Gulf Construction Online

Regional News

Update

01 January 2012

$143m deals signed

SAUDI Arabia’s Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al Hussayen signed a number of water and sewage contracts worth more than SR539 million ($143 million), including one to establish the kingdom’s first tertiary sewage purification plant.

The contract for the sewage plant was won by a coalition of Al Arab, Germany’s BWT and Austrian ILF company, the Saudi Press Agency said. The SR300-million ($80-million) plant along Al Kharj Road in Riyadh has a daily capacity of 200,000 cu m, and would be completed in three years.

The other contracts include a sewage project in Darb in the Jazan province, a water supply scheme for Najran, construction of Wadi Al Rama dam in the Makkah province, and water distribution networks in the Eastern Province, Madinah, Tabuk, Qassim and Hail.

Famco acquires Al Rehab

FAMCO (Al Futtaim Auto & Machinery Company), has acquired 100 per cent shareholding of Al Rehab Equipment and Machinery Company in Saudi Arabia, the exclusive distributor for Volvo Construction Equipment in the kingdom.
Support was provided by Emirates Investment Bank in Dubai, acting as financial advisers to the buyer. Famco, which is already the Volvo Construction Equipment distributor for the UAE, has made this move as part of its wider regional expansion plan. Famco’s entry into Saudi Arabia will position the leading construction equipment distributor to play a vital role in the kingdom’s infrastructure development.

Metito wins Ashghal Qatar deal

METITO, a leading provider of total intelligent water management solutions in emerging markets, has won a contract worth QR10 million ($2.75 million) from Ashghal Qatar. The projects will see Metito design, construct and develop trailer-mounted mobile sludge dewatering units for Ashghal’s sewage treatment plants. This will allow additional capacity for plants with existing sludge dewatering units and also provide new sludge dewatering facility to plants without these units. Phase One of the project will be operational by 2012, with the other phases expected to be completed by 2014.

UREC launches work on Jordan mall

UNITED Real Estate Company (URC) of Kuwait has launched the second phase of the KD68-million ($244 million) Abdali Mall in Amman, Jordan, with the award of the construction contract to Habash-Deir Contracting Company. The mall, which will have a built-up area of 223,000 sq m, will house high-street brands, a multi-screen theatre, entertainment centres, fine-dining restaurants, food courts, and parking facilities to accommodate over 2,500 cars. The project is scheduled to open its doors in 2014.

Alderley builds new office block

PREPARATION work is under way for the construction of a new office block for Alderley at its 10,000 sq m site in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. Additionally, modernisation of its production facilities will take place at the site, said the multi-disciplined engineering company that provides bespoke metering and water treatment solutions to the oil, gas and petrochemical industries.

The development will be completed by the end of this year and will include construction of a modern two-storey office building of more than 1,300 sq m increasing its capacity by 75 per cent, dedicated training facilities, meeting rooms, IT infrastructure and all allied facilities. Existing offices and external buildings will be demolished and replaced with new production areas, thereby increasing in-house production capacity by almost 40 per cent.

Awards hat-trick for Causeway

CAUSEWAY, a leading supplier of software to the built environment and end-to-end solutions, has won three awards in the Construction Computing Awards this year. These include the Company of the Year, E-Commerce Product of the Year for the third consecutive year and Superbrand of the Year.

The company’s Telematics integrated vehicle tracking solution was also a finalist in the Mobile Product of the Year category.

The ‘hat trick’ for Tradex, an electronic document exchange service, follows a year of hugely successful rollouts, including Carillion, Lend Lease and McNicholas.

Superbrand of the Year was a new category that recognises the innovative use of a range of media within marketing, as well as a commitment to brand messaging and values.

The Construction Computing Awards showcase the industry’s leading software providers and solutions.

Work begins on Hafr Al Batin city

THE Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon) has signed a SR16-million ($4.2-million) contract for the development of Hafr Al Batin Industrial City, located in the northeast of Saudi Arabia.

The 100-million-sq-m project aims to attract private investment in industrial, service, commercial and residential projects, as well as creating job opportunities for citizens. The first phase will cover 1 million sq m with the contract duration being 18 months. The scope of the project includes surveying and designing of roads, soil levelling and paving, asphalting and painting.

The project is linked by a highway with the north, making the city a suitable site for logistic services. Two regions are planned to be developed – one for construction industries and the second for other industries, with a zone in between designated for logistic services.

Tubli project ‘ahead of schedule’

BAHRAIN-based Manara Developments said its Tubli Gardens development project in Bahrain is ahead of schedule with more than 70 per cent of the work completed in the first phase.

The construction plan aims to build all 27 villas in parallel in order to deliver them within the same timeframe. “Work is now under way to complete the first stage of our residential project, in order to move to the next planned stages, especially after the overwhelming responses from the market to Manara projects,” said Dr Hassan Al Bastaki, Manara managing director.

Manara, he said, is currently planning the details of Phases Two and Three of the same project, at a cost of BD3 million ($8 million).

According to him, the major factors that have led to Tubli Gardens’ success were its family-oriented designs, distinguished location, quality construction and finishing, and most importantly, competitive pricing.

A leading real estate development company, Manara is a joint venture between Al Salam Bank, Bahrain, and its strategic partners.

Turner & Townsend wins rail deal

CONSTRUCTION consultancy Turner & Townsend is to co-ordinate the building of a new multi-billion-dollar train network in Qatar as the state prepares for the 2022 World Cup, according to the Yorkshire Post.

The UK-based Turner & Townsend has won the contract to oversee the construction of a metro train network in the new city of Lusail ahead of the football tournament. It will also co-ordinate the building of highways, bridges, tunnels and road networks.

Qatar plans to spend $35 billion on building the new rail network from scratch. Turner & Townsend has been appointed to cost manage the first stage of the project.

Four Seasons expansion on target

WORK has commenced on the expansion of the Kingdom Holding Company’s Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The project entails converting the 48th floor into two floors – 48th and 50th floors – to accommodate 44 premium category guest rooms and suites, a check-in desk on the 48th floor, as well as the services of a dedicated concierge staff.

The expansion also includes a panoramic elevator, a 90-sq-m executive lounge and a unique butler service. Furthermore, a 90-sq-m ladies gym will be situated on the 50th floor for all in-house female guests. A highlight will be the Kingdom Suite, the “Signature Suite” of the hotel situated on both floors (duplex) covering an area of 330 sq m.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, chairman of Kingdom Holding, commented: “The development and expansion of projects of our local investments is in line with Kingdom Holding Company’s strategic plan.”