the diversity of a port- TAV Construction in 2003) has been a major contributor to Tfolio that stretches from large-scale infrastructure develop- has branched out into airport include the Abu Dhabi Airport ments like Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Midfield Terminal construction, financing, opera- Midfield Terminal Complex in Building (MTB) to the main works package for the 27-storey tions and related consulting and the UAE, design and build for Ri- luxury apartments of DAMAC’s Paramount Tower Hotel & management services in the yadh’s King Khaled Airport Ter- Residences. It also scored a major success with its expedi- global arena. minal 5, Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz tious and virtuoso contribution to the Dubai Water Canal. TAV Construction is today Airport Aircraft Maintenance The Chinese contractor has forged a particularly strong re- recognised as a major airport Hangars and Muscat Airport lationship with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) contractor, earning the number Infrastructure Works in Oman. and scored its eighth contract with the organisation early this year. In one of the RTA’s highest value infrastructure awards in recent years, CSCEC will construct 6.4 km of roadways as well as intersections as part of the $216mn contract. Projects: CSCEC has been a pioneer in closer ties between the Middle East and China and CSCEC’s president Wang Xiang- ming visited the region in May this year to reflect on a decade • BIA new terminal of achievement for the company. • ADIA Midfield Terminal Complex Complementing CSCEC ME’s CEO Yu Tao’s own strategy • King Khaled Airport Terminal 5 for further expansion, Xiangming said he hoped the Dubai- • King Abdulaziz Airport Aircraft based concern would cooperate closely with other CSCEC-re- lated subsidiaries “to grab the ‘One Belt & One Road’ (China’s Maintenance Hangars expansive trade and investment initiative) opportunity and • tower, Dubai strive to expand its overseas business in the Middle East.”

50 // construction business news me // July 2017 22

BW Investments (KBW), founded making this the second Olympic-class structure by Chairman HRH Prince Khaled that the company has played an integral part in.

bin Alwaleed bin Talal and directly MEP specialty subcontractor KBEC, the Group’s managed by Group Chief Executive second youngest portfolio member, was recently Officer Ahmed Alkhoshaibi (pictured awarded a large-scale contract for one of the Kleft), has made significant steps forward over UAE’s premier developers. In terms of fit-out

nts the past 12 months. The biggest market impact specialty subcontracting, Grayscale Interiors re- made by the Group was the launch of the UAE’s cently completed design and procurement across hairman e

lwaleed newest developer ARADA, a partnership enter- Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E) and C

A prise formed with Basma Group. Shortly after Operating Supplies and Equipment (OS&E) for 21 launching, ARADA Chairman HE Sheikh Sultan apartments for . bin Ahmed Al Qasimi announced the company’s The KBW operational schema of cross-pol- and first development, Nasma Residences, at a lination has played a strong role in the Group’s stm project value of AED 1.5bn ($408mn). ARADA’s advancement over the past year, increasing managerial team has also indicated that several inter-portfolio commercial activity. Heritage large-scale projects are slotted to follow both in heavy lifting machinery manufacturer Raimondi ve the UAE, and further afield. Currently, the ARA- Cranes saw the positioning of its tower crane

ounder DA portfolio also includes a five-star $100mn on a Klampfer Middle East jobsite; one of many F n hotel development in Sharjah. strategic cooperative efforts arranged between I

Globally, the KBW Group of companies is portfolio companies in a bid to strengthen the engaged for a multitude concurrent projects. company’s footprint and the respective bottom

rince Khaled bin Most notably, at the time of writing TTM Post lines of portfolio members. The cross-pollination

P Tensioning in Australia boasted 30 ongoing strategy has also benefitted the Group’s mem-

projects, while Arcadia Engineering commenced bers by significantly reducing turnaround times work as the General Designer of Romania’s and allowed for increased agility in procurement, bin Talal, KBW HRH Olympic class rink and mixed-use athletic facility, project operations and delivery.

construction business news me // July 2017 // 51 // Power 60 23 DAMAC Properties Hussein Sajwani, chairperson

urrently worth some $4.7bn ac- being built by Chinese contractor CSCEC and cording to Forbes, DAMAC Proper- is around 90 percent complete. The 64-storey Projects: ties has been forging ahead with project consists of an 867-key luxury hotel and multiple projects in the past year, hotel residences tower on Sheikh Zayed Road handing out construction con- and is scheduled for completion in early 2020. • Paramount Hotels Ctracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Another eye-catching project consisting and Resorts Main contracts awarded earlier this year of four towers is AYKON CITY overlooking • AYKON City include those for services related to five projects the recently completed Dubai Water Canal. in Dubai: the golf community AKOYA Oxygen, Contracts for AYKON City awarded earlier this • AKOYA Oxygen DAMAC Hills, AYKON City on Sheikh Zayed year include specialist design services and piling • DAMAC Hills Road, and the Avanti and Merano Towers in works packages. • Merano Tower Business Bay. DAMAC also recently unveiled plans to build a Among the most high profile developments 5-tower hotel in the middle of the Trump World DAMAC has under construction is the Para- Golf Club, which is set within the AKOYA Oxygen mount Hotels and Resorts in Dubai, which is residential development.

Drake & Scull International Wael Allen, 24 CEO rake & Scull International (DSI) is one of the region’s leading inte- grated design, engineering and construction experts in Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP), water and power, rail, and oil and gas, and water and wastewater treatment. The new man at the top is Wael Allan. Allan made his mark in the Dregion at Aracadis and Hyder Consulting and is providing an assured hand in the wake of the departure of former vice president Khaldoun Tabari, who sold his remaining stake in the business in June 2017. One of the Allan’s main tasks after he was appointed as CEO was to stabi- Projects: lise the business through a turnaround and restructuring plan with a focus on prioritising ongoing projects. He will have to draw on his vast experience of over a • Doha Metro quarter of a century inside the construction sector to enable the listed company • Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi to improve on a disappointing decline in profits. However the company entered 2017 with an order backlog of $2.2bn and much • Fairmont Hotel & Service of the $135mn raised by the selling of the shares to Tabarak Investment is ex- Apartments, Dubai pected to be pumped back into the business. Speaking to The National newspa- • The Jewel of the Creek, Dubai per, Allan said the money would be used to speed-up the completion of ongoing projects, recommence stalled projects and secure new business. Some of its • Habtoor City, Dubai non-core assets are also expected to be released and sold to further raise capital.

