Construction Week

SAUDI ARABIA BAHRAIN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES QATAR OMAN KUWAIT

ConstructionWEEK NEWS, ANALYSIS, PROJECTS,

TENDERS, CLASSIFIEDS, ANDJOBS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

OCTOBER 3–9, 2009 [290]An ITP Business Publication CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

INSIDEFACE TO FACEExperts discuss the viability of Saudi’s Jeddah marketPAGE 14

SITE VISITCW takes a trip down to King Abdullah Financial DistrictPAGE 22

10 TO WATCHCheck out developers exhibiting at this week’s CityscapePAGE 26

HOW TOBarney Green tells us how to minimise working at heightPAGE 34

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERECITYSCAPE

The reliability of systems

Knauf Drywall Systems tap the potential of gypsum to provide comprehensive systems for innovative drywalling solutions. They guarantee freedom of architectural expression and design, setting new benchmarks in the aesthetics of interior spaces. Knauf Drywall Systems are the most frequently used building materials in offices, schools, hotels, homes, hospitals as well as high-end large scale projects. Knauf’s A-Z systems approach forms a single reliable source providing designers, consultants and applicators with all the components of a drywall system, be they ceilings, partitions, shaftwalls, drylinings, access panels, or cementboards.

To get more detailed information about Knauf Drywall Systems visit our website or call +971 4 3377170 for technical information. www.knauf.ae

System Approach

CONTENTS

12 NEWS IN BRIEFHighlights of the week.

14 FACE TO FACEIndustry experts discuss the market outlook for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

16 NEWS ANALYSISCould Cityscape 2009 mark a watershed for the global development industry?

19 EVENTSIndustry dates for your diary.

21 COMMENTEugene Siterman discusses how developers have learnt valuable lessons for long-term survival during the downturn.

REGULARS2 ONLINE4 MAIL

FRONT8 CORRUPT CONTRACTORS CUT CORNERS TO SAVE COSTSIndustry experts claim that some construction companies are allowing substandard workmanship and material quality to save on time and costs.

9 MERAAS TO EXHIBIT AT CITYSCAPEMeraas has surfaced for Cityscape Dubai after Jumeira Gardens developer disappeared for a year.

10 LEED CERTIFICATION SUPPORT REMAINS HIGHA constructionweekonline.com survey has revealed that majority people believe Leed certifi ciation should remain high on the list of priorities for developers.

FEATURES22 ON SITE CW visits the King Abdullah Financial District development to fi nd out how construction is progressing.

26 TEN TO WATCHCW identifi es 10 developers worth paying a visit at Cityscape this week.

28 SPECIAL REPORTWhere is Saudi Arabia’s construction market heading and is it as strong as people think?

38 HOW TOBarney Green tells us how contractors should try to remove the need to work at height on site.

DIRECTORY38 TENDERS39 PROJECTS 40 SPECIALIST SERVICESBACK44 CITY UPDATEThe latest news and projects from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

46 CONSTRUCT SAFEThe industry’s very own comic strip on health and safety best practices.

48 DIALOGUECityscape’s Rohan Marwaha predicts a bright future for Dubai’s construction and real estate markets.

OCTOBER 3-9, 2009 | ISSUE 290

1OCTOBER 3–9, 2009 CONSTRUCTION WEEK

8

16

21

28

10

9

CONSTRUCTION WEEK OCTOBER 3–9, 20092

FEATURESMEP

ACTUAL TRAININGBelimo Automation has launched a hi-tech training facility.

Architect

PROJECT SHOWCASE – QATARProleads Global found a total of 191 “major” projects moving forward.

A recent design competition to create a memorial to Michael Jackson featured three somewhat outlandish designs adding to Dubai’s coast-line. Construction Week has taken a closer look at some of the major artifi cial island projects in the Gulf and further afi eld.See more images at: www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com

IN PICTURES:THE GULF’S ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS

ONLINEwww.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

Design

BRIGHT LIGHTSBreaking into the lucrative Saudi market presents its own set of unique challenges.

PMV

EAST GETS TASTE FOR METRO BUILDSDozens of urban rail projects are under way.

MOST POPULARSTANDARD OPERATIONSTOP 10 HEALTHCARE PROJECTS IN THE GCCREAL ESTATE CHIEF EXEC FACES 138 YEARS IN JAILARABTEC WINS RUSSIAN SUPERTALL TOWER CONTRACTUK FIRMS FINED MILLIONS FOR PRICE RIGGING

TO VOTE IN THIS WEEK’S SPOT POLL GO TOwww.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

HAVE YOUR SAYWILL WE SEE A TRANSITION TOWARDS LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS IN THE GCC?Is the market now ready to generate long-term rewards?

JOBS OF THE WEEKConstruction Director, DubaiSenior QA/QC Engineers, DohaGeneral Manager, Kuwait

ONLINE POLLARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO CITYSCAPE DUBAI IN OCTOBER?

52.2%Of course, it’s going to be an important show for demonstrating that Dubai has great construction opportunities

30.4%Yes, I’m interested to see if it will confi rm if we should be worried about the future

17.4%I’m not going, now really isn’t a good time for new projects


MAIL

WRITE TO THE EDITOR Please address your letters to: Post, Construction Week, PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE or email [email protected]. Please provide your full name and address, stating clearly if you do not wish us to print them. Alternatively log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com and air your views on any one of a number of the latest Middle East business articles.

RE: EMAAR REVEALS PLANS FOR TOP BURJ DUBAI EXPERIENCEThis is expected to be better than the Eiffel Tower experience in Paris.SHYAM

RE: POOR QUALITY MATERIALS CAUSED BUILDING COLLAPSEI believe that building collapses are caused by poor design and a lack of supervision. In my opinion,

materials result in accidents. Flaws in design cannot be ruled out, however, building plans should be approved by authorised local authorities.BASHIR AHMED SHAH

We should concentrate on internal standardisation before dealing with international quality.JEFF HASPELL

FACE-TO-FACE: METRO TALKThe Dubai Metro will defi nitely help the region’s economy and traffi c problems will be reduced marginally. MAHESH BHAT

RE: DISCOVERY GARDENS OWNERS IN SERVICE CHARGE PROTESTOver the past six years I have not seen a single comment from anyone praising real estate companies of displaying real customer service. It is very sad to note that everyone only has complaints against real estate companies. VIPIN BALAKRISHNAN

RE: REPORT: UAE CON-STRUCTION SUFFER-ING THE MOST IN GCCThe government has to change its policies on freehold ownerships so that the real owner can be more confi dent in making long-term plans and commitments. Also, developers have to concentrate on producing more affordable properties for the middle-income groups

three quarters of consultants lack design knowledge and one third of consultants are new to the construction industry. The wrong selection of consultants, in the name of cost saving, results in low quality construction. SHIVA

RE: STANDARD OPERATIONSGenerally, a lack of qualifi ed technical supervision and the use of substandard

rather than just launching ultra luxury buildings.BENJAMIN

RE: TENDERS OUT SOON SAYS AL FARA’ADubai’s property market still needs a few more years to digest the available units rather than adding more. Investors should stop building any new residential or commercial projects and focus on other sectors of the economy. I don’t see this announcement as good news. HASSAN

RE: NAKHEEL, EMAAR RETURN TO CITYSCAPE DUBAIThis move gives hope for everyone in Dubai.EJAZ AHMED

RE: UAE DECIDING ON FOREIGN COMPANY OWNERSHIPWhile Dubai has established itself as a leader in business, I see Abu Dhabi as the new emerging leader. It has the time, fi nances and the intention to learn from markets’ mistakes and implement them in better way. ZAHIR PASHA

RE: RTA COMPLETES PHASE ONE OF BUS PROJECTWhy has nothing been planned for Umm Al Quwain? The city doesn’t even have a bus terminal or a taxi station. The taxi drivers just make use of the empty land to park and are often harassed by the police.JONN BONG

RE: WORKSHOPS TO BE HELD BEFORE BUILDING CODES’ RELEASEIt’s great to see that the UAE Municipal Authority has taken a prudent decision to introduce new building codes in the UAE based on international regulations. This alacrity of Abu Dhabi’s Depart-ment of Municipal Affairs will lead to a new era in the building sector. Now the time has come to prepare a common and integrated set of building codes for all GCC countries.

MOHAMMED AZAD HOSSAIN

The opinions expressed in this section are of particular individuals and are in no way a refl ection of the publisher’s views.

PUBLISHED BY AND © 2009 ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING, A DIVISION OF THE ITP PUBLISHING GROUP LTD,REGISTERED IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPANY NUMBER 1402846

Registered at Dubai Media CityITP Business PublishingPO Box 500024, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTEL +971 4 435 6000 FAX +971 4 435 6080Offices in Dubai & London

ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHINGCEO Walid AkawiMANAGING DIRECTOR Neil DaviesDEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR Matthew SouthwellEDITORIAL DIRECTOR David InghamVP SALES Wayne LoweryPUBLISHING DIRECTOR Jason Bowman

EDITORIALSENIOR GROUP EDITOR Stuart MatthewsEDITOR Conrad EgbertTEL +971 4 435 6256, EMAIL [email protected] EDITOR James BoleyTEL +971 4 435 6268, EMAIL [email protected] & SAUDI ARABIA EDITOR Benjamin MillingtonTEL +973 1 756 4111, EMAIL [email protected] EDITOR Matthew WarnockTEL +971 435 6179, EMAIL [email protected] EDITOR Sarah BlackmanTEL +971 4 435 6278, EMAIL [email protected] EDITOR Paul CollettTEL +971 4 435 6196, EMAIL [email protected] EDITOR Gerhard HopeTEL +971 4 435 6252, EMAIL [email protected] EDITOR Greg WhitakerTEL +971 4 435 6263, EMAIL [email protected] EDITOR Alison Luke

ADVERTISINGCOMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Raz IslamTEL +971 4 435 6371, EMAIL [email protected] SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Shishir DesaiTEL +971 4 435 6375, EMAIL [email protected] ACCOUNT MANAGER Leigh WrightTEL +971 4 435 6473, EMAIL [email protected] SALES MANAGER Scott WoodallTEL +971 4 435 6172, EMAIL [email protected]

STUDIOGROUP ART EDITOR Daniel PrescottART EDITOR Nadia PumaDIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Sevag DavidianCHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Nemanja SeslijaSENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Efraim Evidor, Khatuna KhutsishviliSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Thanos Lazopoulos, Khaled Termanini, Jovana Obradovic, Rajesh Raghav, Ruel Pableo, Lyubov Galushko

PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTIONGROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER Kyle SmithPRODUCTION MANAGER Eleanor ZwanepoelPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Devaprakash V.A MANAGING PICTURE EDITOR Patrick LittlejohnIMAGE RETOUCHER Emmalyn RoblesDISTRIBUTION MANAGER Karima AshwellDISTRIBUTION EXECUTIVE Nada Al Alami

CIRCULATIONHEAD OF CIRCULATION & DATABASE Gaurav Gulati

MARKETINGHEAD OF MARKETING Daniel FewtrellDEPUTY MARKETING MANAGER Annie ChinoyTEL +971 4 435 6133, EMAIL [email protected]

EVENTS & CONFERENCESDIRECTOR, CONFERENCES, MARKETING & EVENTS Kimon AlexandrouPRODUCER Oscar Wendel

ITP GROUPCHAIRMAN Andrew NeilMANAGING DIRECTOR Robert SerafinFINANCE DIRECTOR Toby Jay Spencer-DaviesBOARD OF DIRECTORS KM Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi,Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin

CORPORATE WEBSITE www.itp.comCIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE TEL: +971 4 435 6000WEB www.ConstructionWeekOnline.comITPIMAGES Certain images in this issue are available for purchase. Please contact [email protected] for further details or visit www.itpimages.com.SUBSCRIBE online at www.itp.com/subscriptions

NOTICE The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

PRINTED BY Atlas Printing Press L.L.C. Dubai CONTROLLED DISTRIBUTION BY Blue Truck

Worldwide Circulation StatementAverage Qualified Circulation13,336 (Jul-Dec 2008)

CONSTRUCTION WEEK APRIL 4–10, 20096


Unscrupulous construction fi rms in the region are knowingly delivering sub-standard projects in order to save time and money, while dishonest laboratories help them cover up the scam, industry experts have revealed.

