big project me march 2014

096MARCH 2014

Throw out the rule book, the systems and programmes because if you don’t take

the lead a project will fail

AHEAD OF THE REST

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

ALSO INSIDE DUBAI TRAM EXCLUSIVE

SIEMENS’ CITY CEODOHA FESTIVAL CITY

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CONTENTS

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MARCH 2014

PAGE 34Big Project ME visits the site of the Dubai

Tram Project in the UAE.

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07 THE BIG PICTURE

OMAN NATIONAL RAILWAY PROJECT POWERS AHEAD

Pre-qualification tender for main contract to be floated soon

16 IN PROFILE

THE SMART THINKER

Dr Roland Busch explains what Siemens Infrastructure and Cities can do for

the Middle East

22 SITE VISIT: DOHA FESTIVAL CITY

DESTINATION CITY

Big Project ME visits Qatar’s upcoming retail giant, Doha Festival City

28 INDUSTRY FOCUS

FOLLOW THE LEADER

How can contractors seize the initiative for the success of a project?

34 ON SITE: DUBAI TRAMWAY

OPERATION READINESS

Big Project ME makes an exclusive trip to the site of Dubai’s ambitious

tram project

38 MARKET FOCUS: NORTH AFRICA

NORTH AFRICA AWAKES

Examining the construction potential of a typically challenging region

46 SPECIAL FEATURE: DRYWALLINGNG PREVENTIVELY

DESIGNER DRYWALLS

Big Project ME examines the growth of drywalling into design elements

50 SPECIAL FEATURE: SANITARY-WARE

HOME ADVANTAGE

Understanding the economics of the domestic sanitary-ware market

56 TENDERS

MIDDLE EAST TOP TENDERS

Listing the Middle East’s biggest construction tenders of the month

62 SHOW PREVIEW

THE BIG 5 SAUDI

Big Project ME previews The Big 5 Saudi Show 2014

64 CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

TIME FOR SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS

Gavin Davids highlights the need for better enforcement of migrant

workers’ rights

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EDITOR’S COMMENT BIGPROJECTME.COM

Stephen WhiteGroup Editor

FM – Earn your right

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If you wanted to invite one person from each part of the construction industry to your dinner table, how many of you would be making room for a facilities manager?

Traditionally, building has been a division of labour drawing in specialist expertise that all works towards the final ball point signature of handover. As the head of the PMI reminded me this month, there were practitioners of project management on sites, even before the term was coined. While architects and consultants have historically occupied the top of the pile position in the meritocracy; the execution has always been a bit of grey area. Thank goodness for project managers to organise this occasional chaos.

Software like BIM is making construction a much more collaborative process and opening up routes into the design and management process that were previously closed off to those downstream from the big boy chat at the beginning. That has plugged project managers into a system and given us tools to make delivery a smoother, more refined process. Few project managers would argue that they need to be involved outside of the task of project delivery. I’ve met fewer still that have a strong persuasion regarding whether a building’s façade should be inspired by the organic, the modern or 19th Century Japan’s experimentation with Western-style design.

Not so facility managers. An ever-more vocal cackle of FM firms are interesting themselves in the business of building design, potentially muddying not just who the construction is for, but also who has the final say. While they would like to be treated as consultants, I argue that in a region only just exploring the possibilities of new technology their participation should be limited. At least until they prove their value.

Not because this is a sector that thinks employing a security guard who can stay awake for eight hours is an achievement, but because there is a huge leap from being invited for dinner as a plus-one and being allowed in the kitchen to taste the soup.

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middle east

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THE BIGGEST PICTURE

BIG PROJECT ME VISITS DOHA FESTIVAL CITY TO SEE HOW QATAR’S BIGGEST MALL IS PROGRESSING – PAGE 22

$35MN AGREEMENT WILL SEE ITALFERR PROVIDE CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN CONTRACT OF THE NATIONAL RAILWAY PROJECT, OMAN SAYS

THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT and

Communication (MoTC) is expected to

float a pre-qualification tender (PQT) for

the main contract of the national railway

project soon, according to HE Dr Ahmed

al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and

Communication.

On 5 February, 2014, the MoTC

signed an agreement with Italferr, the

Italian State Railways Group engineering

firm, for $35.26 million. The engineering

firm will provide consultancy services for

the preliminary design contract for the

railway project.

“The preliminary design work has

already been initiated with the initial

focus on the first leg of the railway

network - from Buraimi to Sohar.

The consultant is responsible for the

preliminary design of the entire railway

network of 2,244km,” said HE Dr Ahmed

Al Futaisi.

ITALFERR TO DESIGN SULTANATE OF OMAN’S NATIONAL RAILWAY

He added that the tender for selecting

the project management consultant was

still with the Tender Board for evaluation

but that he expected it to be awarded

very quickly.

“PMC is much required now as its

role will be to review the preliminary

design. It is clear that the preliminary

design consultant is moving fast and has

started submitting the drawings for the

first segment. We need PMC to review

and approve the designs and hope it will

be appointed very soon.”

Dr Al Futaisi added that the ministry

would soon float two pre-qualification

tenders, one for the main contractor

for civil work (design and build) and

the other for the systems contractor,

the winner of which would be a sub-

contractor to the main contractor.

He said they would be floated within

the month of February.

“The qualified contractors will be

eligible to bid for the first segment

[Buraimi-Sohar] tender, as well as for

tenders of other segments of the railway

network during the four-year period. We

will not conduct other pre-qualifications

till four years pass. If we float the pre-

qualifications this month, we expect to

finalise the winner of the project by the

end of this year. It means civil work will

commence in the first quarter of 2015.”

Luca Beccastrini, Middle East area

manager for Italferr, said the firm had

already started work on the preliminary

design and that the design for the first

segment of the railway project would be

ready by the end of July this year.

“The duration of the preliminary

design contract is 25 months for the

entire railway network. We are satisfied

with the progress and expect to finish the

work within the deadline,” he added.

RAILWAY NUMBERSn Italferr

consultancy contract - $35.26 million

n Total length of Oman national railway project - 2,244km

n Total cost of the railway project - $15 billion

n Network expected to be fully operational by 2018

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THE BIG PICTURE BIGPROJECTME.COM

RTA TO BUILD $300MN, 12 LANE BRIDGE TO REPLACE FLOATING BRIDGEConstruction contract for the Al Ittihad Bridge to be awarded by end of year

Dubai’s Floating Bridge will be replaced by a 12 lane bridge expected to ease traffic flow between Deira and Bur Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority has announced.

The contract for the Al Ittihad Bridge will be awarded by the end of the year, with the timeline for construction scheduled at three years, said Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the Board and executive director of the RTA. Construction of the bridge will

cost $299.48 million, he added.The 61.6m-wide bridge will

have an inverted arch with a height of 100m. Its height from the creek will 15m, enabling marine traffic movement throughout the day. The bridge will extend from Dubai Creek Park in Bur Dubai to Deira City Centre.

With a capacity to handle 24,000 vehicles per hour, Al Ittihad Bridge will ensure that the adjacent areas are free from traffic jams.

Furthermore, in order to improve traffic situation between Bur Dubai and Deira, the Floating Bridge will be moved to near the Sheraton Hotel on Dubai Creek, linking Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Road in Bur Dubai to Omar Bin Al Khattab Road in Deira.

INDIVIDUAL LABOUR SAFETY IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MANAGEMENT, BIG PROJECT ME TOLD – PAGE 12

$299.48ABU DHABI MUNICIPALITY ANNOUNCES TENDER FOR YAS ISLAND COMMUNITY CENTRESCommunity centres will enhance neighbourhoods in Abu Dhabi, says Municipality

THE MUNICIPALITY OF Abu Dhabi (ADM)

city announced a tender enabling investors

to build and operate community centres in

Yas Island, Al Shamkha and Mohammed Bin

Zayed City. Part of a strategic plan to provide

convenient access to services and facilities, the

move by ADM is expected to enhance living

standards across the city following approval by

the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

The structure in Yas Island will span almost

22,000sqm, and the one in Mohammed Bin

Zayed City will be around 26,000sqm.

The community centre in Al Shamkha will

be around 23,000sqm, and all centres will

dedicate almost 6,000sqm to retail outlets.

Additional facilities, such as restaurants,

banking and gyms are also expected to be built

in the centres.

As per a report by local daily Gulf News,

the ADM said that the latest batch of

investment opportunities aims to enhance

neighbourhoods in Abu Dhabi, and will also

provide sustainable returns on investments.

Under the build-operate-transfer model

employed by the authority, approved developers

will be granted rights to utilise municipal land,

and will be able to develop and operate the

facilities under a 30-year agreement.

MILLION

EXPECTED PROJECT COST FOR THE AL ITTIHAD BRIDGE

ARABTEC DIVERSIFICATION TARGETS INFRASTRUCTURE

Construction giant to launch units focusing on infrastructure and energy and water

DUBAI’S ARABTEC HOLDING has announced

that it will set up five new subsidiaries as it looks

to expand into new markets and infrastructure

projects.

According to a Reuters report, the

construction giant will launch two new units

that will focus on infrastructure projects inside

and outside the UAE.

Additionally, Arabtec will also launch a unit

that will focus on water and energy projects,

while another will focus on the Egyptian market,

the company said in a bourse statement.

The firm will also set up an investment

arm, Arabtec Capital, which will provide global

financial services, the report added.

Earlier this year, Arabtec announced that it

would look to create thousands of jobs for youth

in the GCC and MENA regions, with the launch

of a large-scale campaign targeting job creation.

The recruitment campaign will begin in the

UAE targeting young people looking to gain

experience from various projects that Arabtec is

involved in, and is expected to be implemented

across the firm’s other locations soon.

MAN IN CONTROLAbdullah Hassan Ismaik, managing director and CEO of Arabtec

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THE BIG PICTURE

DSI WINS $87.4MN MEP CONTRACT FOR KING SAUD UNIVERSITY

DSI-KSA will design, install, test and commission all electro-mechanical works for three buildings

Drake and Scull International PJSC (DSI) has been awarded a contract worth $87.4 million for MEP works at King Saud University in Riyadh.

“The King Saud University contract further consolidates our presence in Saudi Arabia,” said Khaldoun Tabari, CEO of DSI.

“With increased government expenditures towards infrastructure development, we expect positive movement in all the sectors in the coming year,” he said.

DSI-KSA will design, install, test and commission all electro-mechanical works for three buildings at the university’s Endowment Projects, and the company expects to complete works by 2015.

SAUDI CONTRACTORS CALL FOR MORE RECRUITMENT FIRMS

Labour losses lead contractors to demand for more short-term recruitment options

FOLLOWING THE loss of time and profits due

to Saudi Arabia’s recent crackdown on illegal

labourers, contractor firms are encouraging the

establishment of more recruitment firms that can

provide legal workers to complete their projects.

“We are waiting for labour recruitment

firms to play a major role in importing expat

construction workers to complete our projects

which have been badly affected after the exit of

thousands of our employees,” said Abdul Aziz

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Masnour, a Saudi contractor. Industry reports

suggest 36% of construction projects in the

country have been delayed by the labour crisis.

Recruitment companies have already begun

hiring out short-term workers on a yearly basis to

construction companies.

“We need time to activate the role of labor

recruitment firms in the local market,” said

Abdullah Radwan, chairman of the contractors

committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce

and Industry (JCCI).

“These firms have started working in

coordination with the Ministry of Labour which

has started issuing visas for expat workers.

However, labor recruitment firms need the

expertise to train workers before they can close

the gap between demand and supply,” Radwan

added. Scores of workers left the Kingdom after

the government undertook measures to cleanse

the labour market of illegal immigrants in a bid to

increase local representation in the market.

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THE BIG PICTURE BIGPROJECTME.COM

DRYWALLS ARE BEING REVAMPED INTO UNIQUE DESIGN ELEMENTS, BIG PROJECT ME FINDS OUT – PAGE 46

USING CANDY SOFTWARE HELPED ME GO FREELANCE, SAYS ESTIMATOR Estimatingmanagers.com’s Farhan Aftab says software adoption helped Middle East bidding

Farhan Aftab, executive consultant at Estimatingmanagers.com says that using cost control software like Candy can help in the tendering and estimating process.

“I have had the privilege to be part of some very interesting bids which we priced solely with the help of Candy, such as Autoroute al Jadida Highway in Morocco (US$42 Million), Gulf University campus in Kuwait (US$45 Million) and Khalifa bin Salman port in

Bahrain (US$90 Million),”said Aftab. “Though different countries and dynamics of economies, it helped me to accumulate the diverse data in Candy and produce comprehensive reports to the decision makers. It is because of Candy, that I got the boost of venturing into my own freelance work. Being an estimator, one might has to get involved in pricing projects globally.”

Aftab added: “One of the core features of estimating accurately is to be aware of the actual site conditions, the type and production of plant involved and the outputs of the laborers that will be used to execute the job. One can actually price each and every item the way it will be executed on site.”

30%SLOWDOWN PROBABLE ON ETIHAD RAIL DEVELOPMENT

UAE’s rail network might be paused as GCC’s rail network is brought up to speed

WORK ON THE Etihad Rail network might be

slowed down in the near future.

Minister of Public Works and chairman of

the National Transport Authority (NTA), HE

Dr Abdulla Behaif Al Nuaimi said the planned

unified GCC rail is currently unsynchronised, as

each member country has achieved only varying

levels of their completion targets.

“We had hoped the GCC network would be

up and running by 2018,” said Dr Al Nuaimi.

“However, at a meeting last year, we realised that

some GCC members will possibly face delays in

completion of their rail networks.

