construction week - issue 305

SAUDI ARABIA BAHRAIN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES QATAR OMAN KUWAIT

ConstructionWEEK NEWS, ANALYSIS, PROJECTS,

TENDERS, CLASSIFIEDS, ANDJOBS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

JANUARY 23–29, 2010 [305]An ITP Business Publication CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

INSIDEINTERSECAre fi re and safety standards in the GCC as high as they seem?PAGE 12

GLASSHow are glass makers responding to calls for sustainable cladding? PAGE 25

SHOWCASEViews that cost over US $100 from At The Top of Burj KhalifaPAGE 30

CITY FOCUSThe latest news, projects and tenders from Makkah, KSAPAGE 38

Licensed by Dubai Media City

STEERING SCOTTCONSULTANT SCOTT WILSON ON CHASING PAYMENTS AND SETTING UP IN SAUDI ARABIA

Eddie Foster, regional director, Scott Wilson

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CONTENTS

12 NEWS ANALYSISExperts are delivering a mixed verdict on the state of the region’s fi re, security and safety industry.

15 COMMENTPhilip Adams discusses what contractors should keep in mind before handing in their designs in quantities.

17 FACE TO FACECW asks two materials suppliers what they expect the new year to be like.

REGULARS2 ONLINE4 MAIL

FRONT8 2010 BUDGET TO FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTUREA Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry analysis of the Dubai Government’s 2010 budget indicates a strong commitment to balance growth with economic welfare.

11 NEWS IN BRIEFHighlights of the week.

FEATURES18 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWEddie Foster, the regional director of Scott Wilson discusses the impact of the economic downturn, chasing payments and setting up in Saudi Arabia.

22 SITE VISITIs machine automation worth investing in? CW investigates.

24 SPECIAL REPORTHow are glass manufacturers responding to the growing demands for sustainable buildings and what can they expect from the year ahead?

DIRECTORY30 SHOWCASE32 TENDERS35 PROJECTS 36 SPECIALIST SERVICES

BACK38 CITY UPDATEThe latest news and projects from Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

40 DIALOGUEHow much paint did Jotun use to coat the Burj Khalifa and what’s next in store for the company?

JANUARY 23-29, 2010 | ISSUE 305

1JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

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CONSTRUCTION WEEK JANUARY 23–29, 20102

FEATURESBUSINESS

CITY UPDATE: ABU DHABIThe UAE capital is expected to keep on building this year.

FM

GULF SECURITY INDUSTRY SHOWS GROWTHAED3.6 billion market is growing at some 10% per year.

The Dubai government last week issued a statement offering to house the United Nations, should the organisation decide to move from the US – prompting cheers from the construction industry.Following a report in Forbes magazine by an American professor in ‘Urban Futures’ at Chapman University in California, the government of Dubai announced in a statement that it is: “Fully prepared to host the UN headquarters on its territory in the event its offi cials take the decision to move from New York.” The academic, Joel Kotkin, argues that following the construction boom there is plenty of offi ce, resi-dential and hotel space available, saying that the government could “…offer to build a United Nations City to house the UN in any number of vacant offi ce towers. Business Bay has 65 million ft2 of offi ce space under construction in more than 200 high-rises. Dubai already has thousands of newly constructed apartments that await the interna-tional delegates.” For more on this story and to read Kotkin’s report, visit www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com

DUBAI OFFERS TO HOST THE UN

ONLINEwww.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

MOST POPULARHOW THE BURJ WAS BUILTHISTORY RISENTHE GREAT INDOORSPUSHING THE LIMITASPIRING HEIGHTS

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

HAVE YOUR SAYIS THE MARKET READY TO GENERATE LONG-TERM REWARDS?Will we see a transition towards long-term investments in the GCC?

JOBS OF THE WEEKSenior designer hospitality, Dubai, UAECAD operator interior design, Dubai, UAESales and trading manager – sand and gravel, Dubai, UAE

ONLINE POLLHOW WILL YOUR BUSINESS FARE IN 2010 COMPARED TO 2009?

30.8%I’m still really depressed.

25.6%The same.

23.1%A bit worse.

15.4%A bit better.

5.1%Much better.

DESIGN

HIGHEST CONTRACTING JOB IN THE WORLDFino’s Talal Saeed describes fi tting out the Armani Hotel.

YOUR SAY

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OF THE DECADE: YOU DECIDEWhat has been the most outstanding construction project of the decade?


MAIL

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

What is exactly fake? Most tool supply companies do not make the tools themselves. The majority of these are made by factories in China or India at very low costs. Once the brand label is put on, the price is increased by 50 to 100 times, and sold as a so-called branded item. Where are ethics of this practice? Unfair pricing causes the creation of so called counterfeit goods.

army because so many UN missions and offi ces have been bombed.ALEX T

Absolutely super. Dubai has the right infrastructure and global ideology to support this move. The Middle East is situated in the heart of the world – near Africa and the rest of Asia and Europe, so it is a perfect place for the UN to be located. Dubai also has fantastic security – it was able to apprehend a gang of runaway robbers from Europe in a matter of weeks. The population is almost gun free, peaceful and safe, one of the least violent Middle East cities. Let’s champion this move. Dubai needs the UN, wants the UN and will fulfi ll all of the UN’s wishes.RANIA

What a wonderful idea. It would do Dubai good after the recent bashing it has received. Security should not be a matter of concern. Dubai is defi nitely safer than the US and is not known to be meddlesome.MOLLY

RE: THE BURJ IS NOT A ‘STORM MACHINE’, SAYS HYDERAll this talk about a storm machine and stack effect is reminiscent of when Stephenson fi rst built his steam locomotive. People said that travelling at over 30mph would kill them as they would be asphyxiated by the wind rushing past

Destroying a load or two of such items does not solve the problem. JOE

RE: MOVE THE UN TO DUBAI: REPORTIt makes perfect sense and the reasoning behind Kotkin’s report is excellent, but what about security? Has anyone gone to the UN building lately? The place has its own

causing all the air inside the train carriages to be sucked out. Human nature is to fear what is beyond common boundaries.LAITH

A strong wind force crossing the top of an airtight cylindrical hollow structure will purge out everything from inside the structure due to a hydraulic principle known as Bernoulli. But, this is not the case with Burj Khalifa as it is not an airtight structure. Instead of generating a destructing storm, the it will keep surrounding developments safe from lightning.KESAVAN J

RE: DAMAC UPDATES JUMEIRAH VILLAGE PROJECTSI have purchased a studio apartment and we were promised the building would be completed by the end of 2009. Damac has not even written to its investors explaining the delay. Can Construction Week give us an update on the construction and infrastructure in the area of Jumeriah Village South?DELBOY

RE: ABU DHABI SET TO RELEASE MAJOR AIRPORT TENDERThis is going to be the fi rst major tender coming into the UAE market in 2010 and brings a great deal of hope for the contracting business in the region. FRANCIS MOYALAN

RE: FAKE CONSTRUCTION TOOLS SEIZED IN UAECompanies like Stanley go to a lot of effort to market their goods. This marketing reassures the consumer that the product does what it is supposed to do and if not, it can be replaced. Counterfeit products ruin the reputation of legitimate products and ride off the back of well known brands, which have done all the hard work. If a company wishes to establish itself in the market then let them do the work, that’s to say if it actually works. Destroying the products will teach people a lesson, it shows that Dubai is serious about maintaining a level of workmanship and that intel-lectual property rights is kept with the manufacturer. I hope to see more of this carried out.

JIM

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

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A Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry analysis of the Dubai Government’s 2010 budget indicates a strong commitment to balance growth with economic welfare, refl ecting the emirate’s determination to pursue fi scal spending after a challenging year gone by.

Dubai Chamber director-general HE Hamad Buamim said the budget represents a bal-ance between the necessity to support and stimulate economic activity on the one hand, and a commitment to sound fi nancial rules and principles of public funds management, on the other.

“This sound and prudent balance will send a strong message to the business community about the seriousness of the government to push ahead with a rational budget in 2010, and ensure that the economy is on a long-standing, stable growth trajectory.

“The budget is more likely to boost investor confi dence on the back of the government’s

FRONT

DUBAI’S 2010 BUDGET TO FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTUREBy Gerhard Hope

handling of the adverse situation, and in providing a timely stimulus to the overall economy of the emirate, which is looking forward to a better trading year.”

It is estimated that government revenues will reach US $8 billion (AED29.4 billion), while government spending will reach $9.64 billion. This represents a defi cit of $1.6 bil-lion, equivalent to 2% of the GDP. In terms of the operating budget, the government has suggested it will operate a surplus on its current budget of $520 million in 2010, although it has not provided a breakdown of how it will accomplish this surplus.

