X-Tec, a Finnish specialist in the design and manufacture of high-performance machinery and equipment for the precast concrete industry, is setting up a regional office in Dubai in a bid to further enhance its support to customers and boost its business levels in the region, according to Raimo Juhantalo, director of customer services.

As the construction industry continues to boom in the Middle East, facilities management (FM) is gaining further importance in the region where there is a shift in focus from actually getting a development up, to managing it effectively once it is built, according to Hill McGlynn, a UK-based recruitment consultancy, which has recently opened a loca

Having supplied armour rock for Palm Jumeirah and Palm Jebel Ali, Gibca, a leading supplier of quality aggregates and rock armour in the region, is currently supply its product for the giant Palm Deira, under a contract that is expected to last for another three years.

Contractors throughout the UAE are electing to hire as an alternative to buying, which can present an unrealistic option for many – representing a major investment and outlay.

AceCad Software, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is looking to further strengthen its position in the Dubai market and beyond, through continually enhancing its software solutions and service operations. Since 1986, has grown to be a leading supplier of software solutions to the international structural steel industry.

With the construction sector in Dubai witnessing a never-before boom, vertical transportation specialist Alimak’s Scando hoists have been busy ferrying both men and materials along some of the tallest towers in the emirate.

Koller, an Austrian specialist in whirlpool hydro-massage systems, reports double-digit growth in business volumes in the Gulf, following the increased demand for its top-of-the-line products from bath manufacturers, hospitality establishments and discerning clients in the region.

FM Environmental, a water and waste treatment equipment and engineering specialist, has recently gained approval from Dubai Municipality for its Grease Guardian – an innovative automatic mechanical grease separator for drainage systems.

Following extensive auditing, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) has accredited Al Futtaim Bodycote’s material testing laboratory at the Dubai Festival City (DFC) with the ISO/IEC 17025 standard.

Bagno Design – a Dubai-based high-end chain of bathroom design centres, which offers ready-made and tailored solutions of exclusive sanitary ware, and bathroom accessories – is launching a number of innovative products on the market from some of the world’s leading brands.

Fast-track formwork specialist Aluma Systems has gone from strength to strength in the Gulf region, thanks to its range of time-saving aluminium systems.

With most of the residential buildings coming up in the region, particularly in the UAE, being more than 15 storeys high, it is vital that adequate fire protection systems are installed to ensure the safety of residents and the integrity of such structures in the event of a fire, states Dubai-based Geze Middle East, a market leader in system techno

Building on its 18 years of presence in the region, US-headquartered irrigation equipment manufacturer Hunter Industries has successfully added yet another prestigious project in Dubai to its already impressive portfolio.

Having already partnered with some of the leading and most renowned aluminum fabricators in the region, Installux Gulf (IG) and its partners move forward to introduce their products and get them specified with top architects and consulting engineers throughout the Arabian Gulf.

ADh4 billion ($1.09 billion) tower – tipped to be among the tallest commercial skycrapers in the world – is expected to start its ascent by the end of this year at Business Bay in Dubai.

Work is now under way on the $1 billion Snowdome project at Dubailand, following a ground-breaking ceremony last February. The project, the diversified multinational 32Group, is expected to be the first comprehensive snow resort in Dubai at par with the leading international ski resorts.

Construction work is due to begin this month on the typical floors of the 52-storey twin-tower Al Kazim Commercial and Office building on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road, between interchanges 4 and 5.

With detailed design work now nearing the final stages, the first tenders are set to be announced shortly on what is billed as one of the largest waterfront developments in the world.

Major civil construction works on the much-awaited Dh15.5 billion ($4.2 billion) Dubai Metro project were launched late last month at an inaugural ceremony by the newly-formed Road Transport Authority (RTA), in a bid to tackle the growing traffic problems on the rapidly developing metropolis of Dubai.

Construction work on the $2.5 billion Dubai Sports City (DSC) – a 50 million sq ft exclusive mixed-use metropolis that is set to be the first integrated sports city ever constructed – has received a significant boost following the award of two major contracts within the past two months.

ADh5.5 billion ($1.5 billion) mega project that embodies the UAE’s heritage while bringing together under a single development the architectural wonders of the world is poised to take off with work already completed on the initial villas on the development.

With piling and foundations work in full swing, the multi-billion-dollar City of Arabia project is well on schedule to meet the opening deadline of Summer 2008 for its major leisure components and some of its residential towers.

• Consultant for the Restless Planet Dinosaur Theme Park: The Natural History Museum of London, one of the world’s best known and successful museums, attracting over 3.3 m visitors in the past year. • Manufacturer of animatronic dinosaurs: Kokoro, leading makers of robotically-controlled animatronic dinosaurs.

An army of more than 31,000 workers assisted by a vast array of some of the world’s most efficient equipment – including a total of 102 cranes – is currently at work on a 500-acre desert site close to the heart of Dubai to create a Dh73 billion ($20 billion) mixed-use development that will boast the tallest man-made structure in the world.

•The tip of the spire can be seen by a person 95 km (60 miles) away. •The amount of rebar used for the tower is 31,400 tonnes – laid end to end this would extend over a quarter of the way around the world.

Is the boom that has fuelled such frenetic growth in Dubai now in its final stages? Is this skyrocketing growth of the global cynosure finally set to plateau out? The emirate appears to be showing signs of easing, given the reduced number of new mega projects making the news – which hitherto were being launched at a breathtaking frequency.