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Market News - p6 Executive Strategy - p16 The Big 5 Saudi - p38
Intermat Paris - p92 Arabic Section - p120
www.technicalreview.me
1984 - 2015Serving Middle East
Business
31 Years
SERVING THE REGIONS BUSINESS SINCE 1984 9 4
USA: $16.50, United Kingdom: 10 Vol 31/Issue Two 2015
Utilising waste to power homes,businesses and public
services
How port facilities are fuellingexports and promoting growth
All aboard
Waste-to-Energy
60
ConstructionPower &
WaterLogisticsCommunicationsInnovations
INSIDE
See us at the shows
The regionsnuclear effortsstep up a gear
The power industry heads to Dubai forthe return of Middle East
Electricity
Stand: 2B18
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4 Contents
www.technicalreview.me
44
THE REGION-WIDE FOCUS on economicdiversification has sharpened
throughoutthe region in recent months, thanksprimarily to the
falling global oil price. Todelve deeper into the related issues,
thisedition of Technical Review features atimely and comprehensive
economicreview on the adoption of industrialdiversification
throughout the GCC (p18).We also look at nuclear energy
ambitionsacross the MENA region (p56) and thebroader energy
aspirations of Middle Eastcountries as they look to ease
theirdependence on fossil fuels (p52). With Middle East Electricity
returning toDubai at the beginning of March, we bringyou the latest
exhibitor news and highlights(p60) ahead of the worlds largest
powersector trade show. This issue also considers growth in
Kuwaitsconstruction sector (p16) and safety andsecurity at our
ports (p50).
At Technical Reviewwe always welcome readers comments to
[email protected]
EDITORS NOTEBUSINESS & MANAGEMENT
Market News 6Qatar project sector to benefit from economic
boom;Air Arabia enters Chinese market; Atkins wins AbuDhabi IWPP
contract
Executives Calendar 14Events listings; WETEX; USETEC
ExECUTIvE STRATEGyPace in Kuwait 16Consultancy firm plots
progress in Kuwaits growingconstruction market
ANALySISIndustrial Diversification 18Economist Moin Siddiqi
explores the development ofeconomic diversification throughout the
GCC
Waste Management 24Lynda Davies looks at the growth of
waste-to-energyschemes throughout the region
Smart Grids 30Demand and investment on the rise as the Middle
Eastmoves towards smart grid adoption
CONSTRUCTIONIntelligent Buildings 34We look at some of the
greener solutions buildingshave been adopting in the GCC
The Big 5 Saudi 38The latest developments in the Saudi
Arabianconstruction sector ahead of the show
LOGISTICSPort Facilities 46Security and safety as infrastructure
investmentcontinues to increase at the regions ports
MIDDLE EAST ELECTRICITyMEE 2015 60All the news ahead as the
leading power industry tradeshow returns to celebrate its 40th
anniversary
Exhibitor News 66Inmesol, Weichai, Megger, Bahra Cables, Mecc
Alte,Yamuna Densons and many more
ARABICNews 4
Analysis 7
IN THIS ISSUE...
67 94
Technical Review Middle East - Issue Two 2015
SERVING THE REGIONS BUSINESS SINCE 1984 9
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Work on Algerian steelcomplex set to startConStrUCtion oF
ALGeriAsBellara Steel Complex will beexpected to begin in Q1 2015,
withthe project set to met the countrysimmediate requirements for
ironand steel.
Located in el Milia, Jijel, 359 kmfrom the capital Algiers, the
projectwill include the construction of asteel factory and three
rolling mills,of which two mills will be dedicatedto reinforcing
steel rebars.
the Bellara Complex will targetproduction of two million tonnes
ofsteel annually during its first phaseand four million tonnes
during itssecond phase.
the steel complex was plannedfollowing the 2013 establishment
ofa joint venture, named AlgerianQatari Solb (AQS) between
AlgeriasSider Co. & national investmentFund, which will hold a
51 per centstake and Qatar Steel and QatarMining, which will hold
theremaining 49 per cent.
the project has been predictedto create close to 2,000 direct
jobs.
Omantel partners withUKs InmarsatoMAni teLeCoM ProviDeromantel
has entered into apartnership with UK-based satelliteoperator
inmarsat in order toprovide its customers with a host ofnew
communication solutions andsatellite-oriented services.
inmarsat, which owns andoperates three global constellationsof
12 satellites flying ingeosynchronous orbit, will enhanceomantels
offering to its corporatecustomers to include seamlessvoice,
broadband data and iPcommunication solutions.
Ali Bakhit Kashoob, seniormanager of corporate
productdevelopment at omantel,commented, this partnershipcomes as a
response to ourcorporate customers needs andwill provide them with
alternativeconnectivity solutions.
oman has diversifiedtopography, which makes itchallenging in
some cases forcompanies operating in difficultterrains to
communicate with theirheadquarters and clients located indifferent
parts of the sultanate orthe entire world.
ENGINEERING AND DESIGN firm Black & Veatchhas been selected
by the Saline WaterConversion Corporation (SWCC) as engineeringand
design consultant for the Jeddah 4desalination project, which will
help augmentthe water supply in the Saudi Arabian city.
The reverse osmosis plant will have acapacity of 400 Ml/day and
will be classedamong Saudi Arabias largestdesalination plants.
Black & Veatch, whose revenuesin 2013 stood at US$3.6bn,
hasbeen involved in projects on morethan 40 desalination plants
andin 2003 was selected by SWCCto carry out engineeringstudies and
preparation ofengineering, procurementand construction
tenderdocuments for sixdesalination plants.
Black & Veatch Middle East managingdirector Mazen Alami
said, An augmentedwater supply is central to the prosperity
andcontinued development of Jeddah.
SWCC, through critical infrastructureprojects such as Jeddah 4,
has proved highlyeffective in addressing the kingdoms
waterrequirements. Our experience with large-scale
desalination projects around the world willhelp the corporation
serve the needs ofJeddahs growing populace, he added.
Black & Veatch will be responsible forstudies of the Jeddah
4 site and adjacentsea conditions, conceptual process and
engineering design, and preparation oftender documents, with the
projectset to be tendered on an engineer,
procure, construct (EPC) basis. The company will also
support
SWCC during the tendering andaward of the EPC contract.
Black & Veatch appointed as consultant for
desalinationproject in Jeddah
Growth in the infrastructure projects pipelinein Qatar looks set
to echo predicted growth in thecountrys economy, which Qatars
Ministry ofDevelopment Planning and Statistics has said willbe 7.7
per cent in 2015.
More than US$30bn worth of new projects willbe expected in 2015,
according to online projectstracker MeeD Projects.
infrastructure projections have been boosted byforecasted
project awards on the Al-Karaanapetrochemicals complex, which has
been valued atmore than US$5bn, as well as the rolling stock
andsystems contract on the Doha Metro, valued atmore than
US$2bn.
other major awards look set to include a host ofroad, rail and
real estate projects, while a majorport project and five
multi-billion dollar waterreservoir packages have also helped fuel
growthwithin Qatars infrastructure sector.
ed James, director of analysis at MeeD Projects,remarked,
Despite falling oil prices, Qatar has theproject pipeline, the
political impetus and thefinancial reserves to continue project
spending asit prepares to host the 2022 FiFA world Cup.
with around US$30bn worth of projects, 2014witnessed a 25 per
cent increase in projectspending as compared to 2013, and there
willcontinue to be an upward trend in project activity.
Speaking ahead of the MeeD Qatar ProjectsConference set to take
place in Doha in March2015, a spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry
of
Development Planning and Statistics said, Solidexpansion in
non-hydrocarbon activities willcontinue to drive overall economic
momentum,propelled by investment spending, anexpansionary fiscal
stance and population growth.
in calendar years 2014-2016, the overall fiscalbalance is
expected to stay in surplus.
Fuelled by vast hydrocarbon reserves, thecountry has begun in
recent years to demonstratehow to utilise its funds to ensure the
countrysnon-oil economy is able to function in times oflower oil
prices.
edmund oSullivan, chairman of MeeD events,remarked, Qatar is
going to lead the Gulf regionand the world once more with further
progress inthe execution of its inspiring vision for the yearsto
2030.
Lower oil prices cant be ignored, but its clearthat Qatar has
the financial and human resourcesto overcome this challenge.
Mazen Alami, managing director Middle East at Black &
Veatch
The infrastructure projects pipeline in Qatar looks set
tocontinue growing according to the latest market data(Photo: Qatar
Tourism Authority)
Project awards set to follow upward trend inQatars economy
6 Market News
Technical Review Middle East - Issue Two 2015
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Briefly
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Ma'aden signs EPCcontract for residentialproject in Saudi Arabia
SAUDi ArABiAn MininGCompany (Maaden) has signed anengineering,
procurement andconstruction (ePC) contract withAl-rashid trading
and ContractingCo. Ltd for the residentialinfrastructure at the
KingAbdullah Project for waad AlShamal City Development.
