Qatar-based portacabin specialist Aal Imran Housing has recently started producing a new type of prefabricated units using glass-reinforced cement (GRC), which offer a host of benefits.

The units are well insulated against sound and heat radiation. In addition, they are resistant to fire, water, humidity, and the vagaries of the desert and coastal environment.
Says Issa Dauleh, general manager: “GRC has been highly regarded for its physical and chemical characteristics, including its longer durability that competes well with ferro-concrete and other materials including wood, iron, aluminum and gypsum sheets. Aal Imran uses GRC in combination with ceramics, marble and natural stone materials to produce units that are suitable for housing, military and tourist projects.”
These new prefabricated units are said to be easy to erect and dismantle, thus saving on time and cost of installation especially in remote areas. The units are set up using special joints between the walls, and between the walls and the roof, resulting in solid building blocks which are resistant to storm and earthquakes, unlike the ones joined by nails, he says.
The material allows flexibility in design and makes it possible to construct structures on weak soil and on top of old buildings which have a weak foundation. It also allows the construction of shells for domes, sports clubs and showrooms.
“All these benefits can be gained with the bonus of low cost and fire resistance for at least four hours. These prefabricated units, based on a bearing walls system, do not require reinforcing columns since the weight does not exceed 120 kg per sq m,” says Dauleh.
Aal Imran Housing started operations in Qatar in 1982 as an importer of prefabricated units from Kuwait and the UAE. Three years later, it ventured into the manufacture of such units in Qatar.
The company’s first unit was used to house a mosque in Al Murrah, which has stood the test of time and remains in excellent condition, he says.
Using its experience, and through research and development, the company started to enhance its products by introducing new materials, such as aluminum sheets for cladding external walls and rockwool for insulation – considered one of the best solutions for sound and heat insulation.
Aal Imran Housing currently has the following subsidiaries:
• Aal Imran Trading, which specialises in import and sale of building materials;
• Aal Imran Freight, which clears shipment of all types of goods and furniture by air, sea and land;
• Aal Imran Farming, which trades in all kinds of agricultural requisites, as well as executes soft and hard landscaping works;
• Qatar Speed House, which specialises in low-cost prefabricated units. In addition, the company has a branch office for the rental of cabins. The packages include delivery, assembly and water and electricity supply during the rental period.
Aal Imran Housing specialises in the manufacture of prefabricated units (used for mosques, villas, kitchens, restaurants, chalets, offices, and compounds).
“Moreover, we can provide all types and sizes of steel sheds such as warehouses, garages and workshops,” he says.
Since its establishment, the company has undertaken several prestigious projects for the both government and private sectors in Qatar, including many mosques constructed in various parts of the country for the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.
In addition, the company has also been involved in the construction of 1,700 sq m of office space at the Nodco refinery (including all civil works); setting up mobile telecommunication stations for Qatar Telecommunications Company  (Q-Tel); and the construction of a compound to house 1,000 persons in the industrial area of Mesaieed. The compound includes kitchens, restaurants, entertainment halls, and green areas.
“Our company is always eager to participate in exhibitions held locally and abroad. We participated recently at the 12th GCC exhibition held in the Sultanate of Oman, we were the only Qatari manufacturer of prefabricated units at the event” says Khalid Ali Mosleh Khalafallah, civil engineer at Aal Imran Housing. “Moreover, the company participated locally at 'Made in Qatar' exhibition in 2003 which considered one of the important events in Qatar.”