As award-winning Saudi Oger develops several new iconic landmarks in Saudi Arabia, Gulf Construction presents a special profile on this leading contractor and some of its key partners.

01 April 2011

SAUDI Oger can justifiably claim to have clinched the most prominent projects currently under way in Saudi Arabia, and its most recent success – the iconic King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture in the Eastern Province – has further boosted its distinctive stature in the contracting sector within the kingdom.

Well over three decades of experience in Saudi Arabia’s construction industry have given it the expertise, the local know-how and the resources to efficiently handle the gamut of projects that are launched on the market every day.
The company’s high quality services and technological prowess has reinforced its competitive position in the region’s construction, facilities management, telecommunication and utilities business.

Saudi Oger’s current portfolio includes prestigious landmarks such as the SR1.8 billion ($480 million) King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture,  Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University for Women, King Abdullah Financial District, King Abdullah Road, Le Meridien Towers in Makkah, the King Abdullah Economic City and a host of other projects. In addition, it has recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education to execute the remaining work on the new ministry headquarters.

Saudi Oger is currently working on the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, a bold new initiative on the part of Saudi Aramco to promote cultural development in the country. Located in Dhahran in the Eastern Province, the centre aims to become a cultural landmark on the regional, national and global horizons. When completed, the project will contain some 45,000 sq m of diverse cultural facilities, including an auditorium, cinema, library, exhibition hall, museum and archive.

The auditorium will seat 1,000 visitors and will cater for a wide variety of events, ranging from opera, symphony concerts, musicals and speeches. Together with a smaller cinema, it is expected to be an unrivalled venue for performing arts in the kingdom.

Saudi Oger is also developing Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University for Women in the north of Riyadh, conceived to accommodate 40,000 female students on its campus. The company is executing Package One of the project, which consists of a series of colleges, schools, administrative buildings, housing facilities, a medical research centre and a hospital, in addition to multiple support facilities spread across the campus.  Its entire scope of works involves an approximate built-up area of a whopping 1 million sq m.

Once completed next year, the PNU campus will become Saudi Arabia’s largest women-only university and one of the largest higher education institutions for women in the world.

Also in Riyadh, Saudi Oger has undertaken to develop the first phase of King Abdullah Road, and two towers in King Abdullah Financial District, the new financial and business centre under development in the capital.

In the same district, the contractor is responsible for the full turnkey construction of the new monorail system. It has recently subcontracted Bombardier to design and supply the system-wide mechanical and electrical (M&E) elements for the six-station monorail system, including six Innovia Monorail 300 trains (12 cars) and Bombardier Cityflo 650 automatic train control technology for driverless operation. Engineering and design for the monorail vehicles will be centred at Bombardier’s site in Kingston, Canada, and manufacturing of the 12 cars will be carried out by Bombardier in Pittsburgh, US. Bombardier will also provide its branded Innovia O&M operation and maintenance services for the system for an initial contractual period of 10 years. The total value of Bombardier’s contract is $241 million and completion of the 3.6-km Innovia Monorail system is scheduled for 2012, with operation and maintenance services to commence at the start of revenue service.

Meanwhile, Saudi Oger has delivered Le Meridien Towers in Makkah and residences at the King Abdullah Economic City (Bay La Sun).

Completed projects
Apart from these projects, Saudi Oger has completed world-renowned landmarks such as the state-of-the-art academic and administration buildings of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) in Thuwal in 2009.

The company’s construction arm has successfully executed and handed over many projects that include Royal Diwan and Majless Al Shura, Al Hada Sheraton Hotel and the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre.

Award winner
Established in 1978 as a Riyadh-based construction company, Saudi Oger today ranks among the best in its sphere of activities – which is confirmed by a number of awards it has earned.

Saudi Oger was named in 2008 and 2010 as the Best Construction Company in Saudi Arabia, in the Arabian Business Magazine Achievement Awards; its deputy general manager and board member Ayman Hariri was named CEO of 2010 for the Construction Sector by CEO Magazine Middle East.

The company is active in various business segments covering construction, facilities management, telecommunication, printing, real estate development, utilities and IT services.

Saudi Oger's Construction Division offers a complete range of construction services. It features design concepts, construction operations and management of many of the most prestigious and technically advanced building projects. With extensive experience and know-how in the field, Saudi Oger brings creative solutions to the contracting industry.