Located in the north of SaudiArabia, waad Al Shamal City
willcover an area of 440 sq km. out ofthe total planned area, 150
sq kmwill be allotted towards theconstruction of a
US$7.4bnphosphate facility with aproduction capacity of
16,000tonnes, which will be developedby SABiC, Mosaic and
Maaden.
of the project, Maadenpresident and Ceo Khalid AlMudaifer, said,
together with ourpartners, we are building a citythat will elevate
the livingstandards of people in the northand open up new
economicopportunities for local Saudi youthand businesses.
Sharjahs Air Arabiabecomes MENAs firstlow-cost carrier to
enterChinese marketShArJAh-BASeD Air Arabiabecame the Middle east
andnorth Africa (MenA) regions firstlow-cost airline to enter
theChinese market when it beganscheduled flights to Urumqi
inFebruary 2015.
the carrier will fly regular non-stop flights to the capital
ofXinjiang Uygur Autonomousregion in northwest China.
Urumqi has a population ofmore than three million peopleand is
considered a key gateway toXinjiang, which has vast reservesof oil
and gas.
Adel A Ali, group Ceo of AirArabia, said, the Chineseaviation
sector has witnessedtremendous growth in recentyears and we are
delighted to bethe first low-cost carrier from theMenA region to
play an importantrole in this story. we have had oureye on the
Chinese market forsome time and are now ready tobegin regular
services to one ofthe worlds biggest economies.
GroUnD BreAKinG For Phase i of the US$4bnSobha hartland
community development inDubai will get underway in Q2 2015
accordingto its developer Sobha Group.
Sobha LLC, the groups UAe-based entity,announced it would invest
in expanding itsregional and global footprint by opening fivesales
offices in London, Singapore, riyadh, Doha and Kuwait City by July
2015, in order to increase interest in its UAe developments.
the hartland developmentwill see the inauguration ofSobhas first
internationalcurriculum school, hartlandinternational School,
inSeptember 2015, while thecompany also plans to breakground on
villas and apartmentson the development in Q2 2015.infrastructure
tenders for roads
and utilities on the development have alreadybeen floated with a
number of unnamed bidsreceived by Sobha.
Ajay rajendran, vice-chairman of Sobha LLC,said, we strongly
believe that the economicfundamentals for Dubai are stronger than
everand, therefore, the initiative to open overseassales offices
strengthens our commitment toDubais longer-term real estate
growth.
Upon completion, thehartland community will featuretwo
international schools, a spa,hotels and cafs, with a deliverytime
scheduled in a number ofphases beginning in Q1 2017.
Sobha LLC has been involvedin all areas of the Sobhahartland
development includingmaster planning, architecture,interior design,
constructionand landscaping.
Sobha expands sales reach ahead of Hartland ground breaking
SPAniSh GenerAtor Set manufacturerhimoinsa has supplied five
generator sets to watertreatment and reverse osmosis
desalinationcompany Acciona Agua for operation at four
watertreatment plants in egypt.
the objective of the project was to achieve thepurification of
150,000 m3/day of urbanwastewater, equivalent to the same amount
usedby approximately 500,000 people, with the waterto be reused for
irrigation.
the four treatment plants, located in Abnoub-elFath, Sodfa-el
Ghanayem, el Ayat and Abu Simbel,will use the generator sets to
activate waterpurification systems during a power cut,
whichLeopoldo Lainz, Asia-Pacific developmentmanager for Acciona
Agua, said happens quitefrequently in this area.
two open generator sets the hMw-1135 t5and htw-2030 t5 models
were installed at thelargest of the plants in Abnoub-el Fath, which
has
a flow of 82,000 m3/day, supplying a populationof more than
300,000 people.
the sewage plants at Sodfa-el Ghanayem and elAyat were equipped
with htw-920 t5 generatorsets which have a Mitsubishi 1,000 kvA
motor.Both emergency gensets will help maintainactivity at each of
the plants that supply morethan 200,000 people in total.
the smallest of the plants in Abu Simbel wasequipped with a 400
kvA generator set, the hMw-350 t5 model with a MtU engine, with the
sitehaving a flow of 6,000 m3/day and supplying20,000 people.
Acciona, who had signed an agreement withegypts state-owned
national organization forPotable water and Sanitary Drainage
(noPwASD)for the projects, chose himoinsa ahead of eightother power
generation companies to supplyemergency power to the sites.
Jos Astigarraga Zabala, manager of Astigarragaenergy (Asener),
the distributor for the northernzone of himoinsa espaa, said the
projectrequired the incorporation of supply tanks withautomatic
fuel transfer pumps.
All the generator sets are designed to work inemergencies and
have a AS5CeA7 control unitinstalled that offers high protection,
both for thegenset and the equipment and devices itsupplies, Zabala
remarked.
Members of noPwASD recently visitedhimoinsas factory in Spain,
during which theyattended technical performance testing ofgenerator
sets and witnessed additional qualitychecks at the site.
Sobha LLC vice-chairman Ajay Rajendran
Members of Egypts NOPWASD during a visit to Himoinsasfactory in
Spain
Himoinsa generator sets in water treatment plants in Egypt
8 Market News
Technical Review Middle East - Issue Two 2015
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Briefly
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EIAST set to expandscope to includemeteorology satellitestHe
UAes nAtionAl centre ofMeteorology and seismology(ncMs) has
expressed interest incollaborating with the emiratesinstitution for
Advanced scienceand technology (eiAst) on thedevelopment of
satellite systemsand technology specific to thefield of
meteorology.
Headed by ncMs executivedirector H.e. Dr. Abdullah AhmedMandoos,
a ncMs delegation metwith the eiAsts executives,including director
general H.e.Yousuf Al shaibani, who said,eiAst is always looking
for waysto extend the technology we havedeveloped and continue
todevelop, towards fields beyondspace science. one of our aims
forthe institution is to benefit allindustries in the UAe and
helpdevelop the nation further as aleading hub of both business and
technology.
eiAst has so far specialised inearth observation
satellites;however, there are nometeorology satellites
madespecifically for the region, soinstitutions like the ncMs
gathertheir weather, climate andenvironmental data from
globalsources. this could be anopportunity for eiAst to developnew
systems and technologyspecific to their needs, he added.
Oman to award railnetwork operations dealin first half of 2015A
contrAct For the operationsand maintenance for oman's newrail
network is set to be awardedwithin the first half of 2015,according
to Dr Ahmed bin salimAl Futaisi, the country's ministerof transport
and communications.
Al Futaisi said the contracts tobe awarded would include
thefirst phase of the line'sconstruction, stretching from AlBuraimi
to sohar, and the buildingof a new railway centre ofexcellence. the
minister addedthat a number of road projectswould be opened this
year on theAl Batinah expressway and theA'sharqiyah road, while a
publictransport plan for Muscat will alsobegin later this year.
ATKINS HAS BEEN appointed by HyundaiEngineering and Construction
Company (HDEC)to provide engineering design services for AbuDhabi
Water & Electricity Authoritys (ADWEA)Mirfa Independent Water
and Power Project(IWPP). A consortium of engineering,procurement
and construction (EPC) contractorsled by HDEC will undertake the
construction ofthe plant, which is due to be commissioned inphases
during 2016 and 2017.
Atkins Power and Renewables business hasbeen awarded a contract
by the consortium toprovide civil design review and assistance
inbuilding permitting from the Western RegionMunicipality of Abu
Dhabi, along withassistance towards conformity to the
Estidamasustainability framework and internationalenvironmental
standards.
Phil Malem, managing director for AtkinsPower and Renewables
business, said, Thiscontract is a significant win for the team
andanother major step towards growing AtkinsEnergy business in the
UAE.
Located 120 km from Abu Dhabi city, theMirfa plant project is
the emirate's 10th facilityof its kind and will involve the
development,design, engineering and construction of newpower and
water facilities. When finished,Mirfa IWPP will have a total power
capacity ofapproximately 1,600MW.
The Estidama framework ensuressustainability is incorporated
into theconstruction and operation of all new buildingsin Abu Dhabi
and forms a key aspect of the drivetowards innovative green
standards through AbuDhabis Vision 2030.
Atkins wins Mirfa IWPP engineering design contract
District cooling services provider empowerhas recently connected
its services to Dubaisiconic emirates towers, which consist of
theemirates office tower and Jumeirah emiratestowers Hotel.
the existing air cooled system of the two towers,which rise to
355 metres and 309 metres,respectively, and are connected by a
two-storeyretail complex, was converted to a district cooling
system with a total capacity of 6,000 refrigerationtonnes (rt).
this should result in energy savings ofapproximately 80 per cent at
the site, which isoperated by Jumeirah group.
empower ceo H.e. Ahmad Bin shafar said,Building a green economy
for sustainabledevelopment is a key pillar in the countrysroadmap
to development under vision 2021 andwe are fully committed to
achieving this goal.
our partnership with the Jumeirah group is akey milestone as it
marks the convergence of thereal estate, hospitality and utilities
sectors increating projects that are sustainable andenvironmentally
responsible. the conversion fromtraditional cooling to district
cooling for thiscapacity is the first of its kind in Dubai and has
setthe benchmark for other developments utilisingtraditional
systems of cooling.
the new cooling system in the emirates towerswill utilise 0.9kW
of electricity for every tonne perhour, compared to the propertys
conventionalcooling system, which required 1.7kW of energyevery
hour. construction work for the districtcooling infrastructure
included connecting theproperty to empowers district cooling
plantserving Dubai international Financial centre (DiFc),utilising
advanced non-destructive road crossing(nDrc) technology through
micro-tunnelling,which ensured traffic disturbance was avoided.
the retrofit project was the first phase of a30,000 rt project
that includes the renovation ofcooling systems of retail,
residential andcommercial Jumeirah group properties such as
theworld-famous Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel,emirates Academy
of Hospitality Management andMadinat Jumeirah.
