Gulf Construction Online

Regional News

New Projects

01 November 2001

Sohar estate to be expanded

The third and fourth sector of Sohar Industrial Estate will be expanded to set up more projects, according to Hamad bin Salim Al Mahdali, director-general of the Omani industrial estate.

Gas-based projects, an oil refinery, an aluminium smelter and a quarry are among projects planned at the estate, said Al Mahdali. An airport is also planned, while Sohar Port is to be developed concurrently.

More than RO12 million ($31 million) has already been spent on the first and second phases of infrastructure development at Sohar, spread over 3 million sq m, with 1.3 million sq m set aside for industrial projects.

The official said of 28 new applicants for various projects, three have been granted construction permits, and 10 allotted plots, the remaining 15 being under assessment.

He said the gas-based projects are part of the government's economic diversification campaign. Construction of the $750 million oil refinery is to start by second quarter of 2002.

The RO5 million Al Khaleej quarry will be opened on November 18 to mark Oman's 31st National Day.

Thomas Cook to set up resort

Dubai: International travel group Thomas Cook plans to set up an exclusive, luxury resort in Dubai, UAE, its chairman and CEO Stefan Pichler has said.

Pichler said the company had approached the Dubai government seeking permission for the resort as part of a multimillion-dollar investment programme. "We are looking at a 500- to 600-room resort city on the lines of our popular Al Diana Clubs in Europe. We have asked for land in the Jumeirah Beach-Jebel Ali belt," Pichler said.

Bids called for infrastructure work

Manama: Bahrain's Ministry of Works has invited tenders for five projects worth BD4.82 million ($13.31 million) to establish main road and sewage networks and infrastructure. The various projects will be launched by the end of this year.

The largest project is the Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) Phase 2 where main transmission lines and networks will be established at a cost of BD2.39 million.

The Karbabad sewage network project will be implemented at a cost of BD914,683. The work begins in December and will be completed in December 2003.

Another project is the construction of a dual road at Al Seef District, near the new Citibank headquarters up to the traffic signal on Road 40.

The expansion project of Al Naim Secondary School for Boys will be undertaken at a cost of BD415,060.

The fifth project consists of establishing sewage network in Bilad Al Kadeem at a cost of BD610,000. The project starts in December and will be completed in May 2003.

Hyundai to build Jafz facility

Dubai: T Hyundai Mobis, the spare parts subsidiary of South Korea's Hyundai Motor Corporation, is setting up a dedicated facility in Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafz) at a cost of Dh33 million ($9 million).

Georgia Contracting Company has been awarded the project while Style Consultant Engineers is the consultant.The facility will have a built-up area of 30,000 sq m on a 60,000-sq m site.

Hyundai Mobis officials said the new site would help the company to cut delivery times to regional distributors to less than 10 days. The Jebel Ali facility will stock around 150,000 items.

'Academic village' for Dubai

Dubai: A multi-million-dirham modern 'academic village' housing the Higher Colleges of Technology, Zayed University and other educational institutions is to be built in Dubai. The massive complex in Al Ruwaiya will cover several hectares of land with the Dubai Bypass Road to the east, the Dubai-Al Ain Road to the south and the Emirates Road to the west.

Already Dubai Men's College, part of the Higher Colleges of Technology, and Zayed University are planning to move to the site.

The Dubai Men's College facility will be worth Dh120 million ($32.6 million) and is expected to be built in the next two years. The total area of the campus is 402,000 sq m, with the built-up area being 55,000 sq m.

The Academic Village will be serviced by the second phase of the Dubai Bypass Road, construction of which was due to begin by the end of last month at a cost of Dh51.6 million. The project is expected to be awarded shortly and be completed within a year. The dual carriageway will cover a distance of 13.5 km and link the Dubai-Hatta Road to the Dubai-Al Ain Road.

ADFD projects take shape in Egypt

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) is currently undertaking major agricultural, health and housing projects in Egypt.

The Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has taken delivery of two water projects cost about $85 million - the Shaikh Zayed Canal in east Sinai and the extension of the Hamam Canal. The first project is designed to carry Nile water through sub-water pipe under the Suez Canal to irrigate 40,000 acres in the east canal, while the second will irrigate 148,000 acres,.

The ADFD aslo contributed $20 million of the total cost of $33 million for the 200-bed Shaikh Zayed Hospital at Zayed City, which will be completed by the year-end.

The ADFD is also engaged in the development of the southern Nile valley. The Toshki Canal project will be completed in 30 months to irrigate 100,000 acres. The ADFD has pledged $100 million for the project.