The construction activities include the design and construction of commercial centres, urban developments, hospitals, hotels, conference centres, schools, universities, sports centres, office complexes, government buildings, military facilities, and industrial complexes.

The in-house expertise and the support of Oger International in Paris, facilitates the speedy design and implementation of the most sophisticated techniques in the industry today. Saudi Oger Construction Division has the resources, the financial capabilities to undertake a broad spectrum of mega construction projects based on a design and build or LSTK (lump sum turnkey) basis.

Saudi Oger believes in the importance of follow-up procedures through advanced facilities management (FM) activities, hence it created its FM division in 1980 to handle projects in Saudi Arabia and abroad. The division undertakes mega projects and prestigious facilities such as: government complexes;  domestic and international airports; schools; hospitals; public utilities; and industrial facilities.

With more than 17,000 employees, Saudi Oger FM Division has the capability and the expertise to manage facilities of any size and complexity with the highest international standards in the industry, says a spokesman for the company.

As part of its diversification programme, Saudi Oger has enlarged its operations to reach the utilities sector with a long-term goal of becoming a leading regional independent power and water producer.

“Since it was established, the company's involvement in the water sector has been directly positioned towards the operation and maintenance of both private and public utilities, comprising desalination by reverse osmosis, potable water treatment plants, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants, potable and sewage water networks, sea water cooling systems, well water operation and maintenance, landscaping, irrigation and associated distribution networks,” the spokesman adds.

While construction is Saudi Oger’s core business, the company has made various investments in different sectors in Saudi Arabia and Middle Eastern financial institutions and real estate projects in Europe and the US.

Some of its subsidiaries and affiliates include Oger Abu Dhabi, Oger Dubai, Fradim, Oger UK, Sheraton Riyadh, Oger Systems, Saudi Oger Services and Saudi Oger Training Institute.

CSR
Saudi Oger is a global organisation that believes in the higher expectations of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

“At Saudi Oger, there is an intrinsic understanding of the power that comes with the partnership of the business community, public sector, academic sector and the general public. The company takes into account the economic, social and environmental impacts, acting to address the key sustainable challenges based on the core competences wherever we operate – locally, regionally and internationally,” the spokesman says. “Corporate social responsibility at Saudi Oger goes far beyond the philanthropy instead is an all-year round responsibility that accepts the environment around us, the best working practices, and engagement with the local communities.”

In order to enable young Saudis to get professional training, Saudi Oger established a training institute in 2007 which accommodates up to 1,200 students at a time. It empowers capable and responsible students in the pursuit of academic excellence. A women’s section was established to meet the needs of the female cadres in both the government and private sectors, to provide the new and required disciplines for the labour market.

“We believe that by participating and becoming a recognised partner with the community we will leverage and help improve social conditions as well as play a major role in the development of the country,” he says.

Saudi Oger has high interest in supporting the community and the social activities through various initiatives and programmes, such as: The World Down Syndrome Day in association with DSCA (Down Syndrome Charitable Association); Jeddah Festival; Eid Festival in Riyadh; Janadriyah Operate – a traditional Saudi annual event; supporting the Disabled Children Association; Discover your Country and Enjoy your Kingdom Programme; “Play it Right” programme, which provides a good opportunity for young drivers in Saudi Arabia; Saudi Oger’s Amateur Golf Tournament; Hail Rally, recognised as the only international Baha race approved by FIA in the region.

The company is also the main sponsor of Scuba Saudi in coordination with Saudi Arabia High Authority for Tourism to protect marine ecological life; the Prince Salman Science Oasis project, which will be built on an area of 200,000 sq m. The Oasis project encourages the young members of the community, to discover the world and to choose their career path through encouraging them to explore the importance of science and education in building productive nations. 

It also supports the National Home Health Care Foundation, which assists patients in accepting their medical condition and supports their families; the Prince Sultan Emergency and First Aid Services, which aims to minimise the effects of injuries; various career days in coordination with leading universities such as Princess Nora bint Abdur Rahman, King Saud University (KSU) and King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM); KSU – dental hygiene campaign and KAFEL – Charity Committee for Orphans Care.

The company also participates in leading local and regional job fairs.

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