The conversion of the district cooling system at Emirates
Towerswill result in energy savings of approximately 80 per
cent(Photo: Guilhem Vellut)
Empower installs energy-saving district cooling system atDubais
Emirates Towers
10 Market News
Technical Review Middle East - Issue Two 2015
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Briefly
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tHe gloBAl PersonAl protective equipment (PPe) market hasbeen
predicted to reach Us$55,509.1mn by 2020, having hitUs$33,952.5mn
in 2013, according to a recent study. the application segment
includes sub-segments such astransportation, automotive,
manufacturing, oil and gas, chemicals,food, mining, construction
and pharmaceuticals. in the report by transparency Market research,
the PPe market iscomposed of head, eye and face protection,
protective clothing,hearing protection, respiratory protection,
fall protection, handprotection, professional or protective
footwear, and others. in theterms of geography, it includes regions
such as Africa, southAmerica, north America, the Middle east,
europe and Asia Pacific.www.technicalreviewmiddleeast.com/hse
ON THE WEBA round up of the leading developments and innovations
recently featured on Technical Review Middle Easts online portal.To
read more or to stay up to date with the latest industry news,
visit www.technicalreviewmiddleeast.com
12 Developments
www.technicalreview.meTechnical Review Middle East - Issue Two
2015
AirPorts oPerAteD BY Dubai Airportshave surpassed londons
HeathrowAirport in terms of internationalpassenger traffic.
in 2014, Dubai Airports registered atotal of 70.45mn passengers
(up 6.1 percent on year) while londons HeathrowAirport witnessed
68.09mn internationaltravellers, said airport officials.
DubaiAirports authorities are now projectingto add eight million
passengers in 2015,resulting in a total of 79mn passengersby the
end of the year. www.technicalreviewmiddleeast.com/logistics
In 2014, Dubai Airportsregistered 70.45mn passengersand
authorities want to takethe total to 79mn in 2015(Photo: Shenghung
Lin/Flickr)
Dubai Airports traffic surpasses Heathrow
JorDAns MoBile PHoneoperator orange Jordan hasclaimed that it
would meet nearly50 per cent of its energy demandsthrough solar
power. According tocompany officials, orange Jordanhas already
floated a tender forthe construction of a solar farmand will decide
the company torun the project by the end of themonth. the project
is expected togenerate 25-30mn kWh of power per
year.www.technicalreviewmiddleeast.com/power-a-water
Jordan has among the highest averagesof solar irradiance and
high wind speedsin the region (Photo: Mike Baker/Flickr)
Orange Jordan to cover half of energy needs through solar
tHe WiDesPreAD sHortAge of mined diamonds has led to the risein
popularity of grown diamonds, whose growth is beingsupplemented by
technology and research, stated a report by Frost &sullivan.
supply of mined diamonds has declined in the past decade,with key
diamond mines having passed their peak production levels.
to solve the growing shortage, grown diamonds could be
apotential solution. technology has made possible production of
rarequality colourless ila quality diamonds by creating
conditionsconducive to their growth in semi-conductor grade
facilities abovethe earths surface.
the report said that grown diamonds will become a dominantplayer
in high technology applications and can also be a significantsource
of the stone for the luxury
sector.www.technicalreviewmiddleeast.com/construction
Grown diamonds gaining popularity,states Frost & Sullivan
report
cAnADA-BAseD cPcs trAnscoM international ltd. has beenchosen by
omans electricity Holding co (eHc) to lead aconsortium of advisors
on the possibility of privatising thesultanates electricity
distribution business.
According to eHc officials, the canadian company was chosenbased
on the extensive experience it has in power businessconsultation.
Privatisation of several of omans economic sectorsis an option
being seriously considered by the government, whichis currently
cash-strapped and has also been affected by thedeclining oil price.
the sultanate is keen to privatise some of the60-odd companies it
owns.www.technicalreviewmiddleeast.com/power-a-water
GLOBAL PROVIDER OF energy management solutions Landis+Gyrand
mobile giant Ericsson have entered into partnership to offersmart
metering solutions aimed at providing smart gridenvironments to
cities across the Middle East.
The deal will see Ericsson and Landis+Gyr offering support
toutilities across the region, with solutions that provide
essentialdata needed to develop active relationships with
end-users. Thecompanies aim to create smart energy networks that
are able tocollect large amounts of data, providing opportunities
forecient grid and energy consumption
management.www.technicalreviewmiddleeast.com/power-a-water
Canadian firm to advise Oman onprivatising electricity
PPE market to see CAGR of 7.3 per centin five years
Ericsson and Landis+Gyr address
smart grid projects in Middle East
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14 Calender
www.technicalreview.meTechnical Review Middle East - Issue Two
2015
ThE World TradEFair for UsedTechnology, USETEC,will take place
inKarlsruhe, Germany.It will host livepresentations ofused
machinery andequipment frommore than 20industry sectors.
dr Nils Schmid,deputy minister-president and minister for nance
and economicaffairs in Baden-Wrttemberg will undertake the role of
patron.
USETEC has recieved backing from all the leading associations
inthe used technology sector, including the FdM, Trade
associationfor Machine Tools and Tooling in Bonn. The company has
played akey role in developing the USETEC concept.
as well as specialist dealers, service providers
andmanufacturers play key roles at USETEC, said Florian
hess,managing director of hess Gmbh in Weingarten/Baden. Themood in
the market is currently good to very good across theboard. Sales
opportunities despite perceived risks in someimportant export
regions continue to be seen as stable.
USETEC 2015 will welcome visitors across 20 sectors
USETEC 2015 receives support fromkey partners in the used-tech
market
THE WATER, ENERgy, Technology and Environment Exhibition(WETEX)
2015 will aim to bring together companies and individualsin the
water, energy, environment oil and gas sectors in Dubai thisApril.
The show will provide a platform for participants to showcasetheir
products and services, and to explore potential partnerships.
The annual event, which is set-up by Dubai Electricity and
WaterAuthority (DEWA), will offer a number of services to
exhibitors fromthe government, semi-government, and private
sectors. Under thedirectives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of
Dubai, toenhance the global position of Dubai in all fields, DEWA
hasdeveloped WETEX into a major international platform for
vitalsectors of the economy, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD
andCEO of DEWA, and President and Founder of WETEX.
According to Al Tayer, over the last 16 years, the exhibition
hascontributed to key developments in water, environment, oil
andgas, and conventional and renewable energy sectors, and
hasboosted the national economy through establishing agreementsand
partnerships that support economic, social and
environmentalprojects in Dubai.
WETEX saves time and effort for producers and consumers
bybringing together exhibitors and consumers in a single location.
Theexhibition also supports production by displaying various
productsand services, stated Al Tayer.
WETEX 2015 to offer global platform fortrade partnerships in
Dubai and beyond
EXECUTIVES CALENDAR 2015MARCH 2015
1-3 Saudi Plastics & Petrochem/Saudi Print & Pack JEDDAH
www.saudi-pppp.com
2-4 Middle East Electricity DUBAI
www.middleeastelectricity.com
8-11 The Big 5 Saudi JEDDAH www.thebig5saudi.com
30-2 April BuildexMARCH 2015 DAMMAM www.buildex-sa.com
APRIL 2015
13-15 USETEC KARLSRUHE www.usetec-fair.com
20-25 Intermat Paris PARIS www.intermatconstruction.com
21-23 WETEX DUBAI www.wetex.ae
MAY 2015
4-7 Project Qatar DOHA www.projectqatar.com
6-7 Trans Middle East DOHA www.transportevents.com
18-20 FMExpo DUBAI www.fm-expo.com
JUNE 2015
8-11 Project Iran TEHRAN www.project-iran.com
Readers should verify dates and location with sponsoring
organisations, as this information is sometimes subject to
change.
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PaCE haS SUCCESSFUlly joined forces with many keyplayers in the
global consultancy field such as SOM, Arup,Buro Happold, gensler,
HOK, Fentress Architects and TRO JB,as well as signature architects
such as Zaha Hadid. This enabled thecompany to establish long-term
partnerships and joint ventures,which have lasted more than 25
years. Many of these firms continueto grow, taking on new projects
and landmarks ventures in Kuwaitand the wider region. Set up in
1968 by Hamid Shuaib and hispartners, Pace has recently adopted a
new approach that will seethe firm carry out more challenging
projects, expanding its globalpresence and becoming a client-driven
firm, rather than being aproject-focussed firm.