52 // construction business news me // July 2017 MAG Property Development Talal M. Al Gaddah, 25 CEO AG Property Development markets including successfully launching (MAG PD) is the real estate The Gate in Frisco City, Texas, USA. As development arm of MAG MAG PD’s CEO, he is also looking beyond Group, one of the region’s the shores of the Middle East and is intent largest corporate entities. on leading the developer’s global expan- MHeading the organisation’s six depart- sion while building on its footholds in the Projects: ments – finance, project management, Far East, Europe and North America. sales, marketing, administration and legal The past year has seen MAG PD • District 7 – Talal Al Gaddah’s leadership and man- make progress with its MAG 5 Boulevard agement skills are driving MAG Property development in Dubai and it launched • MAG 5 Boulevard Development to new heights. Al Gaddah’s the third phase in February, aiming to • MAG 214 is determined to ensure the company’s provide quality affordable housing under • MAG Complex position as one of the top-five real estate the banner of its ‘Quality of Life’ concept. developers in the UAE. It has also recently awarded a contract to • Emirates Financial During his tenure as the head of sister Parsons for the design and construction Towers company Invest Group Overseas, Al Gad- supervision at its $1bn District 7 project in dah was instrumental in opening up new Meydan City, Dubai.

Azizi Developments Farhad Azizi, 26 Ceo rapid decade of growth has seen Azizi Developments emerge as a major investor in the region. The company is part of the Azizi Group which was founded in 1989 by Mirwais Azizi, an Afghan entrepreneur with only $700 to spare and what he describes as “strong will to provide a better life” for his growing family. The UAE-based real estate developer kicked off 2017 with its largest ever roster Aof projects including 50 new developments in the residential, commercial and retail spaces. Ac- cording to Farhad Azizi, CEO of Azizi Developments, the developer’s plan matches the group’s ambitious strategy to invest in solid markets which have proven depth and stability. With much of its development commencing on sites acquired as far back as 2017, Azizi cur- rently has 20 different UAE-based projects valued at $1.9bn (AED 7.3bn), with 15 projects in Al Furjan, two in the Palm and the first in . In June, the company commenced site preparation work for its showpiece AED1.7bn resi- Projects: dential community within Dubai’s Meydan One master development last month. Phase 1 of the project will include 2,273 residential units spread across 18 mid-rise buildings, as well as a retail • Meydan One residential district. The project’s second phase will involve the development of 17 additional buildings featur- ing 2,162 residential units. properties “The rapid development of local infrastructure shows the full commitment of the Dubai govern- • Farhad Azizi Residence ment in its delivery of announced plans,” Azizi recently told the Khaleej Times. “The government • Azizi Aura in Downtown systems are in place to encourage development from a micro perspective. When evaluated at Jebel Ali the macro level, we are finding that currencies are in our favour; in addition, the new government changes in the United States and Europe are directing investments towards this region. (The • Royal Bay launches) not only reflect our success but showcases Dubai’s booming real estate market.”

construction business news me // July 2017 // 53 // Power 60

27 28 Al Futtaim Projects: • Riyadh Metro Carillion • Meydan One Mall Derek Lewis, • Al Maktoum International managing director • Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque • Abu Dhabi Deep Sewer Tunnel l Futtaim Carillion (AFC) has become a go to contrac- tor for some of the most prestigious government- linked projects in Dubai. The joint venture of Dubai’s Al Futtaim and UK-based Carillion clinched one of Salini the most lucrative construction contracts of the year Ain March when it won the $600mn main contract to build the three Theme Districts at Expo 2020 Dubai, seeing off stiff competition Impregilo from 34 other contractors from around the world. Pietro Salini, The company started 2017 with a bang, securing a $200mn CEO contract to deliver the next phase of One Central in Dubai, a huge new project that forms part of the expansion of Dubai World Trade alini Impregilo had a landmark year in the Middle Centre (DWTC). Phase 1A6 of the project, comprising two Grade East, notching up a number of major contract A office buildings of 12 and 8 storeys, is worth approximately AED wins. It began when a consortium led by the Ital- 725mn ($197mn) and is scheduled for full completion at the end of ian contractor won a $955mn contract to build a 2018. AFC is no stranger to the project having already completed huge housing development in Kuwait that will be Phase 1A2 of the development and is working on Phase 1A5, which Shome to 400,000 people. More recently, the firm scooped was awarded in October 2015. a $435mn contract to build the Meydan One Mall in Dubai, a In 2015 Meraas awarded AFC with a GBP 155mn ($196mn) con- huge undertaking that includes a giant mall with a retractable tract to build the La Mer project at Jumeirah in Dubai. The project roof and the world’s largest indoor ski slope. involves the construction of a mixture of top-end retail and public- In between its US subsidiary, Lane won a $75mn contract facility buildings, together with substantial external landscaping to for work on the new terminal at Al Maktoum International create over 1km of beach-themed frontage. Airport in Dubai. Another subsidiary, Fisia Italimpianti and A landmark project completed this year was the Jumeirah Al a Spanish joint-venture partner bagged a $255mn deal to Naseem hotel, a 430 room 5 star hotel and part of the AED 2.5bn design and build a water desalination plant in Saudi Arabia expansion of the hotel complex in Dubai. And for ACWA Power. Also in KSA, Salini Impregilo won a $300mn last year the contractor put the finishing touches to the second contract to build a new mall for developer Al Khozama Man- phase of Meraas’ The Avenue at City Walk having completed the agement Company this year. first phase in 2013. Salini Impregilo is a major player in the Riyadh Metro project, leading the ArRiyadh New Mobility (ANM) consortium, Projects: one of three involved in the $23bn, six-line Riyadh Metro proj- ect that will cover 176 kilometres. ANM reached a milestone earlier when it completed tunnel excavation work on the • Expo 2020 thematic Districts longest line of the project this year. Working on one of the • One Central venues for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Operating in over 50 countries with 35,000 employees, a turn- • Jumeirah Al Naseem over of around EUR 6.1bn ($6.8bn) and a backlog of EUR 37bn, • Citywalk Salini Impregilo is a global player in the construction sector.