“There was a project in Abu Dhabi, I won’t say which one. It was a high-rise tower block and we were testing the concrete founda-tions that the tower sits on, what they call the concrete piles,” recounted Rob Jackson, managing director – Middle East and Asia for testing specialists Exova.

“We found that, basically, concrete was missing in three out of a hundred piles; just below the ground level there was a section where there was no concrete.”

However, the problem goes deeper than simply poor workmanship.

“We reported it and the contractor got another laboratory to test those same piles and they said ‘yes they have passed – they are all OK’,” said Jackson.

“They then started building a multi-storey building, which will have 400 or 500 people in it, when things were clearly defective.”

FRONT

CORRUPT CONTRACTORS ACCUSED OF CUTTING CORNERS By Matt Warnock

COLLAPSED BUILDINGS COULD BECOME A COMMON SIGHT DUE TO DISHONEST BUILDERS, SAY INDUSTRY EXPERTS.

GTSC general manager Husain Al Omani confi rmed that corners were being cut: “If you are a regular reader of Saudi news, you’ll see that there’s a collapse from time to time. Contractors are cheating with concrete.”

But, Al Omani does not know how wide-spread this corner-cutting practice is.

“There is corruption within the industry. Let’s say there’s a project and one of the contractors wins with a US $2 million (SR5 million) bid, he then drops it to another contractor to do for $1 million with no effort or headache; that contractor will give it to yet another contractor to do for $500,000. This really happens in many sectors. Is the fi nal contractor going to use high quality materials and products, will they make it to the required standards? If they did, the cost would be more than $500,000.”

Exova’s Jackson continued: “In the end, we had to go to the owner of the tower and express our concerns.”

The owner, said Jackson, had been told nothing about the results, which had been buried by the contractor and lab, as it would have cost additional time and money to remedy or replace the defective piles.

Tameer chief development offi cer John Zwets entirely agreed with Exova’s course of action: “I wish to express my deep concern. Allow me to record that if anyone were to ever face such a situation and neglected to inform the owner or developer, then I sub-mit this would constitute a case of criminal negligence – apart from the obvious alleged criminal act referred to.”

Zwets also urged other parties to come forward if they had witnessed similar illegal practices.

“As CDO at Tameer, I have a duty of care to all stakeholders and we take this responsibility extremely seriously. There can be no excuse to nibble at the margins of structural quality in any construction environment. In construction, one does a job 100% right, since only 99% right means one percent wrong – which renders the entire equation wrong,” he added.

“There is corruption within our sector and laboratories will provide results that are incorrect and will help their customers. Ultimately, the people who suffer are the main clients or owners. Lives are at risk here,” concluded Jackson.

>Meraas to exhibit at Cityscape 9>Support for Leed certifi cation remains high 10>Highlights of the week 12>Face to Face 14>News Analysis 16

AS

IF H

AS

SA

N/A

FP/G

ET

TY

IMA

GES

Meraas, the developer behind the US $95.2 billion (AED349 billion) Jumeira Gardens project, will be exhibiting at Cityscape Dubai this week after remaining out of the public eye for a year.

Jumeira Gardens was unveiled by Meraas at last year’s exhibition and was pitched to be built over 12 years, across an area north of Sheikh Zayed Road between Diyafa Street and Safa Park.

There will be several major parks and a number of smaller community parks, while a large canal will run through the heart of the development, fl owing into the Business Bay Canal and out to the sea.

The current status of the project, which also contains three major skyscrapers, has been uncertain since March this year when the project was scaled back.

In a statement, Cityscape said Meraas had reappeared in order to “demonstrate its confi dence in the real estate sector in Dubai.”

“We have been emphasising for some time now that the objectives for many developers exhibiting at Cityscape Dubai is to reassure existing and potential investors,” said Cityscape Manging director Rohan Marwaha.

MERAAS TO EXHIBIT AT CITYSCAPEBy James Boley

“Clearly, no one is expecting to see multi-billion dollar project launches or major fi nance deals being brokered. Instead they will be focusing on transparent progress reports on existing projects with realistic completion milestones and handover dates.”

Joining Meraas will be Dubai Properties, Emaar and Nakheel. A fortnight ago ConstructionWeekOnline.com revealed that Nakeel and Emaar were planning to stay away from Cityscape until both companies revised their decisions a day later.

MERAAS, DUBAI PROPERTIES AND EMAAR WILL EXHIBIT AT CITYSCAPE DUBAI.

FRONT


FRONTBIG 5 SEES POSITIVE SIGNS FOR UPTURNBy James Boley

Event organisers dmg have reported that Big 5, the building and construction show to be held in Dubai in November, has grown in size since last year and has almost sold out.

This year’s show will be 15% larger by exhibition space than in 2008, with 92% of the area now booked. Dmg attributed the positive signs to confi dence in the Middle East construction market’s potential in the future.

“We seem to be bucking the trend of some other trade shows, which has been refl ected in the increased fl oor space, and the right level of industry people signing up,” said show director Paula Al Chami.

“Clearly, this has been a year of a slow down, but it seems that The Big 5 is coming at just the right time, as the industry is starting to look forward again and will be able to put a considerable amount of speculation to rest.”

Big 5 runs November 23-26 at Dubai International Exhibition Centre.

Several UK fi rms with GCC connections or subsidiaries have been fi ned for price rigging in the largest investigation ever carried out by the UK’s Offi ce of Fair Trading (OFT).

Over fi ve years, more than 100 construction companies have been fi ned for rigging the prices of 199 construction contracts between 2000 and 2006.

The companies – which include Balfour Beatty, Kier and Interserve – were accused of breaching rules by submitting bids not intended to win contracts but to boost the price for rivals by creating a false impression of competition.

“Our investigation has uncovered signifi cant infringe-ments of competition law on nearly 200 projects across

UK FIRMS FINED MILLIONS FOR PRICE RIGGINGBy Matt Warnock

England. Bidding processes designed to ensure clients receive the best possible choice and prices were distorted, creating a real risk of increased prices,” explained OFT senior director Simon Williams.

Eighty-six of the 103 fi rms fi ned received penalty reduc-tions for admitting their involvement and, in light of the “current economic climate affecting this industry” the OFT is allowing companies to spread payments over the next three years.

Kier – fi ned US $28.5 million (GBP £17.9 million) – says it is “totally committed” to ensuring such behaviour is “totally driven out” of the industry.

A ConstructionWeekOnline.com survey has revealed that an overwhelming majority believe that Leed certifi cation should remain high on the list of priorities for developers and contractors.

Over half (52.2%) of respondents agreed that the recession is no excuse to neglect environmental responsibilities, whereas 30.4% felt that having Leed certifi cation was, in fact, desirable as a way of attract-ing interest and business.

“I agree with these results. We should not take any excuse to neglect the environment. Surely we have many major problems today generated by neglect of the environment in the past, and anyone who believes we have a choice in this matter has their head in the sand,” commented Emirates Green Build-ing Council chairman Jeff Willis.

He added that any kind of formal process that reduces consumption and waste by buildings should be high on the agenda, irrespective of economic circumstanc-

SUPPORT FOR LEED CERTIFICATION REMAINS HIGHBy James Boley

es. Meanwhile, just 17.4% felt that Leed certifi cation should be ignored in order to cut costs.

“It is sad to see that some people (even though a minority) believe that reducing consumption and waste is necessarily more expensive,” said Willis.

“There are two major misconceptions here. One is that it costs more to reduce consumption and waste. It does not. The cost is related to how you go about that reduction process, and there are many ways to improve the situation without expend-ing more capital.”

Willis also challenged the idea that it was acceptable for people to choose to damage the environment for their own fi nancial advantage.

“We cannot afford the cost of continuing to consume more and produce more waste. If that thinking continues, we will have unsus-tainable buildings that are without power and water and surrounded by trash.”

METITO’S HQ IN TECHNOPARK, DUBAI IS THE FIRST LEED GOLD BUILDING IN THE MIDDLE EAST.


FRONT

Dubai Holding paid off a

US$$300m

loan for Sama Dubai

which matured last week

Construction on Tameer’s

31-storey Silver Tower, due for completion in

2010,has reached fl oor

26

The twist in each fl oor of Dubai’s Infi nity Tower,

due for completion in 2011

HIGHLIGHTS

Jordan

HANWHA POCKETS SAMRA POWER PLANT CONTRACTSouth Korean conglomerate Hanwha has scooped a contract to build Jordan’s largest electricity generation source with a total capacity of 900MW in Samra. Samra Electric Power Generating Company managing director Amjad Rawashdeh said the tender was awarded, with the contract to be signed later this month. “The project entails setting up two gas turbine stations with a total generating capacity of 285.740MW which will cover expected future loads, meet increasing demand and support the Kingdom’s electrical network.”

Saudi Arabia

JEDDAH COMMITS BILLIONS TO PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTUREThe Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah will invest more than US $1.3 billion (SR4.87 billion) in the construction of bridges, tunnels, roads and parks, according to Mayor Adel Fakeih. “The city is

determined to achieve and maintain its sustainable development,” said Fakeih. Eighteen road crossings are already under construction, in addition to 35 at the design stage, explained municipality construction and projects undersecretary Ibrahim Kutubkhana. “We will construct more bridges and public parks for the welfare of the residents,” he said, adding that 100 more public parks were due over the coming months.

Qatar

CEMENT AVAILABLE AS PRICES NOSEDIVEQatar’s construction industry has been buoyed by relaxed import rules, reducing shortages of materials and creating a drop in prices. “Adequate cement is available at reasonable prices in the wholesale market,” said the project manager of a leading Doha construction fi rm. Prices for cement have fallen to US $4 (QR14) a bag, down 72% from $14 a few months ago. Qatar has faced shortages caused by the construction boom since 2004.

UAE

DEYAAR DELIVERS ON BUSINESS BAY PROMISEDeyaar Development is set to hand over all units at The Citadel, its US $190.5 million (AED700 million), 41-storey commercial tower in Dubai’s Business Bay development. It is the fi rst commercial tower to be delivered by any developer in Business Bay. Fulfi lling the company’s earlier commitment to hand over seven projects in 2009, The Citadel comprises 52,490m² of offi ce space and 26,941m² of retail space. “Despite the challenging environment in the sector, we have demonstrated that we will meet all our commitments to our customers,” said Markus Giebel, CEO of Deyaar.

UAE

DRAKE AND SCULL TAKES THAI CONTRACTDrake and Scull International’s (DSI) UAE offi ce will provide staff to fi ll project management and engineering positions for the US $35.4 million (AED130 million) MEP contract for

The River development in Thailand. DSI will supply, install, test and commission complete MEP works including air conditioning, plumbing and drainage for the Bangkok building.

Oman

US $200M OF CONTRACTS AWARDED FOR PORT OF SOHARThe Port of Sohar in Oman has signed three contracts for fi nancing, dredging and constructing the 1380m- long and 25m deep jetty. A vital part of an ongoing US $1.4 billion (OR539 million) project from Brazilian mining corporation Vale, Sohar will also function as the distribution centre for iron ore to be exported to the Middle East, India and Africa as one of few ports in the world capable of receiving very large ore carriers of 400,000 dead weight tonnes. Dutch fi rm Van Oord will carry out dredging duties while a joint venture between Italy’s Saipem and India’s Afcons will construct the jetty, which is expected to be completed in Q1 2011.

NEWS IN NUMBERS

1.2° Qatargas’s Laffan Refi nery has

begun production, creating

146,000barrels per stream day

Tru-liftSelf Climbing Core Forming System

Formwork and Shoring SolutionsRMD Kwikform has the skill, expertise and experience to provide you with unique and elegant formwork and shoring solutions. Our team of technical experts and engineers are there to assist you in the creation of any concrete structure and our industry leading equipment ensures that throughout the process your project is correctly supported.

RMD Kwikform will rise to any challenge so why not contact us today and see how we can help you create.