Our ability to evolve with new sustainable building
technologies,in order to keep up with the fast growing pace of the
constructionsector in the region, is what distinguishes us from
other firms,stated Tarek Shuaib, partner and CEO at Pace.
The Middle East architecture and construction market has
witnessed a major boom, Shuaib said. With a more solid
presencefor many construction and architectural firms, the
development ofkey projects and a continuous increase in demand for
innovative andsustainable building solutions; thus providing a
platform for manyfirms in the architectural and construction sector
to respond andcater to these growing needs and demands.
Across the Middle East, countries including Kuwait, the UAE,
Qatarand Saudi Arabia have seen rapid transformation of a number
ofsectors such as commerce, tourism and construction. The region
isprojected for further growth, being host to some of the
biggestupcoming international events including the FIFA World Cup
2022 inQatar and the Expo 2020 in Dubai.
A recent report published by the Kuwait Finance House,
showedthat infrastructure spending in Kuwait has experienced
stronggrowth at a rate of 5.9 per cent in 2014 and is projected to
rapidlyrise in the coming years. Most of the projects executed in
2014 werefocused on governmental and commercial projects.
While huge international events are set to take place in the
UAEand Qatar, the Kuwaiti government is pumping more money
intoconstruction projects, such as hotels and residential projects,
tomeet the demands of people travelling to the region. According
toShuaib, as a result of such developments, Pace has rolled out
variousarchitecture and engineering projects across Kuwait;
including theJamal Abdul Nasser Highway, the Jahra Road Development
Project,the Avenues, the Central Bank of Kuwait, the Jahra and
FarwaniyaCourt Buildings, Adan Hospital and the new Maternity
Hospital.
Looking ahead to the future, Pace has entered into
partnershipwith the Kuwait Fund for Economic Development (KFAED) to
offerproject management services for developments based in
theKingdom of Morocco, where the government of Kuwait will invest
atotal of US$1.25bn in the venture. The firm is currently working
onexpanding and developing its architecture consultancy to grow
itsregional presence and position. Officials heading Kuwaits
Vision2030 development plan believe that an important factor in
boostingKuwaits construction is looking at the role the private
sector has toplay in boosting the economy; both to help with
financing and alsoto facilitate knowledge transfer, Shuaib
noted.
Architecture, engineering, design and planning practice firm,
Pace, is supporting the Kuwaiti governments vision toexpand the
countrys construction industry.
Driving progress in Kuwaitsconstruction sector
16 Executive Strategy
www.technicalreview.me
The Middle East architectureand construction market has
witnessed a major boom
Technical Review Middle East - Issue Two 2015
Tarek Shuaib, CEO andpartner at Pace
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ThE EnErGy-rICh countries ofthe Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC)
had a combined grossdomestic product (GDP) of US$1.7 trillionin
2014, according to the Institute ofInternational Finance (IIF), a
Washington-based association of private banks,making it the worlds
12th largesteconomy, slightly below that of Canada(US$1.8
trillion), but exceeding bothAustralia (US$1.4 trillion) and
Spain(US$1.3 trillion). While real GDP (inflationadjusted) grew at
an annual average rateof 5.5 per cent during 2010-14, above the3.8
per cent mean for the Middle East andNorth Africa (MENA) region,
based onInternational Monetary Fund (IMF)figures. On current
expansion, the GCCsaggregate GDP could reach US$2 trillionover the
medium term, driven by megainfrastructure investments, robust
private sector growth and steadyhydrocarbons production.
The GCC economies are much betterpositioned compared to the
1980s and
1990s to withstand exogenous shocksthanks to large official
foreign assets andminimum debt (see Table 1), which, inturn, will
mitigate the adverse impact ofthe oil-price slump on economic
activityand allow continued robust publicspending, particularly on
infrastructure.
Gulf producers are now budgeting foran average oil price of
US$60 a barrel thisyear, with only Bahrain expected to recorda
fiscal deficit, according to the IMF.However, deficits could also
arise in SaudiArabia and Oman if crude remains belowUS$50 into the
second half of 2015.
The GCCs standing on the world stage has much to thank the
hydrocarbons sector for, but building economies on
non-finiteresources will eventually require more of a long-term
outlook. With a host of national development plans in
place,economist Moin Siddiqi explores the developments and
processes behind economic diversification throughout the GCC.
The push for economic diversification
18 Analysis
www.technicalreview.me
In 2014, the GCC had a combined GDP of US$1.7trillion in 2014,
according to the IIF (Photo: fsg777)
Technical Review Middle East - Issue Two 2015
Table 1: The GCC* Consolidated Macroeconomic
IndicatorsProjections
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015Nominal Gross Domestic Product, US$bn
1,450 1,600 1,649 1,719 1,772Real GDP Growth (%) chg, avg 7.5 5.8
4.1 4.4 4.5Non-hydrocarbons 5.8 5.7 6.0 6.1 5.9Consumer Price
Inflation (%) chg, avg 2.9 2.4 2.8 2.8 3.1Fiscal Balance (%) of GDP
13.2 14.2 10.9 7.9 2.6
Total Population (mn) 47 49 51 52 54GDP Per Capita (US$)
regional avg 30,851 32,653 32,333 33,057 32,815
Hydrocarbon Exports, US$bn 680.1 743.3 727.6 705.6 660.4Crude
Oil Production (mn bpd) 16.2 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.4Natural Gas
Production (mboe/day)// 5.7 7.7 8.0 8.2 8.4Current Account Balance,
US$bn 338.0 387.3 342.9 304.6 281.1Net Foreign Assets# US$bn 1,572
1,852 2,109 2,273 2,380* The six-member states: Bahrain, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.// Millions of barrels per
day equivalent.# Official reserves + foreign assets of banks +
sovereign wealth funds foreign liabilities.Sources: National
authorities and projections from the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and the Institute of International Finance (IIF).
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Rental of 5 to 100 MW Diesel and Gas Power Plants
Quality, Availability & Relibility
Customized Energy SolutionsMV/LV Distributions SolutionsLoad
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Broader-based structureOver the past decade, the GCC
countrieshave implemented many policies to spureconomic
diversification, including reformsto strengthen the business
climate, developFirst-World infrastructure, liberalise tradeand
foreign direct investment (FDI), as wellas improving the banking
systems, whichcomply fully with internationalcodes/standards of the
Basel Committeeand increasing funding, particularly forsmall and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Policies drawing on internationalexperience have focused on the
following: Developing specific sectors and industries
in which Gulf States enjoy competitiveadvantages (notably
petrochemicals).
Continued investment and upgrading ofphysical infrastructure,
and promotingintra-regional trade and private investment(including
through free trade zones).
Encouragement of innovation andentrepreneurship through
enhancedaccess to ICT, finance and governmentgrants for research
and development.
Higher spending on education, includingin science/technology and
vocational industrial training schemes to enable thegrowth of high
value-added sectors.
Strong macroeconomic fundamentals andgood governance have
underpinned thesepolicies and initiatives. In the
GlobalCompetitiveness Report 201415, the UAE isranked as the 12th
most competitiveeconomy out of 144 countries, followed byQatar
(16th) and Saudi Arabia (24th), withBahrain, Kuwait, and Oman also
rankingamong the top 46 countries.
The IMF notes, Wide-ranging reformshave streamlined the
legal/regulatoryenvironment in a number of areas, includingstart-up
and licensing procedures forbusinesses, competition policies,
investorand consumer rights, and bankruptcy andcompany laws.
Financial market infrastructure has beenenhanced to improve
credit information andtransparency. A number of policies
gearedtoward the promotion of SMEs have beenenacted (for example,
through extendingaffordable bank sector loans, loanguarantees,
feasibility studies, andestablishment of a national fund for
SMEdevelopment in Kuwait).
Development plansWhile some variation exists across eachcountry,
diversification strategies (forexample, Saudi Arabias long-term
strategy2025, Vision 2020 in Oman, Vision 2021 inthe UAE, Vision
2030 in Bahrain and QatarNational Vision 2030) seek to
achievesustainable growth though greaterdiversification of output
and to encouragethe growth of sophisticated industries andservices,
which require highly-skilled labour.
With the GCC workforce projected toincrease by some 1.2mn1.6mn
nationals by2018, it will be difficult for governments inthe region
to continue absorbing new labourmarket entrants, and unless
employment ofnationals in the private sector rises, thejobless rate
in member-countries willincrease, especially among the youth.
In formulating national agendas, there isrecognition among
policymakers that GCCstates notably Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE are
high-income countries already, and aretherefore unlikely to follow
the developmenttrajectory of middle-income countries thathave
diversified their economies bydeveloping low-cost manufacturing
sectors,such as the examples followed by Thailandand Vietnam.