54 // construction business news me // July 2017 Schon Properties 29 Noorul Asif, COO chön Properties was formed as a of 200,000sqm of developments at Dubai UAE-based property development Lagoon to Xanadu Real Estate Development and management extension of LLC – a significant benchmark in the overall the Schön Group, a conglomer- development of the $2 billion master-planned ate originating from Pakistan. mixed-use project. Projects: SLaunched in 1996, Schön Properties has A joint venture with Al Hamad Group been a mainstay of Dubai’s vibrant real followed in Aprito develop iSuites – a large estate market for many years. According US$870 million home-grown hospitality • Schon Business to the company, it has transitioned from its portfolio that will see the development Park traditional role as one of Dubai’s leading, of 2,550 hotel apartments at a single site • Dubai Lagoon leasing and building management specialists within Dubai Investment Park – close to to incorporate real estate development, "us- the World Expo 2020 venue. Through the • Lotus ing its experience with end-users to develop deal Al Hamad Group is investing equity to • Ava Designer mixed-use and residential projects". finance the construction of the project and Residences Schön Properties is focused on delivering acquired a substantial stake in the 2,550 projects set at a value point that is com- unit development while Schon Properties petitive, both in terms of price and size. In will retain a substantial number of units for March this year, it announced the transfer recurring income.

Cimolai Rimond Giuseppe Chiaranda, 30 CEO imolai Rimond Middle East may be the newest kid on the block but in reality, it leverages a strong, decades-old Italian heritage with proven expertise across the complete archi- tectural, engineering and construction eco-system. Together the joint venture partners, operating from its regional base in Abu Dhabi, offer complete 360-degree turnkey con- struction based on the latest advances in BIM and integrated project delivery solutions. CBoth partners are associated with some of the most challenging and stand-out projects of the 21st century across a full breadth of market segments including, hospitality, healthcare, education, exhibition centre and pavilions, transportation and marine infrastructure. Both are also well attuned to the Middle East. Cimolai was involved in the delivery of Doha’s landmark and the Projects: giant maintenance hangar at Hamad International Airport, while Rimond, which operated an office independently in the UAE, was responsible for the building design management, building informa- tion modelling and construction management of the showpiece UAE Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015. • UAE Pavilion Expo The company has since handled the complete dismantling of the pavilion and the logistics behind Milano 2015 its relocation to Masdar City where it will become the clean energy pioneer’s visitor/welcome centre. Cimolai Rimond Middle East’s rich vein of expertise helps clients capture more value from every • Hamad phase of their work by mitigating risks, providing consistency and getting things built and managed. International Airport It is transforming fragmented, traditional project management processes yielding outcomes much • Aspire Tower below project expectations, to a collaborative, value-based Integrated Project Development (IPD) process with bespoke BIM technology tools delivering high-outcome results.

construction business news me // July 2017 // 55 // Power 60

Multiplex Marcus Truscott, 31 managing director ydney-headquartered tional Finance Center (DIFC). construction contrac- Major ongoing projects in the tor Multiplex has carried region include the Al Maryah Central out a number of very Mall in Abu Dhabi for developer Gulf Projects: high profile projects in Related. The main structure of the 2.8 Sthe UAE and Qatar over the years. million sq ft mall was completed in • Al Maryah Central Mall, Probably the most prestigious ad- January and the project is due to open dress the company has worked on in 2018. Multiplex has also reached an Abu Dhabi is , home to the advanced stage of construction on • One at Palm, Dubai main office of Dubai Ruler Sheikh Omiyat’s One at the Palm project on • Emirates Towers, Dubai Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Palm Jumeirah. At the other end of Multiplex also counts the world’s (JBR), the • JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai tallest hotel, JW Marriott Marquis in contractor is building the resort hotel • Marina Promenade, Dubai Dubai, among its portfolio as well as component of the exclusive Bluewa- the Gate Building at Dubai Interna- ters Island for Meraas.

Meydan Group Saeed Humaid Al Tayer, 32 chairman and CEO eydan is the concept of His Highness Sheikh Moham- med Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Already world famous for the venue that hosts the Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest horse race, the vision is to eventu- Mally create an integrated city that positions Dubai at the centre of the competitive global business stage. Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City is the residential component of the project that covers approximately 47 million square feet of prime freehold development in the heart of Dubai and features several develop- ment projects by Meydan. The latest component is Meydan One, a 40,406,320 square foot devel- opment between Meydan and Al Khail Road that will eventually be home to 83,000 residents. It will break at least seven world records and feature Projects: the 711m tall Dubai , the Meydan One Mall, a civic plaza with dancing water features, a 4km canal, a berth marina, 5.3km bicycle and jogging trails, a 9km boardwalk, a 300m long beach and a heritage village. • Meydan One Mall Sheikh Mohammed laid the foundation stone for Meydan One Mall in • Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa March. Italian contractor Salini Impregilo is carrying out the main words • Dubai One tower for the project which will have an enormous retractable roof, measuring 160 metres by 100 metres. Construction is scheduled to be completed by • Meydan Racecourse 2020, in line with phase 1 of the Meydan One mega development.

56 // construction business news me // July 2017 Daemaar Group Mohammed Jafer Musthafa, 33 founder and MD ohammed Jafer Musthafa in Civil and MEP, he expanded the com- expanded to comprise six stand-alone was just 26-years-old when pany with the acquisition of SPELCO-MEP companies established within the he established Daemaar in 2015. The latest addition to its con- construction (MEP and Civil), Facilities Group. Now he dreams of struction portfolio, MJM contracting, works Management, Trading and Retail sec- making Daemaar Group with leading public and private partners in tors. Based in the UAE, with offices in Mone of the top companies in the Middle Sharjah and Dubai. Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia, East. Starting out with Daemaar Contract- Today, less than five years since its Daemaar works throughout the Middle ing, a construction company specialising launch in 2013, Daemaar Group has East and beyond.

construction business news me // July 2017 // 57 // Power 60 34 Sobha PNC Menon, chairperson

he Indian-owned Sobha Group mid-1990s. Acting as both a construction is a highly diversified group with company and developer, the company re- Projects: developments and investment gards itself as being at the forefront of ‘back- concerns in the UAE, Oman, ward integrated real estate development’, an Qatar, Bahrain, Brunei and India. approach familiar to the Indian market but • Sobha Hartland TThe company was first conceived as an inte- rare in the Middle East. • District One rior design specialist in Oman by its founder The property development operation was • Hartland Aflux PNC Menon but has gone on to establish at first concentrated within the Indian market itself as a major real estate and property but a series of initiatives and projects such • Hartland Greens developer across the GCC through its Sobha as its joint-venture with Meydan (Meydan • Firdous Sobha Real Estate arm. Sobha) and the vast Sobha Hartland devel- It also made the break into construc- opment overlooking the Dubai Water Canal tion with the establishment of the Sobha have firmly established it as a major force in Engineering & Contracting company in the the region.

