OMA, a leading international partnership practising architecture, urbanism and cultural analysis, has been named as the masterplanner for Airport City in Qatar, a new 10-sq-km development linking the new Hamad International Airport (HIA) with the capital Doha.

CONSTRUCTION work has commenced on the Istanbul International Financial Centre (IIFC) in Istanbul, Turkey, which is being built on a 170-acre site on the city’s Asian side.

KUWAIT plans to choose a winning bid shortly from among 18 foreign companies competing to build a new airport, a key project in the country’s economic development plan, an official said. The airport, which is expected to cost around KD900 million ($3.2 billion) and open in 2020, is aimed to serve as a regional air travel hub.

THE Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) in Saudi Arabia has approved a comprehensive plan to overhaul the capital city, keeping wide, open areas in the city centre and building a ring road around them.

WORK will begin soon on a BD18-million ($47.7 million) project to build a major theme park in Muharraq, Bahrain, featuring an ice rink, aquamarine centre, karting track and amusement rides. The Muharraq Municipal Council approved new designs for the Muharraq Grand Garden after it drastically changed the original blueprint and cut its budget.

Schneider water solutions showcased SCHNEIDER Electric, a global specialist in energy management, showcased its Smart Water solutions last month as part of a forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

AGRU’S high-grade thermoplastic products are highly durable, flexible and resistant to ultraviolet (UV) rays, which makes them especially suitable for the various bridge building projects being constructed in the region, said the UAE-based BMC Gulf.

NEXT-generation sustainable resource and energy management systems from Quality Attributes Software (QAS), a facility data management company specialising in energy management and sustainability, will be installed in 16 of Qatar’s buildings.

THE construction of the International Medical City (IMC) in Salalah, Oman, is one step closer with the completion of the detailed design of its infrastructure masterplan.

ITHMAAR Development Company (IDC) has awarded the infrastructure works for the first phase of Dilmunia Island in Bahrain, marking a major milestone in the $1.6-billion project.

HIS Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain recently laid the foundation stone for the first phase of a social housing project consisting of 4,000 houses in the kingdom. To be built over three phases in Hidd, Phase One of the project will see the construction of 1,500 houses.

ROOTS Group Arabia has opened the first Case Construction Equipment showroom in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to meet the growing demand for heavy equipment in the region.

Dubai-based Arabtec has signed a Dh500-million ($136 million) contract to build a 23-storey hotel and residential complex in Cairo, Egypt. The Nile Towers will include a Hilton Hotel with 256 guest rooms and suites plus other facilities. An adjacent tower will contain 114 luxury residential apartments.

KAVALANI and Sons has opened an industrial showroom based on the ‘store within a store’ concept that is set to take equipment and supplies sales to a whole new level in Bahrain. Located in Salman Industrial City at the Bahrain Investment Wharf in Hidd, the $12-million facility is spread over a massive 130,000 sq ft.

THE Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) has signed an agreement to jointly develop a fully-integrated, world-class phosphate production facility in Saudi Arabia with The Mosaic Company and the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic).

TOTAL exports of US hardwood lumber and veneer to the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region reached $86.54 million for the year 2012, said a report from the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry. Shipments of American hardwood lumber reached a value of $62.

TELESCOPIC belt conveyors (Telebelts)from concrete specialist Putzmeister are playing a key role in helping build Qatar’s multi-billion-dollar new port project, which is on track for completion in 2016. Spanning an area of 26.5 sq km, the QR27 billion ($7.

AL KIFAH Building Materials has set up a block factory in the new industrial zone in Hail, Saudi Arabia, in line with the company’s vision to adopt the most advanced and time-efficient technologies.

A QATAR project central to the 2022 Fifa World Cup has secured world-class recognition for architectural excellence at the MIPIM Future Project Awards which were held in Cannes, France, last month. The awards are organised by the respected engineering magazine Architectural Review.

CONTRACTOR Abuljadayel Company, a specialist in water and wastewater projects, has utilised a number of formwork and shoring solutions provided by RMD Kwikform to support the construction of the world’s second deepest sewage pumping station taking shape at the North Jeddah Pumping Station project in Saudi Arabia.