Bahrain-based aluminum producer Alba, along with Bechtel, the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contractor, has achieved a major milestone by successfully producing the first hot metal at its Potline 6 Expansion Project two weeks ahead of schedule.

Bahrain’S government has started the handover of 5,000 residential units under the Al Ramli Housing Project to the eligible citizens. All the homes will be successfully distributed by the middle of this month, said a report.

Shell Oman Marketing Company, a leading downstream fuel marketing company in the sultanate, has signed an agreement with Port of Duqm Company (PDC) to develop fuel bunkering facilities and services.

Iraq has embarked on an ambitious diversification plan under which the country will supply 10 per cent of its energy needs from sustainable resources by 2028 through development of large-scale solar, wind and biomass facilities at an investment of over $50 billion.

Oxford Business Group (OBG), a top global research and consultancy firm, has released a new report looking in detail at Kuwait’s efforts to diversify its economy and develop key sectors earmarked for growth, including manufacturing and telecoms.

Increasing temperature and humidity levels along with technological advancements such as air purification technology will propel the global air-conditioners market to reach $231 billion by 2023, said a recent report.

Oman Cement Company (OCC) plans to go ahead with the establishment of an integrated cement project in the Duqm Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with an investment of around $212 million, said a report.

Global independent safety science company UL has introduced a new testing and commissioning service for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region that helps determine the energy efficiency of buildings.

In a bid to provide technical direction to architects and specifiers for designing cost-effective, validated concrete repair processes, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) has introduced the ACI 563-18: Specifications for Repair of Concrete in Buildings.

Diyar Al Muharraq, one of the leading urban developers in Bahrain, has announced its adoption of the Benayat system for the issuance of building permits for the construction of the city’s projects, thus enabling the company to benefit from the services it provides.

Global technology giant Siemens has announced the completion of two substations – Samanoud and Aboul Matameer – in the Delta region of Egypt. The project marks one of the country’s largest turnkey substations ever supplied.

Tamdeen Group, a leading mixed-use property developer in Kuwait, said work was in full swing at its ambitious Shaikh Jaber Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah International Tennis Complex, which aims to position the country as a preferred international tennis destination in the region.

Kuwait’s Public Authority for Roads and  Transportation (PART) said one of its major projects, Jahra Road and Jamal Abdul Nasser Street Development, has won the Global Road Achievement Award at the International Road Federation (IRF) awards ceremony held in the US.

Logistics hub at Duqm AL MADINA Logistics Duqm Company and Duqm Port Company recently signed a land investment agreement at Duqm Port in Oman’s Al Wusta Governorate.