“The concern for us, then, was whether to

hold-off our development activities based on

theirs,” he added.

While Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to

meet their due date of 2018, countries such

as Kuwait and Bahrain have faced logistical

challenges, leading the construction industry

to question their capacity to deliver the rail

networks on time.

“I think we should look into their

programmes and integrate them with ours – we

can’t finish our share and wait for the others to

complete,” expressed Dr Al Nuaimi.

While Dr Nuaimi refused to divulge any

details about the commencement of operations

on Phase 1 of Etihad Rail, he informed that the

plans for a regulatory law for the rail industry

was well on-track towards approval.

INCREASE

ESTIMATED RISE IN NEW BUILD IN KSA

TOO LITTLE TIME?Dr Al Nuaimi expects full completion of the Etihad

Rail by 2016, but is unsure about the progress of

GCC Rail

30% JUMP IN NEW BUILDINGS IN SAUDI EXPECTED

Number of buildings in the Kingdom increased by 300% in the last decade

THE NUMBER OF new buildings in the

Kingdom’s traditional neighbourhoods is

expected to increase by around 30% following

a recent decision in the country that allows

a building to reach the maximum level of six

storeys instead of the current three.

Investors are now looking to demolish old

buildings and replace them with additional

housing units. As per a report by local daily Arab

News, a source at the Ministry for Municipal and

Rural Affairs said buildings have increased by

300% in the last decade.

“The number of permits has risen from

37,585 to 112,362 in the past 10 years or so,”

the source said. Residents from major Saudi

city Jubail had called for the private sector to

upgrade and improve the city’s infrastructure

after it was severely hit by floods earlier this year.

The replacement building boom underway

in traditional areas of the country is a cause

of concern for some experts, who argue the

infrastructure in these developments, built two

to three decades ago, may not be equipped to

handle larger developments.

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NEWS ANALYSIS ON-SITE ACCIDENTS BIGPROJECTME.COM

Sharjah’s Al Mamzar area, early in February

2014, was the unfortunate setting for a

tragedy involing an Indian labourer.

According to local daily Gulf News, the

labourer passed after losing his balance off an

under-construction building in the area.

“The labourer was not wearing a safety helmet

which led to a severe head injury and loss of life,”

said a police official to the daily.

Earlier, in January 2014, a report by The

National had said health experts found

construction labourers to be suffering ‘horrific’

injuries due to a lack of adherence to safety

measures; these injuries included ‘nails embedded

in the socket, chemical burns to the retina and

hooks in the eye’, most often caused because the

labourers in question did not wear the mandatory

safety goggles on-site.

Another report by the same publication

mentioned the passing of two workers in

Sharjah – a police spokesman had said at the

time that the workers, employed to clean diesel

tanks, entered the containers without appropriate

safety measures. While four men were trapped

in the tank, only two survived the incident, and

were reportedly undergoing treatment at a

local hospital.

Unfortunately, these are far from the only

construction accidents the country has seen

of late; fire mishaps and building crashes have

accounted for the high number of lives and

material lost in UAE since the year began, and each

incident makes a compelling case for the study of

labour safety and precautionary measures.

“Talking about safety is not a matter of

technology, it’s also about a matter of processes

for our industry,” Thibault Le Besnerais, global

product manager for Manitowoc’s Potain Cranes

told Big Project ME.

“LABOURERS, LIKE ALL EMPLOYEES, ARE A GOOD INVESTMENT. IT IS THE PRACTITIONER’S DUTY TO VIEW THEM AS AN INVESTMENT S/HE CAN EDUCATE, WORK ON AND HONE”

OUT OFDANGER

With numerous on-site accidents occurring at construction sites, Big Project ME explores the case for labour education as a preventive solution

“We’re in an industry where lack of safety can

have tragic consequences.

“Safety is not only a feature, but also a culture,”

Besnerais added.

Often, it is the lack of this understanding that

causes the labour accidents the industry

has become a witness to. The UAE’s labourforce

includes representation from various

nationalities; almost 2.2 million Indians account

for UAE’s workforce, in addition to 1.25 million

Pakistanis, 500,000 Bangladeshis, and another

million workers from other Asian countries, as

per a report by The National.

Not all expat workers in the UAE speak the

same – or even similar – languages, nor may they

fully comprehend the occupational hazards their

job brings with it.

Most companies undertake a myriad of

training programmes aimed at reducing these

cultural barriers and fostering a sense of inherent

precaution in labourer groups.

Ivano Forcina, quality manager at Salcef

explains his company’s policies regarding new

in-house labourers.

“We usually begin with an induction

programme, which is broadly divided into a

range of topics that impart knowledge about

overall, basic safety measures, besides other

specific issues.

“The programmes may be indoor discussions

and presentations, and are frequently

supplemented with audio-visual aids.

“As contractors for the rail industry, it also

becomes essential for us to teach our workforce

about the nitty-gritties of the job. Therefore, we

cover specific topics that are strictly pertinent to

rail operations and track construction, mostly

roping in a lot of on-site training facilities here,”

Forcina adds.

Forcina’s colleague, Melchor Realingo

explains the need to invest in labourer education.

“Most labourers who find their way into UAE’s

construction sites are uneducated,” says Realingo,

safety manager at Salcef SPA.

“It then becomes our responsibility to ensure

we observe each labourer and study their

weaknesses and interests to understand which

activity would be best suited for them.

“The labourers who repeatedly ignore safety

measures are sent for retraining programmes, but

that is a long-term process. Companies cannot

inject adherence in the labourers’ mindset in a

day, week or month.

“The ultimate aim is to increase and elevate

the workforce’s behavioural safety standards – the

change of habits required for that takes time to

achieve,” Realingo explains.

It has been argued in the past that the lack of a

unified regulation that can cater to on-site safety

standards across the UAE hurts the construction

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NEWS ANALYSIS ON-SITE ACCIDENTS

DECREE 42 OF 2009Abu Dhabi’s EHSMS frame-work states labourers must wear job-related safety equipment at all times.

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NEWS ANALYSIS ON-SITE ACCIDENTS BIGPROJECTME.COM

industry. While regulations are created and

sharpened by local municipalities in each

emirate, their plurality often confuses contractors

who work on numerous, parallel projects in

different emirates.

Decree 42 of 2009 by the Abu Dhabi

Municipality paved the way for the creation of the

Environment, Health and Safety Management

System (EHSMS), a regulatory framework that

‘aims to protect the environment and human

health, ensuring the safety of workers’.

Realingo says he follows the directives of this

code when dealing with worker safety.

A report by The National claims that this decree

states that labourers, depending on their job

specialty, must wear safety equipment at all times.

These include a safety harness, safety goggles, a

helmet, construction site appropriate footwear and

protective gloves.

Understandably, the issue is of importance on

the national level as well.

Audio-visual aids are gaining popularity for their ability to break the most obvious language barrier so far as dissemination for labourers is concerned.

Manufacturers – much like contractors – now see the benefits of educating and enhancing their workforce in order to reduce down-time in the long run, and are implementing similar techniques to train their employees.

MAN Trucks, one of the Middle East’s better known producer and supplier of heavy machinery for the construction market, has published a booklet that speaks directly to their drivers – in pictures and illustrations alone.

An innovative method of teaching its employees appropriate safety measures and precautionary techniques, the booklet makes for easily comprehensible and retainable learning material.

AV APPROACH

UNDERSTAFFED?The health and safety department at UAE’s Ministry of Labour works with the private sector to implement on-site safety.

Dr Ali Salem, director of health and safety for

the UAE’s Ministry of Labour, in conversation with

Big Project ME, reveals his take on worker safety

and its enhancement in the country.

A trained medical doctor himself, Dr Salem

knows what can go wrong on a construction site,

and the drastic aftereffects of flouting the safety

measures in place.

“To understand occupational medical injuries

from a medical perspective there is a burden on

me to learn more about safety. When we go to

construction and industrial sites, we need basic

information on the diverse aspects of construction,

such as powered access and scaffolding.

“This is part of our partnership with the private

sector and we are glad they initiated the approach,”

Dr Salem adds.

Nevertheless, challenges persist where worker

safety and sustenance is concerned – repeat

offenders endanger not only their own lives, but

also of their co-workers and the project they are

working on. Realingo, however, makes a case for

such non-compliant labourers.

“Firing is not the solution. As a company,

you are only cutting the risk then, not the root

(of the problem),” says Realingo. “Labourers, like

all employees, are a good investment. It is the

practitioner’s duty to view them as an investment

she/he can educate, work on and hone.

Managements carry the onus of learning more

about their workers and educating them to imbibe

better skills.”

“As a manager or supervisor, you may be

providing them with appropriately required PE

(protective equipment); but if it is of poor quality

or cannot be reused, that is your fault, not theirs,”

argues Realingo.

Companies also carry the burden of

ensuring third-party inspections are given

due attention. As Dr Salem explains, a major

challenge for him is ensuring there are enough

inspectors on the ground.

“It’s not easy. There are around 25 inspectors,

so it’s really difficult to cover (construction sites)

everywhere. We have to put on priorities.

“You won’t see us as much in DIP or DIFC as

they would in Al Quoz. Most of our resources are

working in Sharjah – the largest industrial area in

the Middle East,” he adds.

Undoubtedly, there is scope for growth of

safety standards in the region. As the UAE heads

into a period of unparalleled construction activity,

contractors and regulatory bodies will have to

work inclusively with their labourers to ensure that

building in the country equates to zero-losses and

minimal hazards. n

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IN PROFILE DR ROLAND BUSCH BIGPROJECTME.COM

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IN PROFILE DR ROLAND BUSCH

Dr Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens Infrastructure and Cities and member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG, sits down for an interview with Big Project ME to

discuss why the Middle East is crucial for his division’s success

THE SMARTTHINKER

Throughout history, humanity has always

gravitated towards urban centres, turning

them into centres of commerce, culture and

scientific growth. In fact, the Middle East is

home to some of the world’s oldest cities, with the

likes of Damascus, Aleppo, Byblos and Luxor all

inhabited for thousands of years.

So prevalent has the growth of the urban

human population been, the World Health

Organisation estimates that by 2010, more than

half of the world’s population lived in urban

areas. That’s more than 3.5 billion people.

To put that into perspective, 100 years ago, two

out of every ten people lived in an urban area.

By 2030, WHO predicts that six out of every 10

people will live in a city; a mere 20 years later will

see that number rise to seven out of every ten.

At present, more than half of all urban

dwellers live in cities with between 100,000 and

500,000 people, with fewer than 10% living in

‘megacities’ (defined by UN HABITAT as a city

with more than 10 million people).

Given that the numbers are so staggeringly

high, the need to manage the infrastructure

of these cities and developing countries is

vital. While infrastructure development and

construction are what gets the most attention, it

often serves little purpose if those multi-million

or multi-billion dollar investments are not

managed properly.

This can be seen in third world countries

where billions are spent on infrastructure

development, with very little to show for it.

However, this is where Siemens Infrastructure

and Cities comes in to play. Although not

a traditional contractor of infrastructure

development, nor a supplier of building

materials, the division offers urban planners a

chance to truly control and manage their cities

through practical technology that is sustainable.

“We don’t build roads, we don’t build

buildings, but what we do is provide the

technology part of infrastructure,” explains

Doctor Roland Busch, member of the

managing board at Siemens AG and the CEO of

Infrastructure and Cities Sector.

“We automate infrastructure and make it

more efficient. This includes rolling stock and

rail bound transport. But also, inter-modal

management. That means we’re managing the

streets,” he adds.

“The old type of thinking is not doing the trick

anymore. If we’re going to manage a city of two

million, five million or ten million people, you

cannot constantly add new streets and rail routes,

you have to do it smartly and increase capacity by

using what is there in a more intelligent way.”

Speaking during the launch of Siemens’ new

Masdar based headquarters, Dr Busch tells Big Project ME that the Middle East region is set to

play an important role for the Infrastructure and

Cities division of Siemen.

“It’s a very important region. Siemens has

been present in the Middle East since 1856, when

our founder supervised the laying of cables in the

Red Sea, and we’re here to stay. It’s an important

region because it’s dynamic and there are a lot of

things happening here,” he asserts.

“Talking about infrastructure, there are plans

for building infrastructure, but also for the whole

traffic system, because this region is booming.

The railway connection between the UAE and the

rest of the GCC, is being planned and will come.”

“It starts with freight and then the passengers

will also come. And then also the local transport,

major transport projects. We can provide this

infrastructure. We don’t do buildings, we don’t

provide the concrete parts, but we provide the

intelligent high-tech part, which is really adding

value to these plans. So we’re embedded here, we

want to be here and we want to be seen as a local

partner, providing top technology.”

Not only is this limited to building and civil

infrastructure, Dr Busch points out that Siemens

Infrastructure and Cities’ technology can also be

applied to a wider range of industries, including

the oil and gas sector, which is of course a major

segment of the market here in the Middle East.

“IT’S A VERY IMPORTANT REGION. SIEMENS HAS BEEN PRESENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST SINCE 1856, AND WE’RE HERE TO STAY. IT’S AN IMPORTANT REGION BECAUSE IT’S DYNAMIC AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING HERE”

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Furthermore, he points out that another area

of significant interest is the healthcare division,

which has seen tremendous investment from the

GCC governments, which will continue over the

next few years, with an estimated $133.19 billion

set to be spent by the year 2018.