Key features of the budget are the comple-tion of the emirate’s infrastructure projects, fostering advancements in public and social services, and improving overall security measures. The estimated spending on the economic sector, infrastructure and trans-portation (which includes the RTA, Airport Foundation, Dubai Air Wing, municipality

and tourism) is $4.75 billion and the esti-mated allocation of government invest-ment expenditure for the development of infrastructure projects in accordance with set plans is $2.91 billion.

The analysis concludes: “It is clear that the sectoral distribution of government spending refl ects the balanced strategy of the Dubai government, which focuses on achieving high rates of economic growth and upgrading the welfare of the community. It takes into account the need to continue developing the emirate’s infrastructure and to support the economy, as well as adher-ing to the recommendations of the Dubai Supreme Fiscal Policy Committee.”

The budget bodes well for sectors such as construction. The Dubai government’s continued commitment to infrastructure – both in terms of completing existing projects and developing new ones – is a light at the end of the gloomy economic tunnel.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT GOVERNMENT REVENUES WILL REACH US $8 BILLION WHILE GOVERNMENT SPENDING WILL REACH $9.64 BILLION.

>News in briefs 11>Are fi re safety standards really all that safe? 12>Comment 15>Face to face 17


FRONT

DEWA, which serves nearly

600,000customers in Dubai,

aims to sign its fi rst contract with

private investors to generate electricity and water by H1 of 2011 at a 1000MW

power and desalination plant

Abu Dhabi’s TDIC has issued pre-qualifi cation invitations for 2 contracts in Abu

Dhabi – one for the Deyar Al Mafraq

project and the other for Sir Bani Yas

Island hospitality and leisure buildings on 5 facilities between

1000m2 and 4000m2

Contractors with an annual turnover of

US $5bnand ‘successful

completion’ of 5 similar projects in the last 10 years

have been invited to bid for Abu Dhabi

International Airport’s Midfi eld Terminal Building

HIGHLIGHTS

UAE

CRANE DEMAND SLUMPS AS BUILD SLOWSThe number of cranes in Dubai has slumped by around 50% from peak construction levels and current orders have ground to a halt. “For the last couple of months it is zero, totally dead,” said Manitowoc Cranes MD David Semple. But, he said his company plans to keep its HQ in Dubai for the foreseeable future. The peak time for crane manufacturing in the UAE was the middle of 2007, said Semple. During these boom times, the manufacturer was supplying between 10-20 cranes a month, mainly in Dubai.

UAE

DSI WINS TWO MAJOR CONTRACTSDrake and Scull International (DSI) has won two contracts worth US $49.4 million. Rotana has awarded the company a $17.4 million contract to supply MEP works for the Centro Hotel in Abu Dhabi – construction of the 27-fl oor hotel has already started and is projected to be

completed within 22 months. Meanwhile, the newly-established Drake & Scull Water and Power (DSWP), has won a $32 million contract to develop a 20,000 tonne chiller plant and two thermal storage tanks for Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa City.

Qatar

DOHALAND LOOKS FOR YOUNG QATARI ARCHITECTSDohaland has sponsored a professorship at Qatar University in an effort to begin teaching students of architecture and urban planning the modern Qatari architectural ‘language’ that will be employed in the 35-hectare Musheireb project. “DohaLand is the answer to Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned’s initiative to close a gap. The gap is an architectural language and a national identity that we’ve lost,” explained Eng. Issa M Al Mohannadi, CEO of DohaLand. “In the 1960s and 70s, we started to import architecture. There is nothing wrong with importing

architecture but it is wrong to import a style that doesn’t fi t for Qatar.”

Kuwait

BUILDING BOOMKuwait’s national assembly has given fi rst approval to a fi ve year development plan that could see massive spending on public works. According to a Global Investment House report, the plan will involve spending up to US $125 billion on oil and non oil projects and amongst the plans awaiting funding are Silk City – a new town to include the world’s tallest tower – a new container harbour and 25km causeway; a railway and metro system; and Project Kuwait, a complete overhaul of oil production infrastructure. The plan awaits second approval within the next two weeks.

UAE

FAKE CONSTRUCTION TOOLS SEIZEDFourteen thousand counterfeit construction tools were found in the UAE, after a warehouse and shop of an

unknown trader was raided at the end of last month. The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) seized the goods, including levels, snip cutters, chisels and measuring tapes from a distributor of fake Stanley products. The DED decided to fi ne the trader and destroy all seized goods.

KSA

TALLEST TOWER NEARS COMPLETIONJeddah’s King’s Road Tower is now in the fi nal phase of construction, according to Saudi developer Saqeifat Al Safa. The superstructure has a built up area of 10,000m² and will stand 140m and 37 storeys high once complete, making it Jeddah’s tallest tower. “It is easily distinguishable not just because of its height, but also because of its architectural features,” said Sageifat Al Safa president Mowafaq Al Hashimi. Faden Contracting is building it, while Abdullah Dughaither Architects and Consultants designed the building in collaboration with Kling Consult.

NEWS IN NUMBERS

Structural work has been completed on Damac’s 46-fl oor,

500-apartment Park Towers project

which will offer 3 retail and 7 offi ce levels. Recently,

construction progressed at a rate

of 1 fl oor every 5 days


ANALYSIS

Safe as houses?EXPERTS ARE DELIVERING A MIXED VERDICT ON THE STATE OF THE REGION’S FIRE, SECURITY AND SAFETY INDUSTRY

By Matt Warnock

clients across the UAE. The company’s Ken Pearce claims that standards in the GCC are now approaching best practice.

“Fire safety, certainly, is taken almost as seriously [as in Europe and North America] and there’s defi nitely still a demand for high quality products,” says Pearce.

The news on the surface is good; but just the smallest scratches reveal that not everyone working across the safety industry feels as confi dent and, given the glistening towers that pepper skylines across the GCC, it’s troubling to fi nd that fall protection is an area where shortcuts seem standard.

“There’s a growing awareness of safety practices but many contractors concentrate on price rather than safety standards,” admits Nishith Dand, director of Sure Safety, a company providing safety and protection gear for construction site workers.

“Of course, we’re talking about life itself here but, speaking more in terms of bot-tom lines, small companies not meeting standards can face fi nes heavy enough to bankrupt them.

“Still, all too often, the right safety clothing and equipment come as an afterthought; contractors simply don’t budget for the right products from the very beginning.”

Vertiqual CEO Roland Szasz agrees: “The market is splitting. The more specialist indus-

Fire and safety standards across the Middle East have improved dramatically and now lie only a few levels below Europe. That was the message

from many exhibitors at last week’s security and safety exhibition, Intersec, in Dubai.

While the region has been responsible for many incredible developments and structures – none more so than the recently opened Burj Khalifa – many still view GCC countries as being behind best practice where secu-rity and safety are concerned, but industry experts say that is no longer the case.

“I was working here in 2003 and it was altogether different – very few regulations, especially regarding the fi reproofi ng of steel,” says Dr Herbert Weiss of the German fi rm Rutgers, which provides fi reproof paint solutions for wood, steel and cabling.

“In the past three to six years that’s changed and there are improvements all the time.

“Today, the safety and fi reproofi ng sectors are seen as being as important as they are in Europe. With all the high-rises here in Dubai, for example, they really need to be, but the regulators have learned a lot.”

Vimpex is a UK-based specialist in fi re safety products and alarm systems with

tries – rescue, law enforcement, the marine sector – they see the value of buying high quality, certifi ed harnesses, webbing and ropes. But the average investor, entrepreneur or MD doesn’t want to spend money, so they look for the cheapest alternatives.”

Some of the problem, says Szasz, could lie in the transitory nature of construction workers that come here.

“Managers see workers come and go and, therefore, perhaps they’re a little reticent to buy anything but the cheapest shoes, helmets and harnesses.”

One thing that everyone agrees on is that the industry requires more internationally recognised safety standards which, in turn, must be checked by authorities.

“In Europe, there are standards across all countries,” continues Szasz. “If there’s a fall, for example, European regulations say that the harness and rope must be removed from operations – we have a new patented system which allow line managers to see which harnesses have been involved in a fall.

“Contractors need to invest in equipment certifi ed by respectable institutes – it’s too easy to knock out a dummy certifi cate on a computer these days,” adds Szasz.

“Absolutely,” agrees Weiss. “We’ve seen certifi cates being used in the region that pertain to one product but certify completely different materials altogether.”

Dand has had similar experiences too. “There have to be thorough checks. There are workers operating 70 fl oors up in what looks like a harness from the ground, but in reality is no more than some canvas or

EXPERTS CLAIM THAT STANDARDS IN THE GCC ARE NOW APPROACHING BEST PRACTICE.

IT IS STILL OFTEN THAT SAFETY CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT COME AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT TO CONTRACTORS.

too for developers and contractors to take the initiative and place safety and security, both during and after construction, at the centre of their projects.