Tru-lift Product Features:

All sizes of core walls accommodated

Complete system raised during lifting cycle

Controlled lifting of equipment through the use of hydraulics

Fully boarded working platforms create a safe working area

Unique striking corners allow quick and easy release of wall formwork

Concrete placement from top working platform

MIDDLE EAST

Tailored Solutions • Global Expertise

For expert solutions contact our specialists

now on

+971 6 553 [email protected]

www.rmdkwikform.com/ae


FACE-TO-FACE

The Saudi Land Bridge project, which will transport passengers

between Jeddah, Riyadh, Damman and Jubail, is an important

development. In addition, the King Abdulaziz International Airport

expansion and the Jeddah Islamic Seaport expansion are two

signifi cant projects going on in the city.

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PROJECTS GOING ON IN JEDDAH AT THE MOMENT?

HOW SIGNIFICANTLY HAS JEDDAH’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY BEEN AFFECTED BY THE DOWNTURN?

IS THERE STILL A DEMAND FOR NEW PROJECTS IN THE CITY?

IS THERE ENOUGH SUPPLY OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOUSING TO ACCOMMODATE HAJJ PILGRIMS?

FAYYAZ AHMADResearch manager, Jones Lang LaSalle KSA

GEOFF SANDERSONPrincipal, Green Concepts

WHY DO PEOPLE CHOOSE TO SET UP THEIR BUSINESSES IN JEDDAH?

There are two that we are involved in. One is the new Jeddah

Airport and the other is the Metropolitan Park. All of the

infrastructure projects, which are being built in Jeddah, are also

important. There is a new rail system that will take passengers to

Makkah, for example.

Most sectors have seen increased levels of new supply enter the

market at a time of subdued demand resulting from the slowdown,

the adjustment in oil prices from their cyclical peak, and tight

credit conditions.

I don’t think it has been affected because the infrastructure works

that Saudi Arabia is spending money on, was budgeted

some time ago and those projects have been in the pipeline for

quite a while.

Affordable housing is required in the market. Similarly, there is

demand for quality hotels, while new standalone projects in the

retail sector will do well if they are developed in the city.

The development of new projects in Jeddah has slowed down a lot.

But, there are still a lot of aspects to Jeddah’s infrastructure, which

need to be replaced and this is what is being done.

Yes there is enough supply of housing but a lot of the stock is old

and needs to be redeveloped. Hajj pilgrims use only the airport and

hotel and they spend most of their time in Makkah and Madinah.

So, the supply of housing in Jeddah does not affect them.

The number of people travelling into Jeddah, for Hajj, this year has

been less than in previous years because of the spread of swine fl u.

But, there is clearly not enough supply of infrastructure and that is

why Jeddah is looking to expand these developments.

Jeddah still has a lot of interest for retail trade and warehousing.

The hotel market will also get more attention because Jeddah

receives the highest number of domestic and foreign tourists.

However, Jeddah is still a secondary market because multinational

fi rms like to be based in Riyadh.

In my opinion it is overrated. It is a very costly and time-consuming

process to get into the market and you can’t expect to be earning

reasonable profi ts within the fi rst 12 months unless you are well

fi nanced and can provide companies, in Jeddah, with resources

that they don’t already have.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT FOCUS OF THE JEDDAH CONSTRUCTION MARKET?

There is a focus on the development of basic infrastructure and

raising the attraction of the Red Sea coast. Companies are now

investing in resorts and hotels. At the same time, redevelopment of

old down-town Jeddah is a priority for the government.

I don’t think there are many new residential projects being

developed there at the moment. But, Saudi Arabia is likely to pace

its growth according to the actual needs of its people.

JEDDAH UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

FOAMGLAS®

• Environmentally sound in it’smanufacturing, usage andeventual disposal

• Totally free from CFC and HCFC• 66% recycling glass content

PITTSBURGH CORNING Europe (Branch Middle East) Dubai Airport Free Zone, P.O.Box 54823, Dubai, UAETEL +971 (0)4 7017 522 FAX +971 (0)4 7017 523 EMAIL [email protected] WEB www.foamglas.ae

Foamglas resists every impact, and does not deform even in high humidity

WALL INSULATION WITHRENDER FINISH EIF

It’s dimensional stability eliminates any danger of deformation and provides the highest fire safety


ANALYSIS

The most important Cityscape yetCOULD THIS YEAR’S EVENT MARK A WATERSHED FOR THE LOCAL AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY?

By Matt Warnock

walking about with their shopping bags full of gifts – but now it’s back to business.

“This year’s Cityscape Dubai is going to be a platform built around and for the industry and, with that in mind, we’ve introduced special events, such as the Investor Round Tables, a City Leaders Forum, a CEO networking lunch… architects, investors, developers, government bodies will all be sitting down in

semi-formal lunch meetings which will be closed-door – they’re for frank and open discussion, not press coverage.

“We’re developing our relation-ships back to developers and we think this is the time to discuss

Cityscape Dubai is upon us and many across the industry seem unsure of what to expect. As a developer’s shop window to the world, some of the planet’s biggest and most iconic projects have been launched at previous editions, but even the most optimistic of industry drumbeaters would have to concede that these are very diffi cult times.

“It’s natural that there’ll be a difference as things have changed and that’s refl ected in the real estate market,” explains Cityscape group director Chris Speller.

“Lots of companies are no longer around but those that are represent the active, proac-tive professionals. Companies are still doing business –they’re not fl y-by-night.”

In fact, if previous Cityscapes were showy launches of bombastic developments that architects could barely dream up as fast as speculators bought up, then 2009 is where the real work starts, according to Speller.

“The past may have been about sightseers

“THIS YEAR’S CITYSCAPE DUBAI IS GOING TO BE A PLATFORM BUILT AROUND AND FOR THE INDUSTRY”

how the market has changed, to share major concerns and experiences, both local and global. We’re setting up meetings, making the links, booking the rooms and telling exhibitors to bring guests….we want them to see this Cityscape as an opportunity.”

That’s the organisers’ approach but, in the absence of new launches to announce, are developers equally optimistic about the event?

“We will focus on exhibiting our prime communities that are close to completion,” says a Nakheel spokesperson.

“We have an extremely active fourth quarter ahead of us and our attendance will highlight our commitment to deliver-ing units and services to existing investors and residents.”

For others, attending Cityscape Dubai is simply vital for obtaining answers to the industry’s biggest questions.

“We all want to know when the global cri-sis will turn into an opportunity. Cityscape Dubai is poised to help us fi nd a solution,” says Tantallon Research president and CEO Jesper Koll.

Deyaar CEO Markus Giebel maintains that, in addition to important discussions, business can still be done at Cityscape.

“We continue to see Cityscape as an important platform to showcase our prod-

DESPITE A DROP IN FOOTFALL EXPECTED AT CITYSCAPE THIS YEAR, ORGANISERS STILL SEEM POSITIVE.


developers to follow this example.

“The focus has moved from new launches to deliv-ery and completion – they’re the two key words. However, there will still be a few launches in Russia and Saudi Arabia, in particular.” Most exhibitors, explains Speller, have taken the same amount of space as in previous years, however, he concedes, that cutbacks have been made in additional promotional, marketing and branding spends.

The organiser and exhibitors all seem set on creating a major event that many hope may provide answers to some of the biggest issues shaping the industry today. But will visitors still fl ock?

“At the beginning of this year, no one knew what was around the corner,” says Speller. “In the circumstances, a 25% to 30%

“THE FOCUS HAS MOVED FROM NEW LAUNCHES TO DELIVERY AND COMPLETION – THEY’RE THE TWO KEY WORDS”

5 BUSINESS TIPS FOR CITYSCAPE 2009

• Arrange as many meetings as possible

before the exhibition – people may be

busy and out of reach if you leave it

too late

• Prioritise introductions and meetings

with out-of-town visitors as you can see

local companies at another time

• Plan as many meetings and business

dinners as possible for outside show

hours to maximise your ROI for the

show itself

• Decide on the two or three most

pertinent points you want to make

– don’t confuse potential clients with

too much information

• Trade shows are just the beginning of a

relationship – follow up every contact

you make at Cityscape Dubai

uct portfolio and to engage our customers and other key stake-holders. Cityscape is an opportunity for us to showcase our strengths and to engage our stakeholders while gauging market appetite across different product segments. We will use the information and feedback we get at the event as key considerations for our 2010 business strategy.”

Giebel adds that Deyaar will be taking a different, more value-orientated approach in order to remain attractive to investors.

“We have been working with a clear strat-egy to safeguard and support our customers with a comprehensive plan right through 2009 and we have met with very positive feedback. These measures include project consolidation, price revision, structured payment plans, and bank tie-ups, among other things.

“We will continue to add to these benefi ts and features in line with our commitment to deliver optimal value to our customers and investors. Deyaar will continue to be a signifi cant developer in Dubai with a pru-dent long-term strategy, and this will refl ect in all our announcements at Cityscape.” Cityscape’s Speller says he expects many other

> For the latest analysis log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

decrease in exhibitor space is a real success; we’ve seen a similar drop in pre-registered guests but that’s still excellent and there’ll be a whole lot less speculators.

“At Cityscape Abu Dhabi, there were fewer visitors this year but all the exhibitors com-mented on the quality of those visitors.

“Make no mistake, Cityscape Dubai will be a very successful event – one that still truly represents the industry.” �

CITYSCAPE DUBAI 2009 WILL NO LONGER BE ABOUT HANDING OUT SHOPPINGS BAGS WITH FREE GIFTS FOR VISITORS, IT’S BACK TO SERIOUS BUSINESS.


EVENTSEvent: MEP KuwaitOverview: This conference aims to shine the spotlight on Kuwait and will discusses the challenges of engaging with Kuwait developers; future opportunities; the technology required now and in the future; and the long-term plans for the country and how these will impact on operations. Strong desings coming from architects offer an incentive for MEP companies to relocate or set up offi ces in Kuwait.Date: October 28Venue: Radisson SAS, Kuwait CityPhone: +971 4 435 6127Email: [email protected] Website: www.constructionweekonline.com/conferences

Event: Construction Week Dubai Conference Overview: A one day event with two streams running concurrently covering the vital aspects of construction and real estate.Date: November 3Venue: Raffl es Hotel, DubaiPhone: +971 4 435 6127Email: [email protected]: www.constructionweekonline.com/conferences

Event: Construction Week Awards 2009Overview: In its 5th year, the Construction Week Awards 2009 will celebrate excellence in the construction industry and exceptional performance in 15 key areas of the sector, with nominations open to contractors, developers and consultants working in the Middle East. Award categories include project manager of the year, construction manager of the year, sustainable project of the year and developer of the year among others. Date: November 4Location: Grand Hyatt, DubaiPhone: +971 4 435 6133Email: [email protected]: www.constructionweekonline.com/cwawards

Event: CID Awards 2009Overview: This year’s CID Awards will celebrate the success of the Middle East design industry and demonstrate how the region’s sector can stand alongside its international peers. Date: November 15Venue: Park Hyatt, DubaiPhone: +971 4 435 6133Email: [email protected]: www.constructionweekonline.com/cidawards

Event: Build Smart 2009Overview: Build Smart 2009 will present solutions, new technologies and best practice for improving effi ciency and productivity during project development. But, the main focus at the event will be the offi cial launch of new association, Building Smart Middle East. It will demonstrate that by establishing standards

for the construction industry, Building Smart can facilitate improvements in profi tability and sustainability in the region. Building Smart will eventually operate throughout the Middle East, as well as North Africa, as a not-for-profi t organisation. Date: November 15-16Venue: Yas Hotel, Abu DhabiWebsite: www.itp.net/events/buildsmart

Event: MEP Awards Overview: The MEP Awards 2009 is a platform for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing sector in the Gulf to recognise its achievements and to acknowledge the latest innovations, technology and processes that have helped drive down costs and ensure adherence to best-practice standards.Date: December 9Venue: The Westin, DubaiPhone: +971 4 435 6133Email: [email protected]: www.constructionweekonline.com/mepawards

Event: Construction Week North Africa Conference.Overview: This Construction Week conference will provide a fi rm basis for all interested parties to come together and share their experience of the economic renaissance in North Africa. Date: December 17Venue: Intercontinental Hotel, CairoPhone: +971 4 435 6127Email: [email protected]: www.constructionweekonline.com/conferences

Event: International Symposium on Architectural MembranesOverview: The workshop will address the theoretical bases for structural analysis necessary for computer implementation. Date: October 14-15Venue: American Univeristy in DubaiWebsite: http://isam-dubai.web.offi celive.com/about.aspx

Event: Index 2009 Overview: Index is the Middle East’s largest contemporary interiors trade show. Now in its 19th year Index is established as the must-attend annual event for buyers and suppliers of the world’s fi nest interiors.Date: 14-17 NovemberVenue: Dubai World Trade CentrePhone: +971 4 438 0355Website: www.indexexhibition.com

Event: The Big 5Overview: Big 5 is the annual meeting place for all industry professionals. Over 58,000 key buyers and decision makers from the public and private sectors attended the 2008 event.Date: November 23-26Venue: Dubai World Trade CentreWebsite: www.thebig5exhibition.com

Cityscape Dubai is a four-day networking exhibition and conference dedicated to the real estate and construction industry. Delegates will be given the opportunity to speak to developers, fi nancers, consultants and architects who are seeking to invest in the local market. A ‘Green Day’ conference will also be held at the event. Panelists will address challenges faced by developers and contractors wishing to take steps towards a sustainable future. �

Event focusCITYSCAPE DUBAI

DATE: OCTOBER 5-8VENUE: DUBAI INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTREWEBSITE: WWW.CITYSCAPE.AE

Event: Building Sustainability into the Middle EastOverview: Construction Week has merged the Building Sustainability

into the Middle East conference, and the GreenBuilding training series in order to offer

strategic insight and practical learning in one exhibition. Date: October 25-26Venue: Crown Plaza Hotel, Abu DhabiPhone: +971 4 4356127Email: [email protected] Website: www.constructionweekonline.com/conferences

Middle East & Africa

The first time you snap the GR-3 to a pole, you know it’s not just another receiver. It’s loaded with the features that let you tackle whatever the job throws your way.

