Gulf Shade, a leading Bahrain-based tensile membrane structure specialist, is giving the final touches on the roofing structure of the prestigious Lagoon Mall within the Amwaj Island development, situated along the northeast coast of Bahrain.

Abu Dhabi Investment House (ADIH) and Majid Al Futtaim Group (MAF), have entered into a partnership to develop a $1.5 billion precinct within Qatar Entertainment City.

Buildings that will come up in all the 92 plots at Energy City Qatar (ECQ) will be powered by alternative sources of energy, a report said. While the initial phase of the construction will be completed in 2009, the entire project is scheduled to be completed by 2012.

Jacobs Engineering Group, one of the world’s largest and most diverse provider of professional technical services, has acquired 60 per cent stake in Saudi firm Zamel & Turbag Consulting Engineers (Zate). The company has been renamed as Jacobs, Zamel and Turbag Consulting Engineers (Jacobs Zate).

Durrat Al Bahrain, the largest planned luxury residential, commercial and tourist resort development in Bahrain, last month switched on the lighting on one of its islands as part of testing its infrastructure.

Mannai Group’s Heavy Equipment Division (HED) has last month delivered a large order of JCB construction machinery to Qatar’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture (MMAA).

A BD30 million ($79.5 million) freehold commercial tower, which will sport a twisted and curved shape, is to be built in Bahrain’s Seef district. The 35-storey BFB Tower, which will be the first of its kind in Bahrain, is designed by local company Andalus Engineering Consultancy.

At least seven contractors have prequalified for the main construction package of Qatar Petroleum’s $5 billion Al Shaheen grassroots refinery.

Work on a new substation for Marina West, a new residential development on Bahrain’s west coast, has reached an advanced stage and was expected to be completed last month (April). The 66 kV/11 kV electrical substation, is currently being set up by the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) at the Marina West development.

Qatar-headquartered Pancel-tica, a leading provider of fast-track housing solutions in the Middle East, has been utilising its innovative on-site manufacturing process to significantly reduce construction time.

Work on the New Doha International Airport (NDIA) is set to enter the next phase following the completion of reclamation work. “Both runways are taking shape and terminal infrastructure is well under construction. The airport is due to open in 2010,” Qatar Airways chief executive officer, Akbar Al Baker said.

Special Projects Company, in partnership with Al Seal Contracting and Trading, Nasser Bin Khalid and Sons Holding Company (NBKS) and other strategic investors, has announced plans to set up a state-of-the-art glass processing facility, which will help meet the increasing demand for architectural glass in the region.

Malaysian contractor United Engineers (Malaysia) (UEM) has put to work three Lintec CSD 3000, 240-tonne-per-hour (tph) containerised asphalt batching plant on the Doha-Abu Simra highway in Qatar, to help it meet the tight deadlines.

Japanese trading house Mitsui & Company will invest in a power and desalination project in Qatar expected to be worth more than 400 billion yen ($4 billion), according to reports. Mitsui and a Belgian unit of French conglomerate Suez will each take a 20 per cent stake in a venture to oversee the project.

Iveco, a leading global manufacturer of transport vehicles, has made a strong statement of its arrival in Oman with the formal launch of brand and inauguration of a $10 million showroom and after-sales facility in Muscat.

Al Mahaba Causeway to cost moreThe construction cost of Al Mahaba Causeway, linking Bahrain to Qatar, is expected to soar by 40 per cent due to inflation and shortage of building material. Work on the causeway is expected to start in 2009.