Vimpex’s Pearce says that regional designers, developers and contractors need to think of security, fi re and safety as early in the design process as possible.

“Generally, the thought for fi re protec-tion comes too late and when it does, it’s rarely according to the initial specifi cations. Fire safety needs to be considered from the design or outline stages onwards and certainly well before a project goes out to tender,” says Pearce.

The economic slowdown has given an excuse to many owners, contractors and specifi ers for cutting back in certain areas but the message coming loud and clear is that under no circumstances should safety be one of those.

Especially in a region where some of the tallest towers defi ne the skylines.

material. That said, better contractors now are looking for specifi c, technical harnesses and helmets that suit each job – not just a one-size-fi ts-all solution. Those are the contractors that will prosper,” he added.

Most in the industry are taking matters of health and safety extremely seriously and are looking for regulations, checks and guidance. But, there’s a vast opinion that authorities are found wanting in this area.

“Product manufacturers appear to be frustrated by the lack of published infor-mation coming from Dubai Civil Defense about their ‘Product Approval Scheme’,” explains one industry observer.

“And there is further opacity concerning the reorganisation of all the emirate’s civil defense departments under one General Directorate, to be run by the senior offi cers of Dubai Civil Defense, and how this affects product approval in the other emirates, particularly Abu Dhabi.”

Time then for health & safety bodies to step up and provide the leadership and frame-work that the industry is calling for. Time

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

“The prospect of a fi re in a high-rise is very serious indeed and the results could be catastrophic,” warns Thomas Bell-Wright,

CEO and chief techni-cal offi cer of Thomas Bell-Wright Interna-tional Consultants, highlighting the need for the highest quality fi re products. In addi-

tion to providing façade and curtain wall consultancy services, Bell-Wright’s company owns the region’s only dedicated device for fi re testing products.

“Firefi ghters here still lack high-rise expe-rience and evacuation from skyscrapers is obviously complicated. So it’s important that products and materials are legitimately tested, certifi ed, labeled and able to contain any fi res within the building. It’s critical that products are fi re tested and certifi ed but also that the certifi cation is checked. Dubai will, at some point, be tested with a fi re in a high-rise project and we need to hope it’s up to the job,” he said. �

“FIRE SAFETY NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED

FROM THE DESIGN STAGE ONWARDS”


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

COMMENT

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

I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic of late and hankering for the good old days when a client’s quantity surveyor would prepare a traditional bill of quantities and utilising his vast experience, accommodate any ‘gaps’ in design in quantities. The result being a diffusion of the budget time-bomb that is usually ignited by the sudden realisation that the design wasn’t as ‘fi nal’ as everyone thought it was.

Whilst we may no longer have the tra-ditional bill we still have the ‘gaps’ in the design, although these days they are described in much more sexier terms such as ‘design development’ or ‘design clarifi -cation’ or my personal favourite ‘end user requirements.’ An attempt is still made to include contingencies in the budget however, in the absence of the detailed knowledge gained from a full take-off, such contingencies may be subjective and as a consequence, too often eroded before the budget is fi nalised.

Nevertheless, the problem of a ‘not so fi nal’ design still remains and the ‘gaps’ need to be fi lled. But how is this done? In that Never-Never-Land where everyone is trusting, co-operative and impartial, a contractor will receive detailed revised drawings incorporating extensive revi-sion notes. However, in the real world where most of us construction folk reside, the ubiquitous Shop Drawing inevitably comes to the rescue.

This essential design development tool can appear in many guises such as a fab-rication drawing or template.

I have had experience of several situations where shop drawings have been rejected over and over again, until they have become unrecognisable as shop drawings. This protracted rejection and approval process can often result in the transformation of a shop drawing into something resembling a construction drawing. In some more extreme situations the initial ‘For Construction’

drawings may be no more than schemat-ics with the result that the majority of the design is actually carried out through the shop drawing approval process.

The main impact of this on the contrac-tor or specialist subcontractor is a huge increase in their design resources and in particular, the requirement for armies of CAD operators. Plus, the receipt of changes and variations by the ‘back door’ and last but by no means least, accusations of delay and threats of penalties due to late approval of shop drawings.

In other industries such as rail, oil and gas and telecommunications, design devel-opment occurs more often than not, via the design document submittal process. Each design submission prepared by the contractor and submitted for approval, will be returned resplendent with one of several big red stamps such as: ‘Approved’, ‘Approved with Comments’, ‘Returned for Re-Submittal’ or ‘Rejected’.

In practice a contractor is more likely to spot a U-turn signal when driving on Sheikh Zayed Road, than see a nice big red ‘Approved’ stamped across his docu-ment. Frequently, the document will contain several comments, which will purport to describe some defi ciency in the detailed design, but may in fact represent funda-mental changes to the concept design or front-end engineering.

So what can a contractor do when faced with these problems? Well, fi rstly he must implement a process whereby each shop drawing or design submittal returned not approved, is thoroughly checked and veri-fi ed against the scope of works. If changes have been introduced, these need to be noti-fi ed, investigated and if necessary, claims submitted including full substantiation of costs. Secondly, he may also develop a robust cost valuation reconciliation system, which could provide an early warning of increased design resources.

Design Development by StealthPHILIP ADAMS DISCUSSES WHAT CONTRACTORS SHOULD KEEP IN MIND BEFORE HANDING IN THEIR DESIGNS IN QUANTITIES AND WHAT TO CHECK WHEN IT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED

Philip Adams is an associate director at Systech in Dubai. He has provided commercial, contractual and dispute

resolution advice on projects ranging from high specification offices, data centres and long distance fibre optic networks to major civil engineering

projects, multi-storey offices and hotels. He is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

and a fellow at the Chartered Institute of Arbitration.

“IN NEVER-NEVER-LAND WHERE EVERYONE IS

TRUSTING, CO-OPERATIVE AND IMPARTIAL,

A CONTRACTOR WILL RECEIVE

DETAILED DRAWINGS INCORPORATING

EXTENSIVE REVISION NOTES”


FACE-TO-FACE

MOHAMED AL DHAHERIReem Emirates Aluminium, General Manager

CHRISTOPHER HATZIGEORGIOUAlumil Gulf, Managing Director

The main affect was that we had to retender for many projects

because previous values have decreased. We had to retender at a

lower cost. The other affect was that many of the projects we had

tendered for, or considered in our budget, were put on hold.

HOW WERE YOU AFFECTED BY THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IN 2009?

HAS THE MARKET CHANGED SINCE THE DOWNTURN?

HAS YOUR BUSINESS STRATEGY CHANGED?

DO YOU THINK BUILDING MATERIAL PRICES WILL INCREASE IN 2010?

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR 2010?

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR PROJECTS YOU ARE WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?

The downturn affected most of our customers and as a natural

consequence, affected us also. But thanks to our widespread

geographical coverage we were able to minimise the impact of the

downturn for our business operation in the Middle East.

Yes. There was an infl ux of competitors to Abu Dhabi from China

given Abu Dhabi’s fi nancial strength and China’s low costs. Prices

have also dropped and we’ve had to introduce value engineering.

Companies are receiving late payments as clients have added new

clauses protecting them from paying up front.

The market has become very competitive. Value engineering

and discounts are prime. But we have always provided value

engineered solutions by offering alternatives within our product

range. We have over 50 different aluminium systems to propose

from. We are also very aggressive with our pricing.

In order to stay on top in a competitive market, we implemented

certain changes to our business strategy. We now accept tenders

of small scale projects and of various backgrounds, including Stick

Systems as opposed to only Unitized Systems. We are also now

more focused on working on projects within Abu Dhabi.

We are diversifying with new product development, which will

allow us to enter new product segments. We have fi nished testing

our new high performance unitized curtainwall range in Germany

and the US, and are targeting several high rise projects. We are

focusing on markets outside the UAE like KSA, Iran and India.

Currently, we do not foresee a change in the market where the

prices of building materials are concerned. However, this is

an extremely unpredictable market and an increase or even a

decrease in the prices is certainly possible.

Talking for aluminium specifi cally, prices have increased

considerably recently. This trend will probably continue for the

months to follow.

Abu Dhabi’s Al Reem Island including Reem Island, Etihad, Silver

Wave and Corporate Towers, Gateway District and Marina Club.

There is also Masdar and Danet Abu Dhabi. In Qatar we have Barwa

Commercial Avenue and in Dubai the Jumeirah Lake Towers.

We hope to be the top curtain-wall supplier in the Middle East. Like

any company that is keen to grow, we need to continuously expand

our existing clientele and win more projects. We are also focused

on penetrating foreign markets with a stronger team.

Currently, we are involved in projects in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah,

RAK, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Libya and India.

