Gulf Construction Online - Turkish contractors boost global presence

Turkey

Turkish contractors boost global presence

01 August 2015

The Turkish Contractors Association (TCA) has undertaken projects worth billions of dollars in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) with many of its member companies continuing to secure major projects in the region.

And while the political scenario in many of these countries continues to mar progress, the TCA nevertheless considers these as the most important markets for Turkish contractors. Algeria and Qatar emerged among its leading markets in 2014, followed by Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

“The total value of the projects completed in 2014 was quite low compared to the last two years [2013 and 2012]. This situation is thought to be mainly explained by political and economic difficulties recently experienced in the North African, Middle Eastern and Eurasian countries which are the most important markets for the Turkish contractors,” says a spokesman for TCA.

“Especially unfavourable developments in Iraq and Libya, which have always been among the top markets for Turkish contracting companies, are thought to be the main reason for this decline,” he adds.

In 2014, Turkish contractors executed 36 projects in Algeria worth $3.24 billion representing 14.2 per cent of its global share. This was followed by three major projects in Qatar valued at $2.72 billion (11.9 per cent); 41 in Iraq worth $1.8 billion (7.9 per cent); 16 in Saudi Arabia worth $1.3 billion (5.7 per cent); five in Libya valued at $687.85 million (three per cent); and three in the UAE worth $376 million (1.7 per cent).

Overall last year, Turkish contracting companies undertook 277 new projects in 44 countries, worth more than $22.8 billion. With a total share of 61.4 per cent, Turkmenistan, Russian Federation, Algeria and Qatar were the leading markets, followed by Kazakhstan (8.4 per cent), Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan (3.9 per cent), Libya and the UAE.

In 2014 in terms of nature of work, the major area of activity was road/bridge/tunnel works (26.1 per cent), followed by projects in the fields of railways (12.5 per cent), commercial centres (12.2 per cent), housing (9.9 per cent), power plants (5.9 per cent) and industrial plants (5 per cent), says the spokesman.

Founded in 1952, TCA is an independent, non-profit professional organisation based in Ankara, representing leading construction companies in the country. The business volume of its members encompasses nearly 70 per cent of all domestic and 90 per cent of all international contracting work done so far by Turkish construction companies.

From the early 1970s up to 2014, Turkish contractors completed 7,706 projects in 104 countries, with business volume reaching approximately $301 billion.

In addition to offering contracting services to international standards both within and outside Turkey, nearly 75 per cent of TCA members are also active in various fields of construction industry investments, manufacturing, engineering and consulting.

Its members continue to achieve success worldwide. Two TCA members won the world premier award in ‘Global Project Contest’ organised annually by Engineering News Record Magazine. These include TAV’s Madinah Prince Muhammed Bin Abdülaziz International Airport in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, and Summa’s Dakar International Congress Centre in Senegal.