Khansaheb Steve Flint, 35 general manager hansaheb Civil Engineering was founded in 1935, making it the longest standing contractor in the UAE where it has delivered a number of the coun- try’s most iconic and important projects. In partnership with the UK’s Interserve since 1981, KKhansaheb provides a combination of local knowledge and ex- perience that has enabled the firm to become one of the leading construction and facilities management companies in the UAE. Its biggest recent win was a AED 387mn ($105.3mn) contract with retail and leisure giant Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) to expand and upgrade City Centre Ajman. Khansaheb will more than double the size of the existing mall to 70,000 sq m besides expanding a number of retails units and building a new car park to create Projects: 2,400 new parking spaces. Exterior landscaping work and the re- configuration of access roads leading to the mall will also be part • Double Tree by Hilton Business Bay of the work which is expected to be completed by July 2018. • Dubai Festival City Hillside Housing Khansaheb secured the award off the back of its success- ful delivery of the expansion of , also • City Centre Ajman expansion owned by MAF.

58 // construction business news me // July 2017 36

Projects: • • Marina Diamond • Diamond Views Parsons • Diamond Business Center Gary Adams, group president Diamond

arsons is an engineering services firm with experience in Developers the engineering, construction, technical, and professional 37 Faris Saeed, CEO services industries. The corporation is a leader in many diversified markets but is probably best known for its ounded in 2003, Dubai-based Diamond Developers role in big infrastructure projects. was an early mover after freehold property owner- PThe California-based firm has had a continuous presence in the ship was introduced a year earlier. The company Middle East for more than 40 years but delivered its first projects has subsequently conceptualised and completed a here more than 60 years ago. That was in 1953 when it carried out a notable portfolio of premium developments, deliver- groundwater survey in Kuwait. Fing more than 3,039 residential units and 38,000sqm of com- In the last 10 years alone, Parsons has completed more than mercial space in prime communities across the emirate. 900 projects in the Middle East, including some of the biggest As the freehold industry in Dubai matured, the progressive infrastructure projects in the region. Among these are developer shifted its focus towards properties and businesses – the world's longest fully automated metro network, and first in that not only provide economic and aesthetic value, but do the region. Etihad Rail Phase 1 – the region’s first freight rail project. so in a sustainable manner. Arguably, it is the development Hamad International Airport Doha. Palm Jumeirah Bridges and Palm of The Sustainable City in Dubai that is its most significant Crescent Tunnel in Dubai – vital infrastructure for what is probably contribution to the construction sector in the region. of the world’s most famous artificial islands. brainchild of CEO and civil engineer Faris Saeed, he instigated Parsons currently has around 200 active projects in the region. the project after agreeing to swap his stake in the ailing The The biggest ones include the Abu Dhabi Airport Expansion Pro- Lagoons in the Dubai Creek district for what was then a gramme; the huge Lusail Development Project in Qatar; and the relatively barren corner on the outskirts of Dubai. Ministry of Housing Programme in Saudi Arabia. The latter is part Considered one of the first (if not the first) large-scale of a programme to build 500,000 houses in the kingdom over the sustainable project in the emirate, the initial phase of the next few years. mixed-use residential development was completed in 2016. Its green credentials include 100% water recycling and reuse and the use of low carbon building materials. Projects: The development also features The Central Green Spine, a park that has more than 3km of recreation and outdoor facilities designed to inspire an active lifestyle. A second • Dubai Metro phase comprises of the luxurious Hotel Indigo, a country • Etihad Rail Phase 1 club, a rehabilitation centre, a school, and the cutting-edge • Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Innovation Hub, which will offer first-rate professional training, promote research and development, host conferences and • Abu Dhabi Airport Expansion events, support sustainability start-ups, and provide advisory • Ministry of Housing Program, KSA services to a wide range of stakeholders.

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KEO Consultants Donna Sultan, 38 CEO his GCC focused firm include an agreement with Kuwait Projects: offers planning, design, University to provide Design and engineering, and Construction Supervision Services project management for the College of Architecture and • DAMAC Towers by solutions. With offices College of Computing Sciences and Paramount, Dubai Tspanning seven countries, the Engineering at their Sabah Al Salem • Sofitel Downtown Dubai company has worked on dozens University City campus. Another of projects in the region stretching contract is for full design and con- • KIA Headquarters building, back over 50 years. struction supervision services for Kuwait Led by Donna Sultan, KEO works the Al Aqeeq mixed-use hotel com- • Al Wakrah Stadium, Qatar across every major sectors from plex located in the north of Riyadh. • Hamad International, commercial/retail to industrial, KEO is also providing consultancy transportation, education, health- services on two of the venues for the Airport, Qatar care to sports arenas. 2022 World Cup in Qatar – Al Bayt Recently awarded projects Stadium and Al Wakrah Stadium.

Arcadis Dr. Kamiran Ibrahim 39 CEO, Arcadis Middle East

lobal design and consultancy firm Arcadis has worked on some of the UAE’s most famous land- marks, including Burj Khalifa, The Atlantis Hotel on Palm Jumeirah and Emirates Towers. More recently the company was appointed to lead the innovative Gdesign for Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and ensure it could be built quickly and to a high standard. In the past year Arcadis was contracted as lead consultant and designer on the Tilal Mall project in Sharjah. Under the agreement, the firm will provide architectural, engineering and cost consultancy Projects: services on the project, which will occupy an area of 2 million sq. ft. The firm was also appointed by Al Hosn Gas, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), to perform a Health, • Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai Safety and Environmental Impact Assessment (HSEIA) study for • The Galleria Mall, Abu Dhabi the Hail and Ghasha sour gas fields, the largest oil and gas proj- • Atlantis Hotel, Dubai ect currently being planned in the UAE. Last month Arcadis promoted Dr. Kamiran Ibrahim as CEO for • Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium its Middle East operations, taking the reins from Graham Reid • Emirates Towers who moved to another company in the UK.