2010 will be a diffi cult year. Upcoming projects are hard to secure

and everyone is hungry for new projects. We are ready to play hard

and match our excellent product range with added valued services

at very competitive rates.

ALUMINIUM

CW ASKS TWO MATERIALS SUPPLIERS HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE NEW YEAR


EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWEDDIE FOSTER

How has the last 12 months affected Scott Wilson?It’s mainly affected our operations in Dubai, but it wasn’t such an upheaval because we didn’t have as big operations as many of our competitors. Certainly we’ve had to downsize considerably in Dubai and refo-cus attention to Abu Dhabi and Qatar. We still intend on doing work from our Dubai offi ce, but not on Dubai projects.

What about in Bahrain?In Bahrain we have seen a slowdown on our projects; we haven’t actually lost any projects but we’ve seen them go pretty slow. We’re hanging in and at the moment everything is ok, but we’re hoping things are going to improve this year.

Have you noticed more people coming into Bahrain in the last 12 months?Yes defi nitely. Our main competitors here are Atkins, Hyder and to some extent, Par-sons. But we are starting to see some other big names from Dubai come here or move over to Abu Dhabi.

Are you worried about a lack of upcoming projects in Bahrain?It is a concern, especially for a company like ours, which has concentrated more on private development work rather than government tenders. But having said that,

we are in negotiations at the moment for some new projects. As a consultant you are right at the front end and some people are still prepared to spend money on consul-tancy to get the project on the shelf and a design ready to move.

Is chasing money from clients a problem at the moment?Yes, certainly. We do still have some cli-ents, bless them, which pay on time, but we’ve got more clients that don’t. You’ve got to appreciate that the clients are having problems and if we have faith in them then we will try and work through it keeping in mind our own fi nancial constraints.

Has it reached a point where litigation may be necessary?We’re not in litigation with anybody in the Gulf. Generally we have projects that have slowed down, we will get the money but it will take longer. In these cases we con-tinue to work but minimise what we do until we get a return. There are a couple of cases where we’ve stopped work pend-

ing payment, but we’re still trying to work through it with them. It is recognised that the Gulf has been badly hit and so there is a bit of patience from our board.

Does this affect new projects in terms of your due diligence and risk assessment of the client?Yes, now we look at their balance sheets very carefully and see if they have enough cash set up for the development. The problem before was that everyone had a laissez-faire attitude and we were doing so much work that we probably didn’t go as far as we could have. That’s catching up to people now.

Looking back, could more thorough due diligence have prevented you getting burnt?I don’t think we have actually been burnt; there are some people that are not paying us, but at the end of the day they will pay, because you’ve got some very big names. You’ve got to hope that the Kuwaitis are going to sort out their banking system. The fi nance situation in Kuwait has a great bear-ing on the Gulf, particularly Bahrain.

So many people are waiting for a government stimulus package for the Kuwaiti banking system?I think that this is a signifi cant issue in the market. There is a lot of Kuwaiti money

STEERINGSCOTT WILSONCW SITS DOWN WITH EDDIE FOSTER, THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL

CONSULTANCY FIRM SCOTT WILSON, TO DISCUSS THE IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, CHASING PAYMENTS AND SETTING UP IN SAUDI ARABIA.

By Benjamin Millington

“THE PROBLEM BEFORE WAS THAT EVERYONE HAD A LAISSEZ-FAIRE ATTITUDE. THAT’S CATCHING UP TO PEOPLE NOW”


> For more people interviews log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

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in Bahrain and once the government gets the Kuwaiti banking system moving again it will be good. I’m fully confi dent that it will happen. I don’t think that they want to earn a bad reputation by defaulting on all these payments, but it’s caused a bit of a cash fl ow problem in the market at the moment.

What about the tendering process, have you drastically dropped your prices? Yes, and you think you’ve got a job and then they come back and ask you to look at the price and they know, that you know, that

there’s a lot of hungry people out there. We have signifi cant experience in some sectors of the market here, so we can ask for a little premium, but certainly our prices are pretty rock bottom at the moment. When they come back and ask for additions or lower prices here and there, it hurts, but unfortunately that’s the name of the game now.

Can these prices be maintained?If we can develop into the new markets, it will give us a cushion to weather the storm here, which is what we are doing, and hope that next year will be better. Long term I see this offi ce changing and becoming a regional base for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

Did the slowdown force you to refocus elsewhere in the region?We’d already started to view the Bahrain offi ce as a spring board for other things particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, because we recognised that Bahrain itself is a relatively small market over the long term. Of course the slowdown has focused our efforts even more on operations in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. We now have representatives in all those countries and we hope to have some good news on proj-

ects there very soon. We’re chasing a lot of work in Saudi Arabia.

How are you establishing yourselves in Saudi Arabia?We’re working on two fronts, as an interna-tional company working on specifi c project, which we’ve been doing on and off, for many years. The second front is to joint venture with a local entity, which we’re currently in the process of formalising.

Why set up your own JV in Saudi?As an international consultant we can look at big projects on a project by proj-ect basis. But having a JV with a Saudi company will bring us closer to the grass roots market, especially anything to do with petrochemicals. It basically opens up more doors. Our JV company will bring us into a certain area of the market that is more petrochemical related.

“WHEN THEY COME BACK AND ASK FOR ADDITIONS OR LOWER PRICES, IT HURTS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT’S THE NAME OF THE GAME NOW”

SCOTT WILSONThe Scott Wilson Group is a global

integrated design and engineering

consultancy within more than 6000

staff members in 80 locations around

the world. Key regions include the UK,

Asia-Pacifi c, Europe, India and the Middle

East, with regional centres in London,

Hong Kong, Warsaw, New Delhi, Bahrain

and Dubai. The Bahrain offi ce was set up

in 2005.


Is Scott Wilson, as a whole, undergoing a restructuring process?Last year, completely independent of the recession, it was decided that Scott Wil-son would move towards a more sector oriented organisation rather than being organised geographically. It doesn’t mean the regions are not important but that the sectors have a bigger say in how we oper-ate in any region. We’re split into certain sectors such as environment and natural resources, highway and transportation, infrastructure and buildings and strate-gic consultancy, which includes marine and airport work.

What are the advantages?One major reason is that it breaks down people working in silos, our skills and resources can be applied where necessary

in the world. It will also help us tell which sectors are doing the best - these fi gures can be lost when reporting as a country offi ce. This makes our growth strategies and opportunities clearer when analysing the fi gures. The change has not been fully implemented, it’s ongoing, but by the end of the fi nancial year we intend to be fully sectorised in the Gulf and people will be reporting along sector lines rather than us reporting as an offi ce.

Scott Wilson is heavily involved with a number of land reclamation projects. Are environmental issues improving at all?In the last four or fi ve years we’ve seen much more focus on getting the environ-mental aspects, especially the marine envi-ronment, right. Five years ago people could do things that they can’t get away with now because there’s been a welcome strengthen-ing of legislation. There is also much more emphasis on the consultant supervising the role of the dredging contractor and taking responsibility for it. This has improved the situation a lot.

GET TO KNOW EDDIE• Born in Yorkshire.

• Studied civil engineering at Sheffi eld

Polytechnic, graduating in 1970.

• Spent four years in the UK consulting on

motorway work.

• Left for Hong Kong in 1974 and worked

for the government on several large

airport contracts.

• In 1980 switched jobs to US consultancy

fi rm Wilbur Smith to work on island

projects around Hong Kong including

reclamation, transport and infrastructure.

• Spent nine months in Vanuatu,

conducting studies on inter-island

transport improvements.

• Returned to the UK in 1989 and joined

Scott Wilson.

• Was managing director of Scott Wilson’s

Indian offi ce from 1998 until 2005 when

he moved to Bahrain.

• Has two children: one daughter and a son

• Spends his spare time travelling to new

countries with his wife, watching football

and reading.

“THE FINANCE SITUATION IN KUWAIT HAS A GREAT BEARING ON THE GULF. YOU’VE GOT TO HOPE THAT THE KUWAITIS SORT OUT THEIR BANKING SYSTEM”

SCOTT WILSON IS WORKING AS CONSULTANT ON DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ IN MANAMA, BAHRAIN.


If there is one vision guar-anteed to terrify the general public, it would be the image of autonomous, robotic bull-dozers grazing over the wreck-age of cities once populated by humans.

Fortunately such a chilling dystopia is a little way off. While ‘total control’ ‘dozers are very much a reality, they only follow the blueprints fed into the computer, rather than making their own decisions on large scale urban planning matters.

The question is, how do such machines work at all, and what advantage can they offer? Simply put, total control is a system where a site is fi rst ‘staked’ using GPS Rovers. These devices consist of a rod, a receiver and a computer. The rod holds the receiver on top and it has a ‘point’ at the bottom, while the electronics sit in the middle.