The cost of planned projects in SaudiArabias Development Plan
(2015-19) isestimated at US$1.1 trillion. It includesschemes to
develop new sectors such asautomotives, which, in turn,
encourageancillary activity across related sectors.Qatar plans to
invest US$182bn (excludingthe hydrocarbons sector) over
2014-18.Projects include roads, ports, rail, metro,real estate
developments and a new centralbusiness district in Lusail, as well
as theconstruction of eight large stadiums inpreparation for the
2022 FIFA World Cup.Infrastructure also remains a key feature
ofKuwaits new five-year Development Plan(costing US$125bn) that
will includeexpansion in air and seaport capacity, rail,power
stations and hospitals.
Industrial clustersThe region has successfully
developedenergy-related downstream industries,tourism, logistics,
transportation, businessand financial services. For example,
Bahrainhas invested in an offshore banking sector,while the UAE and
Qatar have developedairlines and logistics, with the former (led
byDubai) becoming a major trade and serviceshub in the Middle
East.
Saudi Arabia is developing giant economiccities to promote
technology and industrialand service clusters around
hydrocarbonsand mining. Kuwait is also developingdownstream oil
industries and Qatar hasestablished industrial cities to house a
mixof energy-intensive industries to helpintegrate upstream and
downstreamhydrocarbon activities. Meanwhile, Omanhas focused on the
development of the SMEsector, considered as one of the engines
ofjob creation.
20 Analysis
The continued investment and upgrading of physicalinfrastructure
has played a large role in the diversificationof the region's
economy (Photo: fsg777)
www.technicalreview.me
Bahrain has invested in an offshorebanking sector, while the UAE
and Qatar
have developed airlines and logisticsTechnical Review Middle
East - Issue Two 2015
Gulf producers are now budgeting for anaverage oil price of
US$60 a barrel this
year, with only Bahrain expected to recorda fiscal deficit,
according to the IMF
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In 2013, Martin Hvidt in EconomicDiversification in GCC
Countries: Past Recordand Future Trends suggested thatinvestments
in chemicals and energy-intensive sectors like aluminium havehelped
diversify production and exports,but industries have fewer links to
the rest ofthe economy. Local supply-chains have yetto develop, and
most of the advancedtechnology is still imported becauseinvestment
in research and development islow. Concurrently, productivity gains
andspillovers have been limited and theemployment impact of these
capital-intensive industries is relatively small.
Although the GCC-bloc has receivedsizeable FDI in recent years,
inflows aremostly confined to hydrocarbon-related andreal estate
projects. Based on availablesectoral FDI data, some 20 per cent of
FDIinflows to Saudi Arabia (in 2010) went intochemicals and refined
petroleum productsactivities, and another fifth targeted
thebuilding industry. In the UAE (2011) one-fifthof FDI inflows
went to the constructionsector, another 20 and 10 per
cent,respectively, targeted wholesale and retailtrade. While, in
Qatar, a mere four per centwent to trade-related activity in 2011.
FDI inthese sectors has not led to technologytransfers that could
support increased exportquality or sophistication in future
years.
Low productivityTo date, the regions diversificationstrategies
have yielded mixed results. TheGCC oil-funded growth model
hasdelivered tangible socioeconomic gains overthe decades,
reflected in increased public-sector employment and spending on
basicinfrastructure. This has helped raisestandards of living on a
level with advancedOECD economies and supported privatesector
activity, especially in sectors such asconstruction, trade and
retail, transport andhospitality. With dwindling
governmentrevenues, however, this growth model maybe unsustainable
over longer-term.
Moreover, despite decent GDP growth,total factor productivity
(TFP) growth (i.e.the quantity of goods and services producedusing
available machinery and other capital)for the non-oil economy has
been negative.
Private economic activity geared heavilytowards meeting the
consumption andinvestment needs of local markets islargely
concentrated in low-skilled non-tradables sectors. These trends
contrastwith other emerging market regions, wherefirms are engaged
in both domestic andinternational trade.
The region has made steady progress indiversification; the share
of the GCChydrocarbon sector to real GDP fell fromtwo-fifths in
2000 to one-third currently, theIIF estimated. But hydrocarbons
contributionto total budget receipts remained high at 84per cent on
average in the past three years,although down from 97 per cent in
1984.
The authorities have yet to broaden theirdomestic revenue base.
Still, there is a highcorrelation between oil-price and
non-oilgrowth in the GCC countries, but progresswith export
diversification, a key ingredientto a vibrant economy, remains
lacklustreacross the region.
While most GCC countries have longer oiland gas production
horizons (see Table 2),fossil fuels are exhaustible resources.
Withplunging oil prices, the need fordiversification is once again
highlighted.Reducing heavy reliance on thehydrocarbons sector would
boostproductivity growth, strengthen economicpotential and combat
periodic volatility ofGulf States output.
The next issue of Technical Review willdiscuss steps needed to
foster a moredynamic export-oriented production base in the Gulf
region.
22 Analysis
Kuwait has been developing its downstream oilindustry, while
Qatar has established a numberof energy-focussed industrial
cities
www.technicalreview.me
Financial market infrastructure has beenenhanced to improve
credit information
and transparency, and a number ofpolicies geared toward the
promotion of
SMEs have been enacted
Technical Review Middle East - Issue Two 2015
Table 2: hydrocarbons reserves of GCC ProducersEnd-2013
Proved Oil reserves~ r/P ratio* Proved Gas reserves~ r/P
ratio*Bn barrels Trillion cf
Kuwait 101.5 89.0 63.0 100+Oman 5.5 16.0 33.5 30.7Qatar 25.1
34.4 871.5 100+Saudi Arabia 265.9 63.2 290.8 79.9UAE 97.8 73.5
215.1 100+
GCC Total 495.8 1474World Total 1687.9 53.3 6557.8 55.1GCC (%)
of World 30.0 22.5~ Proven reserves refer to those quantities that
geological and engineering data indicates with reasonable
probability can berecovered in the future from known reservoirs
under existing economic and operating conditions.*
reserves-to-production ratio - If the reserves remaining at the end
of any year are divided by the production in that year, the
resultis the length of time that those remaining reserves would
last if production were to continue at that rate.Source: BP
Statistics Review of World Energy June 2014.
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SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT isone of the most serious challengesfaced
by all countries across theMiddle East. The high rate of
populationgrowth, urbanisation and economicexpansion is
accelerating consumptionrates and the generation of ever
increasingvolumes of a wide variety of waste.
Per capita waste generation in the GCCcountries is one of the
highest worldwide,with estimates putting the total volume ofwaste
produced in the region as likely tohave reached 130mn tonnes in
2014,according to a recent whitepaper1 by Frost& Sullivan. Some
sources suggest thevolume may now surpass a total of 150mntonnes a
year.
A large proportion of this waste comesfrom construction and
demolitionactivities, with municipal solid waste(MSW) the
second-largest source.
Municipal solid waste generation inthe GCC regionTABLE 1Country
Estimated million tonnes per year
Saudi Arabia 15UAE 6Qatar 2.5Kuwait 2Bahrain 1.2-1.5Oman
n/aSource: Various
Much of the regions solid waste is disposedof in unregulated
landfills, due in large partto ineffective waste
managementlegislation and planning, as well as a lack ofsocial
awareness. In addition to taking upvaluable space in countries
where landavailability is limited, such as in Kuwait,Bahrain and
Qatar, landfills present a wholearray of sanitation and
environmental
In a bid to get to grips with their mounting waste challenges,
GCC countries are seeking sustainable solutions to wastemanagement,
including waste-to-energy (WTE) schemes. But the pace of progress
in the region as a whole is notmatched by the increasing volumes of
waste generated. Lynda Davies reports.
Tackling the waste burden with WTE
24 Waste Management
www.technicalreview.me
Waste-to-energy isnot only a potentialsolution to reduce
the volume of wastegoing into landfill,but it can provide a
supplementalenergy source
Technical Review Middle East - Issue Two 2015
A large proportion of the waste generatedthroughout the GCC
originates from construction
and demolition activities (Photo: John Nyberg)
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ated tion
erg)
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issues; not least of which is thatconventional landfill sites
are a significantsource of greenhouse gases.
In a bid to get to grips with their mountingwaste problems and
increasingly mindful ofthe growing environmental issuessurrounding
landfill waste disposal, policy-makers and urban planners in the
regionwith varying degrees of success have beenseeking sustainable
solutions to wastemanagement, including waste-to-energy(WTE)
schemes.
Waste-to-energy is not only a potentialsolution to reduce the
volume of wastegoing into landfill, but it can provide
asupplemental energy source, said oneenergy analyst.
Singapores Keppel Seghers, whichdesigned, built and operates the
regionsfirst domestic solid waste managementcentre in Qatar,
believes the GCC region hasthe potential to become the leader in
theWTE sector. However, the pace of progressin the region has not
been matched by theincreasing amount of waste generated.While
Qatar, along with the UAE emirates ofSharjah and Abu Dhabi, are
leading the way,
WTE initiatives and other solid wastemanagement plans elsewhere
in the GCCregion are making slow progress.