Triple constellationAt its core is Topcon’s G3 tech-nology for true GNSS capability — today and tomorrow. G3 lets you prepare for the future by ensuring that when new signals and constellations are available, you’ll be able to use them.

Dual powerIts dual hot-swappable battery packs load it with more than 12hours of continual operation.

One tough unitIts magnesium hard body andI-beam chassis add toughness to the technology – guranteed to withstand a 2-meter pole drop onto concrete.

Lock onto the new GR-3 today.

Locked…and loaded.

The UltimateConstruction GPS

Topcon GPS Technology will help you overcomethe economic downturn

When performance matters,When speed matters,

When reliability matters,

There is always one name that helps you cut cost andimprove productivity . . . . TOPCON

Tel +971 4 2995900 [email protected]

Arab Positioning Knowledge & Resource Base. Joiin today.


> For the latest news and comments log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/comment

COMMENT

“THE MARKETPLACE NOW DICTATES THAT

THE FITTEST NOT JUST THE FASTEST, WILL

SURVIVE”

The opinions expressed in this column are of the author and not of the publisher.

Fat City is no place to preach prudence. Dubai enjoyed perhaps the greatest land-and-building rush of all time, thanks to the strong global economy, easy credit and oil markets of 2004 to 2008. In the bonanza, quite understandably, developers bolted to get glassy skyscrapers built, leased or sold.

It is not human nature to optimise behavior, personal or business, in the zenith of a gold rush. So, value engineers, those consultants who streamline systems and fi ne-tune a building’s constructability, were sometimes backseat drivers in the epic Dubai boom.

How times change. With chilling sud-denness, the global economy sank in the last few months of 2008, and the credit spigot was cut off. Oil, nearing US $150 (AED551) a barrel in 2008, sank to nearly $30 a barrel in early 2009.

Economy, credit and oil: It was a triple-whammy up, and then down, for Dubai builders. While the worst is happily over, important lessons have been learned.

The perfect stormThe changing Dubai economy has generated a “perfect storm” of demand for value engineering. There is an armada of projects underway or on the boards, yet there is time to calmly consider quality and effi ciency. The marketplace now dictates that the fi ttest, not just the fastest, will survive.

So developers are bringing in the value engineers to improve projects in the planning stages, or to re-evaluate and optimise proj-ects underway. Quality and effi ciency have taken a front seat next to speediness.

From many perspectives, this is an excellent change of focus. In few places in the world are contributions of value engineers needed more. Dubai is exemplifi ed by massive glass-walled towers that reach for the sky, yet those awesome glass walls also admit large

amounts of light and heat, which result in world-class cooling loads, enormous energy consumption, outsized mechanical rooms (reducing leasable space) and a challenge to the ideals of sustainable design.

Competent value engineers, whose sole mission and focus is to make buildings more effi cient without compromising architectural ideals, are necessary to select systems, materi-als and glazing that can substantially reduce cooling loads and electrical demands.

Developers are being reminded that expe-rienced value engineers can optimise proj-ect systems while reducing building capi-tal budgets and operating expenses. We have found that on MEP systems planned in Dubai, capital savings approaching 20% are possible, as well as similar or greater reductions in energy consumption.

And streamlining begets other advantages—reduced space for mechanical rooms, and thus more leasable square footage.

In addition, concerted use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) three-dimen-sional software results in increased con-structability of buildings, and helps to avoid unnecessary construction expenses.

Back to value engineeringOf course, in a broader sense, value engineering should always be embraced, even in boom times. It is always a good practice to build effi ciently, with results that make best use of energy or water. Whether feast or famine, bringing value engineers into the process early results in better, more valuable buildings.

Many developers now speak of never rushing again, and always turning to value engineers to help visions become realities. Let us hope. Building smart always brings both quantitative and qualitative rewards, and more-sustainable buildings.

A “perfect storm” boosts value engineering in DubaiEUGENE SITERMAN DISCUSSES HOW DEVELOPERS HAVE LEARNT VALUABLE LESSONS FOR LONG-TERM SURVIVAL DURING THE DOWNTURN

Siterman is a principal at New York-based VE Solutions Group,

an international value engineering firm with offices in the UAE. His

role is to establish and oversee relationships with clients worldwide.

He has a decade of experience in international business development

in sectors including construction and sustainable building. He holds

a bachelor of science in business management from the State University

of New York at Stony Brook.


W hen Saudi Arabia’s K i n g Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud takes

a keen personal interest in the success of a particular project, you can almost guaran-tee it will be seen through to completion without delay.

Such is the case with the US $10 billion (SR37.5 billion) King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), a project which not only bears his name, but will send a defi nitive sig-nal to the rest of the world that the kingdom is well on its way to modernity.

As the epicentre of Saudi Arabia’s bur-geoning fi nancial services sector, KAFD is

BUILDING A NEW RIYADHUNAFFECTED BY THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, SAUDI ARABIA IS FURIOUSLY CONSTRUCTING ITS KING ABDULLAH FINANCIAL DISTRICT, A PROJECT DESTINED TO BECOME A NEW CITY CENTRE FOR RIYADH. NOW WITH A MERE 30 MONTHS LEFT TO FINISH THE BULK OF THE WORK, THE PACE IS FAST AND THE CHALLENGE IMMENSE

By Benjamin Millington; Photos by George Dipin

expected to redefi ne Riyadh from the nation’s rather boring administrative capital to a sleek business and entertainment hub.

Centrally located on Riyadh’s King Fahd Highway, the development will feature more than 40 towers with all the facilities, ame-nities, utilities and transport networks you would come to expect in a well-designed city of the 21st century.

The catch, is that the majority of this 1.6 million m² project is to be constructed in just 3.5 years; and with King Abdullah receiving regular progress reports, those involved know

the pressure is on to deliver.

The company in charge is Rayadah Investment, an arm of the government’s

Public Pensions Agency (PPA), which aside from taking care of social security is also charged with investing huge sums of money in real estate development.

After fi nalising a master plan design by Denmark’s Henning Larsen, Rayadah awarded four design and build contracts for the fi rst 10 parcels of land. Saudi Binladin Group picked up four mixed-use parcels, while Saudi Construction, El Seif Engineering and Saudi Oger each, picked up two.

Construction started last November and with a fast-tracked contract period of 30 months this fi rst stage is expected to fi nish around mid 2011.

Meanwhile, Rayadah is on the verge of awarding stage two - a multi-billion dollar design and build contract for another 30

KAFD FEATURES• More than 40 towers

• Four levels of underground parking in

each tower

• A huge central pedestrian area or “wadi”

• A monorail network

• Elevated skywalk corridors linking

each tower

• Leed certifi cation for the entire

development

• A 100,000 tonne district cooling system

• A tier four data centre

parcels, which will make up “the bulk of the project” says Rayadah’s project man-ager Waleed Aleisa.

“It will probably be awarded late Septem-ber or early October. We’ll most likely go with one contractor for the whole thing because we want to make sure there are no confl icting logistical problems.”

Under the fast tracked contract 27 of the 30 parcels are expected to be fi nished in just 30 months, which gives a deadline of around mid 2012. Aleisa won’t divulge who

“THE CRISIS DROVE DOWN COSTS AND

MADE TENDERS MORE COMPETITIVE”


is in the running for the massive award, but says it is three of Saudi Arabia’s biggest contractors which are “capable of pulling it off.”

While Rayadah is developing the vast major-ity of KAFD itself, four of the most central parcels will be developed by sub-develop-ers including the Capital Market Authority (CMA), the Saudi stock exchange Tadawul, Samba Bank and Al Rajhi Bank.

Each is constructing its own tower in KAFD’s fi nancial plaza with CMA and Tadawul having the two tallest in the development respectively. They will each have to adhere to stringent design criteria laid down by Rayadah as well as stick to the same deadline.

Overall it’s expected that by mid-2012 around 70% of KAFD will be built out, with the remaining land devel-oped over time according to demand.

Such a speedy timeframe to complete such a mammoth project was not always on the agenda, says Aleisa, but came about as a result of the economic downturn.

“The crisis drove down costs, made tenders more competitive and made more resources available to us,” he says.

“So the decision was made by higher authori-ties to do as much as possible within the shorter time frame and take advantage of the situation.”

KAFD – FAST FACTS:

In addition to this, Saudi Arabia’s leader-ship is keen to see the kingdom’s fi nancial services sector develop as quickly as possible as they attempt to diversify the economy away from oil dependency – a near impos-sible task without quality offi ce space or a cohesive CBD.

“We did a customer leads analysis and found that there is a huge defi cit in ‘Class A’ offi ce space in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia,” says Aleisa.

“This is what most fi nancial services com-panies want, along with having a designated area that is conducive for business. There is a huge demand for this project and this is

one reason why we’re in such a rush.”

While the fi nancial services industry will sustain the city, Alesia is quick to point out that this is not where

the function of KAFD ends, describing the project as “a new city centre for Riyadh”.

“We went to great lengths during design to ensure that we create a vibrant mixed-use city that is lively during the day and evening,” he says.

“We went to 11 countries to study their fi nancial centres and found that this is very important – you don’t want a ghost town at night.”

As such 26% of KAFD’s 5 million m² built up area will be designated for resi-

COST US $10 billion (SR37.5 billion)

START DATE November 2008

FINISH DATE Mid-2012 (stage one and two)

AREA 1.6 million m2

BUILT UP AREA 5 million m2

MASTER DEVELOPER Rayadah Investment Company

MASTER PLAN DESIGN Henning Larsen

MAIN CONTRACTORS Saudi Binladin, Saudi Construction, El Sief Engineering, Saudi Oger

ABOVE: CONTRACTORS ARE CURRENTLY DOING BASEMENT WORK ON STAGE ONE OF THE PROJECT, EACH TOWER WILL HAVE FOUR UNDERGROUND LEVELS FOR PARKING. AROUND 2000M³ OF CONCRETE IS BEING POURED EACH DAY AND 80,000M³ IS IN THE GROUND SO FAR. AT THE END OF STAGE TWO IT’S EXPECTED FOUR MILLION CUBIC TONNES WILL HAVE BEEN POURED.

RIGHT: SAUDI BINLADIN IS WORKING ON FOUR MIXED USE PARCELS WHICH INCLUDE TWO TOWERS, 88M AND 133M, A 26-STOREY OFFICE BUILDING AND SEVERAL LOW-RISE BUILDINGS. THEY HAVE SIGNED US ARCHITECTS FX-FOWLE TO WORK ON THE PROJECT AS PART OF THE DESIGN AND BUILD CONTRACT TEAM.