There is usually a handheld device, which looks like some kind of industrial PDA, which tells an operator what the whole system is doing.

A base station is set somewhere on site and used as a reference point, and perhaps, marking out a site in this way supercedes the use of posts, string, chains or any other old way of marking the ground.

HIGH STAKESOnce the ‘stakes’ have been set, the data is loaded onto a computer with the surveyor’s original drawings. These are then passed to the computers, via radio, in the heavy machinery. The on-board computers can be fully 3D, or they can display the information in two dimensions, or even just as a string of lights, depending on which system has been ordered.

Machines that can benefi t from total control systems include not only ‘dozers and graders, but also excavators and even road compactors.

To put this to the test, we visited a large building site in the desert, some 50km out-side Abu Dhabi. The site, named South of Shamka, on completion will comprise of 10,000 new villas, taking up no less than 17 million m2. Currently at the groundworks stage, operations have been split between Tristar Contracting and Bin Nawi Contract-ing. It is the latter who we visited.

MACHINE AUTOMATION IS HERE, BUT WHAT PRODUCTIVITY INCREASES CAN BE WORTH THE INVESTMENT IN THE REAL WORLD? WE VISIT A SITE WHICH HAS SWITCHED TO AUTOMATIC MODE

By Greg Whitaker; Photos by Rajesh Raghav

IN TOTAL CONTROL

When a project covers this kind of surface area, the exact location of the heavy equip-ment can be a diffi cult thing to establish, which is where GPS comes in.

Smaller sites can get away with using regular surveying equipment, such as the now-common fi ve-second Total Station, but with this amount of ground to cover, the contractor decided to try a package from electronics fi rm Topcon.

Initially, this comprised of a system fi tted to two bulldozers, with a base station and a ‘rover’ – another device which clamps to the side of a car for taking readings on the move.

The contractor has just put in an order for a further four systems for bulldozers

PUTTING DOWN ROOTS: THIS SOLITARY TREE IS THE PROJECT’S EMBLEM.

“I’M SURE THAT THIS SITE WILL GET TRIPLE THE PRODUCTION FROM THE BULLDOZER”


and some for motor graders, which should be extra suitable for fi ne grading, as the company has just bought several of the new electro-mechanical Cat 14M machines.

BULLDOZERSMick Hales of Topcon, explains; “The two machines that have been equipped so far include a Cat D8R and a Komatsu D155A. The difference in terms of the electronics system is that in the Cat the unit calculates its position from the base of the track, while on the Komatsu it analyses the position of the blade itself.”

There are different systems available, which work in 2D and in 3D, with the lat-ter obviously displaying the topography of the ground in three dimensions. To be fair, the building site is currently so vast and barren that the display rarely shows much other than a graphic representing the machine itself.

All of the blueprints for the groundwork have been fed in the computer, which then tells the operator how much to cut and how much to fi ll. When the amount is within the tolerances set by the surveyor (which in this case is 5cm for rough grading on rocky ground, while fi ne grading can be millimeter perfect, depending on the con-dition of the machines hydraulics.) The operator then just follows a ‘box’ which displays the exact height of the blade in millimeters, which is green when the tip is inside the parameters, and red when it is outside. The operator then just needs

to make sure that the box stays ‘green’ to ensure a good grade.

This works particularly well, according to Hales, as you don’t need the best opera-tors in the world to get a good fi nish. We are sure that there are many site owners who will rejoice at this news – as we all know, there is nothing worse than having to double-handle work, because some of the drivers can’t follow the stakes.

Not that such drivers should be blamed. From the cab of the D8, forward visibility

ENGINEER WALID DAHER, OPERATIONS MANAGER, BIN NAWI CONTRACTING.

FORWARD VISABILITY FROM THE CAB IS VERY LIMITED ON EITHER MODEL.

A BASE STATION IS NEEDED ON SITE AT ALL TIMES.

“AS MANY AS SEVEN BULLDOZERS CAN FOLLOW THE PATH GRADED BY THE FIRST MACHINE”

THE VIEW ON THE SCREEN OF THE BULLDOZER.

comprises mostly of the exhaust stack, while the view through the angled doors is little better. Truly, it would require skill to drive this machine in the usual way. However, with the aforementioned screen, it becomes much easier for the operator. Hales says: “Different people will tell you different things (about productivity gains), but I’m sure they will get triple the production out of this ‘dozer.’”

He adds that even in fl eets such as this, where equipment is only fi tted to a number


of machines, the effi ciency gains can be quan-tifi ed: “You might not see it with just one ‘dozer, but everyone around knows where elevation is they are all much improved.”

Walid Daher, Operation Manager, Bin Nawi Contracting agrees with Hales.

“As many as seven bulldozers can follow the path graded by the fi rst machine” he says, adding that he was extremely grateful for the system, having used it in the past on other sites. “On this system, you just need to teach the operator how to use it and he

can do the job of both the supervisor and the foreman” he says. Recently the contract-ing company has placed orders for several more bulldozer and grader systems.

SATELLITEInterestingly, whenever equipment that uses satellite positioning is written about, it is usually referred to as being ‘GPS’, though in fact pretty much all of the systems from any of the manufacturers in construction is mentioned, what is being referred to is a technology that can not only pick up the Global Positioning System craft, but also the Russian GLONASS (derived from Global Navigation Satellite System) for increased accuracy. Hales points out that while is useful in the city, it is not so necessary in the wide open desert of this site.

FUTUREWhile not employed on this site yet, or indeed anywhere in the Emirates as far as we know, the fully automatic systems referred to at the beginning of this article is very much a reality in other parts of the world. The advantages are obvious – there is no chance of operator fatigue, and accuracy is limited only by mistakes in the original engineering drawings.

There are plans to get such a machine up and running over here. “We want to fi t total control to a Cat D6T” says Hales.

This model has modern joystick control as well as electronically controlled power-shift transmission and drivetrain.

Of course, at the moment it is inconceiv-able that there would be no operator at all, but perhaps in the near future there is no reason why he would actually be needed to sit on the machine, as all the monitor-ing and adjustments can be made from the ground with a remote control unit.

One computer could be used to drive packs of machines together, so there will always be synergy across the entire fl eet, as the computer will understand implicitly what the entire fl eet is doing. Imagine how much more productive a road building site would be with such a package.

Back in the here and now, the systems that are available today can be further enhanced for fi ne grading with the addition of rotating lasers which can ensure millimeter-perfect grading, even when cutting a slope.

In short, it is a wonder that, given the obvi-ous benefi ts in speed and effi ciecy, that more contractors are not using it already. �

WHAT IS A TOTAL STATION?

A total station is an electronic optical

instrument used in modern construction

projects. It is also used by archaeologists

to record excavations as well as by police,

crime scene investigators and insurance

companies to take measurements of

scenes. The total station is an electronic

theodolite integrated with an electronic

distance meter to read distances from

the coordinates (X, Y, and Z or northing,

easting and elevation) of surveyed points

relative to the total station position are

calculated using complex algorithms as well

as trigonometry and triangulation.

Data can be downloaded from the total

station to a computer and software used to

compute results and generate an electronic

map of the surveyed area.

the instrument to a particular point. Some

models include internal electronic data

storage to record distance, horizontal

angle, and vertical angle measured, while

other models are equipped to write these

measurements to an external data collector,

which is a PDA.

Angles and distances are measured from

the total station to points under survey, and

USING A GPS ROVER AND A PICKUP TRUCK IS FAR FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE THAN STAKING.

THIS TRANSMITTER IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN A FIXED POINT ON SITE.

“DIFFERENT PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT I’M SURE THEY WILL GET TRIPLE PRODUCTION OUT OF THIS DOZER”


Glass is one of the most popular choices of cladding system used by architects across the GCC. You only have to drive down Dubai’s Sheikh

Zayed Road or glance at the skyscrapers of Saudi Arabia to notice that.

But, while it is visually pleasing, glass remains the greatest contributor to heat build up inside a building.

“The heat doesn’t come through the wall, the roof or the fl oor; it comes through the window, so glass is critical,” says Emirates Glass technical consultant Arthur Millwood.

So why do so many architects choose this material as their choice of cladding system? According to Millwood, it all comes down to visual amenity.

“We all like daylight,” he explains. “And, the fact of the matter is that, even today, the combination of aluminium and glass is still a very cost effective way to cover a building.”

There is a growing need to design build-ings according to green building standards and with the forth-coming revision of Dubai Municipality’s (DM) Code of Practice for

the use of Glass for Windows, as well as the Emirates Green Building Council’s imminent green building guidelines for the UAE, 2010 can expect even stricter principles.

The DM is expected to adopt Solar Heat Gain Coeffi cient (SHGC) as the prime indi-cator of the solar-resistance of window-glass. SHGC is the actual percentage of the amount of solar energy transmitted through and refl ected off a piece of glass.