“Siemens is working in the areas of energy,

industry, healthcare and infrastructure and

cities. I would like to focus on the latter one,

as we believe that our new headquarters is

a great showcase. The new building is LEED

platinum certified. It is sitting in the desert with

temperatures reaching 40oC or 50oC So of course

that’s unique.”

“That’s a blend of architecture and top

technology. And that’s where Siemens comes into

play. But that’s only one part of it. This building

and other buildings to come are interconnected

with a lot of infrastructure features. The grid

and power supply have to be more intelligent, in

particular, if we want to make it more sustainable,

in the spirit of Masdar. This is what attracts us,” he

explains further.

“On top of that, it is the whole transport

infrastructure that needs to be developed in a

sustainable manner. That is a nice combination.

Firstly, sitting on a booming market, secondly

having the right and strong partners – Mubadala,

Masdar – and thirdly, having the chance to deploy

technology at its best.”

According to Dr Busch the next few years are

destined to be dominated by rail transportation

led by government investment.

“This is definitely a boom now, which is, I

would say, a little bit unusual compared to the

other trends, like energy and infrastructure

development. Rail is really something now. For

the first time it’s on the agenda and will be in the

news over the next three years,” he says.

This is a thread that Dr Busch picks up on

again a few days later when Big Project ME travelled with Siemens to the launch of the

tramway in Doha Education City.

Speaking after a ceremony to showcase a

mock-up of the Siemens designed and built

trams that will be used on the project, Dr Busch

elaborates on why he thinks that rail construction

BIOGRAPHYSpecial responsibilities:CEO Infrastructure & Cities Sector Asia (excluding Japan) and Australia Corporate Sustainability Office

Professional timeline:n 1994 Joined Siemens AG,

Erlangen, Germany. Corporate Research and Development Department - Project Head

n 1995 Automotive Systems

Group, Regensburg, Germany. Strategic Planning – Expert in Fuel Cell Technology

n 1997 Additionally: Assistant to the Group Executive Management

n 1998 Process and

Information Management –Head of Central Quality and Internal Consulting

n 2001 Integration of VDO

into Siemens VDO Automotive AG – Head of Strategy and Consulting

n 2002 Head of Infotainment

Solutions Division

n 2005 Siemens VDO

Automotive Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China – President and CEO

n 2007 Transportation

Systems Group, Erlangen, Germany – Head of Mass Transit Division

n 2008 Corporate

Development Department, Munich, Germany – Head of Corporate Strategies

n 2011 Member of the

Managing Board of Siemens AG

RAIL DEVEVLOPMENTSRail transportation is set to play a big part in the region’s spending over the next few years, Dr Busch says.

“RAIL IS REALLY SOMETHING NOW. FOR THE FIRST TIME IT’S ON THE AGENDA AND WILL BE IN THE NEWS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS”

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will be the next major boom industry for the

GCC region.

“The way forward is clear to me. There is a

growing awareness in this region that the level of

public infrastructure has to be raised in particular

rail bound metro, but also intercity connections,

which are the backbone of any country,” Busch

says. “If you want to develop your economy in

a sustainable manner, you have to invest in its

infrastructure. There are examples all over the

world where it’s proven that doing so will really

boost your growth and development. So we see a

lot of opportunities and we want to be part of it.”

However, while it’s easy to say that there’s a lot

of potential and growth in the GCC market, there

Earlier this year Siemens inaugurated its “showcase” Middle East headquarters, Abu Dhabi’s first LEED Platinum building.A large crowd of stakeholders, VIPs and media attended the opening ceremony at the site in Masdar City, the capital’s low-carbon, sustainable community.

Designed by Sheppard Robson, the 18,000m2 building reduces energy consumption by almost 50% compared to conventional buildings of the same size.

A highly insulated inner façade is designed to reduce thermal conductivity and a lightweight aluminum external shading system minimises solar gain.

Speaking before the event, David Ardill, partner and design director at Sheppard Robson, commented: “We decided that the common ground between sustainability and good commercial office design is efficiency.

“If you can build more with less it means you are getting better value for money and you are using less material which means less carbon. [Efficiency was] underlying every choice we made.”

The building is fitted with Siemens’ latest energy saving and monitoring technologies, and acts as a “showcase building”, according to Joerg Scheifler CEO, Infrastructure & Cities Sector, Middle East, Siemens. “We packed into it as many technologies in Siemens’ offering as possible,” he added.

“All of the technologies are state-of-the-art. For instance we used the latest Siemens building automation system which is on the market. We will happily bring customers here and let them look behind the scenes to see how the technology works.”

PLATINUM PERFORMER

remain concerns about actually implementing

these systems and technologies.

Not only is the market fairly unaware of these

developments, it’s also likely to suffer from a lack

of experience.

Given the value and scale of these rail projects,

it’s no surprise that Dr Roland Busch has been

giving this careful consideration. He says that his

division has taken care to ensure that they work

together with the local governments and people

to ensure a successful outcome.

“We will develop along the way, together with

our customers. That means we identify the needs

and requirements from customers and we are

trying to bring in the best technology to solve the

problem,” he explains, pointing out that one of

Siemen’s biggest strengths is customer trust.

“Establishing trust is of the highest importance

as you can imagine. If you go new ways, bring

innovations, by definition, it’s something new.

You cannot predict where it ends, and you always

have some issues. I think having a good, trustful

relationship is mandatory to solve those issues.

This is one reason why we are also investing in our

management capacity, to be able to talk and solve

problems on all levels, as high as you have to go to

solve them.”

Clearly then, the region is one that he views

with considerable interest. This is starkly evident

when he’s asked about Siemens Infrastructure

21MARCH 2014 MID

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IN PROFILE DR ROLAND BUSCH

and Cities performance in 2013. Having endured

a tough 2013, Dr Busch has overseen a strong

overhaul of how Siemens I&C does business,

with a more selective approach to new projects

underway so as to boost profitability.

The stricter policy came into play after

a financial year which saw its margin on

earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and

amortization (EBITDA) fall to 3.7%, making it the

least profitable of Siemens’ four main businesses,

behind Industry, Energy and Healthcare.

The current financial year, however, could

see I&C reach the low end of its 8% to 12% target

margin, a Reuters report has quoted Dr Busch

as saying.

Projects in Britain and Germany are expected,

along with the tighter management review for

critical projects, to drive profitability.

“Regarding last year’s performance, we’re not

satisfied. However, our effort is paying off now:

we have made major steps in transforming our

businesses towards higher profitability and lower

risk,” Dr Busch explains.

“We are going to continue to benefit from

shaping our portfolio, avoid or substantially

reduce project charges and continue to benefit

from our transformation program. And we will

continue to focus on our growth markets.”

“We want to look forward now, and we’re

leveraging the investments we made in this fiscal

year, for the benefit of our profitability in the

future. So I’m very excited and confident it will go

forward in the right direction,” he tells Big Project ME bullishly.

“And, please, do not forget, we are market

leaders in intelligent infrastructure automation.

The region will play an important part because

if you look at all the regions globally, and where

infrastructure investment is high on the agenda,

this is the place to be.”

“WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM SHAPING OUR PORTFOLIO, AVOID OR SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE PROJECT CHARGES AND CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM OUR TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON OUR GROWTH MARKETS”

STAYING ON TRACKDr Busch says that the Middle East is going to be crucial for because of its investment into infrastructure.

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ON SITE DOHA FESTIVAL CITY BIGPROJECTME.COM

Project Name Doha Festival City

Project Developer Bawabat Al Shamal Real Estate Company

Development Manager Al Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE)

Project Manager MACE

Commercial Consultant EC Harris

Commercial Manager Faithful + Gould

Foundation Construction Gulf Contracting Company/ALEC Qatar JV

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ON SITE DOHA FESTIVAL CITY

With groundwork construction of Doha Festival City have recently started, Big Project ME visited the site to get an idea of what’s in store for one of Qatar’s

most ambitious retail projects. Gavin Davids reports

DESTINATION CITY

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As a city, Doha isn’t the most glamorous

of places, especially to a first-time visitor.

Traffic can often appear chaotic and city

planning can be described as ‘haphazard’.

While this may seem uncharitable, and to be

fair, downtown Doha does boast some stunning

architecture and boulevards, a majority of the

city’s problems have come from the surge in

growth that Qatar has experienced since the turn

of the century.

As a result developers have begun expanding

outwards, building their projects in Doha’s

suburbs, a strategy that has allowed them to not

only build bigger, but also build smarter. Given

the freedom to grow, there have been a spate of

ambitious retail projects, with the Villaggio Mall

one of the most prominent examples of the trend.

Now, however, a mall is being built that will

eclipse all others in Qatar. Indeed, the Doha

BIG EXPECTATIONSDoha Festival City is

expected to be the f lagship shopping

destination in Qatar.

“ONCE WE GET OUT OF THE GROUND, I DON’T ANTICIPATE THAT THERE’LL BE ANYTHING TOO CHALLENGING, BECAUSE IN THE END, EVEN THOUGH IT’S A BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED STRUCTURE, IT’S STILL A TWO STOREY BUILDING WITH A BASEMENT”

Festival City project will eclipse most malls in

the Middle East, as Kareem M Shamma, CEO

of Bawabat Al Shamal Real Estate Company

(BASREC), tells Big Project ME during a visit to

the project’s site offices.

“We’re at 250,000m2 of gross leasable area and

that’s by far the largest in Qatar. I think the only

other larger mall in the GCC is the Dubai Mall at

the moment. I say at the moment because you

never know who is planning what in the GCC!”

However, Doha remains a city that harbours

ambitions to rival Dubai as the tourist capital of

the GCC. To achieve that, it has to offer tourists

a chance to see something that they won’t get in

the UAE.

This is why the Doha Festival City is so

important. If being the flagship development for

BASREC wasn’t pressure enough, the project will

be the standard by which all malls in Qatar will be

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ON SITE DOHA FESTIVAL CITY

judged, and proof positive that Doha can cut it as

a viable tourist destination.

“I think the sheer size of it is going to be a

category killer,” Shamma asserts. “It’s going

to dwarf all the other malls. That’s the first

thing, its size. Secondly, I always call this the

first international mall in Doha because of the

experience and partnership that comes from the

UAE in the form of Al Futtaim.

“They’ve done Dubai Festival City and Cairo

Festival City (amongst others), so in that sense,

they’ve opened international malls and I think

it’ll be the first of its kind in Doha. The others

have been locally conceived and built and

operated-type malls. We’ve raised the bar with

international standards now.”

This embrace of international standards is

something that Shamma believes will serve the

mall well in the future, with careful consideration

given to all areas of the customer experience,

right from the approach to the mall, to the flow of

shoppers around the mall and the entertainment

packages on offer.

“How we’re differentiating ourselves is with

the offering itself. We’re anchoring the mall at

the north end, obviously, with IKEA, which has

proved to be very popular. That would then be an

Doha Festival City appointed Gulf

Contracting Company and Alec Qatar

joint-venture as the contractor for

construction of the development’s mall

worth $1.6 billion.

“It is an honour to be awarded as the

contractor to lead the construction of a

shopping mall that is set to be one of the

largest and most prominent in the Middle

East,” says Darrell Bergesen, board

member of GCC/ALEC Qatar JV.

“We are currently focused on achieving

a quick and effective mobilisation for the

foundation works up to and including

ground floor slabs, which will pave the

way for the main contract works, to

ensure timely delivery of the shopping

mall,” he adds.

Scheduled for opening in Q3 2016, the

contract was awarded after a Traffic

Impact Study was conducted and the

project’s master plan was approved.

CONTRACTOR APPOINTMENT

integral part of the north end of the mall. There’ll

be direct access from within the mall to IKEA and

the hypermarket,” he explains.

“The south end is the other major draw for

this mall, with a massive entertainment complex

planned. It’s 30,000m2 of internal and external

entertainment. To our knowledge, this is the

first time that any mall – throughout the Middle

East – has combined, to such a large extent, both

internal and external entertainment.

“Internally, there are things like a snow play

box. It’s a snow slope which has moved on from

current offerings by two or three generations.

There are things like zorbing and toboggan runs,

which are more interesting than just basic skiing,”

Shamma points out. “Then there’s obviously the

family entertainment area like you see in a lot of

the other malls. But that’s also what we wanted

to avoid, just having that bolted onto the side of

the mall.

“The way we’ve arranged it at one end is

that we have a huge food and beverage area, a

food court that is central to this area internally,

that overlooks the snow, overlooks the family

entertainment area and overlooks the external

entertainment centre.”

He continues: “Now what is the external

entertainment area? We’ve got a Rapid River Ride,

which is going to be spectacular, we’ve got zip

wires above it. There’s more extreme, adrenaline-

type sports outside. We’ve also got a traditional

funfair, with a reverse bungee in a steel cage.”

Clearly this is all going to take up a

considerable amount of space, but as mentioned

earlier, the reason a number of developers are

looking to building their projects outside of Doha

city is because of the space, which is one of the

main things on offer.

Stretching out across 433,000m2, the Doha

Festival City project will have space for more

than 550 international brands, with many

making their debut in Qatar. In addition, there

are approximately 8,500 car parking spaces being

incorporated into the construction, with two

multi-storey parking lots being built, along with

underground parking under the whole mall and

over-ground parking near IKEA.

Construction completion is expected by the

third or fourth quarter of 2016, BASREC have

consistently said, despite the lengthy delays that

have hit the project.

Work on the project was set to commence

in 2013 however, just as construction work was

about to start, Qatar’s Public Works Authority

(Ashghal) announced that it would be upgrading

highways around the site.

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This meant that work on the project had to be

stopped and the upgrades taken into account.

