Gulf Construction Online - Built to the best of standards

The Fairmont Dubai

Structural work on the tower was completed in July last year.

Built to the best of standards

01 December 2001

The Fairmont Dubai was built with the best of materials to the highest standards, says Dubai Contracting Company (DCC).

"The specifications called for the highest standards of finishes and services and all products used in this prestigious project are expensive and rich," says DCC deputy managing director Abdullah Yabroudi.

DCC undertook construction of the prestigious property in a joint venture with Arabtec Construction Company, starting work on the project in February 1998 and completing it last month.

Its scope of operations included concrete, block, marble work, tiling, plastering, painting and all interior works of the property. It also constructed a 11-storey car-park located behind the building.

The building - which has a basement, ground and 35 storeys - occupies a 5,600 sq m site opposite the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and has a total built-up area of 150,000 sq m.

Describing the project, Yabroudi says: "The Fairmont is a standard conventional concrete building externally. But inside, it is a luxurious, high-quality hotel with many features. The facades are of curtain-walls and granite cladding. Interior finishes include marble, stainless steel, timber and wallpaper. One of the prominent features is a 120-m-high atrium with a coffee shop and piano bar. "Structural work was completed in July 2000 and fit-out works commenced in September. A total of 120,000 cu m of concrete and 30,000 sq m of granite were used on this project. There were more than 1,500 workers on site at the peak of construction."

"The project ran smoothly because of the excellent co-operation and coordination between the consultant, project manager and all sub-contractors involved. Credit for this goes to the client, for the friendly atmosphere on site," he says.

DCC was established in Dubai in 1962 and a sister firm, Dyena Contracting Company, was opened in Abu Dhabi in 1967. The company has, since its inception, pursued a policy of planned expansion: branches were opened in Oman (1974), Iraq (1982), Sharjah (1984), Chile (1988) and Lebanon (1992). In addition, a building materials division was created in 1988 to complement the activities of the corporate division.

DCC attributes its success to honesty, dedication and quality. "We have acquired an excellent reputation for delivering top-quality construction implemented as per approved plans and specifications and meeting all required codes and standards," says Yabroudi.

The company has a highly professional and qualified team of engineers as well as a skilled and semi-skilled workforce of more than 1,000.

Over the past four decades, this ISO-9002 certified company has been involved with a wide variety of projects. These include both residential and commercial developments such as palaces, hotels, hospitals, technical buildings and government facilities throughout the region.

Major projects that the company has been involved with include the 45-storey Capricorn Tower (under construction on Sheikh Zayed road), the Al Salam Tower and car-park, the Avari Hotel, and MMI's distribution centre (all in Dubai); the National Archives complex, the Hilton hotel, the Egyptian Embassy complex, and a Zadco housing project (all in Abu Dhabi); and the Al Buhairah residential complex and Rostamani office building in Sharjah.