According to Frost & Sullivan, the totalenergy produced from
waste in GCCcountries currently amounts to onlybetween 0.25-0.3
terawatt-hours (TWh).
Expansion in Qatar Qatars only domestic solid wastemanagement
centre (DSWMC) nearMesaieed was commissioned in June 2011and
includes three WTE incineration units.The WTE units have a combined
capacity toprocess 1,500 tonnes of waste a day andgenerate 48.4MW
of electricity. Some15.4MW of the electricity is consumed on-site
and the balance 33MW is supplied toQatar General Electricity and
WaterCorporation (Kahramaa) for the nationalgrid.
In addition to the WTE plant, the DSWMCincludes waste sorting
and recyclingfacilities, an engineered landfill and ananaerobic
digestion composting plant. It canprocess a total of 2,300 tonnes
of mixeddomestic solid waste per day. The waste
management centre is helping Qatarachieve its goals to reduce
waste sent tolandfills from 92 per cent to 64 per cent, andraise
solid waste recycling rates from eightper cent in 2012 to a target
20-25 per cent.
The country produces more than 2.5mntonnes of municipal solid
waste each year,while per capita waste generation isvariously
estimated at between 1.6 and 1.8kg per day.
Waste generation is estimated to begrowing at a rate of 10 per
cent per year inQatar and the countrys government isevaluating an
expansion of MesaieedDSWMC, with environmental technologyfirm
Keppel Seghers submitting anexpansion proposal to add an
additional3,000 tonnes per day of waste handlingcapacity.
Cleaning up in the UAEThe UAE is grappling with one of the
highestper capita waste generation rates in theworld, with waste
generation running atapproximately 2.5 kg per person a day, ofwhich
the majority ends up in landfills. Buttwo emirates, Abu Dhabi and
Sharjah, areturning to WTE plants to reduce thepressure on landfill
sites and provideadditional greener energy.
In Sharjah, site preparation work isunderway at what will be the
worlds largestmunicipal waste gasification plant. In May2014,
government-controlledenvironmental services and wastemanagement
company Beeah awarded aUS$455mn contract to UK firm Chinook
26 Waste Management
Abu Dhabi has plans in place to build a 100MW WTE plantnear the
seaport of Mussafah (Photo: Norbert Nagel)
www.technicalreview.me
The UAE is grappling with one of thehighest per capita waste
generation rates inthe world, with waste generation running at
approximately 2.5 kg per person a day
Technical Review Middle East - Issue Two 2015
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Sciences, which designed the facility, tooversee the
construction of the plant.Located at Beeahs existing
WasteManagement Centre in Sharjah IndustrialCity, the plant will
utilise Chinookscommercially-proven ATT technology andhave the
capacity to treat 400,000 tonnesannually of a wide range of
municipal solidwaste and commercial and industrialwastes,
generating up to 85MW of power.Under the terms of its contract,
Chinook isco-ordinating the manufacture, shipping,installation,
construction andcommissioning of the plant, which isexpected to be
operational in approximatelytwo years time.
The WTE project forms part of Sharjahszero-waste to landfill
strategy, announcedin 2011. Beeah is driving the initiativewhich
aims to divert 100 per cent of theemirates waste from landfill to
recycling,energy production and other resources bymid-2015. To
date, Beeahs recycling andmaterial recovery programmes havediverted
55 per cent of Sharjahs wastefrom landfills.
In Abu Dhabi, per capita waste generationis some two kilogrammes
per person perday. Around 33,000 tonnes per day of wasteis produced
daily across the emirate,according to a presentation last year by
AbuDhabi National Energy Company (TAQA)2,the majority of which is
disposed of in non-engineered landfills.
More than one million tonnes ofmunicipal solid waste alone is
generated inAbu Dhabi every year and, according to theAbu Dhabi
Environment Agency (EAD), thisfigure is expected to increase
byapproximately six per cent annually.
To help address its mounting wasteproblems, the emirate is
developing a100MW WTE plant planned to be built nearthe seaport of
Mussafah. The facility will bedesigned to process approximately
onemillion tonnes of municipal solid wasteannually, utilising the
mass burn, movinggrate incineration technology.
TAQA has been tasked by the Abu DhabiCentre of Waste Management
(CWM) withthe responsibility for designing, building,financing, and
operating and maintainingthe WTE plant. The company will
recoupcosts through charging CWM a wastedisposal fee and selling
electricity toADWEC, according to the TAQApresentation.
In November 2014, TAQA and CWMstarted the qualification process
for theengineering, procurement and construction(EPC) of the plant.
When fully operational,the facility will save 1,637,000 tonnes
ofCO2 emissions per year, according to TAQA.
Dubai Municipality, in partnership withDubai-based Green Energy
Solutions &Sustainability LLC, started up the GCCregions first
landfill gas recovery system atone of the emirates largest landfill
sites, AlQusais, in January 2013. The collected gas isbeing safely
flared, with a small portionutilised for electricity generation
(1MW) inthe initial phase, which provides all theelectrical needs
of the landfill and DubaiMunicipality site offices.
The facility has been named Station2020 because it is aimed to
eventually havea 20 MW capacity and run for 20 years. TheAl Qusais
landfill receives about 5,000tonnes of waste daily, roughly half of
thewaste generated in Dubai.
Progress in Kuwait In Kuwait, the PPP procurement
authority,Partnerships Technical Bureau (PTB), incollaboration with
Kuwait Municipality, iscurrently evaluating requests
forqualification for a 3,275 tonnes per day(approximately one
million tonnes per year)municipal solid WTE project in the
Kabdarea, 25km away from Kuwait City. As withQatars DSWMC, the Kabd
project is beingundertaken as a design, build, finance,operate and
transfer structure.
The PTB is aiming for a 2016 start-up ofthe facility, which will
have the capability togenerate 650GWh/year. The surpluselectricity
will be sold to the Ministry ofElectricity and Water Municipality
(MEW).
Kuwait generates an estimated twomillion tonnes a year of
municipal solidwaste, almost all of which currently is sentto
landfill. In addition to the Kabd project,the country also is
considering establishingtwo further WTE projects each with
solidwaste-handling capacity of 600,000 tonnesper year, to be
located at Al Jahra and MinaAbdullah. The PTB currently aims for
theselatter two plants to be operational in 2020.
In July 2014, Bahrains Municipalities andUrban Planning Affairs
Ministry announceda WTE project, to be located near thecountrys
only landfill site at Askar, was tobe re-tendered. The ministry
earlierterminated an agreement with Frenchgroup CNIM, which dated
back to 2008, forthe development of a WTE plant on a
Build-Operate-Transfer basis under a 25-yearcontract.
The proposed facility was to have capacityto treat 390,000
tonnes per year of solidwaste and generate 25MW of electricity.The
ministry cited the French groups failureto address environmental
concerns as thereason for cancelling the contracts whileother
sources reported that the ministryhad failed to provide CNIM with
anagreement licence. At the time of writing,there was no further
news of a new tenderbeing issued.
Saudi Arabia plans to include 3GW ofWTE and 1GW of geothermal
projectsamong its ambitious renewable energytargets by 2032. The
country generatesmore than an estimated 15mn tonnes ofmunicipal
solid waste per year. Per capitawaste generation is estimated at
1.5-1.8kgper person per day. Omans initiatives tomanage its waste
include the developmentof 13 engineered landfills aimed at
closingall of the countrys 300-plus traditionallandfills. At least
three engineered landfillshave been opened to date.
28 Waste Management
Announced in 2011, Sharjahs zero-waste to landfillstrategy aims
to divert 100 per cent of the emirateswaste from landfill to
recycling, energy production andother resources by mid-2015 (Photo:
John Nyberg)
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The recently-concluded WorldFuture Energy Summit (WFES) atAbu
Dhabi showcased the interestof MENA nations to develop energy
projectsand develop a sustainable future. Withmega projects being
lined up across theregion, there is a strong need for
reliableelectricity systems such as smart grids tosustain and
enable smooth performance ofpower projects.
Smart grids utilise the latestcommunication technologies to
introducethe use of computer-based controls andautomation to
electricity systems used byutilities. They are being extensively
used inelectricity networks, power plants, windfarms, businesses
and in homes. Smart gridsmade a foray into the Middle East
onlyrecently power major Alstom launched thefirst smart grid centre
in Dubai last year,which was considered a major step
towardsdelivering sustainable electricity to the UAE.Grgoire
Poux-Guillaume, president of
Alstom Grid, stated that as smart gridtechnologies are
integrated into existinginfrastructure, customers in the
regionwould benefit from the centres close links toAlstoms
state-of-the-art smart grid centresin France and the USA, using
tools andprocesses with the latest technologies, andongoing support
from Alstom expertsworldwide in real time.