However, the project team decided to use the

delay as an opportunity to improve the project

design, with ramps into and out of the project

being included.

With the total estimated cost of the project

coming in at $1.64 billion, the need to get every

aspect of the project right is essential, especially

given the pre-existing delays. Keeping control and

overseeing this aspect of the project performance

is Michael Connor, commercial manager for

Faithful + Gould, who are the commercial

managers for the project.

“We are looking at the financial control and

reporting of the development performance

against budget and cost to complete position,”

he tells Big Project ME. “We have more of a

strategic review of the commercial management.

In terms of driving the value engineering, the cost

challenges, the design development, that’s under

EC Harris’ remit. We’re available to support that,

but our involvement is more, in a sense, to check

contractual arrangements and administration of

the development,” Connor explains.

“There’s an incredible breadth of information

generated on the project, such as the various

construction contracts. We as consultants are

having to digest a large amount of information

to give the correct advice to our client. In terms

of working within a project team, it’s going very

well and it will continue to do so. The companies

that are involved have complimentary skill sets

and are quite clear on the direction and target of

the development.”

Two of the companies currently involved in

the project are ALEC Qatar and Gulf Contracting

Company, who are currently involved in the

foundation construction for the mall. When

Big Project ME spoke to Shamma, work was

just about to begin, with final preparations

underway. At the time of print, construction is

well underway.

“They’re mobilising at the moment, they’re

currently doing some basic dewatering, which

was subject to getting the requisite permits and

they’re now gearing up with site offices and site

equipment. You should see, within one or two

weeks, actual construction on the site,” he says.

“Typically, with this sort of construction, it takes

a while to get out of the ground. Fortunately, we

anticipated this and have already completed our

bulk excavation. We awarded a separate contract

before this one (the substructure construction

contract) under a separate, temporary permit,

and we completed the bulk excavation of the site.

Most of the site is down to its basic levels.”

“Now the substructure contractor will do

detailed excavation, specifically the area of his

foundation. It’s in rock, so that could take a bit of

time. We’ve also got some groundwater, which

is another challenge, but that’s typical of any

groundwork construction. Once we get out of

the ground, I don’t anticipate that there’ll be

anything too challenging, because in the end,

even though it’s a beautifully designed structure,

it’s still a two storey building with a basement.

It’s very functional and we’re not pioneers or on

the cutting edge of shopping malls, we’re doing

something that works best for the retailer and the

customer,” he points out.

“TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT ANY MALL – THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST – HAS COMBINED, TO SUCH A LARGE EXTENT, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENTERTAINMENT”

Connor chimes in to add that with the

substructure package well underway, thoughts

are already turning towards the next stage of the

project, which is looking at how to bring forward

elements of the work, so as to finish things

according to schedule.

“We’re negotiating a fast-track procurement

approach to appoint the superstructure and

contractor for the mall, to basically finish the

job as soon as possible,” he explains. “Once we

get the second part of the development consent,

it’s about taking the initiative from BASREC and

looking to secure a contract to deliver the mall.”

“The target for the development just now is

to achieve a trading date within the third quarter

of 2016. We’re trying to secure a contract in a

more buoyant market, so the quicker we can do

that, the better we can get a jumpstart on the

other major infrastructure works that will be

happening. We’ll still find it a little bit tough, but

the benefits are that there isn’t anything of this

scale and prestige in the retail sector, so I’m sure

the supply chain will be very keen to do business,”

Connor adds.

This future planning becomes even more

interesting when the sheer logistical challenge of

the project is considered. With Shamma revealing

that 10,000 workers are expected to be on-site

at the peak of construction, getting a grip on

logistical issues is crucial to the project’s success.

“We work with our contractors to iron out

these logistical issues,” Shamma says. “It’s a

challenge, but I wouldn’t call it a problem yet.

It’ll be a challenge to bring in a number of

people into and out of the site, where they’ll be

accommodated and all, but our guys are very

good on health and safety and environment.”

Recent reports on Qatar-based contractors

have not looked favourably on the treatment

of workers. Shamma says that his operation

prioritises their welfare.

“We often go to contractor camps and check

on conditions there, even the remote camps.

There are strong policies on health and safety,

which our project managers, Mace, take very

seriously. We take it seriously as a client as well,

it’s always foremost in our minds. The well-being

of the people onsite is essential and you get good

results out of it at the end, with (increased)

productivity and efficiency. That’s always of

prime concern, and rightly so. Gone are the days

of poor conditions on site, dangerous conditions

and so forth. The more the construction

community in Qatar can work on that and move

towards more awareness of HSE, the better,” he

points out.

PROJECT OVERSEERERKareem Shamma is the man overseeing the construction

and development of the Doha Festival City project.

www.kersten.aeStreet F7, Al Hamra Free ZoneP.O. Box 86416Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates

T +971 (0)72437174 F +971 (0)72432524E [email protected]

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CONTRACTORS LEADERSHIP BIGPROJECTME.COM

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Big Project ME examines why choosing the right leadership is the most important decision a contractor looking to expand into new markets will have to make.

Gavin Davids reports

FOLLOWTHE

LEADER

“Leadership is solving problems. The day

soldiers stop bringing you their problems

is the day you have stopped leading them.

They have either lost confidence that you

can help or concluded you do not care. Either

case is a failure of leadership.”

Colin Powell, American statesman and retired

four-star general in the United States Army

wrote the above quote in his book, ‘My American

Journey’, as he discussed what it was that makes a

good leader.

The core essence of that quote, that leaders

are problem solvers, is a sentiment that echoes

throughout all strata of business and society.

Leaders are those individuals who bring people

together, who get those people to work together

and who ultimately deliver positive results.

What goes into making a good leader is

a little bit more complex, but the common

consensus would be that a leader should have

a good character, should be able to forge strong

relationships and should be trustworthy.

A Forbes report published in 2012 looked at

the qualities that go into making a good leader,

and came to conclusion that there are a core set

of values necessary for successful leadership.

The first of these is honesty, which means

that a business and its employees should be

a reflection of its management. If honest and

ethical behaviour are made a key value by

leaders, then the team will follow suit.

Then there is the crucial ability to delegate.

It’s vital that leaders learn to trust their team

with the company vision, otherwise progress to

the next stage will be hampered. It’s important

to remember that trusting the team is a sign of

strength and not weakness.

Another important factor in successful

leadership is communication. If leaders can’t

relate their vision to the team, working towards

the same goal will be difficult.

Keeping up confidence levels is another

vital factor in leadership. Assuring everyone that

setbacks are natural and the important thing

is to focus on the larger goal is one of the more

important roles a leader can play. Staying calm

and confident will help keep the team feeling

the same.

Be creative urges the report and accept that

when leading a team through uncharted waters,

and there is no roadmap on what to do, you

may need to rely on intuiton. Everything can be

uncertain, and as many leaders know, the higher

the risk, the higher the pressure.

Taking that report as inspiration and

considering the burgeoning construction

market in the GCC, Big Project ME looked to

the industry to find out how careful thinking

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and planning can be shaped by individuals and

companies.

With established local contractors looking

to expand and global contractors looking to

enter the region for the first time, competition is

fierce. As such, it’s crucial that mistakes are kept

to a minimum, and a large part of doing so is

ensuring that the right leadership is in place.

If the project team is expected to work hard

and produce quality content, leaders are also

going to need to lead by example, the report

suggests. These are the very same qualities that

construction companies should look for when

hiring new executives and senior management,

says Kez Taylor, CEO of ALEC, one of the largest

and most prominent construction contractors in

the UAE.

“Interestingly enough, research has

been carried out on construction projects in

America, they have tried to establish what

makes construction projects successful. They

investigated systems, programmes and looked at

every facet of the projects. In the end there was

only one key criterion that was a differentiator

and that was having the right leadership in place.

The right leadership on the project determined

the success of the project” says Taylor.

“The people with the right qualities

and leadership skills were successful in all

environments, the good, the bad and the

challenging. The people that were mediocre

were consistently mediocre, regardless of the

environment they encountered.”

This view point is backed up by Ziad Awad,

SVP and head of Region, Middle East and

Africa, for SNC-Lavalin, a Canadian engineering

and construction group that operates in more

than 40 countries. The firm recently opened its

regional head office in Abu Dhabi, which

will support development in the Middle East

and Africa.

Having held senior positions and as a board

of directors member for a number of leading

international companies, Awad’s role is to

develop a strong local platform that will enable

SNC-Lavalin to deliver on its regional strategies

and goals.

He says he’ll be focusing on “the

optimisation of our assets” and legal entities,

the coordination of local stakeholder initiatives

and the establishment of an efficient business

infrastructure.

Furthermore, he’ll be tasked with the

implementation of regulatory and corporate

priorities in ethics and compliance. In short,

he’ll be tasked with fulfilling a number of the

conclusions laid out by Forbes in the article

quoted above. Clearly he’s got his hands full.

“The opening of this regional head office will

allow us to strengthen our client relationships,”

he tells Big Project ME. “We can expand our

commercial opportunities and have the best

business platform to deliver projects according

to clients’ expectations.

“(You need to have) a strong knowledge of

the sectors covered (by SNC-Lavalin) and an

understanding of the region,” he comments,

explaining why he was chosen for the job. “I

have cross experience, in both the sector and in

the region, and I think it’s ideal to support the

ambitions of the group within the region.”

According to Awad, the Middle East region is

a highly pressurised environment where many

of its direct competitors are jostling for position

with quickly expanding firms from Asia. He

argues that SNC-Lavalin’s experience places it

above these competitors.

“SNC-Lavalin has a long history within

the region, and we’ve established strong

relationships with our clients throughout large

“IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE TALENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST MARKET, THERE ARE GREAT PROJECT ENGINEERS, BUT THESE ARE NOT PEOPLE WHO CAN SELL AND MARKET A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN CREATED”

contracts. I am convinced it will make the

difference in the coming years,” Awad asserts.

Building relationships with clients is a key

factor for ALEC’s business, adds Taylor.

With a Qatari office already established

and working on its second project in the GCC

country, he says that one of the key components

to creating success is to hire leadership that will

VIEW FROM THE TOPLeaders should create an environment where individuals feel able to deliver bad news upwards.

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CONTRACTORS LEADERSHIP

set about building trust and confidence in

the contractor.

“When entering into a new market, a

company is not well known as a trading

organisation. The way you interface and interact

with the supply chain and subcontractors is

critical to the success of the company. As a main

contractor, you have to create an environment

where all parties can perform and execute their

jobs effectively and ultimately succeed.”

“The main contractor is responsible for

ensuring that the programme is set up correctly

and everyone is aligned. If this is not established

and maintained, then the supply chain will not

effectively perform in the given environment,”

Taylor warns.

“Trusting relationships need to be built and

all parties should honour their commitments.

Any deviation from this could potentially lead to

failure. Creating an environment where people

can rely and trust you is key to success and is

where all parties can make money and perform.

By creating this environment you will have more

businesses wanting to work with you. If the right

environment is not created, in a new area, the

business is likely to be unsuccessful.”

Yu Tao, the CEO and president of China State

Construction Engineering Corporation (Middle

East), agrees wholeheartedly with this. In an

IRAQ EXPANSIONArabtec Holding, the UAE-based engineering and construction group of companies, has announced that it plans to open an office in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

The move comes as the company, which is known to specialise in complex projects in the Middle East and North Africa region, looks to capitalise on Iraq’s high potential, particularly in oil and gas and infrastructure.

“We see great potential for Arabtec in Iraq. Our physical presence there will enable us to capitalise on the significant new business opportunities that are available particularly in oil and gas and infrastructure. Launching our business in Iraq follows our recent expansion into the Balkan States, and achieves yet another significant step in our growth strategy,” said Hasan Abdullah Ismaik, managing director and CEO of Arabtec.

The opening of Arabtec’s office in Baghdad is to facilitate the company’s planned growth in the Iraqi market, he added. The move is in line with the Company’s business growth strategy to diversify into higher-margin segments, particularly infrastructure and oil and gas.

Furthermore, the office will serve as a platform for expansion by Arabtec Holding’s joint ventures and subsidiaries, in what is expected to become the region’s most lucrative construction market.

Arabtec is already in advanced discussions with a number of clients in Iraq for large-scale projects in its target sectors, Ismaik added, along with talks with the Iraqi government.

“We are already in talks with the Iraqi Government over a number of mega projects. These talks are at an advanced stage and we hope to announce the results in the very near future.”

A major thrust behind Arabtec’s expansion into Iraq is to pave the way for its newly formed joint venture with Samsung Engineering and the soon to be announced joint venture with GS Engineering and Construction, which will tap into the huge potential of the Iraqi market.

Ismaik said that Arabtec has already begun looking for candidates for senior management posts in Iraq, including CEO candidates.

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interview with Big Project ME in February, he

says that as far as he’s concerned, it’s natural for

companies and clients to question the presence

of a new entry into the market.

“It’s very natural, if they don’t know you,

even though you may have a big name around

the world, they’ll still have many questions to

ask. So to manage this situation, what we’ve

done is deliver,” Tao asserts. “We’re probably the

biggest building contractor in the world, but this

doesn’t mean that we’ll take projects easily, or

that we believe that our reputation is there and

we don’t need to spend so much time on project

management. This won’t work. I’ve spent a lot

of time, not just pursuing the clients to award

the contract, but I’ve spent more time with

my colleagues, on the day-to-day operations.

Every month, for the last ten years, I’ve chaired

operation meetings and I know most of the

details for each project, so that when the client

asks questions, I’m prepared and I know what

we’re doing and where we need to improve.”

