Gulf Construction Online

News

Update

01 March 2007

$100m Wave contracts awarded
More than RO100 million ($259.8 million) worth of construction contracts have been awarded for The Wave, Muscat, mostly to local construction firms.

The Wave Muscat, a residential and commercial development, has signed market leaders Carillion Alawi and Al Turki Enterprises amongst other contractors, for housing construction and the setting up of requisite infrastructure and related support structures.
Carillion Alawi will build 191 townhouses in the project. Infrastructure work to be undertaken by the company includes manufacture of quay wall blocks for the marina and manufacture of core-loc blocks for the offshore reef.
Al Turki Enterprises will be involved in the construction of 303 villas as well as infrastructure work, which includes all of the services.

Blue Star range is launched
Intercol, one of Bahrain’s leading companies, has launched Blue Star air-conditioning and refrigeration products in Bahrain.
Blue Star is India’s largest air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration company, manufacturing and and marketing a wide range of air-conditioning and refrigeration systems including large air-conditioning plants, packaged air-conditioning systems, split and window air-conditioners, water coolers, bottle coolers, bottled water dispensers, ice cube machines, deep freezers and cold storages.
The company’s products are sold in other regional markets including the UAE and Qatar.

Greeks win Pearl-Qatar work
Greek construction group J&P Avax and its partner Joannou & Paraskevaides Overseas have signed a €325 million ($423 million) real estate project in Qatar, it said.
The consortium, in which J&P Avax holds a 25 per cent stake, will build villas and design a part of The Pearl-Qatar, a multi-billion dollar offshore real estate project in Qatar.
The project should be completed in 36 months, J&P Avax said.
The Pearl will be a man-made island, 400 hectares large, 350 m off the coast of Qatar and about 20 km north of the capital, Doha (see page 80).
Volvo names distributor
Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has appointed AA Bin Hindi as the official distributor of Volvo Construction Equipment in Bahrain.
An agreement in this regard was recently signed at the Volvo CE representative regional office in Dubai.
Volvo Construction Equipment belongs to the Volvo Group and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of construction machines.

Riffa Views develops infrastructure
A BD24.9 million ($69 million) infrastructure contract has been signed between Riffa Views Signature Estates and Cybarco Bahrain.
Under the contract, Cybarco, in a joint venture with Tebet Enterprises, will undertake one of Bahrain’s largest infrastructure projects to build roads, telecommunications cabling, electricity and water supplies for the luxury residential development.
At 270 hectares, approximately the size of 360 football stadiums, Riffa Views will include 1,000 luxury residences, an 18-hole golf course, a nine-hole short course, sports, leisure and school facilities.
The work entails laying of over 160 km of underground electric cabling, 14 km of rainwater drainage piping, 26 km of potable water piping, 69 km of telephone network cabling, 32 km of street light cabling and 18 km of roads.

$54bn KAEC progress evaluated
A top Saudi delegation recently toured the project site of the $54 billion King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) to evaluate the progress on the project, which is on the rise near Jeddah.
Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (Sagia) governor Amr Abdullah Al-Dabbagh, Emaar.EC chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar and members of the Emaar EC board were among of the touring party.
The first phase, currently being built, includes the Sea Port, the Industrial Zone, Resort District and Residential Zone. Covering 13.8 million sq m, the seaport will be the largest in the region, while the Industrial District will spread over 63 million sq m. The Resort District will feature 3,000 rooms in 12 four- and five-star hotels, including two signature 18-hole golf courses and a leisure complex.
The other components of KAEC include a Central Business District that features a Financial Island and the Educational Zone.

Al Areen first phase nearly ready
The first phase of Al Areen development in Bahrain, which covers construction of the water park along with a spa and resort, is due to be completed next month.
The Banyan Tree Desert Spa and Resort includes 22 two-bedroom villas and 56 one-bedroom villas, while the Lost Paradise of Dilmun Water Park features spa pools, a children’s wet play area, a family raft rides, 15 water slides, as well as the Gulf’s largest wave pool.
The two projects a cost of $170 million.
Meanwhile, work has already begun on a hotel near the water park, while other projects in different stages of development include Downtown Al Areen, Sarab Al Areen, the Oryx Hills residential project, Sunset Hills, and residential, commercial, hospitality, recreational and entertainment facilities.