With time, technology has rapidly grownwithin the smart grid
industry. Abu DhabiWater and Electricity Authoritys smart
gridproject is considered a landmark ICT project,and has
highlighted the utility of systemssuch as Advanced Metering
Infrastructure(AMI), Supervisory Control and DataAcquisition
(SCADA) and smart metering.Recently, Landis+Gyr and Ericsson
havecollaborated to offer smart meteringsolutions for smart grid
environments inMiddle East cities. While one of the mainchallenges
of smart grid monitoring isconnectivity, transmission of data
and
A look into how the smart grid market is faring in the GCC, and
why there is a need to increase investments in the sector.
Stepping up efficiency inpower solutions
30 Smart Grids
www.technicalreview.me
Smart grid analytics market is expected to touchUS$5.5bn by 2019
with a CAGR of 25 per cent,stated Markets&Markets
Due to economicdiversification and
increase inrenewable energy
investment, there isoptimism
surrounding thesmart grid solutions
market in theMiddle East
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32 Smart Grids
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ensuring seamless operations, Siemenshopes to create smart
energy networks tocollect large amounts of data and alloweffortless
grid management.
Smart grid market to growResearch firm Markets&Markets
expects thesmart grid analytics market to reachUS$5.5bn by 2019 at
a CAGR of 25 per cent.Several companies such as Siemens,
Ericssonand Schneider Electric have begun focussing
their research on improved smart grids forthe Middle East. And
the research firm Frost& Sullivan said that while GCC nations
arestill picking up on the technology, they areexpecting an
investment close to US$73bn inthe next five years on grid
solutions, smartmetering solutions and improved powertransmission.
Sitaram Chodimella, head ofthe smart grid division of Siemens
LLCMiddle East, said, We see enormouspotential for implementing
smart grid
solutions in the GCC, especially as the regionmoves towards
economic diversification andincreased reliance on renewable
energy.
Preparing for the changeDespite the vast number of
opportunitiescropping up in the region, industry expertshave
observed that technology majors in theMiddle East are carefully
evaluating smartgrid requirements. To ensure each countryinvests in
the right kind of technology, pilotprojects are being undertaken
before a massroll-out. Enterprise software company C3Energy has
initiated smart grid technologyworkshops in Asia, the Middle East
andSouth America, and has been involved intrade mission activities
to educate andinform investors, and gain better insightsinto a
countrys smart grid requirements.
Smart grid solutions are gaining relevance in the Middle East
due to the rise in renewable energy projects
Before investing in smart grid solutions,investors are carefully
evaluating the
various technologies and assessing whattheir requirements really
are
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COUNTRIES IN THE Gulf are makingsignificant progress in the
world ofgreen buildings and embracingsustainable technologies,
which is beingdriven by the increasing number ofgovernment policies
and initiatives in theregion, according to a recent study
byconsultancy company Ventures Middle East.
Released in February 2015 in the run upto The Big 5 Saudi, the
report entitled Focuson Sustainability in Construction stated
that,while it is true that the Gulf has not been asquick as other
parts of the world inadopting green building initiatives, the
slowtake off comes down to three key reasons:lack of legislation,
absence of visiblefinancial incentive and limited awareness
ofenvironmental issues.
The increasing adoption of green buildingpolicies is significant
considering that theGCC region boasts such a strongconstruction and
infrastructure sector. Infact, in 2014 alone the GCC sawUS$128.4bn
worth of construction projectsget underway.
Nicholas Webb, managing partner ofStreamline Marketing Group,
the organisersbehind the Outdoor Design & Build Show,
which is being held in Dubai from 13-15April 2015, said, GCC
countries areincreasingly embracing sustainable andgreen building
development as they look forlong-term economic growth and to
improvesocial infrastructure.
In regards to the US construction codingsystem LEED, the UAE is
leading the region,having accounted for 67 per cent of 1,236
LEED-rated projects in the region in 2013.This is followed by
Qatar and Saudi Arabiathat only accounted for 16 per cent and 13per
cent projects, respectively.
The UAE and Qatar are, reportedly, theonly countries in the
region to have formallyintroduced green building codes, while
inSaudi Arabia the Saudi Green BuildingCouncil is currently working
on its ownregulating and ratings system similar to theLEED
rating.
In line with the Dubai Supreme Council ofEnergys plan to build
energy-efficientbuildings in the emirate, by 2030approximately
30,000 of Dubais 130,000buildings are expected to adhere
toefficiency improvement measures.
Moreover, under its 2015 strategic plan,Dubai has put in place
new regulations thatimplement green building specificationsand
standards which, according to thereport by Ventures, are likely to
lead toconsiderable savings in terms of energy,water, cooling and
heating.
While in Abu Dhabi, the Estidamainitiative, a green building
integratedprogramme, is said to be addressing
A recent study published by Ventures Middle East has highlighted
that the GGC countries are making significant progress in thefield
of green building projects. We look at how this is reflected in the
regions construction industry and building infrastructure.
Branching out ingreen building solutions
34 Intelligent Buildings
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KAUST in Saudi Arabia is said to beworld's largest LEED
NC-Platinum
project (Photo: Karl-Joseph)
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sustainable development throughout theUAEs capital. It does this
throughcombining guidelines and regulations forsustainable design,
construction andoperation of buildings and communities.
The role of Saudi Arabia in the greenbuilding market, however,
should not bedownplayed. Faisal Al-Fadl, the head of theInitiative
of Custodian of the Two HolyMosques for Green Building, has
beenreported saying that the kingdom accountsfor 15 per cent of the
green buildingprojects in the Middle East this year.
Furthermore, more than 20mn sqm ofland in the Saudi Arabia is
allegedlyoccupied by green buildings, which isexpected to double in
2015. Most of thesedevelopments are expected to be based inRiyadh,
with investments of US$53bn.
Robb Marinko, landscape architecturemanager at Dar Al Riyadh
Architectureand Design Services, speaking ahead of theOutdoor
Design & Build Show, said,Sustainability is becoming more and
moreimportant to the Saudi market, we areseeing dramatic changes in
how developersapproach the market and how outdoorspace is used.
One example of the major green buildingprojects underway in the
kingdom includesthe King Abdullah University of Science
andTechnology (KAUST), which is said to be theworlds largest LEED
NC-Platinum projectever built.
Incorporating modern technology, thecampus design was created
with maximumsustainability and minimum energy use inmind. Those
technological features includeenergy-generating photovoltaic (PV)
panelsthat cover the roof and, with a nod totraditional Arabic
architecture, large solar-powered wind towers, which harnessenergy
from both the sun and the wind tocreate air flow in the pedestrian
walkways.
According to the report, as the Gulf isrelatively new to the
world of greenbuilding concepts there is plenty ofbusiness
opportunities for manufacturersand suppliers. Some of the key
industriesand technologies to see innovations in linewith the green
building policies include theHVAC industry reportedly two-thirds
ofthe electricity in a building is consumed byair-conditioning fire
protectionmechanisms, faucets electronic andmetered faucets can
save water by 40-77per cent and lighting.
Lighting is a particularly big market in theGulf and is set to
grow. In fact, thecommercial lighting fixtures market is set
toincrease by eight to 10 per cent annually in
the region and is expected to be worthUS$3.7bn by 2018.
Therefore, lighting is one industry thathas seen a lot of
innovation in terms ofsustainable technologies and
intelligentbuilding solutions. One company that hasrecognised and
invested in intelligent andintegrated lighting solutions is Eaton,
theglobal technology major in powermanagement solutions.
On the topic of lighting controls, AshiquePanakkat, sales leader
of the electricalsector for Eaton Middle East, said,Networked
lighting controls are one of thekey components that go into
creating anintelligent building.
He added, The lighting control systemsin these types of
extensive and complexmulti-use buildings are built aroundcompletely
distributed intelligence networktopography, with multiple levels of
userinterface and modes of operation.
One example the international powermanagement company gave of
the benefitsof a network system was a daylightharvesting strategy,
which can be deployedto save on unnecessary artificial lighting
inareas close to windows, while detectors canbe utilised in less
frequently used spaces,such as corridors, to dim or switch
lightingat low use times.
As a sustainable and affordable source oflighting, LED lighting,
which has beenproven to be up to 70 per cent moreefficient than
traditional sources, is also afast-growing business in the
Gulf.
In the UAE, new lighting standards hasmeant there is a ban on
the sale of bulbsthat do not reach certain
energy-efficiencycriteria, which is intended to ensure thatthose
bulbs available are energy-efficient,longer-lasting, safe, and have
limitedhazardous chemicals.
One example of a building that havesuccessfully benefitted from
implementingLED lighting is Grosvenor House in Dubai.Working with
GE Lighting the hotel adoptedLED lighting throughout its two
45-storey
towers that house 749 rooms, suites andapartments, in line with
its green policy topromote energy-use efficiency.
Prior to the LED upgrade, more than24,500 halogen lamps were
identified in thelighting audit and, following theimplementation,
GE Lighting has claimedthat the total energy savings per
yearthrough its LED lighting solutions is around80 per cent.
Pam Whilby, general manager of theGrosvenor House, said, We
adopt andmaintain world-class environmentalstandards and develop
the requiredmechanisms for implementing them[]adopting LED lighting
solutions wastherefore a natural fit to our sustainabilitygoals. GE
Lightings LED solutions deliversignificant energy savings in
addition tominimising carbon dioxide emissions.