Given the attitudes prevalent amongst these

contractors, one would assume that all is well

with the leadership roles of the contracting

industry. However, Sudarshan Sharda, associate

partner with Postive Moves, an executive

recruitment consultancy operating in India,

Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, France and

the UK. Sharda says that when it comes to the

Middle East, one of the major challenges facing

the construction industry is a lack of ‘holistic

talent’ for leadership roles.

“Within the construction space, these

markets work a little differently. In normal

markets, you would have people who have

grown up the ladder, working from a project

engineer on a specific project to becoming

a director of construction, with 20 different

projects under their realm of authority,” he

explains. “What happens in the Western world,

and I’ve also seen this in the East, is every

massive project – which could be millions of

square feet of development – has a specific

individual who acts as a CEO.

“He or she is responsible for the complete

gamut of activity, from acquisition through

to the entire construction phase – design,

construction and post-construction. The

problem is, with the Middle East industry, is that

you don’t find holistic talent that can be CEO’s.

You find technical experts who have grown up

the ladder, and are now tasked with doing some

sales and marketing as well.”

Sharda points out that sales and marketing

is a crucial aspect of being a leader in today’s

construction industry. Although a contractor

may not necessarily have to worry about land

acquisition and business development for a

project, the level of competition in the Middle

East market means that CEOs and senior

management must be versed in the art of

marketing themselves to clients.

“Maybe the market was such that anything

you did sold easily, but I think in the last five

years, things have been difficult for the market.

Sadly people are realising that it’s not just about

the quality of construction or your background,

but also about how you sell yourself.”

“If you look at all the talent in the Middle

East market, there are great project engineers,

these are big guys when it comes to technical

capabilities, they know the new ways of

construction and means, but these are not

people who can sell and market a project that

has been created,” he explains. “In my mind, in

the Middle East, you’ve got the locals who are

doing the first part, the land acquisition and

business development. Then the second part of

it, which is the whole pre-construction part, is

being done by technical guys who come from

different parts of the world, then the third phase,

the sales and marketing phase, I think the region

lacks that now.”

“IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE TALENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST MARKET, THERE ARE GREAT PROJECT ENGINEERS, BUT THESE ARE NOT PEOPLE WHO CAN SELL AND MARKET A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN CREATED”

PREPARED TO QUESTIONYu Tao spends time with his teams to ensure he is fully aware of progress when meeting clients.

STANDING APARTSNC-Lavalin says it is

considered ahead of its competitors because of

its experience.

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ON SITE DUBAI TRAM BIGPROJECTME.COM

Project Name Dubai Tram

Project Type Public Transportation

Project Value $1.02 billion

Contractors Alstom, Besix and Parsons

Client Road and Transport Authority

Consultant Systra

Operator Serco

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ON SITE DUBAI TRAM

Ever since the Roads and Transport Authority

(RTA) launched the Dubai Metro project in

2009, the city has seen a constant focus on

the improvement of its public transport net-

work. Having first opened with 10 of 29 stations

in 2009, Dubai Metro’s Red Line was declared

complete in April 2010.

This was swiftly followed by the completion of

the Green Line of the Metro in September 2011,

extending the metro transport network across the

entire city.

Coupled with the pre-existing bus and taxi

network, it was assumed that Dubai’s public

transport needs were covered for the foresee-

able future. However, that would have been an

underestimation of the vision of the UAE and the

RTA, with plans launched almost immediately

to construct a tramway that would encircle the

Dubai Marina and Al Sufouh Road.

The project has been designed to be an inte-

gral part of the Dubai transport network, linking

the Dubai Metro and Palm Monorail. It will run

along Al Sufouh Road and Jumeirah Beach Road,

from Mall of the Emirates to the Dubai Marina.

Originally planned for completion in 2009, the

Dubai Tram project has endured a difficult run,

with the economic crisis having delayed it until

2012, and then subsequently to 2014.

It was finally announced, at the end of last

year, that testing on the trams would commence

Big Project ME gets an exclusive first look at the Dubai Tram project with Abdullah Yousif Al Ali, acting CEO of the RTA’s Rail Agency. Gavin Davids reports

OPERATIONREADINESS

in January 2014, ahead of a scheduled November

2014 launch.

“The Dubai Tram is expected to further

consolidate the public transport image in Dubai

and help improve the accessibility and mobility

within Dubai in general, and the new leisure and

business districts of the city in particular,” says

Abdullah Yousif Al Ali, acting CEO, Rail Agency

– RTA, in an exclusive interview with Big Project ME. “Being the first of its kind in the region and

one of the most sophisticated tram projects in the

world, it will add more value to the existing public

transport networks in Dubai.”

“THE DUBAI TRAM IS EXPECTED TO FURTHER CONSOLIDATE THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT IMAGE IN DUBAI AND HELP IMPROVE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY WITHIN DUBAI IN GENERAL”

TEAM EFFORTDubai’s tramway scheme is being overseen by Alstom, Besix and Parsons.

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ON SITE DUBAI TRAM BIGPROJECTME.COM

On 25 January, 2014 the RTA announced that

testing on the $1.02 billion project would begin,

with the first zone nearly completed and ready

for operation. The second stage of testing has

been pencilled in to start on 16 April 2014, the

authority says. Testing on zone three – that which

connects Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach

Residence – is due to begin on 14 June.

“Test activities include both static and dynam-

ic tests. The first test run went exactly as planned

and testing will continue till October 2014 to

ensure that all systems are performing and the

safety of the tram during operation is assured,” Al

Ali explains.

Given that the Tramway is being built in

the midst of – and the trams will travel through –

pre-existing infrastructure, the challenges

associated with the project are considerable.

One of the main causes of the delays has

been that the construction team, consisting of a

consortium of Alstom, Besix and Parsons, have

had to work around utilities that could not,

under any circumstances, be interrupted, as

Al Ali explains.

“(Furthermore) there were a large number

of road diversions in an already congested area.

As a result, there had to be coordination with a

number of developers, who all had different and

sometimes conflicting needs,” he adds.

“The Dubai Tram project came immediately

after the Dubai Metro project and a large number

of lessons learnt on the Metro were implemented

on the Tram. We in the RTA usually produce a

report containing all the lessons learnt at the end

of all our projects,” Al Ali continues to explain.

“These are used to develop and improve the

works on new projects.

“Some of the most notable lessons learnt are:

First, early coordination with all the stakeholders

is required to ensure that their needs and require-

ments are included in the contract.”

“Secondly, the tram and metro projects

should be run as an integrated programme of

sub-projects to ensure the proper integration of

all activities related to the successful launch of

revenue service,” he explains further.

DUBAI TRAM IN DETAILThe fleet comprises 11 trams in the initial phase, and 14 trams will be added in Phase II such that the total number of operating trams will be 25 trams. The tram ridership is expected to be 27,000 riders per day at the start of operations in 2014, and the ridership is bound to pick up to hit 66,000 riders per day by 2020.

Each tram measures 44m in length and has a capacity to accommodate about 300 riders. The Tram has a Gold Class car, one car designated for women and children and five Silver Class cars. The tram’s cars and stations will have high end interior finishing, and feature state-of-the-art technologies in the media and display of entertainment materials. In the stations, the passenger platform will span 44m and is set to be equipped with Platform Screen Doors and Automatic Fare Collections systems.

The tram track basically extends at-grade level along Al Sufouh Road but rises in an elevated section when passing across certain parts of the Dubai Marina for reasons dictated by urban context.

It links up with the Metro system at two stations along Sheikh Zayed Road (Dubai Marina and Jumeira Lake Towers stations) and with the Monorail of The Palm Jumeirah at the entrance of the Palm from Al Sufouh Road via footbridges to ease the transit and transfer of passengers between the two modes.

Al Sufouh Tram is considered the world’s first tramway project outside France powered by a ground-based electric supply system extending along the track, thus obviating the need for overhead power cables.

It is also the world’s first tramway that uses Platform Screen Doors in passenger stations fully aligned with the tram’s doors opening and closing mechanism, providing maximum convenience, safety and security for its passengers.

Source: RTA Website

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ON SITE DUBAI TRAM

PROJECT SPECIFICATIONSn Total line length:

14.5 km

n Average operational speed: 20 km/h

n Approximate time taken to travel full tram line: 30 minutes

thanks to the new integrated multi-modal rail

system of Dubai,” Al Ali asserts.

With the deadline for completion fast ap-

proaching, there still remains much to be done.

With the current project extending a total of

14.6km, with 17 stations along the way, Al Ali says

that Phase I of the tram project is just the start,

with plenty more to come.

“The RTA has developed a comprehensive

Rail Master Plan that responds to the current and

future needs of Dubai,” he explains. “The plan has

adopted some proposals for new rail lines (metro

and tram), as well as the future extension for

some existing lines.”

“In this domain, the current Dubai Tram pro-

ject is 10.6km, which extends between Dubai Ma-

rina and the Tram Depot near the Dubai Police

Academy. It represents Phase I of the Dubai Tram

project. Phase II will be extended for a further five

kilometres and seven stations to both the Mall of

the Emirates and Burj Al Arab at Jumeirah Road,”

Al Ali says, highlighting the ambitious vision

behind the project.

“THE BUILDING OF SOME OF THE TRAM STATIONS NEAR METRO STATIONS WAS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A DIRECT LINK AND TRANSFER OF PASSENGERS BETWEEN THE TWO MODES OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT”

collaborative effort and performance so far as

‘satisfactory’.

As mentioned earlier, the over-arching plan for

the Dubai Tram project is to eventually integrate

with the rest of Dubai’s transport infrastructure.

As such, the consortium and the RTA Rail Agency

have worked together to ensure that the tram

stations are accessible to commuters.

“The building of some of the tram stations

near Metro stations was intended to provide a

direct link and transfer of passengers between the

two modes of public transport. The Dubai Metro

project comes as part of the RTA’s strategic plan,

which aims to develop an efficient integrated

multimodal public transport network for Dubai,”

the acting CEO of the Rail Agency explains to Big Project ME.

“The outcome of the Dubai Tram system will

help provide a faster and more reliable way to get

around in some of the most vital communities in

Dubai, with zero emissions and hassles. The trip

to Downtown and other major business hubs of

Dubai will be more convenient and hassle free,

ELEVATED APPROACHOnce completed the stations on the Dubai Tram will pro-vide links to the existing and popular Dubai Metro.

However, Al Ali is quick to point out that the

consortium is working in tandem with the con-

sultant, Systra and the RTA team, to successfully

deliver the project, pointing out that the teams

are in daily communication to resolve any issues

or difficulties that may arise. He assesses their

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MARKET REVIEW NORTH AFRICA BIGPROJECTME.COM

Big Project ME examines the North African construction and real estate markets as investors and developers begin to view the region with cautious optimism.

Gavin Davids reports

NORTH AFRICA

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MARKET REVIEW NORTH AFRICA

A REGION OF CONTRASTA frost covered Fez in Morocco, a country investing into infrastructure.

Ever since the Arab Spring took hold across

Northern Africa, the region has been given a

wide berth by a construction industry wary

of entangling itself in situations that would

put lives and investments at risk.

Nowhere has this been more evident than in

Libya, which saw billions of dollars in projects

abandoned in the wake of the 2011 revolution

which left thousands killed and the country

devastated. Meanwhile, Egypt has lurched from

one crisis to another, with a population and

government constantly at odds with each other.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that construction

firms, even ones that are comfortable operating in

conflict areas, have been reluctant to get heavily

involved in projects in the region, as David Welch,

president of Bechtel Europe, Middle East and

North Africa, explains to Big Project ME.

“I know these places (Libya, Egypt and

the other North African nations) very well,

having visited them a number of times, but to

be honest, we’re risk averse when it comes to

security. We’ve had a lot of difficulty in some

places and we’re very conscious about the

security of our employees and those who work

on our projects,” he says.

“We have an electricity project in Sirte,

Libya – we’re the construction managers for it,

we’re having to manage that from afar because

of the security concerns. We’re not happy with

that, to be honest with you. My colleagues, the

construction and engineering guys, they’re

hands-on people and they like to be right there

onsite. So there’s a lot of dissatisfaction when we

have to manage from afar. It’s possible to do, but

it’s not the way we like to do it. However, I don’t

see that changing very quickly right now.”

This scenario is one that’s repeated across

many construction firms with operations in

the North African countries. However, it’s

not all doom and gloom, with a number of

independent observers pointing out that there

have been some significant good news stories

coming out of the region. A report entitled:

‘Deloitte on Africa – African Construction Trends

AWAKES

Al Garawi GroupAl Garawi Galleria, Al Orouba-King Fahad Highway Junction OlayaP.O. Box 41122, Riyadh 11521, Saudi ArabiaTel.+966 1 4196096 / 4195058 Fax. +966 1 4196101 / 4196103email:[email protected] / www.algarawigroup.com

MedcoP.O. Box: 17301, Jebel Ali, Dubai, U.A.E. Tel.: +971 4 881 8821 Fax: +971 4 8818944,

Showroom: Al Kwakeb Building, (B-Block) Sheikh Zayed Road, P.O. Box: 2904, Dubai, U.A.ETel.: +971 4 343 7400 / 343 7500 Fax: +971 4 3437600

email:[email protected]

Al Garawi Group an authorized distributor of the following licensee for Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait and Yemen.

Wolverine World Wide, the global footwear licensee for Caterpillar Inc.

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Report 2013’ points out that although the short

to medium term outlook for infrastructure

development is fairly uncertain, the demand for

development still remains.”

