Gulf Construction Online

UAE Focus

Update

01 August 2013

Sowwah Square vies for global title

SOWWAH Square in Abu Dhabi is among the distinctive projects selected from four regions across the world that has been declared the best tall buildings in the world for 2013 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

The other three projects are Bow in Calgary, Canada (Americas); CCTV headquarters in Beijing, China (Asia and Australia); and The Shard, London (Europe); with Sowwah Square, representing the Middle East and Africa region.

An overall winner for the best tall building worldwide will be named from the four regional winners at the CTBUH 12th annual awards ceremony and dinner at the Illinois Institute of Technology, US,
on November 7.

The council received more than 60 entries from around the world for the best tall building awards.

Al Futtaim to supply 14,500 AC units

AL FUTTAIM Engineering has been awarded a multi-million-dirham contract to supply 14,500 air-conditioning (AC) units by Dhabi Contracting and National Transport Contracting Company.

Under the contract awarded to its air-conditioning division, Al Futtaim will supply Sanyo air-conditioners to 786 villas in Ghyathi, Abu Dhabi, which are being managed by Musanada – the Abu Dhabi General Services Company, serving the government of Abu Dhabi.

Headquartered in Dubai, the air-conditioning division of Al Futtaim Engineering represents major international brands such as Sanyo, Toshiba, Krantz, Airedale and Aftron.

Empower to upgrade DC plant

EMPOWER, the largest district cooling provider in the Middle East, has launched a Dh15-million ($4.8 million) project to upgrade the capacity of its district cooling (DC) plant at Business Bay Executive Towers in Dubai.

The upgrade, which is expected to be completed early next year, will involve adding one module comprising two chillers to the existing eight modules. Once completed, the plant will have a total capacity of 45,000 tons of refrigeration (TR) to provide to its new customers in the mixed-use development of Business Bay. This is a 14 per cent increase in capacity.

Abu Dhabi to build ‘an urban oasis’

THE Municipality of Abu Dhabi has unveiled plans to create an urban oasis in the heart of downtown Abu Dhabi by incorporating community service facilities, retail and recreational areas and new car-parking facilities that will be delivered by the private sector.

The downtown oasis spanning an area of 19,000 sq m will offer these facilities in Sector E6 between Hamdan Street and Khalifa Street and between Eastern Road and Street 10, in a built-up part of the city.

Tabreed serves The Residences

NATIONAL Central Cooling Company (Tabreed)recently began supplying district cooling services to the tallest residential tower at the World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi (WTCAD) in Abu Dhabi.

The leading Abu Dhabi-based district cooling utility company is now supplying chilled water to The Residences, delivering more than 5,000 tons of refrigeration (TR) to the 383-m tower and thus helping to reduce the project’s expected energy consumption by approximately 8 million KwH per year compared to conventional cooling and carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 3,500 tonnes per year.

The Residences, when fully complete, will comprise 474 luxurious apartments and penthouses, premium Grade A office space, international restaurants, a world-class hotel, a mall and a traditional Arabian suq.

Abu Dhabi plans slipway projects

THE Municipality of Abu Dhabi City has planned a series of high quality slipways for boats and jet-ski to enhance amenities and safety for a growing number of boating enthusiasts in the city.

The marine projects as well as related amenities such as trailer parking, wash down areas, dry stack storage, marine fuelling facilities and supporting retail, will be tendered shortly to the private sector through a build-operate-transfer model.

“There are an estimated 4,647 marine vessels that are currently in use throughout the emirate, which equals approximately 3.7 boats per 1,000 people. This figure is expected to double, due to population growth, to more than 10,000 vessels by 2030,” said Rashed bin Ali Al Omaira, advisor investments and assets for the general manager’s office at Abu Dhabi Municipality.

The municipality has identified additional launching sites and dry berth facilities that could be delivered in the next phase.

RICS appoints Middle East director

THE Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recently appointed Rob Jackson as director for its operations in the Middle East.

Jackson will lead the region supported by the RICS team which is based out of the Middle East headquarters in Dubai. He will be working to gain regional recognition for RICS’ international standards in land, property and construction.

Jackson joins RICS with more than 20 years’ experience working within a number of Middle East markets, including all GCC member countries. He has occupied several senior management and international board positions, as well as having experience as an independent business consultant.

Jackson and the RICS staff will be working alongside more than 1,800 RICS members in the region to help deliver the significant benefits that the institution’s recognition and standards will create.