“WE WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO ENSURE THAT WE CREATE A

VIBRANT CITY”


dential apartments designed for local and international customers. There will also be a total of six hotels and a fair propor-tion of KAFD has been set aside for retail and attractions.

Alesia says there will be 11 “attractors” designed to bring people into the city for entertainment including an aquarium, a fi nancial academy, an arts and heritage museum and a geosciences museum.

Tying all of this together is a master plan design that seeks to create a harmonious relationship between the business, resi-dential, retail and entertainment elements of the city.

Central to the plan is KAFD’s “wadi” con-cept; a subterranean pedestrian area run-ning throughout the development which include water features and greenery and will be heavily shaded by the surround-ing towers.

The idea is to create a communal outdoor space that is comfortable, visually stimulat-ing and a common linking feature between retail facilities and towers.

With the wadi as a central theme KAFD seems to be a city designed for the pedes-trian. Alesia says real effort has gone into designing a complex road network which will ensure that for the most part car traffi c is hidden away from public spaces.

This requires that every single tower will have four underground levels of parking linked to main service roads. The heavily built-up area around the fi nancial plaza will even have a double-decker road net-work which will consist of a subterranean road mimicking the path of the ground level road.

All of this will be complemented by a mono-rail service around the development and an enormous network of elevated skywalks between the towers. Alesia says the skywalks will effectively allow you to walk from one end of the city to the other without leaving the comfort of air-conditioning.

“This city is very unique for Saudi Ara-bia,” he says.

“Currently there is nothing else that is this well thought-out, well-designed and built from scratch. We are trying to create the perfect environment for people to both work and enjoy.”

KAFD will also be up to standard with its environmental credentials. The entire site is expected to at least achieve the basic Leed environmental certifi cation – which will be the fi rst Leed accredited buildings in Riyadh.

“We have a design guideline that states the energy saving we want the buildings to achieve, which basically comes down to how you deal with solar gain,” he says.

“One of the concepts is that the buildings are orientated in a certain way to be in shade most of the time. We’ll also have grey water treatment facility in each building.”

The architects from FX Fowle, who are designing Saudi Binladin’s parcels, say they are also using local materials and stone in the construction which will also help score Leed points.

The US-based FX-Fowle is one of several international architects working on KAFD. Upon its completion Alesia expects to be able to proudly point out various towers designed by a long list of well-known fi rms.

For now this vision is still a long way off. At the moment the contractors are only on the basement levels of the fi rst ten parcels and furiously working 24 hours a day to stay on target.

Alesia says 2000m³ of concrete is being poured each day and 80,000m³ is in the ground so far. At the end of stage two, he says, a whopping 4 million t³ will have been poured.

But the big question remains, are they going to meet the mid-2012 deadline which the powers-at-be are expecting?

Alesia is confi dent. “I have no doubt. At the beginning we had a problem with procuring resources, but now it’s just dealing with the logistics and complexity of the site, it’s a real challenge but we’ll make it.” �

SAUDI BINLADIN, SAUDI CONSTRUCTION, EL SIEF ENGINEERING AND SAUDI OGER ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ROUND THE CLOCK ON KAFD’S FIRST TEN LAND PARCELS IN ORDER TO FINISH WITHIN 30 MONTHS.

As the largest event of its kind in the Middle East, The Big 5 provides an unrivalled platform for architects, engineers, contractors and developers from the public and private sectors to network, source and specify the latest building and construction products and services.

Featuring National Pavilions from all major exporting countries of the world, The Big 5 provides the most comprehensive product offering for the building and construction industry.

The Big 5 will also be bringing together an impressive line-up of added value elements including a Key Buyers Programme, Product Seminars, a Conference Programme and the acclaimed Gaia Awards.

Organised by

11.00 - 22.00 daily23-26 November 2009

Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

For fast-track entry please register online today at www.thebig5exhibition.com/visit

AN EXPERIENCE WHICH IS TRULY...‘BEYOND EXCEPTIONAL’


MERAAS DEVELOPMENTDubai based Meraas Development has burst back onto the scene and is exhibiting

at this year’s Cityscape. The developer, which offers unrivalled levels of sustainability, promises to comply with the highest green building standards to reduce environmental impacts, increase energy and water effi ciency and optimise the life cycle costs of buildings.Contact person: Ashraf SharafEmail: [email protected]: www.meraasdevelopment.com

ALDAR PROPERTIESAldar Properties is an Abu Dhabi-based property, development, management and investment company. It was listed on the Abu

Dhabi Securities market in 2004. Aldar was established to support the region’s infrastructure through the creation of high quality, attractive and sustainable communities equipped with residential, commercial, retail, leisure, hospitality, education and medical facilities. Aldar’s portfolio includes developments in Abu Dhabi including Yas Island, Al Raha Beach and Central Market. The company owns over 50 million m2 of land in strategic locations throughout the emirate.Contact person: Abdel Sattar IbrahimEmail: [email protected]: www.aldar.com

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT & INVESTMENT COMPANY (TDIC)TDIC is one of Abu Dhabi’s leading

developers and the name behind many projects including Saadiyat Island, a 27km2 natural island lying just 500m offshore Abu Dhabi City, which is being transformed into a leisure, cultural and residential destination. TDIC is also behind the Desert Islands - one of the world’s largest sustainable island tourism destinations, under development in its western province.Contact person: Alanood Al MalikEmail: [email protected]: www.tdic.ae

MUBADALA REAL ESTATE AND HOSPITALITY

Mubadala Real Estate and Hospitality (MREH) is a business unit of Mubadala Development Company. With a mandate to drive the long-term development of Abu Dhabi and deliver key projects within Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, MREH develops strategic real estate and hospitality projects including large scale commercial, residential and leisure districts. Key projects include the development of Sowwah Island - the core of Abu Dhabi’s new Central Business District, Sowwah Square, and the Mina Zayed Waterfront.Contact person: Romi MooreEmail: [email protected]: www.mubadala.ae

DEVELOPERS EXHIBITING AT

CITYSCAPE ‘0910By Conrad Egbert

Companies in this feature are listed in no particular order.

Stand Number 4G10

Stand Number 3H20

Stand Number 6G10

Stand Number

2B10


> For more top 10s visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

MEYDANMeydan was founded on the simple guiding

principles of partnership, community and sporting excellence. ‘Meydan’ is translated from an Arabic word meaning ‘a meeting place.’ It is interconnected by four distinct districts including business, sport and cosmopolitan living. At its centre is the world-class Meydan grandstand and racecourse, the area will also serve as a major business and conference district. Contact person: Khadija MohammedEmail: [email protected]: www.meydan.ae

DUBAI PROPERTIESDubai Properties Group (DPG), a member of Dubai Holding, is a community developer that offers

integrated and holistic services in real estate, retail, hospitality and lifestyle management. Dubai Properties Group was established last year to consolidate the operation growth of Dubai Properties different divisions into six distinct business units – Dubai Properties for customer service, sales and marketing; Salwan for property management; Injaz for community development; Dubai Retail as the retail services company; Dubai Asset Management as the facilities management provider and Dubai Hospitality as the hospitality fi eld company.Contact person: Sheetal KhanEmail: [email protected]: www.dubai-properties.ae

EMAAREmaar Properties, a Dubai-based public joint stock company listed on the Dubai

Financial Market, is a global property developer.The developer made headlines a fortnight ago when it announced that it would not participate at Cityscape 2009 only to make a complete U-turn a day later saying it would take part, and that it was looking forward to the property event.Contact person: Michele DabaghianEmail: [email protected]: www.emaar.com

NAKHEELNakheel, developer of the iconic Palm Jumeirah and The World in Dubai, has said that it will focus on exhibiting communal properties on several

of its developments that are close to completion, at Cityscape this year. The unexpected announcement followed the developers declaration a fortnight ago that it wasn’t planning to participate at the real estate event. Nakheel has recently completed the handover of 33 islands on The World and is scheduled to complete property handovers on a number of other developments in its portfolio. The company says it is focusing on delivering units and services to existing investors and residents.Contact person: Ruqayya Al BelooshiEmail: [email protected]: www.nakheel.com

ISKANDAR INVESTMENT BERHADIskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) is an investment holding company

which promotes and co-ordinates the development of Iskandar Malaysia, a special economic zone in Johor. Working in close partnership with Iskandar Regional Development Authority, IIB is the sole developer focused on bringing in projects, which stimulate and sustain long-term growth of the region including Legoland Malaysia, EduCity and the Iskandar Financial District. Contact person : Razaleigh ZainalEmail : [email protected] : www.iskandarinvestment.com

PARIS LA DEFENSEParis La Defense is the leading business district

in Europe according to the developer and includes 3.2 million m2 of offi ces, 1500 companies’ headquarters, 150,000 jobs with an important concentration of international and high potential employees and 20,000 inhabitants.With its renewal plan Paris La Defense offers an investment opportunity for investors wanting to branch out into France. Contact person : Sylvie GuyotEmail : [email protected] : www.ladefense-seine-arche.fr

Stand Number 8E10

Stand Number 6E10

Stand Number 3F20

Stand Number

7G10

Stand Number 7A05 Stand Number 3A10


With real estate i n v e s t -m e n t s in the kingdom touching

US $334 billion (SAR1.2 trillion) currently, and further estimated to reach $400 billion by 2010, according to the lastest research by Global Investment House (GIH), can Saudi Arabia be called the sleeping giant anymore?

Its $40 billion Sudair City development, along with its $10 billion Landbridge Rail-way project, which are both currently in bidding, are witness to this GCC state’s resilience to the economic downturn.

In another report by research house Pro-leads, Saudi Arabia is placed on top, in terms of the number of ongoing projects in the kingdom, with 442 projects still proceed-ing and a rather low 19% cancellation and postponement rate.

A fortnight ago, GIH also revealed that the demand for business and housing projects in Saudi Arabia has led to a projected 7%

THE BUILDING SUPERPOWERSAUDI ARABIA HAS BRAVED ONE OF THE WORST FINANCIAL CRISES THE WORLD HAS SEEN AND IS FORGING AHEAD WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST PROJECTS IN THE GCC. BUT WHERE IS THIS GIANT HEADING AND IS IT REALLY ALL THAT STRONG?

By Conrad Egbert

growth in the kingdom’s real estate sector from now until 2012 – a time during which most countries would merely be recovering from the effects of the crisis.

Further, recent reports have shown that if the kingdom wants to sustain its rapidly growing population it needs to build around 1.5 million new homes by 2015, which is around 250,000 housing units annually. These fi gures are further broken down city-wise including Al Khobar with a 25% increase in housing demand, 21% in Jeddah and around 17% in Riyadh. Jeddah is also looking to invest more than $1.3 billion in the construction of bridges, tunnels, roads and parks.

But while Saudi Arabia appears to have escaped the clutches of the evil crisis, one cannot deny the many projects that have been cancelled across the GCC, including a few within Saudi Arabia. But that is not

“MANY PROJECTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SIGNED, INCLUDING BILLION DOLLAR ONES BY SAUDI ARAMCO AND SABIC”

OMANI SAYS DESPITE THE CRISIS NO MAJOR PROJECTS IN KSA HAVE BEEN CANCELLED.

beyond normal says Dammam-based GTSC general manager, Husain Al Omani.

“You will fi nd that many projects have already been signed, including billion dol-lar ones by Saudi Aramco, Saudi Electric Company and Sabic, along with various other ongoing infrastructure jobs in the kingdom. Yes, some projects are on hold but that’s because they’re backed by com-panies based outside Saudi Arabia and may


> For more special reports visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

SAMKARI SAYS THE KINGDOM HAS SEEN A RISE IN DEMAND FOR POWER AND AUTOMATION NEEDS.

LEADING SAUDI CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES

SAUDI BINLADIN GROUP The group’s most active division is the

Public Buildings and Airports Division

(SBG-PBAD). It was incorporated in 1967

and diversifi ed into construction activities

in the UAE during in 1971 and KSA in 1981.

The division is highly completive and has

undertaken various projects in roads,

bridges, airports, hospitals, universities,

large housing projects, residential and

commercial buildings and high rise

towers including all infrastructure and

electromechanical works.

