Gulf Construction Online

Regional News

Update

01 July 2003

JGC awarded Aramco contract
Riyadh: Japan's JGC Corp has been awarded a contract by Saudi Aramco for the construction of cogeneration facilities at its Berri Gas Plant near Jubail. This is JGC's first power generation project in the Middle East.

The contract, estimated to be worth between $84-168 million, calls for JGC to provide overall services including design, equipment/materials procurement, and construction, for the cogeneration facilities.
The project is scheduled to be completed in April 2005.
Saudi Aramco is planning power generation facilities to save electricity costs at the plants it operates. The Berri Gas Plant project calls for the installation of 300-MW cogeneration facilities, comprising a combustion gas-turbine power generating system as well as a heat recovery steam generator.

Binladin to build Al-Bait Towers
Makkah: The Saudi Binladin Group will construct the Al-Bait Towers in Makkah at an estimated cost of $1.6 billion. The Towers - which will be built at the site of the Ajyad Fort, demolished last year - are due to be completed in early 2006.
Arriyada Financial and Economics Consultant Centre will take care of the financing, and Giwar Real Estate Management and Marketing Company are in charge of marketing.
Just yards away from the Holy Mosque and in front of its landmark King Abdul Aziz Gate, the project will comprise a five-star hotel, a four-tower residential complex, a shopping mall and parking for up to 2,000 vehicles. The four towers have between 27 to 31 floors, providing 4,668 residential units, served by over 100 elevators.

Rail network expansion in 2004
Dammam: Saudi Railway Organisation said that it plans to kick-off a multi-billion-dollar expansion of its rail network in 2004.
Khaled Al-Yahya, president of the organisation, said the project would take three years to complete and will be carried out by the private sector.
Private sector Saudi companies will be given priority, said a report in Arab News, quoting him. Official sources said that studies indicated the initial assessment of the project's cost was between SR8 billion ($2.1 billion) and SR10 billion.

Airport work to be let by year-end
Jeddah: Saudi Arabia is expected to pick a contractor to build the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah by November, an official said.
Earlier this year, the US' Bechtel and the local Dar Al-Riyadh were awarded the construction management and supervision contract by the Presidency of Civil Aviation.

Marina Towers contract awarded
Beirut: A joint venture between the local Construction and Trading (CAT) Group and Singapore's Low Keng Huat has won a $75 million contract to build the Marina Towers in Beirut, Lebanon.
Construction was due to start last month and will be completed in 27 months.
The $200 million development in Beirut Central District will consist of a 26-storey high-rise and two low-rises with nine floors each, surrounded by a 3,000 sq m garden. Located opposite the new Beirut Western Marina, the Towers will be built on 7,100 sq m of land.

Tenders due for $100m pipeline
Muscat: EPC tender documents for a $100 million pipeline linking Mina Al Fahal and Sohar refineries in Oman will be issued later this year. Oman Refinery Company (ORC) is expected to award the EPC contract early next year.
ILF & Partner was selected in April to undertake the engineering design and route optimisation studies. The 24-inch diameter pipeline will run 260-km along the Batinah coast from ORC'S Mina Al Fahal facility to Sohar. In addition, the company will design a pumping station in Mina Al Fahal and an additional booster pump along the pipeline route to ensure the smooth flow of the feedstock to Sohar.
The buried pipeline will transport 116,000 barrels per day of mixed feedstock.

Causeway studies completed
Manama: Preliminary studies on the Bahrain-Qatar Causeway have been completed and the project is ready for tender.
A consultant has been appointed for the preliminary design and the project will go to tender as soon as the authorities of the two countries give the go-ahead.
'There must be a decision at a higher level than our committee to give the go-ahead for the project or not,' said Bahrain's Works and Housing Minister Fahmi Al Jowder.

Salalah port to be expanded
Muscat: Oman plans to build two berths and extend an existing breakwater facility at its port in the southern city of Salalah in a project expected to cost $238 million.
A port official said the expansion would increase handling to 3 million TEUs from the 1.8 million TEUs now. The government is expected to invite bids for construction this month and to commission the expansion in 2005.
The Sultanate also plans to build a free trade zone - wholly financed by the government after a major investor pulled out last year - next to the port.

Tenders due for Saba Tower
Dubai:Tenders are expected to be issued later this year for a new 36-storey building in Dubai. The designs for the Dh170 million ($46.32 million) Saba Tower have been drawn up by the Al Hawraa Group.
The project developer says that it's the region's first commercial project to be sold on a freehold basis.
The building offers waterfront views of Jumeirah Islands and The Palm, Jumeirah with direct access to Sheikh Zayed Road. The tower is at the heart of the Jumeirah Lake Towers Community developed by Nakheel Properties. It is expected to be completed by December 2005.

Road project under study
Sharjah: Works on a 12.5-km stretch of the Emirates Road from the Sharjah-Dubai border to Wasit Power Station interchange are under study.
The road project will cost Dh200 million ($54.4 million) and will be ready by the end of 2004.
This stretch will provide a continuation of the Emirates Road from Dubai through the Sharjah emirate. It will help ease traffic, as motorists going to Ajman or Ras Al Khaimah need not pass through downtown Sharjah.
Halcrow, the UK-based consultant, said studies are under way to decide whether to demolish the old overhead bridges or to strengthen them. The road improvements will further create roadblocks while work is under way. Diversions are planned and a traffic management system already in place to minimise traffic disruption.
The project involves several phases. The first phase connects the Emirates Road in Sharjah at Junction 8E in the Industrial Area No 15 and continues towards Ajman. It then turns northwest, parallel to the Sharjah-Ajman border, and connects with the existing Sharjah-Ras Al Khaimah Road, adjacent to the Wasit Power Station.

MK Electric launches new switches
Abu Dhabi: MK Electric Company, the wiring accessories division of the UK's Novar, has released a new brand of switching devices in the Middle East. The MK Aspect range was launched in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and replaces its predecessor, MK Accent.
Regional managing director David Green said the new devices combine the aesthetic looks of Accent and the simplicity of Logic Plus, another leading MK brand. The range, available in seven different finishes, will feature clip-on plates that conceal the screws and give a flush appearance.
He said the MK brand now has a 30 per cent share of the Mideast market. Novar brands include Gent, Ackermann, Bardic and Trend.
Novar products are used in properties such as the Burj Al Arab and the Dubai International Airport.