According to the report, there are reasons to

optimistic about progress in the region despite

turbulence in countries such as Egypt, Libya and

even civil war-stricken Syria.

“In North Africa, French-speaking Morocco

is a primary hub of infrastructure development,

particularly within the energy and power sector.

In its southern Tarfaya region, development

of what will be Africa’s largest wind farm

is underway. Completion of this project is

scheduled for 2014,” the report said.

With no real hydrocarbon reserves to speak

off, Morocco aims to fulfil 42% of its energy

requirements through renewable energy

resources by 2020, with a plan in place to produce

4,000MW. Half of this generation capacity is to be

sourced from solar energy, with the remaining

2,000MW coming from wind power.

“Also in the north of Africa, Tunisia is in the

process of building a Rapid Rail Link, which is

scheduled for completion around mid-2014.

Algeria has two gas processing facilities being

constructed, which are being prioritised over

power works,” the report continues.

Libya is also a market that will be of

future strategic importance due to European

dependency on oil, it adds. “The new Libyan

government’s project to generate an asset

register of state-owned assets is an important

signal of a country that is committed to future

development.”

Despite the political instability and unrest

in Egypt, it remains a strategically important

country in the region. This is a view backed by

Craig Plumb, head of research – MENA, for Jones

Lang LaSalle (JLL).

As one of the authors of the Cairo Real Estate

Market Overview for Q4, 2013, Plumb is well

placed to comment on the changing face of the

city’s changing real estate dynamics.

“While there remained isolated incidents of

social unrest, the fourth quarter was generally a

period of political and economic stability with a

number of encouraging signs of improvement on

both the political and economic fronts,” he writes

in the report.

“The government has progressed with the

proposed ‘road map’. The constitution has been

drafted and overwhelmingly accepted in the

recent referendum. This has resulted in a return

of investor confidence towards Egypt.”

“TO BE HONEST, WE’RE RISK AVERSE WHEN IT COMES TO SECURITY. WE’VE HAD A LOT OF DIFFICULTY IN SOME PLACES AND WE’RE VERY CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE SECURITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND THOSE WHO WORK ON OUR PROJECTS”

EGYPT’S IMPORTANCE Despite instability and

unrest, the country is showing signs of shrugging

off its recent problems.

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n Structural Waterproofing n Concrete Admixtures and Fibresn Specialty Grouts and Injectionsn Architectural Concreten Cement Additives

44 MARCH 2014MID

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This upswing in confidence has resulted in

a number of positive moves for the Egyptian

real estate and construction market, with Cairo

especially likely to benefit. Plumb’s report

addresses a new law that has been drafted to

simplify property registration in new urban areas

such as New Cairo and 6th of October City.

“This law will also provide better access to

real-estate loans for the lower income sector,”

notes Plumb. “The minister of housing has also

agreed to amend existing regulations in the

construction laws, to prevent further spread of

slum development.”

Some of the major projects either underway

or in the planning stage in Cairo also include

Emaar’s $428 million projects in New Cairo and

6th of October. The UAE based developer has

requested a total of 300,000sqm of land from the

Ministry of Housing to develop the two projects.

Palm Hills has also announced plans to

inject a further $142 million to speed up the

construction and delivery of units in their existing

projects in Cairo.

Meanwhile the Middle East Company for

Touristic Investment (MECTI) has announced

plans for a new 500 room hotel in Sharm El

Sheikh, investing around $14.5 million in the

project.

In addition, the JLL report says that the

Sabbour Real Estate Group has won a recent

auction for a 70,000sqm plot of land in New

Cairo. However, the research team points out

that it is unclear whether the land will be used for

commercial or residential purposes.

Welch adds that Bechtel has a few projects in

Egypt and that the recent upheavals caused a few

issues for his firm.

“In Egypt, we still have on going work, and

the recent disturbances were a bit of a shock.

The American and British governments were

advising some citizens not to travel there, as well

as some Gulf governments too, so we have a lot of

employees who are very cautious of those travel

warnings, but we think that we can operate in

Egypt effectively,” he asserts during an interview

with Big Project ME.

“In Algeria, we’ve had a number of projects

there in the past, but we haven’t got any current

businesses and we’re not pursuing it right now.

Morocco would be fine, but our track record there

is not very deep, but we’ll take a closer look at

Morocco,” he adds.

While it’s clear that deep uncertainties

remain across the North African markets, it’s

equally evident that it is also a tremendously

enticing proposition for construction firms across

the world.

With competition in the neighbouring GCC

region heating up, perhaps the time to take a

punt on North Africa is approaching, as Thomas

Gibian, chief executive officer of Emerging

Capital Partners, an international private equity

firm, says.

“ECP has invested in various African

engineering and construction companies

since 2006, and we have long been evaluating

opportunities in the North African market,”

says Gibian. “Unlike many western markets,

North African real estate and construction is

generally driven by a lack of supply to meet

the increasing demand from both foreign and

domestic companies.”

“ECP views the construction markets across

North Africa as uniquely poised for growth,”

adds Vincent Le Guennou, executive vice

president of ECP. “We believe the strong supply

and demand imbalance in the sector is a

compelling reason to invest.”

TUNISIA TURNAROUND?Medina in Sousse, Tunisia, a country that has undergone massive changes.

“UNLIKE MANY WESTERN MARKETS, NORTH AFRICAN REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION IS GENERALLY DRIVEN BY A LACK OF SUPPLY TO MEET THE INCREASING DEMAND FROM BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMPANIES”

NORTH AFRICA INDUSTRY BREAKDOWN

Industry value:

$6715 million

n 59% Energy/power

n 14% Transport

n 14% Real Estate

n 9% Water

n 4% Mining

Source: Deloitte

FOR A SPACE THAT REALLY ‘GETS IT’.THE FLOOR IS YOURS. TALK TO US.WHEN IT COMES TO IMPROVING YOUR FACILITY, NOBODY HAS MORE TO SAY THAN YOU DO. SO OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS TO LISTEN. BY WORKING WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, NORA WILL HELP YOU TURN YOUR IDEAL SPACE INTO A REALITY.

Sales contact UAEnora systems GmbH (JLT Branch)

2008 HDS Business Centre| Jumeirah Lakes Towers

PO Box 478392 | Dubai, UAETel.: +971 (4) 450 8175Fax: +971 (4) 450 8374

E-mail: [email protected]/corp

Anz_Crossline_Dubai_220x275.indd 1 22.01.14 14:37

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SPECIAL FEATURE DRY WALLING BIGPROJECTME.COM

With the UAE market riding high on increased construction activity, Big Project ME examines if and how drywalls can contribute to speedy architectural work

DESIGNERDRYWALL

Scott Carter, a Chicago-based artist may

just have redefined drywalls with his own

unique twist on them.

Carter, a graduate of the Savannah

College of Art and Design was in the news last

month for having ‘entered a few gallery rooms

and deconstructed the walls to build practical

objects’, as it was described by lifestyle website

pastemagazine.com.

Involving the building of tables, chairs and

artefacts using different shapes and elements of

drywalls, Carter’s work redefines the building

material into a more evolved architectural and

design element. Understandably, then, Big Project ME was curious to discover the value

of drywall application as beyond its typical

parameters.

“Modern high performance drywall systems,

at their most basic, comprise a high strength

metal framework – floor and ceiling channels

with vertical studs between – and a plasterboard

lining,” says Jason Hird, senior technical

development manager at Gyproc Middle East.

“Different stud widths and profiles, and a choice

of lining options, means the construction is very

versatile.

“With the latest generation of lightweight wall

and partition systems construction is simpler,

faster and more flexible. They’re installed in

half the time of masonry, so fit-out can proceed

quickly,” Hird adds. “There’s less down-time and,

unlike masonry systems, they don’t rely on the

skill and accuracy of the installer for optimum

performance.”

The most prominent advantage of drywalls is

their inherent ability to save time.

“Drywall is many times quicker than

blockwork, as it is not as limited by functionalities

of the latter, where only a certain number of

courses of block can be laid per day,” says Chris

Service, operations manager at Khansaheb

Interiors. “Gypsum is ideal for the installation of

services as one side of the wall will be boarded at

a time; the services are then installed, followed by

the other board.

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SPECIAL FEATURE DRY WALLING

Scott Carter, a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, will display his drywall sculptures with Beers Contemporary at the London Art Fair later this year. Carter entered a few gallery rooms and deconstructed the walls to build practical objects.

Carter’s furniture sculptures ‘Less is More’ (living room chairs) and ‘A Temporary Engagement’ (dining room table and chair) are built out of drywall and carved into circles, rectangles and linear planes, while ‘Departing from the Rules of Harmony’ (neoclassical bust) was created from galvanized steel studs and different drywall shapes that have been stacked and spliced in order to recreate a 17th century statue by Antonio Canova. Carter’s purpose of creating these pieces of furniture is to ponder the value of modern architecture, design and gallery spaces. – pastemagazine.com

INSPIRED ARCHITECTURE

“In blockwork, the wall is installed, followed

by chasing for the services. The wall is made good

and finally plaster is installed. This is both time

consuming and messy,” adds Service.

Additionally, plasterboards are also

preferred for their fire-resistance abilities. Large

manufacturers of drywalls pass their products

through rigorous in-house and third-party tests to

ensure appropriate fire-resistance standards are

met and achieved.

“Many architects prefer drywall systems

because they are tested to provide a set level of

performance in key areas such as fire, acoustics

and impact resistance, so are easier to specify

for more complex projects,” says Hird. “At the

Sharjah Expo Centre, for instance, a minimum

60-minutes fire protection was essential to

both sides of the extra wide span ceilings; the

design ruled out traditional lining solutions,

but an appropriate Gyproc drywall system was

developed to meet all requirements.”

Understandably then, the applications of

drywalls are not limited to sectors, and can be

incorporated across various structure verticals,

such as healthcare, military and so on.

“The portfolio of drywall systems can now

cater for an incredibly wide variety of both uses

and sectors, achieving acoustic requirements,

fire ratings and strength,” says Service. “There

are even lead linings available for x-ray rooms in

hospitals.”

Hird echoes this view: “because our systems

meet multiple criteria, such as fire performance,

high levels of acoustics and good impact

resistance, they are extensively used in hospitals

and schools where noise control is key and

impact resistance is essential to prevent damage

in high traffic areas.

“They are also a firm choice for high-

rise towers, because of their excellent fire

performance,” continues Hird, whose noise,

moisture, mold and pollutant resistant products

at Gyproc Saint-Gobain have been used in GCC’s

health sector, such as in Abu Dhabi’s Cleveland

Clinic and Doha’s Naufar Healthcare Facility.

As is the case with most multi-functional

building materials, drywalls also bring with them

the challenge of application and the requirement

of product-knowledge. “Contractors during

construction have to be careful about who is

employed to erect the drywalls,” warns Service.

“There are many sub-contractors who install

drywall as it is perceived to be straightforward,

but they often use labour who might be untrained

and of a low skill level. This will result in poor

finishes and reduced longevity.

“DRYWALL IS QUICKER THAN BLOCKWORK, AS IT IS NOT LIMITED BY THE FUNCTIONALITIES OF THE LATTER, WHERE ONLY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF BLOCKS CAN BE LAID PER DAY”

NEW HORIZONS Drywalls are gaining

global popularity as new architectural options

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SPECIAL FEATURE DRY WALLING BIGPROJECTME.COM

“We alleviate that challenge at Khansaheb

with the in-house set of drywall installers whom

we have trained in a way to allow efficient

undertaking of operations,” continues Service,

emphasising on the need for training to enhance

drywall application.

“One of the key benefits in drywalls

for contractors is simplicity,” says Michael

Monaghan, technical academy manager at

Gyproc Middle East. “The basic skills needed

to erect the systems can be taught quickly, and

contractors can even up-skill their workforce on-

site. Modular one or two-day training courses can

provide all of the knowledge and skills needed,

as well as teaching important issues such as

safety, correct handling techniques and site best

practice.”

As Carter’s artworks demonstrate, drywalls

can clearly be modified – with appropriate

handling – to find better roles in the building

process and better their incorporation into the

designing aspect of a structure.

“We (Khansaheb) regularly undertake curved

walls and domes made of drywalls; we are even

doing cornices of late,” informs Service. “Our

factory includes a trained team working on a

“CONTRACTORS DURING CONSTRUCTION HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHO IS EMPLOYED TO ERECT THE DRYWALLS”

“Gyproc plasterboards contain recycled

gypsum and are fully recyclable,” informs

Robinson. “Our liners are made from 100%

recycled paper fibre.”

Service feels that while the recyclability

of drywalls is a very plausible concept,

advancements are required in the region’s

ability to hone the same. “Plasterboard can be

recycled,” he explains. “The UAE, however, is

not yet as developed as many other countries

where recycling of Gypsum is commonplace.

Nevertheless, it is evident there is a drive to

improve it here.”

The advantages of drywalls are many – while

the industry has argued against the product’s

ability to sustain weights or prevent moisture

accumulation, market leaders such as Gyproc

Middle East and Khansaheb Interiors are showing

how relevant technologies can be developed to

reduce the perceived disadvantages of drywalls.

Their cost-effectiveness is an obvious benefit of

usage – unit rates per metre square for drywall are

typically over 40% less than those of equivalent

masonry, says Hird – but Carter’s works prove

drywalls have the ability to adapt to UAE’s

futuristic architecture.

NOT FOR ALLAll industry experts agree on the need for specialised training for drywall-installation

Megacom gypsum machine, which allows all

bulkheads to be pre-made at a speed and quality

that would otherwise be impossible to achieve

on site.”

