Gulf Construction Online - Rebranded for success

Saudi Arabia

At the signing ceremony ... Jameel and Al Muhaidib.

Rebranded for success

01 May 2017

Al Muhaidib Contracting (AMC) has been rebranded as Thabat Construction Company in a strategic move by the Al Muhaidib Group (AMG) to give its umbrella companies greater autonomy, reflecting their own identities and character. The company has also signed a memo of understanding (MoU) to establish a facility management (FM) company in Saudi Arabia.

According to the company, the change in name is in line with recent developments in Saudi Arabia with regard to the kingdom’s Vision 2030.

“We are certain that our new identity Thabat, which means stability, will demonstrate our determination and commitment to provide our best services to maintain our prominent position as one of the key construction and contracting companies in Saudi Arabia,” says Raed Al Mudaiheem, chairman of Thabat.

Since its inception 40 years ago, Thabat Construction Company has grown progressively and executed many strategic projects. As a Class-A certified contractor for Saudi Aramco and the Saudi government for public works, the company has built a reputation for delivering on complex jobs that call for detailed planning in relation to schedules, logistics and complicated systems.

Some of the projects completed by Thabat include the King Abdullah Sports City, a turnkey project for the construction of a 60,000-capacity world-class football stadium in Jeddah. It has also built Braiman Strategic Reservoir Tanks, a project that achieved a Guinness World Record as the world’s biggest water storage tanks in Jeddah; the Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver-certified King Salman International Convention Centre in Madinah, Jazan Grain Silos and ancillary facilities, and Thuwal Urban Development, which aimed to upgrade a traditional fishing community in the town of Thuwal some 100 km north of Jeddah.

Other projects include King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) research park support facilities, King Abdulaziz University projects in Jeddah; and 17 administration and security buildings for Sadara in Jubail.

Facility Management

Thabat joined hands with Abdul Latif Jameel to establish a facility management (FM) company called Khadamat. It will commence operations across Saudi Arabia immediately and build on Thabat’s strong existing client base. The partners aim to make Khadamat the leading FM provider in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East.

A MoU was signed by the chairman and CEO of Abdul Latif Jameel Mohammed Jameel, and the CEO of Al Muhaidib Group Essam AK Al Muhaidib.

Khadamat will be headquartered in Jeddah and offer a fully integrated, one-stop shop for FM and initially target growth in Saudi Arabia’s commercial, residential, oil and gas, civil defence and energy sectors.

The company will provide clients with a full-service solution to facilities management, including hard technical services, relating to the operation and maintenance of buildings; as well as ‘soft’ services such as cleaning, security, reception and concierge. It will also offer energy efficiency management services to reduce client costs and improve sustainability.

Commenting on the deal, Jameel says: “Abdul Latif Jameel and Al Muhaidib share a commitment to deliver high-quality, innovative solutions for clients. While there are many players – big and small – in facilities management, there is a gap in the market for a one-stop, integrated solution provider. The new venture will address this gap, bringing our shared values and commitment to excellence to the facilities management sector in Saudi Arabia and beyond.”

Jason Ruehland has been appointed as the new CEO of the new FM business Khadamat. Ruehland has extensive experience, spanning 16 years, in the field of facilities management, engineering and maintenance. His first foray into FM dates to his time with Carillion Plc, which he joined in 2001 and worked his way up through Carillion Civil Engineering and into Carillion Services. Ruehland was then signed on as Emrill’s operations director back in 2011. After three years, he was elevated to the post of managing director. Emrill has won key contracts with organisations such as Dubai Airports, Emaar, Al Futtaim, Etihad Airways, Masdar City, Dubai Healthcare City, Meraas and Wasl. Emrill in 2016 won the ‘FM Company of the Year’ for a third time, and the panel of judges commended the company for investing in its people and for using recent market conditions positively to build stronger relationships with their partners.

Ruehland says: “I’m absolutely delighted to be appointed as CEO for Khadamat. Al Muhaidib has 40 years of experience operating and maintaining a broad range of properties. The memo of understanding between Al Muhaidib and Abdulla Latif Jameel now positions Khadamat as one of the leading facilities management companies in the kingdom. Our mission is simple, helping our clients create better places to work and live.”