The yearly turn over of the division is around

US $800 million. All divisions of PBAD have

ISO 9001:2000 Certifi cation and Quality

programmes maintained.

www.sbgpbad.ae

CONSOLIDATED CONTRACTORS COMPANY The origins of Consolidated Contractors

Company (CCC) goes back to 1952 when

three entrepreneurs, Kamel Abdul Rahman,

Hassib Sabbagh, and Said Khoury, joined

forces to create one of the fi rst Arab

construction companies in the world. Hassib

Sabbagh is now chairman of the group while

Said Khoury is president.

Today the company has offi ces all over the

In March this year, Arabtec Construction

formed a joint venture with two Saudi

partners to establish Arabtec Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi participants are CPC Services, a

member of the Saudi Binladin Group, and

Prime International Group Services. Arabtec

will have a 45% stake in the partnership,

while CPC will hold 35% and Prime 20%

www.arabtecuae.com

MAKKAH CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (MCDC)MCDC operates in construction with focus

on the area around the Holy Haram in

Makkah, which is a destination visited by

millions of advocates every year.

Some of MCDCs projects include Makkah

Hilton and Towers, a multi- million mega

structure overlooking the holy site. The

structure contains the 1400 room Makkah

Hilton Hotel, in addition to the three-storey

451 unit Makkah Shopping Centre. In 2006,

MCDC was a founding member (with 21%

stake) of the Jabal Omar Development

Company that was established with a

capital of US $1.3 billion (SR5 billion).

MCDC has appeared on Forbes Arabia

list of the 50 best performing companies

among the Arab countries.

world including the UK and the US and is

among the top 10 construction companies in

Saudi Arabia.

www.ccc.gr

SAUDI OGERSaudi Oger Limited started out as

construction company based in Riyadh in

January 1978. Since its inception, Saudi Oger

has become one of the leading construction

companies, facilities management service

providers and infrastructure project

developers in the kingdom. In a relatively

short period of time Saudi Oger has grown

into a multi-company, multi-divisional

organisation with subsidiaries and affi liates

in Saudi Arabia and abroad. Today the

company’s line of business covers many

sectors including construction, facilities

management real estate development.

www.saudioger.com

ARABTEC SAUDI ARABIAArabtec Construction is the leading

construction fi rm in the UAE. Since its

launch in 1975, it has executed a diverse and

far-reaching portfolio of major construction

projects in all sectors of real estate and

infrastructure. Arabtec Construction was one

of the companies working on the Burj Dubai.

have been affected by the downturn. But no major projects have been cancelled,” he added.

And Omani isn’t the only one who feels confi dent about the Saudi market. Big Saudi construction companies are still picking up jobs in the country and have said they have no reason to look elsewhere just yet.

“There is so much work in Saudi Arabia that we still have the option to decide if we want to take a job or not,” says Jeddah-based Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) corporate development director Ahmed Anees. “And that is a luxury most countries within the GCC and the world over do not have. That

in itself is testament to the strength of the Saudi Arabian market.”

Power and automation technology company ABB Group goes a step further saying its order book has never been this fi lled up.

“We’ve seen and experienced a rise in demand for our power and automation tech-nology solutions in the Kingdom over the past 12 months due to the Saudi government’s efforts to upgrade the energy and utilities sector,” said Mohammed Samkari, presi-dent and local business unit manager for substations at ABB in Saudi Arabia.

“Based on orders, we’ve seen no downturn in the Saudi market. Oil prices are stable and the kingdom is still enjoying strong economic growth. In general, government projects are going ahead on time and as budgeted. We’ve been adding staff to our operations here to cope with the rise in demand for power generation solutions.

“BASED ON ORDERS [WON], WE’VE SEEN NO DOWNTURN IN THE SAUDI ARABIAN MARKET”

ABB now has over 1300 employees in Saudi Arabia and we’re still growing.”

The sheer size of the country and its popu-lation of 27 million could be one of the main reasons for its promising future. Yousef

Hajeir, estimation and support manager at one of the leading construction fi rms in the kingdom, Consolidated Contracting Company (CCC) based in Al Khobar, says that Saudi Arabia is now the central focus of construction companies in and around the GCC and that looking elsewhere for work is not even on the agenda at the moment.

“Only recently one of Kuwait’s biggest construction companies opened up offi ces here in order to fi nd more jobs. Construc-tion companies from all over the world seem to be rushing to Saudi to take advantage of all the opportunities available. The UAE’s biggest construction company, Arabtec, has even opened up an offi ce here.”

Good news seems to be in abudance in Saudi but angels come with demons and with the yin there’s the yang. There’s no doubt that Saudi appears to be the next construction superpower, but power can often wield a disregard for the practical, and issues which are now of international concern across all GCC countries, could be overshadowed by murky ideas of gran-

“[GREEN PRACTICES] ARE NO WHERE CLOSE TO THE STANDARDS THAT ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED ACROSS EUROPE”

THE SAUDI ECONOMY HAS WEATHERED THE CRISES WITH NO MAJOR PROJECTS BEING CANCELLED.

deur.Take the green issue for example. Are Saudi Arabian construction companies, the government and other construction related industries, like building product manufacturers, focusing on environment-friendly construction techniques or have they been blinded by the rich promises this industry seems to offer?

“To be honest, not all companies are focus-ing on going green,” says Hajeir. “The big ones are gradually aligning themselves with green practices, but it is no where close to the standards that are being implemented across Europe.”

The Saudi government’s enforcement of environment-friendly practices is essential to take the green initiative in the kingdom to the next level.

Omani agrees. “I can’t really say if the green issue is being taken seriously or not,


but if the implementation of health and safety regulations is anything to go by, then I think more defi nitely needs to be done. Yes, you can fi nd some regulations about safety, or concern about safety, but only 25% of these are enforced. And I think this is exactly the same for the green issue.”

But a scandalous 25% enforcement of green regulations quickly loses importance when compared to the can of worms that the cri-sis cracked open.

It has exposed serious problems across the GCC construction and real estate industry, which were being overlooked during the boom years including quality nightmares, poor facilities management standards and inadequate real estate regulations.

“The downturn exposed fl aws in the investment and fi nancing process for certain projects,” says Riyadh-based Al Muhaidib Technical Supplies marketing

support manager Mohammed Dahlan. “In some instances, investments were made with faulty economic assumptions. And the government has stepped in to assure that the downturn is not as pronounced in Saudi Arabia.”

But due to the conservative nature of the kingdom, caution during development has appeared naturally and Saudi seems to be treading a little more carefully than its neighbours.

The country has placed a lot of emphasis on developing its education sector includ-ing mega projects such as the 8 million m2 Princess Noura Bint Abdul Rahman Uni-versity for Women in Riyadh where it has

> For more special reports visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

LEADING SAUDI CONGLOMERATES

KINGDOM HOLDING COMPANYKHC is one of world’s largest and most

diversifi ed private investment companies

with holdings in a large number of Saudi

Arabian, Middle Eastern and international

companies. The assets of KHC are valued

at US $25 billion (SR 92.4 billion) as of

31 December 2006. The company is also

planning to build the tallest tower in the

world as part of a $26.7 billion project

in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom Tower will

be more than 1km high and form the

centerpiece of Kingdom City to be built

20km from the old city of Jeddah.

Kingdom City will cover an area of

7.1km2 with a built up area of 23 million

m2 comprised of commercial, residential,

institutional, educational, entertainment,

retail and hotel facilities.

www.kingdom.com.sa

SABICThe Saudi Basic Industries Corporation

(Sabic) is one of the world’s leading

manufacturers of chemicals, fertilizers,

plastics and metals.

The company is behind several new

petrochemical projects in Saudi Arabia at

a preliminary estimated value of US $3.2

billion (SR12 billion) including seven new

companies for the last ten years. It has

recently established a CSR department

to pursue the implementation of a wide-

range of social development projects. The

company recently launched the Durrat

Al Riyadh project, which aims to provide

housing units on the outskirts of Riyadh city.

www.dallah.com

THE AA TURKI GROUPThe AA Turki Group of Companies (Atco)

is a 3000-employee strong, conglomerate

that has successfully operated since the

mid-1950 in Saudi Arabia’s governmental,

industrial sectors. Atco is ranked among the

largest companies in Saudi Arabia.

The company’s construction arm handles

large scale electrical, mechanical, civil,

and construction projects for residential,

commercial and industrial facilities.

www.atco.com.sa

AL RAJHI SAUDI GROUPAl Rajhi Saudi Group was founded in 1990

with a wide range of diversifi ed services,

including construction, maintenance,

supplies, manufacturing and consulting.

The group’s construction division has

been involved actively in the kingdom.

www.alrajhi.com.sa

plants across the kingdom. These plants are

expected to go on-stream by mid 2013.

www.sabic.com

DALLAH ALBARAKADallah Albaraka was founded in Riyadh

in 1969 and has evolved into a diversifi ed

international conglomerate, incorporating

investments in billions in over 40 countries

worldwide. The group has interests in almost

every sector including industry, trade, real

estate, healthcare and education. Dallah

Real Estate and Tourism Development is the

company’s development arm. The group

has been rated among the top fi ve Saudi

10 BIGGEST SAUDI PROJECTS BY VALUE

1. King Abdullah Economic City

2. Sudair City Development

3. Mile Tower

4. Princess Noura Bint Abdul Rahman

University for Women

5. Landbridge Railway

6. Knowledge Economic City

7. Prince Abdulaziz Bin Mousaed

Economic City

8. Yanbu IWPP

9. North-South Railway

10. King Abdullah University of Science

and Technology

“IN SOME INSTANCES, INVESTMENTS WERE MADE WITH FAULTY ECONOMIC ASSUMPTIONS”

KING ABDULLAH INAUGURATES KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

banned the use of Chinese products in order to maintain a “quality” end-product.

The country has also carried on construc-tion with its economic cities, none of which have been put on hold or have been can-celled. Optimists feel that the downturn has offered a new chance to the construction industry to begin afresh, and in the correct manner, where developers and contrac-tors can set the tone for things to come.

Everyone has learnt from the past and the way ahead only looks better,” says Omani. The kingdom is on the edge of its own little construction boom, but what turn is taken is now in the hands of its govern-ment. With only three months to the close of 2009, 2010 could see Saudi become the greenest pastures yet. �

Dahlan adds, “At many levels, the downturn has also created opportunities to refi ne and improve some projects, especially, when you read about the results of rebidding some of the mega-projects with multi-billion dol-lar savings.”

Omani too feels the same and says Sau-di could soon be leading the way in this regard. “There have been several prob-

lems all over the region but companies are now looking to become international names, and for that they’re going to have to adhere to the highest standards; this is a fresh start.

“The construction sector has been affected from the downturn, in that, it has offered many companies the chance to go back to the drawing board and rethink their proj-ects according to more practical terms.

“THE DOWNTURN EXPOSED FLAWS IN THE INVESTMENT AND FINANCING PROCESS IN CERTAIN PROJECTS”

DAHLAN FEELS THE DOWNTURN HAS CREATED OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE PROJECT SPECS.

GLOBAL ECONOMIC FORECASTS (GCC)

GDP GROWTH, %

GCC 2007 2008 2009F 2010F

Saudi Arabia 3.4 4.2 -0.2 3.1

UAE 6.3 7.4 -1.0 2.0

Kuwait 2.5 6.3 -1.9 2.0

Qatar 15.3 16.4 5.7 8.1

Oman 6.4 6.2 1.5 2.3

Bahrain 8.1 6.3 1.8 2.4

Research by Merrill Lynch

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY TO

RECEIVE FAST-TRACK ENTRY!

www.indexexhibition.comREGISTER ONLINE TODAY TO

RECEIVE FAST-TRACK ENTRY!

www.indexexhibition.com

14-17 NOVEMBER 2009 - DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

FOR 19 YEARS THE MIDDLE EAST’S LARGEST INTERIORS TRADE SHOW

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY TO RECEIVE FAST-TRACK ENTRY!

www.indexexhibition.com

FIND YOUR

INSPIRATION

Organised by

Official Magazine

Co-located with


HOW TO…MINIMISE WORK AT HEIGHT

Most people recognise the hazards associated with work at height naturally,

through a sense of vulnerability. They feel insecure when at height and there is a risk of falling, and they feel exposed when pass-ing below work at height in case something falls.

