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News in brief

01 December 2017

Besix opens water recycling station in Ajman

The Safi Water Recycling Station ... will now produce 2.2 million gallons per day.

Belgian construction group Besix has announced the opening of a water recycling station in Ajman, UAE, following a major renovation which has now boosted its production capacity to 2.2 million gallons per day from the previous 300,000 gallons.

The Safi Water Recycling Station, located at the Al Jurf Industrial Area, has been renovated at a cost of Dh30 million ($8.16 million), reports the state news agency Wam.

The facility will first obtain water from the Ajman Sewage Treatment Plant, which will then be processed through micro-filtration and reverse osmosis process. It will be later distributed across the emirate for industrial and commercial purposes round-the-clock.

The Safi Water Recycling Station was opened by HH Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman in the presence of senior government officials.

Saudi Bus Rapid Transit project on track

A Riyadh Bus Rapid Transit Station ... Yuksel to build 34 such stations.

Turkish construction giant Yuksel says work was moving at a steady pace on the SR1.9-billion ($506 million) Saudi Bus Rapid Transit project which involves construction of 34 stations, 1,353 bus stops and six pedestrian bridges in the capital Riyadh.

The leading international contractor has mobilised more than 4,500 workers after breaking ground for the major development, reports the Arab News.

On completion, the project, which comes as part of the ambitious King Abdul Aziz Transport System plan, is set to transform the face of the kingdom’s capital. It is being powered and supported by Ar-Riyadh Development Authority (ADA), said the report, citing a senior company official.

The project will boast several bus terminals, passenger hubs, parking facilities and maintenance depots, reveals Ahmet Halavuk, the general manager of Yuksel.

“Well-planned and delivered BRT systems with clean buses can provide metro-quality service at a fraction of the cost… this will result in an enormous shift from private cars to public transportation in Riyadh,” says Halavuk, expressing his optimism about substantial improvement in traffic management.

The project will also serve as feeder lines for the metro stations being built in the capital and its suburbs to ease worsening traffic congestion, he notes.

Carillion locked in $264m Qatar row

Struggling UK contractor Carillion is locked in a £200 million ($264 million) dispute over money owed on a project linked to the development of Qatar in preparation for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

The cash-strapped firm has not been paid for almost a year for work on a $650-million contract handed to Carillion and joint venture partner Qatar Building Company in 2011, reports the British daily City AM.

The work forms part of the mammoth $5.5-billion Msheireb Downtown redevelopment of central Doha, part of the infrastructure necessary to host the world’s biggest football tournament.

Top Carillion executives have been making monthly trips to Qatar in the hope of persuading Msheireb, backed by the Qatar Foundation, to pay for work done.

However, it is understood Msheireb claims Carillion instead owes it a sizeable amount for failing to fulfil contractual obligations. Carillion has previously said it will pull out of Middle East construction contracts.

The $264 million overdue in question is greater than Carillion’s $249 million market capitalisation, 80 per cent of which has been wiped away since the start of the year.

The debt is believed to fall into the $1.108 billion written off by the firm in July. This suggests recovery of any amount would provide a sizeable boost to the firm’s current financial standing.

Carillion, which employs 50,000 globally, has $1.58 billion of cash receivables left to collect from its customers, according to its July 2017 balance sheet.