Al Abbar Aluminium, a Dubai-based architectural aluminium major, is keen on popularising the unitised curtainwall concept in the Gulf market. The company, set up in 1987, supplies a comprehensive range of aluminium curtain-wall and associated products from its facilities in Dubai's Al Awir industrial area.

Dubai Aluminium Company's (Dubal) $736 million expansion project code-named Condor was formally inaugurated early last month.Vice chairman, Mohammed Ali Alabbar, said the project, which was managed entirely in-house, was completed ahead of schedule, within budget and without a serious accident.

Dubai Cable Company (Ducab), which has literally powered the nation through its cables, has decided to lead Dubai's quality movement from the front.Having just doubled its production capacity last year with the introduction of medium-voltage cables, the company is looking forward to double the business over the next three to four years.

Emirates Building Systems (EBS), a Dubai-based pre-engineered building manufacturer which commenced production in December 1997, has seen tremendous growth and now markets its products in 14 countries from Africa to the Far East.

Emaar Properties has launched work on its latest project, the Emirates Lakes, a new multinational residential community situated next to its successful luxury golf course estate, Emirates Hills.The 113-hectare lakeside estate has been master-planned to international standards incorporating low-rise architecture throughout.

A project which grew out of local investors' eagerness to provide the regional construction sector a flexible option for their glass requirements is today a major player in the sector, just within a span of three years.

Flowcrete, which recently launched its unit in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, plans to set up a manufacturing plant in Dubai in the near future to cope with the increased demand for its products.The UK-based Flowcrete is a market leader in industrial flooring, specialist flooring screeds and car-park decking systems.

Al Futtaim Engineering, a member of the Al-Futtaim Trading Group of Companies, is a multi-disciplined engineering company providing products and services to the construction sector.

The Dubai-based Graniti Buildings Materials has set up a design division to cater to the demand for the exclusive ceramic products it supplies. The company, set up in 1993, is the sole agent of Mirage Granito Ceramico in the UAE and the Gulf area.

Gulf Eternit Industries (GEI), a member of the Future Pipe Group (FPG), was a key contributor to the successful implementation of Dubai Aluminium's (Dubal) Condor project.The $736 million Condor project entailed the construction of Dubal's sixth potline and the installation of an additional 440 MW of power generation capacity.

Launched in 1970, Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises (HEE) has developed and prospered in parallel with the UAE through the excellence of its work, innovation and experience in tackling complex projects.

Construction activity in Dubai has plateaued out at a high level, according to industry sources. Key players in the sector are looking at new opportunities, the focus being industrial, property development and leisure projects.Three mega projects which have created history of sorts are complete.

Jotun Paints is currently celebrating a proud moment in its history. The company, which boasts a leadership position in the paints market in the region, is marking 25 years of its operation in Dubai.To reemphasise its commitment to the market, Jotun has recently moved its Decorative Paints headquarters (excluding Scandinavia) to Dubai.

Laticrete International, a leading producer of ceramic tile and stone installation system materials worldwide, recently began producing powder adhesives in the UAE.

The end of apartheid and the sanctions against South Africa saw the beginning of Murray and Roberts' (M&R) bold journey into the highly competitive construction market in the UAE.

One of the landmark projects currently reaching for the skies on Shaikh Zayed Road is Tower No. 1. Work on the building, which is in the shape of an inverted Y, is scheduled for completion by November this year.Structural work on the building is almost finished.

MFI, one of Europe's largest manufacturers of furniture and claimed to be Britain's biggest retailer of bedrooms and kitchens, has opened shop in Dubai.The latest addition to the network of MFI stores worldwide comes under the Al Sayer umbrella, one of Kuwait's largest trading groups, and is located in the Oasis Centre on Shaikh Zayed Road.

Al Naboodah Contracting's Building Division, a Dubai-based construction major, has started work on the prestigious Dubai Internet City project.Al Naboodah won the contract to build two buildings for the city under the project's Phase II development.

RMC Topmix, the regional subsidiary of the RMC Group, which claims to be the world's largest supplier of ready-mixed concrete, has praised the proposal to establish a Supreme Council for the building industry and it would also like to see the formation of a UAE industry watchdog for the ready-mixed concrete industry.

Satwa Automatic Mosaic Tiles and Marble Factory, claimed to be the largest unit of its kind in the UAE, is offering top-quality aesthetic designs for its customers.Established in Dubai's Al Quoz Industrial Area in 1969, Satwa produces marble, granite and mosaic tiles.

Sharjah & Kuwait Manufacturing (SKM), one of the leading manufacturers of central air-conditioning equipment in the Dubai and other Gulf markets, is planning for the future with a huge expansion.From a modest beginning in 1974, SKM has grown to be an international supplier of quality products by exporting to about 20 countries.

Target Equipment Industries, claimed to be Middle East's only manufacturer of abrasive cleaning systems, is upbeat over business prospects in the region.Target manufactures a wide range of airless shot blasting machines for the abrasive cleaning of steel sections, steel fabrications, spools and pipes.

United Metal Supply (UMS), through its Dubai operation, has built up a reputation for timely supply of steel materials for various applications to the Gulf.UMS, established in the principality of Liechtenstein in 1995, is involved exclusively in the trading and stocking of steel products.

Dubai has, for several years, successfully catered to a healthy influx of new companies, which have made the dynamic city their regional trading hub. This fuelled a boom in the construction industry and so was it with the readymix concrete sector.

Wrenn Associates specialises in the interior design of luxury hotels, restaurants, commercial offices and upmarket retail outlets, and has completed many prestigious projects in the UAE. The firm is now looking at widening its business horizon.