Window to give insight into trends
A major exhibition on windows is set to open this month (8 to 11) in Turkey at the ‹stanbul Exhibition Center in Istanbul. Window 2007 / Door Window Fair, the third in this series of exhibitions, will feature all types of doors, windows, glass-shutters, ancillary industry products, machinery, accessories and technologies.
Organised by Esas Fuarc›l›k, the event has achieved a sustained growth both in terms of exhibitors and visitors. Last year, the fair attracted 15,000 local and foreign professional visitors – a figure that the organiser expects to be exceeded substantially.

Talking tall at Dubai expo
Real estate leaders from across 23 countries including China, Russia, India and the US came together at Building Tall forum in Dubai, UAE.
Building Tall was organised by MEED Conferences to discuss the various aspects of designing and building tall structures and how to turn them into a successful business enterprise.
“In order to create a signature structure, it is of utmost importance that besides commercial viability, design elements are compatible with challenges of gravity, high wind velocities, soaring summer temperatures, seismic disturbances and fire,” said Emaar Projects executive director Greg Sang during the keynote address.

Hardware & Tools expo grows
The Hardware & Tools Middle East 2007 expo, to be held in Dubai from May 13 to 15, is on track to be bigger than ever.
“We are anticipating a huge demand from visitors and exhibitors and we’ve registered a 30 per cent increase in participants from the last show,” said Hardware & Tools Middle East exhibition manager Melanie Beese.
“The 2007 exhibition looks set to be even bigger, judging by the overwhelming response and feedback we’ve received this year,” she added.

Cityscape goes to Asia
CITYSCAPE Asia is to be held at in Singapore at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 10 to 12, 2007, following in the footsteps of the extraordinary success of Cityscape Dubai.
Organiser IIR Middle East says that more than 80 per cent of exhibition space has been sold with a further 10 per cent under offer.
Apart from the host nation, exhibitors from Australia, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, China and the Middle East, have confirmed their participation at the show, which will occupy a total of 7,000 sq m of exhibition space.

Lighting experts to the fore
As many as 18 architectural lighting experts will speak at a conference running alongside Light Middle East 2007, which will be held at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from May 13 to 15.
Organised by Messe Frankfurt, the Light Middle East exhibition is regarded as the premier event of its kind in the region, and the conference is being organised with the European Lighting Designers Association, (ELDA+), a group of experts who are active all around the world on some of the most visible projects.
The ELDA+ Light Focus Middle East conference presents a brilliant line-up of 18 experts, all of whom are world-renowned and award-winning. These include Patrick Woodroffe, Tapio Rosenius, Rogier van der Heide, Jonathan Speirs, Mark Major, Paul Gregory, Akari-Lisa Ishii, Motoko Ishii, Barry Hannaford, Nick Hogget, Beau McClellan and Ted Ferreira, who’s responsible for several current projects in Dubai including two themed parks.

Furniture expo to make its debut
The first International Hospitality Furniture Expo (IHFEX) which aims to tap the vibrant Middle Eastern market will debut at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) from September 3 to 5, 2007.
IHFEX is organised by Singapore’s MP Congress & Exhibitions and International Furniture Fair Singapore (IFFS). It is endorsed by the Bahrain Ministry of Industry and Commerce and supported by the Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority and the Singapore Furniture Industries Council.
65 firms for Arabian Home Show
Ambiente Al Bayt Al Arabie 2007, the Middle East’s only Arabian home interiors and accessories exhibition, will feature more than 65 leading home interiors and accents companies from over 12 countries around the globe. Also known as the Arabian Home Show, Ambiente Al Bayt Al Arabie will be held alongside The Bride Show Dubai, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 10 to 13.

Batimat makes Abu Dhabi date
Batimat, the international building exhibition, will make its debut in the Gulf in 2008 with four specialised trade shows in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The events will be held concurrently under the title ‘Building Futures Gulf by Batimat’, according to the organiser Reed Exhibitions Middle East.
The four shows – Structure Gulf (structural products and components), Envelop Gulf (façade systems and joinery), Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Gulf (thermal comfort solutions), and Intelligent Building Gulf – will be dedicated to high-performance buildings.