“At SEGA Republic’s indoor park in Dubai

Mall, curved partitions and tall bulkheads were

created using a system specially designed for

curved applications,” says Peter Robinson,

marketing manager for Gyproc Middle East.

The case for sustainability persists across

drywalls too – with the need to ‘go green’ affecting

most major developers and consultants in the

region, drywall manufacturers and suppliers are

not too far from accommodating environment-

friendly requirements into their products.

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MARKET REVIEW SANITARY-WARE BIGPROJECTME.COM

SYMBOTIC RELATIONSHIPThe sanitary-ware market stands to benefit from construction growth in the region.

51MARCH 2014 MID

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MARKET REVIEW SANITARY-WARE

Big Project ME explores the economics behind GCC’s growing domestic sanitary-ware market

HOMEADVANTAGE

a fruitful sector of the region’s construction

industry. Ramesh broadly divides the upward

movement of the sanitary-ware market to three

interrelated factors.

The GCC’s construction market is recovering

steadily, notes Ramesh, especially from the first

quarter of 2013, and the strong financial strength

of major countries like KSA, the UAE and Qatar is

giving it a boost.

“Governments of the GCC countries have

allocated a considerable share of their spending

on developing the construction industry,

especially educational institutions, healthcare

facilities, and affordable housing, apart from their

infrastructure investments. Even in the UAE, the

construction market is gradually reviving, mainly

through the resumption of delayed projects,”

Ramesh continues.

“The demand for sanitary-ware in the

GCC is quickly increasing through private

and government spending on construction

development in residential, healthcare,

educational, and other commercial sectors,”

he adds. “Private residential apartments

and government housing complexes are the

The GCC’s vast construction industry, with

its many functions and services, is often

impacted by seemingly simple factors –

building materials, for instance.

A report by Saudi daily Arab News claims

while investment in construction could be up to

$298.6 billion (SAR1.12 trillion) by 2016, some

materials, such as sanitary-ware, are still not

easily accessible in the market.

“The lucrative sanitary-ware market is

highly correlated with the construction sector

growth,” says Kumar Ramesh, industry manager,

environmental and building technologies

practice (MENASA), Frost & Sullivan.

“Within two decades since the inception of

sanitary-ware production, the GCC became one

of the prominent sanitary-ware hubs of the world.

Moreover, the region has some of the world’s top

manufacturers contributing about 6-7% of the

world’s sanitary-ware production volume. The

GCC market demand for sanitary-ware amounted

to 15.6 million pieces in 2013 and it is likely to

reach 26.9 million pieces by end of 2018.

“The sanitary-ware market, a subset of the

ceramic industry, will benefit from the dynamic

growth and market penetration of the same

industry to reach untapped market segments,”

explains Ramesh.

Viewed mostly as a design-driven

functionality, sanitary-ware products are

gradually expanding into a market of their own.

Local production of sanitary-ware in the UAE and

GCC has significantly reduced costs of imports

from Asian and European markets, making it

prominent end-user segments contributing about

40% of the total GCC sanitary-ware market.

“Residential sector growth is driving the

market to the next level, especially in select

counties like KSA, the UAE, and Qatar. Increasing

hospitals and educational organisation

developments in Qatar have resulted in 12% and

10% market share respectively,” divulges Ramesh.

Toni El Kadi, area manager for Germany-

based Duravit’s UAE, Qatar and Oman operations

elaborates on the sector-wise demand for

sanitary-ware products. “Each sector has a

different, individual type of demand,” explains El

Kadi. “The percentage varies constantly.”

Currently, there is growth potential in the

hospitality business due to the UAE becoming

an international hub. Geographic markets are

also contributing beneficially to the expanding,

product-sensitive sanitary-ware market.

“Dubai and Abu Dhabi are our main markets

in the GCC,” says Sergio Raveyre, sales manager

for the Middle East and French Overseas at

France-based, Atlantic International. “We have

been in the Middle East for over ten years, and are

commercially present in all the region’s markets,

“THE GCC MARKET DEMAND FOR SANITARY-WARE AMOUNTED TO 15.6 MILLION PIECES IN 2013 AND IT IS LIKELY TO REACH 26.9 MILLION PIECES BY END OF 2018”

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MARKET REVIEW SANITARY-WARE BIGPROJECTME.COM

including KSA, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and so on.

“Our plans for the Middle East include the

provision of products that allow the incorporation

of solar energy,” he adds.

Raveyre is not alone in his endeavour to

increase the sustainability quotient of sanitary-

ware products.

“Generally,” explains El Kadi, “the

sanitary industry has been making a decisive

contribution in terms of global sustainability

targets for many years. The upcoming challenge

will be to develop innovative solutions and to

optimise existing technologies that are already

on a very high level today.”

UAE’s multiple sustainability frameworks –

the most recent being Dubai’s Green Building

Code – further the industry’s sentiment to include

environment-friendliness at every stage of

product development.

“We constantly communicate with

authorities to see how they seek to address the

subject of sustainability,” says Raveyre. “Our

products in Europe work on the principles of

renewable energy, the most prominent source

being solar heat.

“Because we are competing with sub-standard

materials in the market – which are often low-

priced – it is difficult to show users the benefit of

solar-powered sanitary-ware.”

It may be argued that the low-priced, poor

quality products Raveyre speaks of are what

will prove detrimental to the region’s market for

sanitary-ware.

“Only a few ceramic producers are part of

the market, which results in non-competitive

pricing,” explains Ramesh. “Additionally,

production and imports of low-quality and

low-priced sanitary-ware from China poses stiff

competition for domestic as well other high-

quality imported brands.”

Raveyre believes governments in the region

carry the onus to show the benefits of sustainable

sanitary-ware.

“The cost of water in the Gulf is relatively

lower than in the rest of the world. Therefore, it

becomes very difficult to convince the market

to switch to renewable energy solutions, mostly

because their advantages are only visible over

the long-term,” continues Raveyre. “European

governments, for instance, offer subsidies on

INCREASED CAPACITIESThe GCC is now in a

position to export 35-45% of its output to the world.

the usage of renewable energy, whereas it is

only viewed as an added expense here. It is very

difficult to address these problems in this region,

and we don’t think people are ready to pay more

for the sake of long-term economic benefits.”

Nevertheless, the region’s sanitary-ware

market is in a strong position to produce for

its demand.

“The GCC is a hot spot for export of all

international brands from Europe, China, Italy,

and Spain,” says Ramesh. “The concentration of

imports in the GCC has come down drastically

to about 30-35% of total volume as compared to

about 50-60% during 2010-2011. As a result, the

GCC is now in a position to export about 35-45%

of its production volume to the rest of the world.”

It is evident from the industry responses that

the region’s sanitary-ware market is set to grow

– as local manufacturers multiply their scale of

operations in an endeavour to meet the region’s

demand, the influx of international brands,

attracted to the region’s thriving construction

boom, will ensure that the sanitary-ware market

in GCC and the UAE maintains a parity between

its demand-supply dynamics.

DEMAND DYNAMICS

n 44% Saudi

n 29% UAE

n 8% Qatar

n 7% Kuwait

n 7% Oman

n 5% Bahrain

GCC Sanitary Ware Market Demand, 2013

Source: Frost & Sullivan analysis

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commercial water controlsElectronic mixers, taps & showersTime flow mixers, taps & showers

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HosPital water controls + FiltersMixers & taps for Healthcare professionals

Mixers & taps for patientsInnovative, hygienic solutions for healthcare

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Shower seatsHygienic accessories for commercial and public places

Water Saving • endurance • HygieneSafety • acceSSibility

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COMMENT SHANI FOAD BIGPROJECTME.COM

GCC economies have long been reliant

on expatriate labour, but changes

are on the way as governments seek

improved long-term economic security

and sustainability. Investing in the national

population, ensuring they develop the best

professional skills, is a priority for governments

in the region. Expanding professional women’s

participation in the workforce is also becoming

more important.

Many women in the region have tradition-

ally gone overseas for higher education, with

the US especially popular. This is slowly chang-

ing, as the gender gap closes on local university

education. In nearly two thirds of Middle East

countries, there are now more women than

men in university according to United Nations

statistics. This large pool of highly educated

women does not always translate into greater

equality in the workplace, but the expectations

of women, their families and employers are

now beginning to change.

Kuwait’s women project managersKuwait’s Ministry of Public Works (MPW) has appointed Faithful+Gould to establish a world class Project Management Office. The training of local women professionals is an important part of the plan

SHANI FOAD

Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works (MPW)

demonstrates an excellent example of training

opportunity for its women employees. Respon-

sible for the planning, design and construc-

tion of most public sector capital projects, the

Ministry is now embedding international best

practice into its built environment systems.

Faithful+Gould is training a team of 180

MPW professionals to manage and operate

projects, as part of the Project Management

Office (PMO) initiative that will bring a culture

change to the Ministry. Ninety of MPW’s team

are women, typically with two to five years’

professional experience. Most of the women

are graduates (some with master’s degrees)

in disciplines including architecture, civil

engineering, chemical engineering, mechani-

cal and electrical engineering, and computer

science. Some are now applying for PhD study.

In the first phase of the 30-month project,

Faithful+Gould partnered with Kuwait United

Development and specialist sub-consultant

CMCS to review MPW’s existing organisation

and the methods used to manage its projects. A

tailor-made Project Control System (PCS) has

been developed as the second phase, cen-

tralising and standardising planning, design,

procurement, construction and operation

processes. An evaluation and continued train-

ing phase will ensure that the newly embedded

system is understood and fully functional.

Our team of 45 project managers are working

"THE MPW TEAM’S EXPERIENCE WILL HOPEFULLY INSPIRE OTHER KUWAITI WOMEN TO ESTABLISH AND SUSTAIN SUCCESSFUL CAREERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY"

55MARCH 2014 MID

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COMMENT SHANI FOAD

closely with MPW to ensure significant legacy

benefits. The resulting PMO capability will ena-

ble MPW to exercise ongoing control throughout

the project lifecycle, including efficient opera-

tion and maintenance of completed projects.

The training of MPW’s professionals is part

of a wider initiative in Kuwait, where incoming

consultancies are required to contribute to the

country’s investment in training and develop-

ment. On this project the training comprised

39 days of formal tuition, followed by 39 days of

project-based training.

Shani Foad, Faithful+Gould Learning and

Development manager, commented:

"The women in MPW’s team are espe-

cially enthusiastic and receptive to the project

Shani Foad was the former Regional Learning

and Development manager (Middle East and

India) for Atkins and Faithful + Gould

management training they’re receiving. They

also provide a great mutual support network

for each other – a collaborative approach that

helps women fulfil their potential in this tradi-

tionally male-dominated industry.

The MPW women are determined to invest

in their own training and self-development,

which in turn invests in their country’s social

and economic wellbeing.

"In the long term, women could form a

significant part of Kuwait’s construction talent

pool. The MPW team’s experience will hope-

fully inspire other Kuwaiti women to establish

and sustain successful careers in the construc-

tion industry.

"My own career at Faithful+Gould and

Atkins gives me a great opportunity to model

progression for women in Kuwait’s construc-

tion industry. The Atkins group has recently

been listed in the 2013 Times Top 50 Employers

for Women, demonstrating that the construc-

tion and engineering industries can offer good

opportunities for women. It would be good to

see more women in the Middle East – nationals

and expatriates – being able to access careers

in these industries and I hope we’ll see more

employers like MPW leading the way." n

GIRL POWERExpanding the professional participation of women in the GCC workforce is becoming increasingly important.

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TENDERS BIGPROJECTME.COM

www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 346 6456 | [email protected]

INTEGRATED ESTIMATING, PROJECT CONTROL

AND ERP SOLUTION FOR CONTRACTORS

TOP TENDERS

PROJECT NAME: SHAYBAH ARABIAN LIGHT CRUDE INCREMENT PROJECT

BUDGET $410,000,000

REGION Saudi Arabia

CLIENT Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco)

DESCRIPTION Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for a light crude increment project

STATUS Current Project

PROJECT NAME: WAAD AL SHAMAL TRANSFORMER STATION PROJECT

BUDGET $25,000,000

REGION Saudi ArabiaCLIENT Saudi Electricity Company - Central Region (Saudi Arabia)

DESCRIPTION Construction of a 132/13.8 kV transformer station at Waad Al Shamal


PROJECT NAME: AL RAYYAN ROAD UPGRADE PROJECT

BUDGET $275,000,000

REGION Qatar

CLIENT Public Works Authority - ASHGHAL

DESCRIPTION Construction of a new road spanning 2.9 kilometres, consisting of four lanes in each direction, separated by a central median, in addition to 2 kilometres of side roads and associated service roads (approximately 5.8 kilometres)


PROJECT NAME: BURJEEL MEDICAL CITY PROJECT

BUDGET $327,000,000

REGION Abu Dhabi, UAE

CLIENT LLH Group (Abu Dhabi)

DESCRIPTION Construction of a Medical City comprising six towers dedicated to specific medical conditions, including (31) villas for long-term patients

STATUS New Tender

PROJECT NAME: JEBAL EL ZAYT WIND FARM PROJECT

BUDGET $70,000,000

REGION Egypt

CLIENT Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC)

DESCRIPTION Construction of a 1000MW wing ram at Jebal El Zayt

STATUS New Tender

November 2013

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST48

Ten Tips

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UAEHARD ROCK HOTEL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT - SARAYA DEVELOPMENT

