Gulf Construction Online - Prestige projects keeping ADL busy

UAE Focus

Coastal protection work under way at Marina Square ... ADL project.

Prestige projects keeping ADL busy

01 October 2010

WITH projects worth Dh1.05 billion ($286 million) in hand and a further two valued at Dh600 million ($163.5 million) in the pipeline, Abu Dhabi Land (ADL) expects to be busy at least for the next 18 months.

The contracting firm has won a share in some of Abu Dhabi’s high-profile niche projects, including the coastal protection and reclamation works at Al Reem Island and the construction of villas in Mohammed Bin Zayed City.

“We have been awarded a Dh100-million ($27.2 million) project in Mohammed Bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi involving 48 villas specially designed for Emiratis,” says chief operating officer Kayed Khorma. “Work on the project will begin shortly and will be completed in 11 months. The company’s scope of work includes construction of the villas as well as complete infrastructure works. It is a fast-track project with a total built-up area around 22,000 sq m with each villa having an area of around 420 sq m.”

Founded in early 2006, Abu Dhabi Land is a part of Royal Group, a diversified conglomerate based out of UAE’s capital. The company is a general contracting firm that offers construction, sewage, storm water and irrigation networks, general transport, marine, earth, road and piling works, concrete supply and labour dormitory services and several other investments.

Khorma says ADL started out as a specialised company for marine works and developed later on as a general contracting company. “We have done marine works, shore protection, manmade islands and are also into infrastructure projects. We have done quite a few projects on Reem Island as infrastructure contractor and have delivered all the projects on time.”

The company has also expanded into other businesses like labour accommodation and readymix business.

Apart from its current contract for coastal protection and reclamation works of Al Reem Island, ADL has been called upon to provide its services for a string of projects on this prominent island, which is the midst of a major transformation.

The company recently completed dredging, reclamation and rock revetment works at the Dolphin Island and coastal protection for the Marina Square at Reem Island Sector One. ADL was responsible for the end-to-end design, technical submittals, procurement, delivery and commissioning of all works within both projects.

The island project, valued at Dh60 million ($16.3 million), required its engineers to shape the island by constructing rock bunds and rock revetment walls to obtain the desired dolphin shape, says Khorma.

The surrounding areas were dredged to form accessible channels to pump the fill materials to reclaim the island to the required limits and levels. Additionally, earthworks were carried out to obtain the required levels and contour for islands.

The coastal protection works for the Marina Square – which had a contract value of Dh75 million ($20.4 million) – entailed the construction of a sea wall with decorative panels and rock groins for safeguarding of the beach. The scope of work included the development of the circular small craft marina about 180 m in diameter with 22 berths, including pontoons, guide piles, gangways along with a water taxi courtyard.

“Additionally, we have done reclamation for road works in Reem Island valued at around Dh110 million ($30 million), including profiles for roads in Sectors Three and Four. This major project was handed over last year, seven months ahead of schedule,” Khorma says.

ADL was also involved in the enabling works for nine towers on Reem Island, including piling. “We cast approximately 1,000 piles in addition to being involved in the excavation works, installation of dewatering systems and construction of basement walls. We carried out excavation for basements – some of which go six levels below ground level. The project comprised three packages and each of the packages took seven months to complete,” he explains.

Commenting on ADL’s performance, Khorma says: “Last year, we grew 50 per cent over 2008 and this year we are anticipating a 25 per cent growth over 2009.”

The company is currently focusing on Abu Dhabi where it is “very busy” and will look at expanding out of the UAE in the future.

Khorma says that the construction market in the UAE is not as it was two years ago, but points out that government jobs are available and “in fact, more numerous than before”.

“These include infrastructure jobs as well as housing. There are more than 400 villas under construction in Al Ain as the government spending on housing is increasing,” Khorma says.

“In general, there has been a slowdown in the completion of projects but none of our projects has been cancelled,” he says.

Khorma says that while “outrageous” prices in raw materials put a damper on new developments last year, 2011 promises to be better with several new projects coming up. “The market is recovering as prices of raw materials have gone back to normal to the pre-2008 levels,” he adds.