For many years the normal solution to the fi rst hazard, was to issue a harness and lanyard (frequently with no training in its use), and for the second hazard, to cordon off the area below the work.

There has been a long established safety hierarchy which identifi es the best route to follow when solving safety problems – avoid, prevent, and then mitigate. This hierarchy

has now been broken into nine easy steps, to assist the selection of the best solution to any work at height problem.

First and foremost, we should still avoid the need to work at height. We should try and fi nd another way of carryout out the work. One example would be to preassemble com-ponents prior to them being lifted (see pics below), and to modularise the construction process. Any action, or work sequence, that

removes the need for some work at height, is of pri-mary safety benefi t to any construc-tion project.

Having said that, we must recognise that avoidance is not always possible, and that some work at height may be necessary. At this point we should also recognise that measures, which offer protection to all, are better than measures which protect an individual, and also that

ALL CONTRACTORS SHOULD BE WORKING TO A HEIGHT SAFETY HIERARCHY, IN ORDER TO PREVENT ONSITE ACCIDENTS

Barney Green tells us how contractors

should try to remove the need to work

at height onsite by preassembling

components prior to them being lifted.

Green is a lapsed civil engineer having

done 10 years of study, site, and

design work, before specialising fi rst in

construction fi xings and then in securing

those who work at height. Green spent

20 years as a height safety systems

installation contractor, installing anchor

points, cable systems, safety nets, edge

protection, and temporary stairways. He

has spent the last fi ve years with systems

manufacturer, Combisafe International.

measures which offer protection without the need to act, are better than those that require some action to be protected. We are therefore looking for collective passive safety. This is the next level in the work at height hierarchy, and the subsequent route through the hierarchy is best shown as a matrix (see right).

On the left of the matrix we have the four levels of protection, prevention, minimis-ing height and consequence, minimising consequence, and doing nothing. We have two columns within the matrix, collective measures, and personal measures. We then follow down the matrix, zigzagging

“FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE SHOULD ALWAYS AVOID THE NEED TO WORK AT HEIGHT”

LEFT: ONE EXAMPLE OF AVOIDING WORKING AT HEIGHT IS TO PREASSEMBLE COMPONENTS ON THE GROUND BEFORE LIFTING THEM INTO PLACE.


between the collective and personal col-umns, as shown.

Examples of preventative measures that offer collective protection would include edge protection systems, advanced guard-rails, and working platforms. If not suit-able, we can move to preventative measures that protected only a single person, such as alsipercha, pulpit steps etc.

If we cannot avoid the need to work at height, and we cannot prevent falls, we should then minimise the height and consequence of any fall. In the collective column we should be looking at safety nets and other soft land-ing systems, as these gather the faller, or falling material, into them and they slow down and stop the fall event with mini-mal chance of injury. If we cannot use collective mea-sures, we move to the personal column and can now reach for the harness and lanyard solution of old (per-sonal fall protective equipment or PFPE).

When specifying the use of PFPE, it is important to consider all aspects of the work sequence and the equip-ment needed, from the anchor point

> For the latest analysis log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

to the worker. Many accidents in the past have resulted from poorly or incompletely specifi ed solutions, when the worker has been left to choose their lanyard and their anchor. The general rule of thumb is to use as short a lanyard as possible, and to anchor above and behind the worker. Bear in mind that, to safely resist the fall load, an anchor point should be capable of supporting a small car. Also remember that the energy absorber can increase the lanyard length by

1.75m if fully deployed, and this can lead to clearance distances of over 6m below the anchor point being required.

It is extremely important to consider the need for immediate rescue when using PFPE. The fall event will frequently lead to signifi -cant injury, and once arrested, a faller needs attention before the potentially fatal effects of suspension trauma set in. This will often lead to the need for complex equipment and highly trained rescuers to be available, on site, in case they are needed. This adds to the cost, and reduces the effectiveness of PFPE based solutions.

Once we have considered these top fi ve layers within the hierarchy, we are start-ing to move to less effective equipment. The fi nal four levels in the hierarchy all offer some form of protection, but in the vast majority of cases they can be improved upon, by revisiting the layers above.

At one point there was the suggestion that ladders should be banned from construc-

tion sites, as they offered no real protec-tion from the fall hazard

and they are for single person use only (personal). As you can see they appear in the hierarchy, but they lie within the very bottom category. There are applications for which a ladder can be defended as offering the best solution, but only once the deci-sion maker has moved steadily through the hierarchy and carefully considered and rejected all the other solution types.

The most common hazards associated with work at height (falls and falling

objects), can be risk managed from the fi rst fi ve levels in the majority

of situations. If you are unable to fi nd a solution to your work at

height problem within these top fi ve levels, perhaps

some professional advice should be

sought before moving fur-ther down the

hierarchy. �A PYRAMID SHOWS HOW TO MINIMISE WORKING AT HEIGHT, BEGINNING WITH AVOIDING IT TO LEVELS OF PRECAUTION.

“IF WE CAN’T AVOID THE NEED TO WORK AT HEIGHT, WE SHOULD THEN MINIMISE THE HEIGHT AND CONSEQUENCE OF ANY FALL”

ABOVE: WORK AT HEIGHT HEIRARCHY MATRIX.

“AVOIDANCE IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE AND SOME WORK AT HEIGHT MAY BE NECESSARY”

www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

��

DIR

ECTORY

To

advertise p

lease call Sh

ishir D

esai +9

71 4 4

35

63

75, o

r email sh

ishir.d

[email protected]

m

38 TENDERS39 PROJECTS

SPECIALIST SERVICES40 Building materials41 Construction chemicals/concrete42 Education & training/fl ooring43 Recruitment/steel

CITY UPDATE44 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

DIRECTORY

OCTOBER 3–9, 2009 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 37

TENDERS | PROJECTS | SUPPLIERS | CITY UPDATE


�TENDERSFREE TENDERS AND SERVICES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRYTO INCLUDE YOUR TENDERS IN THIS SECTION EMAIL TENDER DETAILS TO [email protected]

To in

clu

de

you

r te

nd

ers

in t

his

sec

tio

n e

mai

l ten

der

det

ails

to

ed

ito

r@C

on

stru

ctio

nW

eekO

nlin

e.co

m

TEN

DER

S �

BAHRAIN

Issuer: Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: 237/2009/5310Description: Supply of PVC pipeline in Bahrain.Closes: October 7Fees: BD15Contact: Purchasing and Supply Directorate, Room 107, Ground Floor, Electricity and Water Authority, Diplomatic Area, Manama

EGYPT

Issuer: Potable Water and Sanitary Drainage Company Description: Companies specialised in waste water solutions to design lifting stations at villages within Kafr El Sheikh Governorate.Closes: October 7Fees: EP5000Bond: EP500,000Contact: Potable Water and Sanitaty Drainage Company, opposite the court yards complex, Tanta

OMAN

Issuer: Oman Wastewater ServicesCompany Tender No: 258/2009 Description: The scope of work includes the development of Al Ansab wetland in Oman.Closes: October 5Fees: OMR686Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

Issuer: Oman Wastewater Services CompanyTender No: 258/2009 Description: The scope of work includes the construction of a car park for Haya Water Headquarters in Al Ansab.Closes: October 5Fees: OR686Contact: www.tenderboard.gov.om

QATAR

Issuer: Qatar PetroleumTender No: GT09109900Description: The scope of work includes irrigation, landscape maintenance and refurbishment works at Qatar

Petroleum locations.Closes: October 4Fees: QR500Contact: Qatar Petroleum, PO Box 3212

Issuer: Public Works AuthorityTender No: PWA/GTC/009/09-10Description: The design and construction of trunk and internal sewers within Musaimeer.Closes: October 13Fees: QR6000Contact: Contracts department, Public Works Authority

Issuer: Public Works AuthorityTender No: PWA/GTC/010/09-10Description: Construction of trunk and internal sewers within Musaimeer – phase one. Closes: October 27Fees: QR6000Contact: Contract department, Public Works Authority

Issuer: Public Works AuthorityTender No: PWA/GTC/009/09-10Description: Construction of trunk and internal sewers within Ain Khalid Area – phase 2.Closes: November 10Fees: QR8000Contact: Contract department, Public Works Authority

SAUDI ARABIA

Issuer: Royal Commission for Jubail and YanbuTender No: PIC A-1093DDescription: Procurement, construction, testing and commissioning for the development of industrial areas at Yanbu Industrial City.Closes: October 4Fees: SR27000Contact: Purchasing and Contracting Department, PO Box 30031, Yanbu Industrial City

Issuer: Royal Commission for Jubail and YanbuTender No: 325-S13Description: Operation and maintenance of infrastructure including roads, storm drainage, material handling facilities in Jubail Industrial City.Closes: October 12

Fees: SR12,500Contact: Contract section, directorate general of Royal Commission in Jubail, PO Box 10001, Jubail Industrial City

Issuer: Holy Makkah MunicipalityTender No: 4/00/00/296/1/2/19Description: Construction of pedestrian facilities in several areas of Makkah.Closes: October 24Fees: SR5000Contact: www.holymakkah.gov.sa

Issuer: Royal Commission for Jubail and YanbuTender No: 655-C13Description: Construction of sports centres at Al Ferdos and Jalmudah. The work includes site preparation, construction of new roads, sidewalks and utilities.Closes: October 25Fees: SR9000Contact: Contracts section, directorate general of Royal Commission in Jubail, PO Box 10001, Jubail Industrial City

Issuer: Ministry of FinanceTender No: 1193Description: Expansion of the Ministry of Finance in Qassim.Closes: November 3Fees: SR1000Contact: www.mof.gov.sa

UAE

Issuer: Dubai Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: CN/0263/2009Description: Engineering consultancy services for Hassyan Power and Desalination Station and Hassyan site management.Closes: October 13Fees: AED2000Contact: www.dewa.gov.ae

Issuer: Dubai Electricity and Water AuthorityTender No: CNW/0132/2009Description: Construction of Al Ghafat reservoirs phase one and two in Dubai.Closes: October 21Fees: AED2000Contact: DEWA, PO Box 564

The Ministry of Finance, along with the Ministry of Higher Education, is the client for the US $11.5 billion (AED42.2 billion) Princess Noura University for Women in Riyadh. In January this year Saudi Oger was awarded the fi rst construction package for the project, worth $3.3 billion. Saudi Binladin Group won the second contract, worth $2.6 billion, and El Seif Engineering and Contracting won the third, worth $2.1 billion.

The fi rst two contracts will cover the majority of the construction work at the site, including low-rise faculty buildings and associated works. The third package covers infrastructure and plant stations. This month, Premco, a subsidiary of Construction Products Holding Company

Tender focus

MINISTRY OF FINANCE, KSA

KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDUL AZIZ AL SAUD INSPECTS THE PROJECT.

> For more tenders check online at www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/tenders

has signed an agreement under which it will supply 62,000m3 of precast concrete to the university. �

�PROJECTSA SAUDI ARABIA DATABASE - BUILDING PROJECTS FOCUSTO LIST YOUR PROJECTS IN THIS COLUMN EMAIL DETAILS TO [email protected]

The project calls for construction Nasmat Al Riyadh, located east of Riyadh city. The development will include eight residential buildings ranging in height from three to nine fl oors. The project, which will spread over 3 million m2, will also include educational facilities, commercial outlets and entertainment facilities.

The project is currently at design stage and construction is expected to start in the fi rst quarter of next year. Completion is penciled in for the fi rst quarter of 2014. Thabat Real Estate Development, the client for the project, is awaiting approv-al from the Saudi Government before construction can begin. The approval is expected to be issued this month. �

Project focus

NASMAT AL RIYADH

THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN Q1 2014.

PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAINCONTRACTOR

VALUE(US$MN)

STATUS

SAUDI ARABIAMuzahimiyah Power Plant Saudi Electricity Company Fichtner Not Appointed 950 project under design

New Dam in Hail Ministry of Water & Electricity SaudConsult Progressive Construc-tion Limited

53 project under construction

202Km Transmission Line Between Qurayyah Power and The National Grid

Saudi Electricity Company Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company


Bader Subsation - Yanbu OHTL Saudi Electricity Company Al Saleh & Massoud Company


132 KV Al Takhasusi Substation Saudi Electricity Company Al Fanar Contracting 20 project under construction

Khurais Field Development-Qurayyah Seawater Treat-ment Plant

Saudi Aramco Jacobs Eng./SNC Lavalin/SaudConsult

Snamprogetti 2,000 project under construction

110/13.8-kV Al Baidaa Substation Saudi Electricity Company In House Siemens 10 project under construction

132/33-KV Substation in Nmas Saudi Electricity Company Iscosa Industries & Maintenance


380 KV Manifa Substation Saudi Electricity Company National Contracting Company


33-kV HV Line in Abha Saudi Electricity Company In House National Contracting Company


Reinforcement of Six 132 KV Substation in Jizan Saudi Electricity Company In House Iscosa Industries & Maintenance


Shuqaiq - Abha East OHTL Saudi Electricity Company Middle East Engg. & Development Co.


Qsai Dam at Jizan Ministry of Water & Electricity Zuhair Fayez Partners Bin Jarallah Group 40 project under construction

1200 MW Thermo Electric Power Plant in Rabigh Saudi Electricity Company/Acwa Power Int’l/KEPCO

Not Appointed Not Appointed 2,000 project in concept stage

New Dam in Abha Ministry of Water & Electricity Zuhair Fayez Partners Bin Jarallah Group 16 project under construction

33-kV HV Line in Al Hagu Villages Saudi Electricity Company In House Al Saleh & Massoud Company


> For the latest projects information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/projects

To li

st y

ou

r p

roje

cts

in t

his

sec

tio

n e

mai

l det

ails

to

ed

ito

r@C

on

stru

ctio

nW

eekO

nlin

e.co

m

P

RO

JECT

S �


�SPECIALIST SERVICESCONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MADE EASY IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK’S DIRECTORYTO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL +971 4 435 6375, OR EMAIL [email protected]

To a

dve

rtis

e p

leas

e ca

ll +

971

4 4

35

63

75 o

r em

ail s

his

hir

.des

ai@

itp.

com

SP

ECIA

LIST

SER

VIC

ES �

BUILDING MATERIALS

Founded in Milan in 1937, Mapei is today a world leader in the production of adhesives and complementary products for the installation of all types of fl oor and wall coverings. The company is also specialised in other chemical products for building: from waterproofers, and special mortars to admixtures for concrete, products for the restoration of buildings and the preparation of all substrates used in building.

Mapei has built its strategy along three principal guidelines including specialisation, research and development (R&D) and internationalisation. Mapei offers a vast range of specifi c, technologically advanced products and every year invests 5% of its annual turn-over and employs 12% of its workforce in research. In addition to its 53 quality control labs, Mapei has eight R&D laboratories in Milan, Villadossola and Treviso in Italy, Laval in Canada, Deerfi eld Beach in the US, Sag-stua in Norway, Wiesbaden in Germany and Toulouse in France. Starting in the 1960’s Mapei put its strategy of internationalisation into action. Its basic strategy is always the same: maximum proximity to the needs of local markets and reduction of logistic costs to a minimum.

The Group has 57 subsidiaries with 54 plants in 24 countries over fi ve continents. Among them, two new plants in Chulai (Danang) in Vietnam and Stupino in Russia, which opened in 2007. Furthermore, Mapei

Supplier focus

MAPEIA MANUFACTURER OF ADHESIVES AND FLOOR AND WALL COVERING PRODUCTS

has developed a sales and technical service network with offi ces all over the world. Mapei offers an effi cient Technical Assistance Service that is much appreciated by architects, engineers, contractors and owners, with experts available for on-site consultation. �

MAPEI BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER LAITH HABOUBI.


� SPECIA

LIST SERV

ICES To

advertise p

lease call +9

71 4 4

43

5 6

375

or em

ail shish

ir.desai@

itp.com

BUILDING MATERIALS HARD LANDSCAPING SUPPLIER

> For directory information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

DEWATERING

Engineering Works Foundation Infrastructure (L.L.C.)

SPECIALIZED DEWATERING SERVICES:• Specialized in Deepwell, Wellpoint,

Open pumping techniques

• Professional Service

• Round the clock backup

• Effective Groundwater control

P.O. Box: 111245, Dubai - U.A.E. P.O. Box: 2752, Abu Dhabi - U.A.E.Tel: +971 4 340 9022 Fax: +971 4 340 8952 E-mail: [email protected]

CONCRETE

CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURERS

CONSTRUCTION CHEMICALS

CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURERS

Full range of plaster, tiles and gypsum tools

OTAL (LLC) Dubai, U.A.EPhone: (+971-4) 267 9646 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.otal.ae


�SPECIALIST SERVICES

PP CORRUGATED SHEETS

CONTRACTORS/MANUFACTURERS

CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MADE EASY IN CONSTRUCTION WEEK’S DIRECTORYTO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL +971 4 435 6375, OR EMAIL [email protected]

To a

dve

rtis

e p

leas

e ca

ll +

971

4 4

35

63

75 o

r em

ail s

his

hir

.des

ai@

itp.

com

SP

ECIA

LIST

SER

VIC

ES �

FLOORING

HVAC & PLUMBING RELATED EQUIPMENT

EDUCATION & TRAINING


> For directory information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory> For directory information visit www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com/directory

RECRUITMENT

� SPECIA

LIST SERV

ICES To

advertise p

lease call +9

71 4 4

43

5 6

375

or em

ail shish

ir.desai@

itp.com

STEEL

STEEL

RECRUITMENT

STEEL

HEM, IPE, IPN, UPNHEM, IPE, IPN, UPN

WOOD AND TIMBER


CITY UPDATERIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

It’s no longer a secret, by any stretch, that the KSA construc-tion market holds massive potential within the Middle East. Moderately less affected than other Gulf nations by the recession, Saudi construction

is the second most lucrative in the region after the UAE, and a growing population combined with a shortage of housing means there is a lot to get excited about in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

Jones Lang LaSalle’s report on Riyadh, issued in June this year, has brought to the fore the need for housing. Riyadh’s popu-lation is estimated at 4.9 million, 19% of the national total, of which 1.7 million are expatriates. Between 2004 and 2008 the population grew by a compounded annual growth rate of 3.3%.

Meanwhile, the number of residential units currently under construction rep-resents less than 5% of the existing stock

Raising RiyadhTHE ‘SLEEPING GIANT’ IS WAKING UP AND PROMISES GOOD OPPORTUNITIES IN THE KSA CAPITAL

By James Boley

TOP RIYADH PROJECTS US$Princess Noura Bint AbdulRahman University for Women 11.5 billionKing Abdullah Financial District 10 billionRiyadh - Al Zour Water Pipeline 2.5 billionNasmat Al Riyadh 1.6 billionOlaya Towers 250 million

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE HIGH ON DEVELOPERS’ AGENDAS IN SAUDI ARABIA.

and there remains a huge potential for “big real estate opportunities,” said the report.

However, challenging mortgage laws mean that developers cannot rely on con-ventional fi nancing arrangements to fund projects. Changes to rules also mean that off-plan selling requires approval from a new national commission.

Power to the peopleThe growth in population also means that infrastructure projects are high on the agenda. Bidding is currently open for a

2000MW power plant project with a decision expected from the Saudi Electric Company by March 2010.

Meanwhile, the Princess Noura University is building an automated transport system for its students and in September awarded Premco a US $26.7 million (SR100 million) contract to supply precast concrete for the construction of the walkways.

However, the biggest news remains the prog-ress at the King Abdullah Financial District. A design-and-build contract for 30 parcels of land is soon to be announced. �


Construct SAFEPreventing heat stress

Wow, Farik it’s still quite hot here!

Yes, the summer in this region is longer than most places.


experience. Poor health, safety & welfare knowledge

Farik: Apprentice labourer new to the industry with no experience. Poor health, safety & welfare knowledge

Illustrations by Jincom Publishing

Introducing the Construct Safe lead characters (from Left to Right)

Raoul: Senior Supervisor with 30 years experience and good health, safety & welfare knowledge

Achmat: Construction labourer with little

> For the ConstructSafe comic strip log on to www.ConstructionWEEKonline.com

If you have a health & safety or environment issue that you would like to see addressed through this comic strip email your ideas or comments to [email protected]. Alternatively, log onto www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com to see the comic strip.

SPONSORED BY: Murray & Roberts Contractors

In the summer, we have a midday break, which is very important to follow.


DIALOGUEROHAN MARWAHA

Which areas of Dubai are investors targeting most actively?Every area, whether it is Dubailand, Jumeira Gardens or Downtown Burj Dubai, hold signifi cant value. Obviously these areas, in terms of location, all represent something slightly different. I will say that investors who have been sitting on the fence are now starting to reactivate themselves again. They all need to have confi dence that Dubai has the strength to grow and I think developers are beginning to believe this now. With Cityscape coming up, I think there will be an injection of confi dence as the event takes place.

Will the attraction from foreign investors towards the Middle East construction market grow in 2010?A lot of companies are saying that, at the moment, they are heading into rock-bottom in the Middle East markets and Dubai specifi cally. I for one certainly believe that we are literally on the fl oor at the moment. But, I think there will be opportunity for things to take off in 2010. There are also other organisations who support this view – Jones Lang LaSalle have recently put out a report on the attractiveness of the Middle East to foreign investors and, looking at long-term prospects, Dubai has a huge amount of potential.

What is your reaction to Nakheel’s and Emaar’s sudden decision to exhibit at Cityscape Dubai after their previous announcement that they will not be participating?Obviously we are delighted that they are coming back to the event. I don’t want to speak on their behalf because that would be inappropriate, however, I will say that we have been in discussions with them and have worked along side them for several years. We were very excited when they called us to say that they were coming back. We have gone out of our way to make sure we can help them as much as possible.

Due to the crisis, is it less likely that mega-projects will be showcased at Cityscape Dubai this year?The latest statistics from the Cityscape Intelligence Report we produced with Proleads, which we are about to put out, indicates that at least two thirds of projects are still ongoing in Dubai and

A time for changeRohan Marwaha, managing director of Cityscape believes that the brand’s upcoming event in Dubai will reflect new confidence in the construction and real estate industries

By Sarah Blackman

this is a very signifi cant fi gure. If you put this into perspective, it means that only one third of projects are either cancelled or on hold. The majority of ongoing projects will be showcased at Cityscape Dubai. What we don’t expect to see, is many new mega projects launched at the event but the theme of Cityscape this year is completion and delivery of existing projects. There will be some new project announcements but not on a grand scale like we have seen previously.

Most of the big names are now focusing on markets outside Dubai. Do most of the developments showcased at Cityscape refl ect this shift in focus?Cityscape Dubai is truly an international real estate event. Last year it attracted 21,000 international investors and professionals who entered Dubai specifi cally to attend the event. However, the majority of the fl oor-space and the themes of Cityscape are focused on Dubai so we expect the investors who come over to be, for the most part, interested in the Dubai real estate market.

How many participants do you expect to see at Cityscape Dubai this year compared to last year? Last year we had 68,000 visitors. Our current forecasting models for this year put us around 20% to 25% down from last year. I still think this is a signifi cant achievement due to the state of global real estate market. There have been a lot of people who have been made redundant in Europe and the US markets and this will have an effect on the number of visitors coming to the event.

Cityscape has come to be known as the “litmus test” for the real estate industry. Is this a good thing?If you look at previous years, Cityscape Dubai has always been the litmus test for the Dubai real estate industry and a lot of project announcements have always been held off until Cityscape comes around. The event has created an opportunity for visitors to speak with every player in the market and look at their competitors. Delegates go through a learning experience at the event by sharing knowledge.

Following the Cityscape’s launch in 2002,

Marwaha has developed the brand into the

world’s leading business-to-business real

estate event portfolio, which comprises

a series of exhibitions, conferences and

seminars. He has steered Cityscape Dubai

into becoming the world’s largest real

estate event in seven years. The success of

this event has enabled him to spearhead

launches into China, India, South East Asia,

Abu Dhabi, Latin America, Russia, Korea

and Saudi Arabia.

Construction Week

Documents

comprehensive systems

dubais construction

construction companies

news analysiscould cityscape

approachcontents12 news

z systems approach

directory38 tenders39

site cw