60 // construction business news me // July 2017 40 41 Six Construct Pierre Sironval, Projects: managing director • Marassi Boulevard, Bahrain ix Construct, a sub- Khalifa Stadium, as well as • Kuwait children’s hospital sidiary of the BESIX Hamad International Airport • Harbour Views, , is the largest in Qatar, and King Abdullah Belgian construction Sports City in the Kingdom of • Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural company operat- Saudi Arabia. Centre, Kuwait Sing in the Middle East. The It’s three biggest wins in the company combines the efforts past 12 months were the raft of a highly skilled workforce, foundations for The Tower along with strategic planning at Dubai Creek Harbour, The and innovative use of technol- Royal Atlantis Resort and SSH ogy to overcome the most Residences and in Oman it complex business challenges. secured a new order for liquid Bob hope, Six Construct is a multi-services berths in Duqm. Its other CEO company that operates in the ongoing projects include: Yas construction of commercial Theme Park, Bahrain Terminal, esign consultancy SSH has been in expansion and residential buildings, sport Wakrah Stadium in Qatar, mode this year, taking up more office space in and leisure facilities, industrial, among others. Six Construct Dubai barely 12 months after opening its first infrastructure, civil and marine- was also recently awarded office in the emirate to accommodate rapid related projects. Mina Khalid Port in Sharjah growth and future expansion plans. The company has had the as well as the new Masdar DThe Bob Hope-led company is expanding its portfolio honour of working with a very Neighbourhood in Abu Dhabi. of projects across all market sectors including commercial, unique portfolio of projects In its 2016 financial year, Six cultural, heritage, hospitality, mixed use and residential as it and clients over the years, Construct recorded revenue bids to become the architectural and engineering consultant including among others, the of approximately $1.08bn of choice in the MENA region. world’s tallest tower - The (AED3.95bn). Pierre Sironval, Project wins this year include the full design contract for Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Tram, managing director of Six the Eagle Hills’ Marassi Boulevard project in Bahrain. The The Emirates Palace Hotel, Construct, expects to grow this project consists of four low-rise residential buildings of seven Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, figure to $1.09bn (AED4bn) in to ten floors, including more than 240 homes and boasting Dubai Water Canal, The 2017, having already secured 700 sqm of community retail. Green Planet, Ferrari World $983m (AED3.61bn) worth SSH is also a specialist in the design of healthcare facilities Theme Park, LEGOLAND, The of contracts. and is working on a number of projects around the region. In March it was announced that SSH, in joint-venture with Studio Projects: Altieri, has signed the main design consultancy agreement for the Kuwait New Maternity Hospital (KNMH) with design and build contractor Impresa Pizzarotti & C SpA. For a total • The Tower at Dubai Creek Harbour contract value of $817mn, the project design and build team • The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences will deliver the project over 54 months. SSH currently employs over 1,000 people with offices in • Yas Theme Park Dubai Water Canal Abu Dhabi, Algeria, Bahrain, Dubai, Iraq, Kuwait, London, • Wakrah Stadium in Qatar Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

construction business news me // July 2017 // 61 // Power 60 42 El Seif Engineering Contracting Company Khaled Musaed El Seif, chairperson audi Arabia-based El Seif Engi- tower rises over 300 metres above the Saudi Projects: neering Contracting is a member capital city of Riyadh. of the El Seif Group, a major Saudi More recently the company was con- • Kingdom Tower, group of companies with diverse tracted by Meydan Group to build Entisar Riyadh business in the Kingdom and Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. The Sthe Middle East. Establishment in 1975, El 520 metre project comprising of 113 floors • King Abdullah Seif Engineering Contracting is a provider will be the second tallest tower on Sheikh Financial District of world-class construction and engineer- Zayed Road after Burj Khalifa once complete • Entisar Tower, Dubai ing services, with a long list of prestigious around 2020. projects that have transformed the skylines El Seif doesn’t just do tall buildings. The • Haramain High of the kingdom’s major cities. company has delivered full MEP services for Speed Railway In 2002 El Seif completed construction the main stations servicing the Haramain of the famous Kingdom Tower Project, one High Speed Railway and has carried out work of the largest and most modern mixed-use on a range of infrastructure projects as well developments in the Middle East. The iconic as airports.

Aldar Properties 43 Mohamed Al Mubarak, CEO rom its beginnings in 2005 through to today, Aldar Properties continues to shape and enhance the urban fabric of Abu Dhabi as well as other key areas of the emirate. The developer has built up over $10bn in as- sets. FAmong its most notable is projects is the internationally rec- ognized HQ building situated in the Al Raha Beach development, the Gate Towers on Al Reem Island and the Yas Island’s F1 circuit. Major contracts awarded this year include a AED 1.7bn ($462mn) deal with Trojan General Contracting for the first three precincts of its flagship residential development on Yas Island – Yas Acres. It also awarded Ghantoot General Construction with the AED 500mnn ($136mn) main contract to build Mayan, a Projects: luxury residential development located on Yas Island consisting of five, 11-story buildings. • Aldar HQ • Yas Marina circuit Major recent project launches include The Bridges, a AED • Gate Towers • The Bridges 1.3bn ($354mn) mid-market residential development on Reem Is- land. The project will consist of six towers on two plots separated • Yas Mall by the new 2.4km canal that runs through Reem Island.