“Shading Coeffi cient is now becoming out-dated, since SHGC (an American concept) is being adopted worldwide as a more mean-ingful indicator of glass-performance when exposed to the sun,” says Millwood.

So is it green versus a glamorous, cost-effective system or can we have the best of both worlds? Swiss Middle East, which handles the design of building envelopes, agrees with the latter.

“We should maybe reduce the use of glass [in a building’s outer layer] to 30% or 40%,” says Swiss general manager Mohammed Enany. “We like to use glass but not a huge amount.”

But, Millwood argues that glass doesn’t have to have a negative impact on the envi-ronment: “It is not a question of too much glass in buildings, rather, it is a question of too much of the wrong glass and we hope

HOW ARE GLASS MANUFACTURERS RESPONDING TO THE GROWING DEMANDS FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS AND WHAT CAN THEY EXPECT FROM 2010? CW SPEAKS TO INDUSTRY EXPERTS TO FIND OUT

By Sarah Blackman

SMASHING TRENDS

that this new awareness of glass-performance in our severe desert environment will lead to a more informed and more effi cient use of glass,” he says.

“The sun will shine tomorrow and the prob-lem will not go away. We have to minimise heat-gain into our buildings by recognising that windows are the conduit for this heat and therefore, the main solution will lie in refl ective high-performance glass.”

Emirates Glass’s new multi-million dol-lar facility is soon set to come online in Dubai Investment Park and will produce a new range of glass, which can be coated with solar applications before the temper-ing process (a heat treatment technique to harden the glass).

MEETING STANDARDSWhen considering the choice of glass

coating and the use of glass in general there

are local regulations that must be reviewed,

including those aimed at minimising solar

thermal heat gains. Further regulations

are expected to be introduced in the future

as the region strives for high levels of

sustainable building.


“This is a major technical advance for our company as we will now be able to sup-ply full stock sheets of annealed (not yet heat-treated) glass to other glass proces-sors who will perform all the subsequent down-stream activities to reach the fi n-

the materials to be used to decrease the energy consumption,” says Cladtech presi-dent Henrik Christiansen.

“There are a lot of factors that might affect such a decision, starting from the conceptual design stage, going through the glass types and thicknesses, as well as the coatings, which will reduce the amount of heat transferability between the outer and inner sides of the building.”

Al Abbar Architectural Glass (AAG) also have green expectations for 2010: “I hope that all concerned parties will fi nally imple-ment their green promises and start under-standing the worth of the local industry

ished product as installed on the building,” explains Millwood.

“The big benefi t is that the processor can order the raw material stock sheets from Emirates Glass, well before the availabil-ity of the fi nal cutting-lists. By having the raw material already on-hand, they will overcome the problem of longer lead-times associated with “traditional” pre-tempered coated glass.”

And, when it comes to glass, Cladtech International is also following the green trend.

“We support our client in the design stage by providing them the proper solution for

“CONSIDER THAT OUR MATERIALS COME ON SITE TOWARDS THE FINISHING STAGE OF THE BUILDING AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT 2010 WILL BE A YEAR OF SURVIVAL”

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EMIRATES GLASS SUPPLIED GLASS FOR THE FORMULA 1 GRAND STAND AT YAS ISLAND, ABU DHABI.EMIRATES GLASS TECHNICAL CONSULTANT ARTHUR MILLWOOD.

GLASS COMPANIES TO KNOW

EMIRATES GLASSEmirates Glass is based in Dubai’s Al Quoz

Industrial area, with its new coating lines

located in Dubai Investment Park. Most

recently, the company provided cladding for

all buildings associated with the Formula 1

racetrack at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

AL ABBAR ARCHITECTURAL GLASSAl Abbar Architectural Glass (AAG) was

established in 1959 and is an autonomous

glass processing company that provides

cladding to the new Dubai Metro stations.

In Saudi Arabia, the company has set up a

sales offi ce and will now be working on the

Jawharat Alfalak tower in Jeddah.

REEM EMIRATES GLASSReem Emirates Glass is one of the largest

glass processors in Abu Dhabi UAE,

located at industrial city of Abu Dhabi. It is

committed to provide solutions for all kinds

of glass processing. The company’s product

range includes heat treated glass insulated

units and laminated glass.

assistance in the technical and commercial

needs of glass-related topics. The fi rm’s

services include practical advice on the

correct selection of glass, substrate and

coating for a project with regards to the

aesthetics and required solar and

thermal performance.

CLADTECH INTERNATIONALEstablished in 2006, Cladtech is a fairly

new company to the Middle East but has

secured projects such as the Elite Residence

Tower at the Dubai Marina and is supplying

“WE SUPPORT OUR CLIENT IN THE DESIGN STAGE BY PROVIDING THEM THE PROPER SOLUTION FOR THE MATERIALS TO BE USED TO DECREASE ENERGY CONSUMPTION”

with regards to manufacturing and process-ing the goods locally,” says AAG director for the product and technical department Jean Lelievre.

AAG is introducing three new gold-refl ec-tive glass-types this year including CoolRay

Gold, CoolRay Amber and CoolRay Topaz. Gold’s high refl ectivity and hence ability

to refl ect heat, has led to the increasing use of glass coated with a thin fi lm of gold in modern buildings.

But, while green technologies are roll-ing out, the fi nancial crisis is still lurking around every block. And, with the huge drop in building material prices and cancelled projects, glass specialists in the Middle East are feeling the strain.

Many fi rms bought their materials when prices were at their peak and, now they have dropped, cladding companies have been forced to lower their rates.

“Towards the end of 2009, conditions deteriorated substantially mainly due to lack

TRIANGULAR GLASS PANELS WERE USED FOR THE CLADDING OF AL BIDDA TOWER IN DOHA, QATAR.

of collectable money in the market. This situation still shows no sign of recognisable improvement,” says Millwood.

Business is expected to suffer the most in Dubai due to the amount of projects on hold there.

“Consider that our materials come on site towards the fi nishing stage of the building and you will understand that 2010 will be a year of survival,” adds Millwood.

However, there are regional markets that are improving and can expect heavy investment from construction companies this year.

Emirates Glass is now taking advantage of active construction projects going on in Saudi Arabia, for example.

“The new Dubai is Saudi Arabia,” Mill-wood says.

“Emirates Glass, together with our sister company in Riyadh, Saudi American Glass has been much more closely integrated into our Middle East operations. We have consolidated our efforts and we are operat-ing now under one sales team.” �

Abu Dhabi develops with TDIC

www.tdic.ae

Pre-Qualification Invitation, Sir Bani Yas Island Hospitality & Leisure Projects Main Contract Works

Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) hereby invites suitable Contractors with commensurate experience to undertake Main Contract Works on Sir Bani Yas Island. The following five high quality Hospitality and Leisure facilities shall require civil, structural, MEP, landscaping, interior fit out and external works.

Contractors who meet the criteria can register their interest and request a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), at [email protected], before

Tourism Development & Investment Company, Behind Khalifa Park, Eastern Ring Road (Salam Street), Abu Dhabi.

Conditions and Rules:

1. Recent experience on projects similar in size, character and complexity.2. 3. Recent experience on projects incorporating pre-fabricated components and construction in remote locations.4.5.6. Be prepared to be one of ten shortlisted companies willing to submit a construction work tender under a single stage competitive tender process.

Prequalification for Sir Bani Yas Island Hospitality & Leisure Projects,Tourism Development & Investment Company, Behind Khalifa Park, Eastern Ring Road (Salam Street), Abu Dhabi.

TDIC Construction Opportunities

www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

DIRECTORY

JANUARY 23–29, 2010 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 29

SHOWCASE30 At the top

32 TENDERS35 PROJECTS

SPECIALIST SERVICES36 Design software37 Construction manufacturers/steel

CITY UPDATE38 Makkah, Saudi Arabia

SHOWCASE | TENDERS | PROJECTS | SUPPLIERS | CITY UPDATE

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ABOVE: Other towers next to the Burj Khalifa seem

to pale into insignifi cance when looking out of the

observation deck.

TOP RIGHT: A panoramic view of the Jumeirah and

surrounding areas, with the shadow of the Burj Dubai

stretching across the vast landscape to almost reach

the sea.

RIGHT: Spectators look out over the expanse of Dubai

from the fl oor-to-ceiling windows At the Top of the Burj.

The borders of neighbouring Sharjah are also visible

from here.

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�SHOWCASEITP IMAGESFOR IMAGES WITHIN THESE PAGES PLEASE EMAIL [email protected]

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LEFT: A sophisticated programmed telescope lets you view a clear

landscape that you’re aiming at, even if clouds get in your way. It also

allows you a ‘night view’ in broad daylight.

BELOW: In the distance to the right, the mamoth Liberty House

building looks like a midget from on top of the Burj, despite being

among the list of tallest buildings in the world.

