Gulf Construction Online

UAE Focus

Update

01 February 2015

Group to play key trade centre role

DUBAI World Trade Centre (DWTC) has appointed a consortium of US-based CH2M Hill and UK-headquartered Mace to undertake all real estate and construction delivery related programme management services for its Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali development in Dubai.

The master district development will also host Expo 2020 Dubai within a secure gated area when the six-month event debuts in October 2020.

Their successful appointment at the end of the rigorous procurement process now sees CH2M Hill-Mace providing full-service consultancy, real estate programme management, design, construction and operations management for the end-to-end development and delivery of Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali and the Expo 2020 Dubai site.

Consultancy names Middle East head

CURRIE & Brown, a leading physical assets management and construction consultancy, has appointed Ernie Pienaar as chief operating officer of its business in the Middle East. Pienaar joins from KBR and brings with him over 40 years’ experience in the construction industry.

Coal power project deadline extended

DUBAI Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said it has extended the deadline for submitting bids for the construction of the first phase of the Hassyan Clean Coal Power Project to March 26, 2015. Dewa’s move to extend the bid by a further two months comes following a host of requests received from bidders in this regard, said a senior official.

The Hassyan project will be based on the independent power producer (IPP) model.

The first phase of the project has a capacity of 1,200 MW using coal, and is expected to be operational by 2020.

Bee’ah to set up solar power project

BEE’AH, a Sharjah environment company, will soon set up an innovative solar project on its landfill site.

The first of its kind in the region, the new solar power project will be built at Bee’ah’s facilities at the Waste Management Centre in Al Saj’ah, Sharjah.

A build, operate and transfer (BOT) tender was announced by Bee’ah for this project, which is expected to generate more than 20 MW of power, part of which will be utilised to sustainably power all the Bee’ah facilities at its waste management centre.

Khaled Al Huraimel, group CEO of Bee’ah, said: “The uniqueness of the Bee’ah solar power project is due to the utilisation of conventionally unusable land space, the landfill site, and the ability to power recycling facilities, which as a result will position Sharjah as a pioneer in this industry.”

Dubai health facility on target

CONSTRUCTION work on the Dh200-million ($54.4 million) expansion of Zulekha Healthcare Group’s Dubai facility has started and is expected to be completed in the middle of 2017, according to a report.

The new facility will encompass a cancer care unit, inpatient rooms with a bed capacity of 100, eight-bed ICU rooms for critical care, dialysis service, sleep lab and a new parking facility, said Emirates 24/7.

The cancer unit, equipped with nuclear medicine, PET-CT, radiation oncology with linear accelerator and brachytherapy and medical oncology services, will aim to provide the best possible treatment for cancer patients nationwide.

The group has adopted green building guidelines, said the report. The architecture and design will have a minimal impact on the environment to ensure conservation of water, energy efficiency and provide a healthier space for patients and staff, it added.

Green vehicle workshop on schedule

DUBAI Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said about 75 per cent of the work on its eco-friendly vehicle workshop in Dubai, has been completed and was on track for launch by the end of next month (March).

The workshop, which is the largest of its kind in the region, is being built at an estimated cost of Dh98 million ($26.6 million) in Al Ruwayyah area of the city. The facility coming up on a 280,761-sq-ft area will replace the current unit in Ras Al Khor, said.

It has been designed according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) criteria of the US Green Building Council Institute, it added.

The facility is crucial for Dewa, which owns a fleet of 3,330 different types of vehicles including light and heavy ones, drilling equipment, and other special equipment, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and CEO.

Terminal complex project bids invited

ABU DHABI Airports Company (ADAC) has issued tenders for the construction of landslide support facilities at the Midfield Terminal Complex, which is part of the expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The scope of work includes construction, testing, commissioning and handling of the required facilities.

The tender stipulates that the selected contractor will be required to construct an employee consolidation centre over 6,000 sq m.

This will be a single-storey building for security screening of staff entering and leaving the complex. This will be associated with landslide and airside bus staging areas.

Other features to be constructed include shaded car-parking with 1,500 slots for use by employees; a single-storey car rental and taxi building over 1,000 sq m; parking for 750 rental vehicles and taxis; and long-term parking for 1,500 vehicles.