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Deyaar 44 Saeed Al Qatami, CEO ow a UAE-based leading developers in the UAE, Al Qatami says he local and regional real estate is maintaining a watchful eye on market developer and real estate conditions and holding back on proposed services company, Deyaar new launches until the right investment was originally the property climate is in place. Nmanagement arm of the Dubai Islamic Bank. The company currently has $740mn The company’s current project portfolio worth of construction projects underway Projects: includes iconic residential and commercial including the Mont Rose project in Barsha tower developments as well as upcoming South, the Atria project at Business Bay, • Mont Rose hospitality developments. as well as a hotel project and its Midtown While the property developer has been en- project, an integrated urban community in • Midtown ergised by the opportunities presented by the near the busy Sheikh • Atria at Business Expo 2020 Dubai, according to its CEO Saeed Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. Bay Al Qatami, it has approximately 500,000sqm In June it was announced that it has of potential new projects in the pipeline, signed an agreement with real estate mar- • Residential District including sites across Dubai such as Dubai keting and consultancy company UC For- at Dubai South South, Silicon Oasis and Business Bay. ward, to run roadshows in China showcasing Perhaps learning the lessons of other Deyaar properties to Chinese investors.

Louis Berger Tom Topolski, 45 president (international) ouis Berger has been an integral member of the Middle East construction market since it first stepped into the re- gion in 1969. Spanning over 15 countries, the consultant and architect is able to Ldraw from a resource base of more than 1,000 employees in its offices located in the , Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Boasting a turnover in excess of $1bn, Louis Berger offers a full range of professional services to help infrastructure and development clients on the most complex challenges presented by projects in transportation, planning and design, buildings and architecture, environment and water. The firm’s integrated teams of professionals have delivered some of the most iconic projects in the Gulf region Projects: and includes a diverse range of talents such as architects, scientists, engineers, economists, design- • Sheikh Zayed Tunnel ers and planners, sociologists and even historians. • Al Salam Street Recently completed projects include the Sheikh Za- yed Tunnel and Al Salam Street reconstruction in Abu • Queen Alia International Airport Dhabi and Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan.

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HLG Contracting Moustafa Fahour, CEO and MD LG Contracting has rebounded from a split with the Al Habtoor Group to secure some impressive contracts wins in the past 12 months. The company, formerly known as Habtoor Leighton, officially parted ways with its former partner in December several months after Hthe breakup was announced. Prior to the split the contractor was responsible for building a number of stand out projects, especially in the Gulf. Among the more recent is Al Habtoor City alongside the new Dubai Water Projects: Canal. The hotel component of the project is complete while the finishing touches are being put to the residential buildings. Current projects include the AED 500mn ($136mn) contract for • The Tower, Dubai Gate Avenue at DIFC, one of the biggest property projects in Dubai. • Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi The total built up area will be approximately 61,000 sq. m. and • Madinat Jumeirah Resort, Dubai consist of a reinforced concrete structure and a mosque spanning • Motiongate Dubai three levels, steel nodes with glass cladding, mechanical, electrical • Yas Acres, Abu Dhabi and plumbing works, finishing and cladding. The development will comprise more than 200 dining, shopping, cultural experiences and entertainment options. At the turn of the year HLG was awarded a construction contract valued at AED 401mn for Towers by Hasabi Real Estate. HLG will be responsible for the construction of three buildings Aurecon conjoined through a single mezzanine floor, with work scheduled Paul Lombard, for completion in the third quarter of 2018. HLG recently completed building the bridges linking Bluewaters managing director Island with the mainland under a reported AED 475mn contract. ver the course of a few years, global engineer- Projects: ing and infrastructure advisory company Aure- con has emerged as one of the Middle East’s leading names in engineering consultancy. • Gate Avenue DIFC, Dubai This rapid ascent culminated in the firm’s • Al Garhoud Towers Oappointment last year on The Tower at Dubai Creek Har- • Jewel of the Creek bour, set to become the tallest structure in the world when complete in time for Dubai Expo 2020. Aurecon is engineer/ • Al Habtoor City architect-of-record for the project which is being designed by • Bluewaters Island access Santiago Calatrava for .

construction business news me // July 2017 // 65 // Power 60 48 Ali Mousa & Sons Ali Mousa Ali Saif Al Naqbi, chairman

li Mousa & Sons Holding Group The company has worked on a multitude Projects: (AMSHG) journey of growth of projects including education facilities, gov- started in 1978 in the coastal ernment buildings, traffic centers, hospitals • Al Fattan Down town of Khorfakan, when and forensic laboratories, police stations, Town founder and current chairman sport halls & clubs, luxury villas compounds, AMr. Ali Mousa Alnaqbi set up AMS Contract- offices, residential and commercial towers • Al Raghayeb 2, ing as a small private family firm with a vision and various industrial buildings. Among its Ajman of contributing to the construction boom recent contracts is a AED 550mn deal to sweeping the United Arab Emirates. build Al Fattan Down Town, a three tower Since then the Dubai-based company has project in the Satwa area of Dubai earned an impressive record of successfully Ali Mousa & Sons has extended activities completing projects for its clients. Ali Mousa to the other countries in the region includ- & Sons offers a full range of construction ing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where the services from main contracting to MEP, metal firm is evaluating a number of promising work, joinery and decoration. opportunities.

Dubai Properties 49 Abdullah Bin Lahej, CEO ubai Properties, the company that developed the famed Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) and part of , has a variety of projects in its portfolio of projects. Among the biggest currently in the works is luxury seafront tower 1/JBR. Dubai Con- Dtracting Company (DCC) won a contract in February to build the 46-storey tower which is due to be finished by the end of 2019. Another of the Abdulla Lahej-led company’s major properties is the Bellevue Towers residential project in Business Bay being built by SEIDCO General Contracting under a AED 200mn ($54.5mn) deal awarded earlier this year. Construction of the Dubai Wharf at project is also close to being complete, with the last of four towers set for handover by the end of 2047. But the most high profile development is undoubtedly the AED 1bn Marasi Business Bay, a project located on Dubai Water Projects: Canal that features unique water homes, floating restaurants, a yacht marina and a 12km waterside promenade. Construction has • Marasi Business • Dubai Wharf already begun but the whole project is expected to take a num- Bay • 1/JBR ber of years. When complete it will a crowning achievement for Dubai Properties which has left a bigger mark on the Business • Bellevue Towers • Bay Square Bay area than any other developer.