AT THE TOP: BURJ KHALIFAPhotos by Efraim Evidor/ITP Images

While tourists and Burj Khalifa enthusiasts are thronging the gates of

‘At The Top’ – the tower’s famous observation deck in Dubai Mall –

Construction Week captured some of the spectacular views that people are

paying upto US $109 (AED400) to get a glimpse of.



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

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BAHRAIN

Issuer: Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture AffairsTender No: RD/20/2009Description: Construction of Al Rawdha Garden in Madinat Hamad.Closes: January 27Fees: BD50Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.bh

Issuer: Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: 378/2009/3200Description: Construction of a customer service centre at Country Mall.Closes: February 10Fees: BD50Contact: Purchasing and Supply Directorate, Central Stores, Ground Floor, Electricity and Water Authority, PO Box 5325

Issuer: Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: 263/2009/4130Description: Procurement work for Alstom gas turbines.Closes: February 10Fees: BD15Contact: Purchasing and Supply Directorate, Central Stores, Ground Floor, Electricity and Water Authority, PO Box 5325

Issuer: Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: 001/2010/5310Description: Purchasing single core copper cable and PVC insulated copper wire.Closes: February 10Fees: BD15Contact: Purchasing and Supply Directorate, Central Stores, Ground Floor, Electricity and Water Authority, PO Box 5325

Issuer: Ministry of HealthTender No: MOH/101/2010Description: Expansion of pharmacy section and construction of guard room at Hamad Kanoo Health Centre.Closes: February 17Fees: BD15Contact: Tendering submission offi ce, tender board’s offi ce at Al Moayeed Tower, Seef Area

EGYPT

Issuer: Egyptian Endowment AuthorityDescription: Construction of two residential towers in Qena

City (132 units).Closes:January 24Fees: EP8000Bond: EP500,000Contact: 109 Tahrir Street, Dokki, Giza

Issuer: Egyptian Railways Integrated Services CompanyDescription: Engineering, design, installation and commissioning of four stationary train washing systems in Cairo.Closes: January 24Fees: EP5000Bond: EP200,000Contact: The Railways Workshops, Al Farz, El Sharabiya, Cairo

KUWAIT

Issuer: Central Tenders CommitteeTender No: MEW/39/2008/2009Description: Design and construction of Al Zour desalination plant, phase 2.Closes: March 9Fees: KD3000Contact: Central Tenders Committee, Ministry of Electricity and Water

Issuer: Central Tenders CommitteeTender No: RA\\140Description: Construction of Jaber Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah Bridge in Kuwait.Closes: June 8Fees: KD5000Contact: Central Tenders Committee – Ministry of Public Works

OMAN

Issuer: Ministry of Transport and CommunicationTender No: 396/2009Description: Construction of Wadi Mistal Road, phase 1.Closes: January 25Fees: OR1500Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Ministry of HealthTender No: 416/2009Description: Construction, completion and maintenance of a proposed medical store at Rustaq Hospital.

Closes: February 8Fees: OR250Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Supreme Committee for Town PlanningTender No: 10/2009Description: Consultancy services for the preparation of the master-plan of Duqm Town.Closes: March 8Fees: OR300Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

QATAR

Issuer: Qatar PetroleumTender No: GT10100200Description: Supply of labour, supervision, tools and maintenance and repair services for carrying our wire-line operations.Closes: January 31Fees: QR500Contact: Contracts Department, Corporate Division, Qatar Petroleum, PO Box 3212

SAUDI ARABIA

Issuer: Royal Commission for Jubail and YanbuTender No: 627-C17Description: Procurement and construction of an elementary school for girls, three kindergartens and expansion of an elementary school for boys in Jubail Industrial City.Closes: February 24Fees: SR9000Contact: Directorate General of the Royal Commission in Jubail

UAE

Issuer: Dubai Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: CNE/0114/2008(R)Description: Construction of water intake channel (onshore and offshore sections), and an outfall system.Closes: January 25Contact: The Chairman, Board of Directors, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.

As the third largest company in the world in terms of its oil and gas reserves, Qatar Petroleum plays a key role in the region’s growth, as it is the natural resources that are driving Qatar’s construction sector. Chaired by Qatar’s deputy prime minister and head of the Ministry of Energy Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, the company’s activities include exploration, production, refi ning, transport and storage.

Qatar Petroleum operates Qatar’s oil pipeline network, which transports supplies from oil fi elds to the country’s refi nery and export terminals. Qatar Petroleum awarded the main construction contract for the expansion of Ras Laffan Port in Doha to joint venture Consolidated Contractors Company and Six Construct in March 2008.

The development is due to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. Halcrow has been chosen to develop infrastructure and marine facilities at the port. �

Tender focus

QATAR PETROLEUM

RAS LAFFAN PORT IS DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.

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

� PR

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is section

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

The second quarter of this year will see the construction of Nasmat Al Riyadh, a US $1.6 billion (SR5.9 billion) mixed use development spread over 3 million m2 of land. The project will include 4200 housing units divided into eight residential buildings ranging from three to nine stories in height. It will also include educational, commercial and entertainment facilites. Fayez Zuhair Architectural and Engineering was awarded the consultancy contract in November 2009, while Hill International was appointed project manager. The main construction contract is expected to be awarded this year and the entire development is set to be completed by Q1 2015. �

Project focus

AMAL POWER PLANT

THE US $1.6 BN NASMAT AL RIYADH.

PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAINCONTRACTOR

VALUE(US$MN)

STATUS

SAUDI ARABIAMUZAHIMIYAH POWER PLANT Saudi Electricity Company Fichtner Not Appointed 950 project under design

NEW DAM IN HAIL Ministry of Water & Electricity SaudConsult Progressive Construction Limited 53 project under construction

202KM TRANSMISSION LINE BETWEEN QURAYYAH POWER AND THE NATIONAL GRID

Saudi Electricity Company Hyundai Engineering & Construc-tion Company

106 project under construction

PP9 EXTENSION - 380-KV SUBSTATION Saudi Electricity Company Siemens 91 project under construction

YANBU INDEPENDENT WATER & POWER PROJECT Marafi q / Saline Water Conver-sion Corporation

Mohammed A. Turki Mott Mac Donald

Not Appointed 4,000 project under design

PRINCESS NOURA BIN ABDULRAHMAN UNIVERSITY - HIGH VOLTAGE SUBSTATION

Ministry of Higher Education / Ministry of Finance

ABB Contracting Company / Al Fanar


110/13.8-KV AL BAIDAA SUBSTATION Saudi Electricity Company In House Siemens 10 project under construction

CONSTRUCTION OF WATER NETWORKS - CONTRACT NO. 2

Ministry of Water and Electricity Modameen Cont..Est./Ahmed Al Hurafi Co.


380 KV MANIFA SUBSTATION Saudi Electricity Company National Contracting Company 123 project under construction

JIZAN ECONOMIC CITY - 132 KV SUBSTATION South Steel Co. ABB Contracting Company 21 project under construction

REINFORCEMENT OF SIX 132 KV SUBSTATION IN JIZAN

Saudi Electricity Company In House Iscosa Industries & Maintenance 65 project under construction

2000 MW QURAYYAH POWER PLANT Saudi Electricity Company Arabian Bemco Contracting 778 project under construction

QSAI DAM AT JIZAN Ministry of Water & Electricity Zuhair Fayez Partners Bin Jarallah Group 40 project under construction

1200 MW THERMO ELECTRIC POWER PLANT IN RABIGH

Saudi Electricity Company/Acwa Power Int'l/KEPCO

Not Appointed Not Appointed 2,500 project in concept stage

NEW DAM IN ABHA Ministry of Water & Electricity Zuhair Fayez Partners Bin Jarallah Group 16 project under construction

PP11 POWER PLANT IN RIYADH Saudi Electricity Company Not Appointed 2,133 award awaited for the main contract

132/380-KV SUBSTATION IN NAMERA Saudi Electricity Company In House ABB Contracting Company 162 project under construction

EXPANSION OF 20 DISTRIBUTION SUBSTATIONS Saudi Electricity Company ABB Contracting Company 34 project under construction

2400- MW RABIGH POWER PLANT - PHASE 6 Saudi Electricity Company Fichtner GmbH & Co. Not Appointed 2,000 award awaited for the main contract

115/380-KV HALF MOON SUBSTATION - PHASE 2 Saudi Electricity Company In House ABB Contracting Company 66 project under construction

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


�SPECIALIST SERVICESCONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MADE EASY IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK’S DIRECTORYTO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL +971 4 435 6344, OR EMAIL [email protected]

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Autodesk develops 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction and entertainment markets. Since the introduction of Autocad software in 1982, Autodesk has produced a portfolio of digital prototyping solutions to help clients experience their ideas before they are brought to life.

