Gulf Construction Online - Masah builds new Al Khobar landmark

Saudi Arabia

Ajdan Rise ... taking shape on the Al Khobar seafront.

Masah builds new Al Khobar landmark

01 May 2019

The 40-storey Ajdan Rise, an iconic architectural landmark on the Al Khobar seafront, is among the prestigious projects that Saudi-based Masah Specialised Construction Company is currently engaged on.

Established in 2005, the general contractor for turnkey projects has achieved much since its inception, having successfully implemented projects in the civil, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) domains. It has carried out these projects either as a turnkey contractor or as a subcontractor to top contractors.

Commenting on the Ajdan Rise project, Engineer Mohammed Abdul Nayeem, the general manager and partner at Masah Specialised Construction Company, tells Gulf Construction’s ABDULAZIZ KHATTAK that the turnkey project has a built-up area of 76,000 sq m and is now 45 per cent complete. The project duration is 24 months.

Abdul Nayeem ... all the works done in-house.

The tower, which rises to a height of 130 m, is being developed by AlOula Real Estate Development Company. It will comprise 187 luxurious residential units including penthouses, duplex and luxury apartments with one and two bedrooms. It also features indoor and outdoor pools, spa, two clubs, nine indoor cinema halls, meeting and banquet halls, five-star hotel and shops.

Among the challenges in constructing the Ajdan Rise project, Abdul Nayeem says are the site’s location – which is just 5 m from the sea, casting of the concrete tanking system and the building’s unique facade cladding.

Another turnkey project currently being executed by Masah Specialised Construction Company is the Al Moosa Hospital in Al Hasa. The 250-bed facility has a built-up area of 67,000 sq m and will be finished in 30 months.

The project is aiming for Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification and hence complying with Leed V4 requirements is a major challenge, Abdul Nayeem says.

Among other challenges faced on the project is the healthcare facility’s location being in a restricted area, where logistics is an issue. The project also has five basement levels and calls for the casting of a transfer slab to a depth of 1.8 m at the fourth floor.

Dr Sulaiman Al Habib hospital in Al Khobar ... a key project.

Other projects that Masah Specialised Construction Company has undertaken include Dr Sulaiman Al Habib hospital facilities located in two cities, namely the Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Suwaidi Hospital in Riyadh and Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Al Khobar Medical City.

The company has also carried out the structural work for the Riyadh Mark Mall in Riyadh.

“These have been our striking projects to date, which we have accomplished with the dedication of our project team. All the works for the various disciplines were done in-house and this enabled us to complete the work within the stipulated periods,” says Abdul Nayeem.

Thanks to these prominent projects, Masah Specialised Construction Company secured Grade A contractor certification within a span of five years, he points out.

The company has a proficient organisational set-up which enables it to handle projects worth SR400 million ($106.6 million) in parallel, he adds.

With structural and MEP works being its key strengths, Masah Specialised Construction Company is now keen to expand across Saudi Arabia and has set its sights on acquiring a portfolio of projects worth more than SR2 billion in the coming two years, he concludes.