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News in brief

01 November 2018

Al Jimi Mall ...the expansion will add a further 65 stores.

Cofely Besix to provide FM services to malls in Al Ain

UAE-based Cofely Besix Facility Management (CBFM) says it has been awarded the contract to provide facilities management (FM) services for two of Al Ain’s retail developments – Al Jimi Mall and Shabahat Plaza.

Al Jimi Mall is a shopping and entertainment destination in the heart of the city, currently with a gross internal area (GIA) of 44,000 sq m, attracting an annual footfall of eight million visitors, while Shabahat Plaza is a community-based retail experience located south of the city centre.

Al Jimi Mall is undergoing a massive expansion and renovation programme to add a further 65 stores, including an eight-screen VOX cinema, and a retail park to the existing 94 outlets, bringing the total leasable area to 76,000 sq m.

Expected to be completed by the year-end, the expansion will include a new outdoor ‘retail park’, family dining and coffee shops, as well as an event plaza and an additional car-park accommodating more than 1,000 cars.

As per the deal, CBFM will provide hard FM services to the malls for an initial period of three years. The scope of services covers full technical services, including mechanical electrical and plumbing (MEP) and specialist systems, as well as defects liability period (DLP) management that includes carrying out an assets condition survey for the new Al Jimi Mall extension.

On the win, Khaled Ramadan, the operations manager at Abu Dhabi, says: “Our aim is to plan and manage the operations of Al Jimi Mall and Shabahat Plaza along with Aldar Properties via a dedicated CAFM system, thereby utilising mobile technology to ensure proactive service delivery within the mall’s 24/7 operation.”

The Cyclotron building in Kolkata.

Merint Group builds India’s biggest cyclotron facility

UAE-based Merint Group said it has completed the construction of India’s biggest cyclotron facility at Kolkata in the state of West Bengal.

The company’s specialised contracting arm based in India built the entire state-of-the-art cyclotron facility, including the housing for the sensitive Cyclone 30 system, to protect against nuclear radiation.

The hi-tech unit will now begin production of radioisotopes that are vital for the diagnosis of cancer and used in the destruction of cancer cells to facilitate remission, says Merint.

The Cyclone-30 machine is situated at the Kolkata-based Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre. This highly sophisticated linear accelerator machine designed and manufactured by IBA-Belgium and hot cells/dispensing systems by comecer Italy demand a very exacting protocol for their placement and the casing around them.

On the key achievement, Merint founder and CEO Fazal Manekia says: “It is a major milestone for our company to be such an integral part of what is such a defining moment in India’s history. We have always striven for excellence and chosen the less used path to reach new frontiers and this is an exceptional achievement.”

He adds that it is a proud moment for his Dubai-based company and reiterates it as another example of the swiftly growing co-operation between the two countries.

“Whether it is our premium real estate portfolio in India or Europe or our strong partnerships with the best in the business, we have always worn our ‘UAE tag’ with pride,” he adds.

CSCEC wins $218m Dubai road upgradation project

China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) says its civil and infrastructure division has secured a contract worth Dh800 million ($218 million) from Dubai’s Road and Transportation Authority (RTA) for the R1086 Dubai Hills Estate Mall Access and Umm Suqeim Street Upgradation project in the UAE emirate.

The Chinese group says this is its 16th partnership with RTA over the last 12 years.

The R1086 Dubai Hills Estate Mall project is located along existing Al Khail Road E44 principally between the interchanges of Umm Suqeim and Al Marabea Street. The scope of work includes construction of grade and elevated highways, viaducts and ramps to provide connectivity between the Umm Suqeim, Al Khail roads and the mall under construction behind while maintaining current traffic condition, says company.

One of the largest construction groups in the Middle East region, CSCEC has offices in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar with its regional headquarters located in Dubai.