Customers can visualise, simulate and analyse performance early in the design process to save time and money and enhance quality. The company also aims to help fi rms struggling to retain manpower and complete projects within the deadline by providing software, which keeps information coordinated and up-to-date in an digital environment, giving project teams a clear overall vision of their designs, the capacity to test and visualise, improve effi ciencies, and reduce errors by streamlining the decision-making process.

Autodesk construction solutions for building information modelling aim to improve visibility into building construc-tability, costs, schedules, and coordination, enabling con-struction professionals to more confi dently forecast and successfully deliver projects.

The company’s civil 3D software also provides project teams with a surveying, design, analysis, and documenta-tion solution to deliver land development, transportation, and environmental projects. Omnix is the distributor of Autodesk’s products and, currently nine million profession-als in 185 countries are using the solutions. �

Supplier focus

AUTODESKMANUFACTURER OF DESIGN SOFTWARE

AUTODESK MENA MARKETING MANAGER MANISH BHARDWAJ.


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BUILDING MATERIALS HARD LANDSCAPING SUPPLIER

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

CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURERS

PP CORRUGATED SHEETS

RECRUITMENT STEEL

STEEL

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HEM, IPE, IPN, UPNHEM, IPE, IPN, UPN


CITY UPDATEMAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA

It kick-started the year by signing an agree-ment with China to build the US $1.78 billion (SAR6.65 billion) Haramain High-speed Railway (HHR) (popularly also known as the Makkah-Madinah link), which is the fi rst high-speed rail network to be con-structed in the Middle East.

It will connect the cities of Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah and the new King

After a cautious year of slow move-ment in a frustrated, developing region, many of the Middle East’s cities have been glad to see the

back of 2009. But, for Makkah, Saudi Arabia, last year was a period of progression.

Abdullah Economic City via a 320km/h rail track. Construction is currently being undertaken by China Railway Construction Corporation, together with Al Rajhi con-struction group and French fi rm, Alstom. In February, it was reported that 35% of the project’s capacity would be ready for use during this year’s Hajj.

A very good yearA LOOK BACK ON MAKKAH’S PROGRESS DURING 2009 AND WHAT THE CITY CAN EXPECT FROM THIS YEAR

By Sarah Blackman

ABOVE: SAUDI PASSENGERS TAKE THE TRAIN ON AN INTERNAL TRIP IN RIYADH’S ONLY RAIL STATION.

“THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND HAS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN SCREENING BIDDERS FOR THE PROJECT [MAKKAH-MADINAH RAILWAY]”


“WE CONSIDER IT A MAJOR PROJECT IN THE HISTORY OF TRANSPORT IN THE KINGDOM”

“We consider it a major project in the history of transport in the Kingdom,” Saudi Railway Organisation chairman Jabara Al-Seraisry told Arab News.

“The signing ceremony is the result of great efforts made by the offi cials of the Saudi Railway Organisation and the Public Invest-ment Fund, which has played a vital role in screening bidders for the project.”

In May, eight companies, including Saudi Aramco, were awarded the Makkah Award for Excellence for their contributions to the development of the province.

The winners were announced by Prince Khaled Al Faisal, governor of Makkah, at the event which was being held for the fi rst time. The award was established in 2008 in hope of increasing competition and creativity by giving recognition in selected fi elds.

“It completes our development strategy in the region by encouraging outstanding work from both individuals and organisa-tions,” said Al Faisal.

Also that month, Ahmad Zaki Saudi Arabia Company was awarded a $52 million contract to build reinforced concrete structures for Tower H1-A of the Jabal Omar develop-ment in Makkah. The work is expected to be completed by November this year and the entire mixed-use development is due for completion by Q3 of 2011.

And there was no sign of a slowdown as the second half of 2009 saw the inaugura-tion of the King Abdul Aziz Road project in Makkah, a development that is currently under construction and progressing; then, in November, came the announcement that the 700-room Ramada Plaza Makkah hotel

would be constructed in the Saudi province. Riyada International Hotels and Resorts Company is set to complete the fi ve-star development by 2011.

The last quarter of the year also saw the completion of the $1.2 billion Jamaarat Bridge, a pedestrian bridge used by Muslims in the stoning of the devil ritual, during Hajj.

So, all in all, 2009 was a year for advance-ment and groundbreaking in Makkah, but what can the city expect from 2010?

For starters, international consultancy fi rm Scott Wilson has won a $23.1 million contract to provide project management to HHR.

The year is also set to see some seri-ous progression on the Makkah Met-ro and the prestigious Abraj Al Bait towers development.

Hope and excitement aren’t words often associated with today’s economic climate, but for construction companies investing and operating in Makkah, they’re words that can be said with some confi dence…well, whispered at least. �

TOP PROJECTS US$Haramain High Speed Rail Project 2 billionMakkah Metro 1.8 billionAbraj Al Bait 1.6 billionJamaraat Bridge 1.2 billionMakkah Ring Road 126 million

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

RIGHT: ABRAJ AL BAIT WILL BE THE TALLEST TOWER IN SAUDI ARABIA WHEN COMPLETED NEXT YEAR.B

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DIALOGUEASHISH VASUDEV

Which paint products are most in demand in the region? Three categories in the decorative segment are the most widely used across the Middle East, as decorative surfaces need the most protection. These are water-based interior emulsion, exterior acrylic and enamels for wood and metal.

What was the scope of work Jotun carried out during its involvement with the Burj Khalifa?All surfaces were painted by Jotun, including the spire on the top of the tower. We have used a total of 122,000kg of powder coatings and 487,000 litres of paint to decorate and protect the world’s tallest tower. The Burj Khalifa required the use of a metallic matt powder coated fi nish to complement the aluminum for the 28,261 cladding panels that make up the exterior of the tower and its two annexes. Jotun Powder Coatings used ‘Corro-Coat PE-F Façade Iris and Oyster Bond‘, and developed a specially formulated bonded metallic product for this project. The coating used for the 818m-spire of the tower is ‘Baltofl ake’, a glass fl ake reinforced polyester that provides resistance to abrasion, water and most chemicals. The product was recommended by Jotun and chosen by the client for its 20-year life span and minimal need for maintenance.

How has Jotun developed over the last decade?We have expanded dramatically throughout the region in the last 10 years, and have become the fi rst paint manufacturer to be awarded the ISO 9001 certifi cation. Jotun has been at the forefront in terms of developing products specifi callysuited to local conditions. Three decades of experience in the Middle East region has helped us produce a variety of conventional and specialised coatings - each incorporating the latest technological developments while offering performance with economy - catering to the various product segments and demands of the different markets. Today, our product range includes decorative, protective, marine, fl oor/concrete protection, powder coatings and intumescent [fi re retardant] coatings.

Will you expand your business this year? In addition to our newly opened facilities in Dubai, Jotun Saudia has also recently announced the completion of a US $26.6 million (SR100 million) investment into the expansion of an existing manufacturing facility located in Yanbu. The 34000m2 factory is slated to be the our largest production facility in the Middle East and will incorporate tank farms and silos with major raw material capacity, fi lling machines as well as labelling machines. Upon completion of this latest expansion investment, Jotun Saudia will have a combined production outcome of 110 million litres between its two KSA - based facilities in Jeddah and Yanbu. Furthermore, we are planning to establish over 1500 more Multicolor Centres in the region by 2011.

Do you have plans to launch new products this year? Yes, we will be launching new products, both in exterior (with extended warranty), as well as interior (fi nishes) segments. These are very unique paints with a new technology. Unfortunately we can’t provide details about the product at this point.

How do your products prevent corrosion and deterioration? Jotashield Super Durable is a low volatile organic compound coating based on a special hybrid silicone binder with twice the life span of traditional coatings. It provides superior durability, anti-concrete carbonation properties, and low chemical reactivity. Jotashield Heritage High Build is a single pack modifi ed acrylic, water-based high build textured coating that endures the unforgiving weather conditions in the region.

Jotashield Thermo is equipped with thermal insulation properties, which defl ects heat and reduces interior temperature and cooling costs, and provides high resistance to corrosion, heat shock and chemical changes, making a building more energy effi cient.

What are your hopes for this year? We have plans and strategies in place to maintain our market leadership and current market shares in the segments we are operating in.

Top coatHow much paint did Jotun use to coat the Burj Khalifa and what’s next in store for the company? UAE marketing manager Ashish Vasudev explains

By Sarah Blackman

Currently in charge of the marketing

aspect of Jotun Paints operations in

the UAE, marketing manager Ashish

Vasudev has gathered extensive

experience in advertising, retail trade,

sales and marketing. He holds a master of

business administration degree from the

XLRI School of Management in India, and

has been working with the leading paint

manufacturer for the last six years.

construction week - issue 305

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