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2674-UCLIENT Aabar Properties LLCCITY Abu Dhabi PHONE (+971-2) 222 2233FAX (+971-2) 222 2333EMAIL [email protected] www.aabarproperties.comDESCRIPTION Construction of a five-

star Hard Rock Hotel comprising (5) basement levels, (4) podium levels, (32) floors and (4) levels of servicesSTATUS New ProjectDESIGN CONSULTANT AedasPROJECT MANAGER Confluence Project ManagementTENDER CATEGORIES Hotels, Prestige Buildings, Leisure & EntertainmentTENDER PRODUCTS High-rise Towers, Hotel Construction

POLYMER PLANT PROJECT - KIZAD

PROJECT NUMBER WPR092-UCLIENT Polysys Additive Technologies Middle EastCITY Abu Dhabi DESCRIPTION Construction of a new Polymer plant with initial production capacity of 7,000 tonnesSTATUS Current ProjectMAIN ARCHITECT WH International (Abu Dhabi)MAIN CONTRACTOR System

Construct (Abu Dhabi)TENDER CATEGORIES Industrial & Special ProjectsTENDER PRODUCTS Chemical Plants

SAUDI ARABIATOWERS, CONVENTION CENTRE & SERVICE BUILDINGS PROJECT

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2855-SACLIENT Rayadah Investment Company (Saudi Arabia)CITY Riyadh 11564 PHONE (+966-1) 205 9911FAX (+966-1) 205 9922EMAIL [email protected] www.raid.com.saDESCRIPTION Construction of three towers, a convention centre and related service buildingsSTATUS New TenderTENDER CATEGORIES Prestige Buildings, Construction & ContractingTENDER PRODUCTS Commercial Buildings, High-rise Towers

FIVE-STAR HOTEL PROJECT - RIYADH DIPLOMATIC QUARTER

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2807-SA

MIDDLE EAST TENDERS PROVIDED BY

Tel +9712-6348495Web www.MiddleEastTenders.comEmail [email protected]

SPONSORED BY

Tel +9714 346 6456 Web www.ccsgulf.comEmail [email protected]

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TENDERS




CLIENT Saudi Hotel & Resorts Company - SHARACO (CITY Riyadh PHONE (+966-11) 481 6666FAX (+966-11) 480 1666WEBSITE www.saudi-hotels.com.saDESCRIPTION Construction of a five-star hotel comprising four storeysPERIOD 2016 STATUS New TenderDESIGN CONSULTANT Perkins & WillTENDER CATEGORIES Construction & Contracting, HotelsTENDER PRODUCTS Hotel Construction

QASSIM DOMESTIC AIRPORT EXPANSION PROJECT

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2878-SACLIENT General Authority of Civil Aviation - GACA (Saudi Arabia)CITY Jeddah 21165 PHONE (+966-2) 640 5000 Ext: 2337 / 3368FAX (+966-2) 640 1477 / 3876EMAIL [email protected] www.gaca.gov.sa

DESCRIPTION Carrying out expansion of an existing airport involving construction of a new terminal building along with other airport infrastructure such as a control tower, car parks and a mosqueCLOSING DATE March 27, 2014 STATUS New Tender

TENDER CATEGORIES Airport, Construction & ContractingTENDER PRODUCTS Airports Development & Management

MECCA BUS RAPID TRANSPORT SYSTEM PROJECT

PROJECT NUMBER MPP1907-SACLIENT Makkah MunicipalityCITY Makkah PHONE (+966-2) 573 9555 / 5228FAX (+966-2) 574 8633EMAIL [email protected] www.holymakkah.gov.saDESCRIPTION Development of Mecca Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) System covering a total length of 123 kilometres and (147) stations, including major highways and smaller local roadsSTATUS New Tender

PROJECT MANAGER Parsons Brinckerhoff International (Saudi Arabia)TENDER CATEGORIES Public Transportation ProjectsTENDER PRODUCTS Roads Construction, Roadways

IRAQ DESALINATION PLANT PROJECT - BASRA CITY

PROJECT NUMBER MPR1449-IQCLIENT Ministry of Municipalities & Public Works (Iraq)CITY Baghdad EMAIL [email protected] www.mmpw.gov.iqDESCRIPTION Construction of a desalination plant with capacity of 200,000 cubic metres a day

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BUDGET $115,000,000PERIOD 2016 STATUS Current ProjectMAIN CONTRACTOR Veolia Water (France)MAIN CONTRACTOR 2 Hitachi Corporation (Japan)MAIN CONTRACTOR 3 Arabco for Construction (Egypt)TENDER CATEGORIES Water WorksTENDER PRODUCTS Water Desalination Plants

FLARE GAS CAPTURE REHABILITATION PROJECT

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2877-IQCLIENT Basrah Gas Company (Dubai)CITY Dubai PHONE (+971-4) 405 4400FAX (+971-4) 329 3311EMAIL [email protected] www.basrahgas.comDESCRIPTION Carrying out rehabilitation of a major flared-gas capture projectSTATUS New Tender

PROJECT MANAGER WorleyParsons (Australia) TENDER CATEGORIES Gas Processing & DistributionTENDER PRODUCTS Gas Exploration & Production, Gas Processing & Separation

OMANW HOTEL MUSCAT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2873-OCLIENT Oman Tourism Development Company SAOC (Omran)CITY Muttrah PC 114 PHONE (+968) 2477 3700FAX (+968) 2479 3929EMAIL [email protected] www.omran.omDESCRIPTION Construction of 5-star W Hotel Muscat consisting of (290) hotel rooms and suites, including (29) suites and a royal villaSTATUS New TenderMAIN ARCHITECT COWI & Partners LLC (Oman)

INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTANT P49 Deesign & Associates Ltd (Thailand)LANDSCAPING CONSULTANT LMS International (Dubai)INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTANT Rockwell Group (USA)TENDER CATEGORIES Leisure & Entertainment, HotelsTENDER PRODUCTS Hotel Construction

JORDANAQABA LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2715-JCLIENT Aqaba Development Corporation (Jordan)CITY Aqaba 77110 PHONE (+962-3) 201 9933FAX (+962-3) 201 7735

EMAIL [email protected] www.adc.joDESCRIPTION Construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Aqaba Economic ZoneBUDGET $100,000,000 PERIOD 2015 STATUS Current ProjectSPECIALIST CONSULTANT Trowers & Hamlins (Dubai)SPECIALIST CONSULTANT 2 Tractebel Engineering (Belgium)MAIN CONTRACTOR Bam International (Netherlands)MAIN CONTRACTOR 2 MAG Contracting & Engineering (Jordan)MAIN CONTRACTOR 3 Target Engineering Construction Company L.L.C (Abu Dhabi)TENDER CATEGORIES Gas Processing & Distribution, Marine Engg. Works & SeaportsTENDER PRODUCTS Gas Export/Import Terminal, Marine Civil Works




• Meet the key consultants and contractors working on mega-airport developments across the GCC• Discuss projects and tenders directly with ‘Hosted Buyers’ from over 50 regional airport authorities• Join over 250 global suppliers at the airport industry’s leading business platform

SUPPORTERS CO-LOCATED EVENTS

ORGANISED BY

11-13 May 2014 - Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centrewww.theairportshow.com

BOOK YOUR STAND TODAYPlease call Raed El Forkh on +971 50 653 1941 or email [email protected]

TAP INTO THE US$100 BILLION REGIONAL AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION BOOM

Under the Patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al MaktoumPresident of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports,Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group

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DIARY THE BIG-5 SAUDI 2014 BIGPROJECTME.COM

BIG PROJECT ME PREVIEWS THE BIG-5 SAUDI SHOW WHICH CONTINUES TO BENEFIT FROM PROGRESS IN THE KINGDOM

THE BIG-5 SAUDI surpassed all expectations when it launched in 2011, and has continued to see phenomenal growth ever since. The event now encompasses the entire space of the Jeddah International Fairs and Exhibition Centre, as well as a purpose-built arena constructed onsite for the event and 3,000sqm of outdoor space. With 500 exhibitors in total – from 34 participating countries and national pavilions from Germany, Italy, Greece, China and Turkey – The Big-5 Saudi has established itself as a major regional event with a strong international reach.

The growth of The Big-5 Saudi is reflective of the buoyant Saudi construction sector, with an estimated US$94,147 million of projects confirmed for 2014. Much of this spend will be focussed on the Western Region of the country, for which Jeddah is the key hub.

The 2014 event will be the biggest year to date, with the launch of new features and opportunities for participants to find out more

ON THE CORNICHE The home of The Big-5

Saudi is the dynamic city of Jeddah.

about the latest technologies, innovations and solutions that can support faster, more efficient and more sustainable construction for the future.

Also new for this year is The Big-5 Seminar Series, with a schedule of educational seminars with local, regional and international experts from across the industry, presenting their views on the latest trends and challenges, sharing best practice and taking part in panel discussions. The seminars will run under the overarching theme of sustainable construction, from materials, architecture and master planning, to presentations on best practice, including the King Abdullah University for Science & Technology (KAUST) and the White Sky iHouse, a revolutionary a zero-energy residential concept designed to integrate electric cars and wind powered gyrocopters.

This free-to-attend series held over two days will kick off with a panel discussion titled Leaders in Construction, which will

HAPPENING THIS MONTH...THE BIG-5 SAUDI 2014

THE BIG-5 SAUDI 2014n When: 9-12 March, 2014, Jeddah

n Venue: Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events

n Tel: +966 2 667 3211

n E-mail: [email protected]

n URL: www.thebig5saudi.com

feature Andrew Johnson of Mace Group, who is serving as project manager of Jeddah’s Kingdom Tower, which is set to unseat Dubai’s Burj Khalifa as the world’s tallest building, along with John G. Spitz, SVP, Saudi Arabia, Hill International; a global construction consultancy that handles over $40 billion in projects across the country. Also on the panel will be Jesdev Saggar, managing director for Capital Projects & Infrastructure, Deloitte; and Oliver Plunkett, Buro Happold’s Saudi Arabia country manager. In addition to the seminar series, The Big 5 Saudi will host a selection of four USGBC certified LEED workshops.

THE LARGEST CONSTRUCTION EVENT IN SAUDI ARABIA

Register for FREE entry at: www.thebig5saudi.com/cpi15

Under the Patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mansour bin Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs.

OfficialBroadcast Partner:

Gold Sponsor:Diamond Sponsor: ExclusiveRadio Station:

Organised by: Co-organised by: Host Venue: SupportingOrganisations:

Exclusive Press Partner

LATE IN FEBRUARY, the Indian government

revealed that 455 Indian migrant workers in Qatar

had died in 2012 and 2013. The news comes hard

on the heels of the news that 191 Nepali workers

had died over the course of the last year, taking

the total number of deaths to 360 over the last two

years. A number of those deaths were attributed

to ‘unnatural’ heart failure, international media

has reported.

However, the Indian and Qatari governments

have insisted that there is nothing abnormal

about these figures, given the population in the

GCC country. Furthermore, the Indian embassy

in Qatar said that the ‘overwhelming number of

deaths were due to natural causes’.

The South East Asian country’s External Affairs

Ministry has gone one step further and told the

BBC that the “figures for the number of Indian

deaths in the last five years remain consistent”

and that they are “not in any way attributable to

any one cause.”

Despite these claims, human rights

group, Amnesty International has urged the

Indian government to give ‘more transparent

information’ about the deaths, and provide more

information as to their causes. In a statement,

Nikhil Eapen, a spokesperson for Amnesty , said

that he was concerned because the cause of the

deaths remained unclear: “What we need to

know is who these people were – how old they

were and what work they were doing – and how

they died.”

This information is important for everyone

connected to the Qatar World Cup. In fact, I

would say that it is vital that we know the details

for this. Concerns have already been raised

following the death toll amongst Nepali workers,

and these latest figures do little to quell the

unease that is growing.

The Qatari government has responded to

these revelations by publishing a ‘Workers

Charter’, aimed at protecting the rights of migrant

employees, but it is far too inadequate.

Although this 50-page document has

been developed in conjunction with the

International Labour Organisation, the

International Trade Union Confederation has

said it does not go far enough.

Firstly, the charter only details the measures

that Qatar’s World Cup Supreme Committee

plans to enact while dealing with contractors

and subcontractors over ‘key World Cup stadium

and infrastructure projects’. This is all well

and good, but it does not cover the thousands

of other workers working on other associated

projects around Doha. Nor does it deal with

the independent and private projects currently

underway. Who watches over them?

Secondly, as detailed by Sharan Burrow,

general secretary of ITUC, the charter’s standards

are built on an “old, discredited, self-monitoring

system that has failed in the past in Bangladesh

and other countries, where thousands of workers

have died.”

Clearly then, all is not what it appears to be.

Big Project ME has been and will continue

to be vocal about these issues until something

concrete is done to ensure these workers have

adequate health and safety measures in place. In

May 2014, the Oryx Rotana Hotel in Doha, Qatar,

will be hosting the 2nd Annual Health, Safety and

Worker Welfare Summit. We will be there, looking

to ask some tough questions and get some hard

answers. I look forward to seeing you all there.

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CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM BIGPROJECTME.COM

GAVIN DAVIDS

The revelation that 455 Indian migrant workers have died over the last two years in Qatar raises significant concerns. It’s time to start asking the tough questions, says Gavin Davids

Time for Tough Questions

“WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW IS WHO THESE PEOPLE WERE – HOW OLD THEY WERE AND WHAT WORK THEY WERE DOING – AND HOW THEY DIED”

[email protected]

www.autodesk.com/bim

Intelligent ModellingUnleash the power of BIM and add value to the entire lifecycle of your building and infrastructure projects.

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