Gulf Construction Online

Regional News

Muscat airport ... nearing completion.

In brief

01 June 2017

ODG lands duty free design work

ODG, a leading consultancy and design agency based in the UAE, said it has won a major contract to design and project manage the entire duty free area at the New Muscat International Airport in Oman.

The company (previously known as Open D Group, Retail Access and Sparkle), has been signed up for the project by Oman Sales and Services (OSS), a joint venture between national carrier Oman Air and Aer Rianta International Middle East.

On the new design, Hugo Vanderschaegh, the general manager at ODG, said: “The concept takes its inspiration from the Omani landscape and culture. Passengers will also enjoy several interactive features and experiences.”

Macro lands FM services contract

Macro, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global consultancy and construction company Mace, said it has secured a major facilities management (FM) contract from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) in Qatar.

As per the deal, Macro will provide FM consultancy and management services to MOEHE independent schools in the country for five years.

It also includes a consultancy period followed by the management of FM services and minor project management for all independent schools, the company said.

Oman to ease property ownership

Oman is working on new regulations that will allow expatriates to own properties in the sultanate irrespective of the number of years they have spent in the country.

It also includes a proposal to earmark a certain percentage in selected mixed-use projects outside the integrated tourism complexes (ITCs) for them, the Oman Observer reported, citing a top official from the Ministry of Housing.

A decision will be announced once the subject is discussed in the Majlis Ash’shura and approved by the cabinet, the report quoted Siham Al Harthy, the director-general of real estate development, as saying.

Barwa inks Al Mawater deals

Barwa Real Estate Company has awarded a construction contract worth QR112.5 million ($31 million) to Insha Contracting and Trading Company for the second phase of its ambitious Madinat Al Mawater project.

The announcement follows the success of the project’s first phase. Located on Salwa International Road, Madinat Al Mawater will be the largest destination in Qatar for the sale, purchase and maintenance of used cars as well as their spare parts. It will also include residential units, a petrol station and vehicle inspection service (Fahes) and restaurants.

Disputes resolution ‘quicker’

The ongoing liquidity issues within the Middle East construction market has seen a spurt in the number of claims submitted; however, the industry is resolving them more swiftly, according to the latest research from Arcadis.

A leading global design and consultancy firm for natural and built assets, Arcadis said that compared to last year, the average time needed to resolve a dispute in the Middle East fell to just 13.7 months.

This is 10 per cent quicker than the duration taken during the two previous years, and is less than the global average, the company said in ‘The 2017 Middle East Construction Disputes Report’.

Similarly, the average value of a construction dispute also decreased, dropping from $82 million in 2015 to $56 million last year, it added.

Siemens names mobility chief

Siemens names mobility chief

Siemens has appointed Alexander Biron von Curland as the senior executive vice president of the company’s mobility division in the Middle East to spearhead the digital transport infrastructure in the region.

Based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, he takes over from Joerg Scheifler and will be responsible for developing intelligent, digitalised mobility infrastructure across the Middle East, including trains, trams, locomotives, smart parking and traffic management.

Qatar completes sewage network

Qatar’s public works authority Ashghal has announced the completion of a sewage network project in Al Gharrafa area in the capital Doha.

The project, which involved laying around 65 km of sewage pipes and installing 2,360 concrete manholes, was implemented by Oasis for Trading and Contracting at a total cost of QR200 million
($55 million).

With the project’s completion, all the houses on 3,190 plots in the project area, spread over 5.8 million sq m, have now been connected to the sewage network.

Acwa to build Luxor power plant

Saudi-based Acwa Power has received the green light from Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity to establish a power plant with a capacity of 2,250 MW at a cost of $2.2 billion in Luxor, a report said.

The ministry negotiated with Luxor governorate to allocate the required land for the project on a usufruct system for 25 years, reported Daily News Egypt. The ministry will sign four agreements with Acwa Power regarding purchasing the energy produced by the project as well as organising the gas supply, state guarantees, and the usufruct system, the report said, citing sources. It seeks to complete the agreements in the middle of next year.

The new plant will consist of three units with a capacity of 750 MW each.