Gulf Construction Online

Regional News

Update

01 September 2003

L&T Oman wins Al Khoud project
Oman: The Muscat Municipality has awarded a RO3.5 million ($9.14 million) order to the Gulf-based subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) to build a flyover at Al Khoud.

The flyover will be built by L&T Oman, with technical support from ECC, the construction division of L&T.
The project involves construction of an interconnecting corridor with two post-tensioned cast in-situ box girder bridges at the Al Khoud Interchange.
When completed, the flyover will be a three-lane elevated corridor extending across 3.2 km. The 16-month project will be completed in November 2004. Parsons International & Company will offer consultancy services for the project.

QREIC signs deal with Parsons
Doha: Qatar Real Estate Investment Company (QREIC) has signed a QR300 million ($82.41 million) agreement with Parsons International for the design consultancy services of the Mesaieed housing project.
The project consists of 1,050 housing units in the city of Mesaieed.
In addition to the residential units, the facilities will include green areas, playgrounds for children, mosques, recreation and business centres, parking areas and other facilities, a QREIC official said.
The design work for the project is to be completed by February 2004 and construction is expected to commence in June 2004.

Cassia plans 16-storey tower
Manama: Cassia & Associates, which has offices in Abu Dhabi, Beirut (Lebanon) and the UK, has been awarded the consultancy contract for a residential tower adjacent to Seef Tower in Bahrain.
The project, developed by Al Khaleej Development Company (Tameer) of Bahrain, involves the construction of a 16-storey building with a footprint of 16,000 sq ft on a land area of 2,700 sq m and a multi-storey car park.
Construction will take two years to complete. Once completed, the apartments will be available to local and expatriate community. Islamic banks will provide financial facilities.

Cement firm in loan agreement
Muscat: Oman Arab Bank (OAB) has signed a seven-year long term loan agreement for $7.8 million with the Salalah-based Raysut Cement Company (RCC) to replace the firm's existing high interest rate loan, said officials.
The new deal will enable RCC - one of the Sultanate's two cement manufacturers - to reduce its financing cost substantially which, in turn, will improve the profitability of the company, they said.

$40m for new roads, houses
Manama: Projects worth BD15 million ($40 million) are under way to improve some of Bahrain's roads and build new homes for families, according to Bahrain's Works and Housing Minister Fahmi Al Jowder.
'The work has been divided among 45 companies, on projects ranging from roads to houses,' he said.
A total of BD879,461 is being spent on four road projects, with work being carried out by four specialised companies. Another BD2.8 million is being spent on houses, with work being carried out by seven companies, while maintenance projects totalling BD4.9 million are being carried out by 24 companies. The ministry will also spend BD2.3 million on various construction projects, including new facilities for schools, with the work being carried out by four companies, said Al Jowder.
Loans totalling BD4.9 million have also been paid out to people to build, buy or renovate their homes.

Major upgrade planned
Kuwait: Parsons Brinckerhoff International and Gulf Consult have completed designs for upgrading Jahra and Jamal Abdel Nasser streets into highways in Kuwait, under phase 1of a Ministry of Public Works project.
The project calls for the construction of a highway and bridges and the upgrade of existing roadways and related works at the Jahra Roundabout.
Designs are under way for phase 2 on the other side of the city where Dasman roundabout will be located. The preliminary design stage is also completed on phase 3, which entails the construction of roadways and upgrade of existing facilities on Abdullah Al Ahmed Street.
Designs on phase 4 located in the business district area are in the preliminary stage. The work entails the construction of roadways and the upgrade of existing roads at Mubarakiya suq. Tenders for all the phases will be out by early next year.
The KD110 million ($367.3 million) projects were originally designed by Mouchel of the UK 15 years ago. Mouchel is now providing technical support to US' Parsons Brinckerhoff and local Gulf Consult which suggested alternative design solutions.

Deal signed for specialist hospital
Manama: An agreement has been signed between Saudi-based Al Magrabi Hospital Group managing director, Mutasim Ali Redha and Saud Kanoo, chief executive officer of Saraya Property Company, promoter of Al Marsa Floating City at the Amwaj Islands to open a BD4 million ($10.6 million) specialist hospital in Bahrain.
The Magrabi Eye and ENT (ear-nose-throat) Hospital will be located in the Amwaj Islands, currently being developed northeast of Muharraq.