66 // construction business news me // July 2017 Projacs Ashraf Al Garf, 50 CEO egional project management spe- variety of building projects throughout the cialist Projacs merged in 2015 with Middle East. They range from one of the big- Egis, a France-based engineering gest children’s cancer hospitals in the region company with an international in Egypt to the upgrade of two stadiums that reach. Chief executive Ashraf Al will host matches at the 2022 World Cup in RGarf, who joined the company in 1996, is seeing Qatar, including Khalifa Stadium which is the company through the transition and inte- almost complete. The company has recently gration phase of the tie up, which will last five finished working on the Central Bank of Projects: years and eventually end with Projacs being Kuwait, a national landmark, and is also 100 percent controlled by Egis. engaged on the new National Bank of Ku- • Central Bank of Starting out in Kuwait in 1984, Projacs wait headquarters. In the UAE it is working spread first to the rest of the Gulf and from on a major hotel and furnished apartment Kuwait there throughout North Africa. The com- complex on Palm Jumeirah. • KAIC Jeddah pany specialises in project management for In Saudi Arabia Projacs is working on Jed- • Khalifa Stadium all sorts of buildings and oversees a number dah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport in of other business units, including a Facilities partnership with Egis and is managing four Management division and its well-known other domestic airports in Saudi. Large scale Projacs Academy. residential projects and hospitality projects Projacs is currently managing a huge are also on the cards in the kingdom.

Al Fara’a Group Jawaharlal Gangaramani, 51 president and executive chairman l Fara’a Group is a UAE based integrated multi-disci- plinary construction and industrial group employing over 18,000 people across its operations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and India. Comprising ten companies covering various Acontracting disciplines, the group has executed over 2,000 projects of varied scope and is currently working on projects at multiple loca- tions throughout GCC. Projects executed include high rise towers, hospitals, heritage structures, hotels, defense projects, commercial and residential developments, cinemas, multiplexes, palaces, villas and shopping malls. One of its biggest recent wins was the main contract to build the $1bn Richard Rogers-designed Al Maryah Plaza in Abu Dhabi. Projects: Stationed at the waterfront in Al Maryah Island’s new financial free zone, Maryah Plaza will consist of four towers, three of which will house luxury apartments. • Al Maryah Tower, Abu Dhabi Al Fara’a Group is vertically and horizontally integrated and has • Wafi Hotel Complex and Mall, Dubai honed its offering by setting up group companies in allied sectors • Al Silaa Hospital like ready mix concrete, properties and development, precast • Plaza View structures, steel structures, electro-mechanical services, aluminum and glazing structures, interiors and joinery, landscaping, irrigation • Siemens HQ Masdar, Abu Dhabi and painting.

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Projects: • Green Planet 52 • Ferrari World • The Change Initiative • U Bora Towers RS Group • Doha Marina Mall Sausan Bahnasi, CEO

he RS Group, with business interests in formwork and Ramboll scaffolding, technical contracting and general trading has been successfully enabling construction since 1989 across the Middle East and Africa. Middle East The group has built an excellent reputation among Rob Hounsome, Tmajor contractors and engineering consultants by consistently de- regional director livering reliable solutions that meet critical project requirements with the highest standards of quality, safety, design, reliability, sustainabil- anish engineering, design and consultancy firm ity, efficiency and cost effectiveness. Ramboll’s Middle East operation specialises in Over the years, several other companies in UAE have become structural engineering, building services, fire and members of the RS Group adding to its strength and capabilities : Al risk assessment, acoustics, facade engineer- Mithaliah Technical Contracting, Perfect Approach General Trading, ing, sustainability and environmental services, Gulf Scaffolding Hire and Al Mithaliah Formwork Rental. In 2016, the Dtransport infrastructure and transport, master-planning and group set up Perfect Scaffolding in Oman to consolidate its regional oil & gas services. The company has four offices in the region operations. It also owns and operates one of the most advanced located in Abu Dhabi; Doha, Qatar; Dubai; and Riyadh, King- formwork manufacturing and fabrication facilities in the region. dom of Saudi Arabia and employs 550 international experts. Powered by its member companies, RS Group continues to build Ramboll was heavily involved in the building boom in the and strengthen its expertise in formwork and scaffolding for diverse Middle East, lending its expertise to some of the most chal- construction applications ranging from bridges, infrastructure, lenging and inventive designs that call for extraordinary en- tunnels, malls, buildings, towers, hotels and complex architectural gineering solutions. It has also been involved in the develop- structures. The group’s solutions have been successfully used in ment of some of the most innovative buildings in the region, multiple distinctive projects throughout the region. working in close cooperation with well-known international architects and lead developers. The firm is one of the leading authorities in sustainable Projects: construction projects in the region and was the Design and Build contract’s lead consultant in the development of The • Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Green Planet, Dubai’s very own tropical indoor rainforest, complete with more than 3,000 species of plants, animals, Dhabi and free-flying birds. • Emirates Palace hotel, Abu Dhabi It has also made a successful advance in the region’s waste • Al Reem Island Bridge, Abu Dhabi management sector and is overseeing projects in the UAE (where it is offering advice on the rehabilitation of some of • Sharjah International Airport their older landfill sites), Oman and Saudi Arabia (where it • City Walk, Dubai. helping individual municipalities to identify potential oppor-

68 // construction business news me // July 2017 54 Dar Al-Arkan Ziad El Chaar, CEO

ased in Riyadh, Dar Al-Arkan is the spark a charge driven by the expected boost largest listed real estate company to the property market of the Kingdom’s Projects: in the Saudi stock market with a Vision 2030 and the National Transformation capital of SAR 10.8bn ($2.88bn) Program (NTP) 2020 initiatives. and total assets close to SAR Dar Al-Arkan is intent on expanding both in- • Naeem el Jiwar B25bn ($6.6bn). The company enjoys a strong side and outside the Kingdom, and is looking to Project financial position, and a real estate portfolio start a range of new projects, considering the low • Parisiana Living that is the largest and most diversified in the cost of building and construction materials, and Kingdom. Reacting to a largely flat property the increasing demand for housing projects. The Villas market in Saudi Arabia, it is currently under- company also hopes to benefit from the Saudi • Juman Project taking a real-estate development strategy un- ministry of housing (MOH)’s Wafi programme • Al-Qasr Mall derpinned by a reduction in its operating costs which is designed to control supply and demand and a rationalisation of spending. However the in the property market while working alongside • Shams Alriyadh appointment of DAMAC Properties’ former the private sector to ensure the construction of managing director Ziad El Chaar will hopefully 1.5 million homes in the next five years.