Looking beyond lighting and to moreintegrated solutions, Eaton
offers customersits xComfort, a wireless home automationsystem
which works on a domestic level tohelp home-owners control,
co-ordinate andoptimise multiple functions. This includeslighting
controls, indoor HVAC control,safety functions and energy
management.
One of the major advantages of utilisingthis system is that
through the smartcontrol of temperature, lighting andelectrical
equipment the operator is able tolower power consumption. xComfort
alsoallows one to implement functions thatreduce heating and energy
consumptionwhen they are not required, and it canmonitor power
which is produced by thesolar PV.
The Gulf is not only a region full ofconstruction and
infrastructure investmentsbut is also a region that, with the
increasingadoption of government policies andinitiatives, has an
ever-growing enthusiasmfor green building and intelligent
buildingsolutions. This, in turn, is driving furtherbusiness
opportunities and potential forcompanies working in the
infrastructureand building utilities industries.
Intelligent Buildings
Faucets are one piece of technology undergoingenergy-efficient
innovation (Image: Cayusa)
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CONSTRUCTION WILL BE one ofthe leading sectors of the
SaudiArabian economy this year, makingThe Big 5 Saudi exhibition
more relevantthan ever. Under the patronage of PrinceMansour bin
Mutaib bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,Minister of Municipal and Rural
Affairs, thefifth edition of The Big 5 Saudi will be held inJeddah,
Saudi Arabia, from 9-12 March 2015at the Jeddah Centre for Forums
and Events.
The show has grown 90 per cent over thepast four years
exhibitors have increasedfrom 300 to more than 500, visitors
from9,000 to 15,000 and event space from 7,000sqm to 20,000 sqm,
said the organisers.
Nathan Waugh, event director of The Big5 Saudi, said, The Saudi
construction sectoris one of the most significant economicdrivers
in Saudi Arabia, and has played amajor role in the countrys
development.We are proud to have seen The Big 5 Saudigo from
strength to strength and celebrateits fifth anniversary this
year.
Why Saudi Arabia for construction? The GCC construction market
value by theend of 2014 was projected to have grown7.7 per cent,
according to Ventures MiddleEast. Saudi Arabia and the UAE were
leadingthe market in terms of project volume. Itappears this trend
has been carried forward
into 2015, with US$200bn worth ofcontracts is likely to be
awarded this year. Anumber of major infrastructure projectssuch as
railways, roads, buildings, ports andthe expansion of existing
facilities haveplaced Saudi Arabia at the forefront ofdevelopment
in the GCC.
The fifth edition of The Big 5 Saudi will be held from 9-12
March in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where industry leaders andexperts
will converge to discuss the myriad possibilities in the countrys
construction landscape.
Building a new future inthe Kingdom
38 Construction
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An artistic representation of the KingdomTower in Jeddah, which
has been describedby architect Adrian Smith as a new visionfor
Saudi Arabia
Majorinfrastructure
projects such asrailways, roads,
buildings and portshave placed Saudi
Arabia at theforefront of GCC
development
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With the fillip in mega projects, severalsectors and industries
such as aluminium,precast concrete and cement are alsogetting a
boost. A Transparency MarketResearch report has stated that
thecement market in Saudi Arabia will grow ata CAGR of 5.14 per
cent from the period2014 to 2019.
Significant development projects inSaudi ArabiaOne of the most
important projectsunderway is the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah.Touted to
be the tallest structure in theworld at a height of 1,007 metres,
theUS$1.2bn tower will be the commercialcentre of the city. The
building is expectedto be completed by 2017, and will havemore than
200 floors along with theworlds highest observation deck on
the157th floor. Liebherrs cranes have beenroped in to aid with the
construction,German company Bauer will provide thefoundation work,
EC Harris and Mace willmanage the project and Kone will providethe
elevators for the tower.
In an earlier interview, Prince Al-Waleedbin Talal said, The
time is appropriate tobuild the Kingdom Tower now because theprices
for construction materials are low.From cement to iron, everything
is low.Secondly, it is being built in Jeddah,because this city
needs a project of thiskind, as it would attract more businesshere.
Nothing of this size has happened inJeddah for more than two
decades.
In addition, the Saudi Arabiangovernment is keen on providing a
boostto the Economic Cities programme. The
late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz washeralded a game changer for
theKingdom, as he patronised a host ofwelfare projects such the
Economic Citiesprogramme. The King Abdullah EconomicCity (KAEC)
located on the Red Sea, nearly97 km north of Jeddah, is one of the
fivespecial economic zones expected to bringabout diversity in the
Saudi Arabianlandscape. The project has four majordevelopments King
Abdullah Port,Industrial Valley, The Coastal Communitiesand Hijaz
Downtown. The intention behinddeveloping this mega project is to
slowlywean the Kingdom off its dependence on
oil, and focus on other sectors such asmanufacturing,
construction andindustries such as minerals and plastics.
The budding construction landscape inthe Kingdom makes it apt to
host the fifthedition of The Big 5 Saudi. The earlieredition of the
show set a precedent for theregion attendees included
businessdevelopment managers, marketingmanagers, directors, chief
executives andpresidents of companies, structural, civil,electrical
and geotechnical engineers,facilities managers, project
managers,quantity surveyors and purchasingmanagers. There was due
representationfrom real estate developers,manufacturers, trade
associations,building consultancies, architectural anddesign
companies, concrete contractors,engineering firms and
governmentrepresentatives. Based on surveys taken atthe show last
year, participants highlightedthe main reasons for attending as
sourcingnew products, networking, locating localdistributors, and
learning about regionalproducts, trends and the latestinnovations.
Ninety-eight per cent of theattendees stated that they will return
tothis years show.
This year, for the first time, there will beContinued
Professional Development(CPD) certified education courses
forattendees. The seminar series will giveattendees free access to
12 sessions andpanel discussions including five projectshowcases.
All these educational featureswill help visitors further their
constructioncareers, stated organisers.
40 Construction
King Abdullah Economic Citys Labor Village housing complex,
which will provide accommodation for 2,500workers and
supervisors
Saudi Arabias cement market is expected to grow at a CAGR of
5.14 per cent until 2019, further establishing thecountrys
construction sector
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A DVANCED ARCHITECTURALGLASS supplied as brandedproducts by
specialisedmanufacturers such as SunGuard andPilkington (part of
the NSG Group) can beused to earn building designers,constructors
and operators covetedcertification points from localadministrators
of the universally-acclaimedLEED certification system.
LEED certificates are awarded for newly-built project designers,
constructors,operators and maintenance teams thatenhance the indoor
built environment andprotect conditions outside too. Proper useof
treated (usually coated) float glass cansubstantially enhance both
the appearanceand functionality (performance) of astructure and
save a considerable amountof energy in its use by transmitting
moredaylight and reducing the requirement forair conditioning by
low emissivity.
A separate system of points is awardedto qualified major
renovators. There are sixprincipal categories of performance
that
lead to the award of designated numbers ofpoints these are
regularly updated toreflect advances in glass coating technologyand
regional needs. The Gulf cities are amajor international testbed
for theseversion upgrades.
As paraphrased, the original sixcategories, still widely
appliedinternationally and involving substantialoverlapping,
are:
Of these, the first two are mostsignificant locally in terms of
the number ofpoints that can be earned and used as asales
promotional tool in many differentways (including enhancement of
rentalincome). These are particularly importantin the MENA region
where low emissivity is
a now key requirement for acceptable new-build performance.
Energy and application is a generalcategory that is designed to
exploit theoptimisation of the energy consumption ofthe building
under all conditions, includingduring the construction phase.
Thisincludes minimising its energy sink ordraw effect on the local
environment, i.e.reducing power demand through maximumuse of
natural daylight and minimisingaircon use. Proper choice and
applicationof materials can, it is claimed, reduceoverall building
energy demand by as muchas 10 per cent in a new-build scenario
(justhalf this for a renovation project).
Maximum incorporation of solar controlfloat glass is the normal
practice, and thisusually enhances the quality of the
indoorenvironment at the same time.
The other major glazing product that canbe used to earn a
substantial number ofLEED points in this category is suitablechoice
and positioning of thin-film andother photovoltaic panels, such as
are nowbeing heavily promoted for retro-installation on domestic
rooftops in Dubaiparticularly.
NSGs wide TEC range of materials is agood example, although it
must be stressedthat points are normally awarded for thequality of
the design and application,rather than the use of a specific brand
ofproduct. Such points can also be earnedunder the regional
priority category.
Appropriate choice of materials andresources can enhance the
greencredibility of a newly-built structureconsiderably. Advanced
glassmanufacturers incorporate a considerableproportion of
re-melted high-grade culletfrom their own trimming operations
thisis an obvious way of saving on both physicaland energy
resources. Extensive use ofappropriate local sands is another way
ofearning points in this category.
Glass specially produced for incorporation in sustainable
buildings can be used to earn points under the LEED GreenBuilding
Rating System