EFS Facilities Services Tariq Chauhan, 55 Group Chief Executive Officer FS Facilities Services is a leading provider of integrated facilities management services in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region with a contract backlog now worth in excess of $1bn. Though it may be based in Dubai, the Tareq Chauhan-led company has grown over the years and now trades across a wide geography from Turkey to ESouth African, Morocco to India and most places in between. In the process the company developed an unrivalled supply chain that allows it to work for multinational companies across multiple countries. “The satisfaction and trust that we’ve earned from our clients is one of the significant influ- encers that has helped us expand our global operational footprint to cover more than 20 key markets across MEA and South Asia,” Chauhan said earlier this year. “Our business progress is best demonstrated by the fact that today, we manage over 350 million sq ft of built up commercial and residential space for several Fortune 500 companies across the MEA and SA region. Our client retention rate of 97 percent, and the sustained growth of our revenue stream in the last five years, perfectly demonstrate our regional market leadership position.” Looking ahead EFS forecasts sustained midterm growth in key markets of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and India, driven by the rising demands of growing population. The company plans to continue expanding its global workforce which currently exceeds 15,000 skilled and experienced personnel.

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Shapoorji Pallonji Cyrus Engineer, 58 Md

hapoorji Pallonji Group scooped two major Middle East construc- tion contracts in the past 12 56 months and also announced its entry into the property develop- Sment arena in the region. Trojan The biggest win came when Nakheel awarded the Mumbai-headquartered firm General with the construction contract worth almost DCC Contracting AED 1.5bn to build The Palm Gateway, a three-tower residential, retail and beach club Abdulla Eng. Hamad Al complex at the foot of the entrance to Palm Yabroudi, CEO Jumeirah. That deal was preceded by a con- Ameri, MD tract signed with Cayan Group to build its two stablished in 1962, DCC is rojan General Contracting is one tower Cayan Cantara project, also in Dubai. today a leading Middle Eastern of the fastest growing construc- The contractor is highly active in Oman construction company head- tion contractors in the UAE, where it built its first Middle East project in quartered in Dubai. The firm known especially for building 1971. It continued that tradition when it broke specialises in building resi- large villa developments. ground on the Mall of Oman project for Edential, commercial, mixed-use building, TUnder a AED 830mn contract with Na- owner Majid Al Futtaim earlier this year. hospitality and leisure complexes. kheel, the company is working on 489 villas In September Shapoorji Pallonji an- Recent big contract wins include the at the Nad Al Sheba community, a project nounced it would enter the UAE real estate award, in October of a deal to build the expected to complete in 2018. More re- sector for the first time as a developer. Impe- Marquise Square development in Down- cently, in May Trojan secured the AED 1.7bn rial Avenue is a 45-storey residential tower town Dubai for developer SRG and global ($462mn) main contract for the first three in Downtown Dubai with 424 apartments property investment firm Select Property. precincts of Aldar’s flagship development above five levels of parking. The 29-storey building is scheduled for in Abu Dhabi – Yas Acres. Work includes all completion in Q4 2018. infrastructure, 652 villas and townhouses, More recently DCC clinched the the golf course, golf club house, mosque, contract to build 1/JBR, a luxury seafront retail and community clubs. tower for developer Dubai Properties. Lo- An exception to Trojan’s villa work is the cated at the entrance to Jumeirah Beach AED 819mn deal it secured with Nakheel to Residence (JBR), the 46-story tower will be build The Palm Tower alongside National built by the end of 2019. Projects & Construction, a 240 metre build- DCC has completed a number of ing that have luxury residences and a five projects in recent years including the Burj star hotel. The project is attached to Nakheel Al Salam on Sheikh Zayed Road, the Four Mall which is currently under construction at Season Resort in Jumeirah and 014 Tower the top of the trunk of Palm Jumeirah. 57 in Business. Projects: Projects: Projects: • 1/JBR • Yas Acres, Abu Dhabi • Cayan Cantara • Fairmont Hotel The • The Palm Tower • Palm Gateway Palm • AKOYA by DAMAC • Mall of Oman • Four Seasons Resort • Nad Al Sheba • King’s College • Marquise Square • Mira Oasis Hospital, Dubai • , Dubai

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// NEWS

59 Projects: • Cayan Cantara Larsen and • Cayan Tower • Samaya Toubro • Cayan Business Centre Sn Subrahmanyan, CEO and MD Cayan ndian engineering firm Larsen & Toubro has grown a big footprint in the Middle East over the decades and has an Ahmed Alhatti, orderbook worth $7.7bn in the GCC alone. While things may chairperson have tailed off a little in the past couple of years due to 60 faltering oil prices the Mumbai-based company has none- audi-based developer Cayan Group is probably Itheless managed to score some eye-catching contracts. Chief best known for its twisting among those is a $135mn deal to build one of the venues for the – the Cayan Tower. However the FIFA World Cup in 2022. company has passed a series of project mile- Larsen & Toubro is also well positioned in the utilities sector stones in the past 12 months. and works on major electricity grid projects in most countries in SIn November it awarded the main contract to build its the GCC. From an infrastructure business standpoint, the com- Cayan Cantara project to Shapoorji Pallonji International. pany executes jobs on EPC, lump sum as well as on re-measur- The project on Umm Suqeim Road in Dubai will consist of able basis in the fields of roads, airport infrastructure, metros and one residential and one hotel apartment tower joined near railways. Both the Riyadh and Doha Metros are major ongoing the top. The hotel component, to be operated by Rotana projects for L&T in the region. Hotel Management, represents the developer’s first move into the hospitality sector. Earlier this year Cayan announced plans for a similar project at the Obhur waterfront in Jeddah designed by Projects: Japan’s Nikken Sekkei, the architectural firm which also worked on Cayan Cantara. The SAR 1.2bn ($320mn) project • Al Rayyan Stadium, Doha will comprise of two towers: one a 5-star hotel and the • Doha Metro other branded residences offering high-end living. In the past 12 months Cayan has also broken ground on • Riyadh Metro, KSA Samaya, a SAR 1bn mixed use residential development in • Abu Dhabi International Airport Erga in north western Riyadh.

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