The Big Picture

01 UNITED STATES Caterpillar to move global HQ to Texas

Caterpillar Inc. has announced it will move its global headquarters to the company’s existing office in Irving, Texas, from its current location in Deerfield, Illinois.

The company has had a presence in Texas since the 1960s across several areas of the company, however Illinois still has the largest concentration of Caterpillar employees anywhere in the world. The company will begin transitioning its headquarters to Irving in 2022.

As a result of continuing challenging market conditions and the need to prioritise resources, Caterpillar decided not build its headquarters complex in Peoria.

04 UNITED KINGDOM Select Group acquires The Mere Golf Resort & Spa in Knutsford, UK

Dubai-based real estate developer Select Group has acquired The Mere Golf Resort & Spa in Knutsford, in the UK.

The developer said the property is complementary to its existing portfolio of hotels, with key parts of Cheshire, specifically Knutsford, having been identified as a desired location for the group.

Offering 81 luxury guest bedrooms, an event capacity of up to 550 people, a championship golf course and golf services, as well as an award-winning spa and health club, the acquisition is a strategic move for Select Group.

02 UNITED STATES Cummins appoints Jennifer Rumsey as president and CEO

Jennifer Rumsey, President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Cummins Inc will take up the role of President and CEO, starting on 1 August, 2022, the company has announced. Rumsey will be the seventh CEO and first woman to lead the company since it was founded in 1919.

She will take over from Tom Linebarger who will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors and in an Executive Chairman role, working directly with Rumsey on specific initiatives such as completing the pending acquisition of Meritor.

05 NETHERLANDS Witteveen+Bos EMEA DMCC appoints Rob van den Boomen as MD

Rob van den Boomen has been appointed as the new Managing Director for Witteveen+Bos EMEA DMCC. Boomen is said to posess strong entrepreneurial and leadership qualities, which the firm says are vital for his new role.

Boomen has held various positions within Witteveen+Bos over the past 30 years, both in the Netherlands and overseas. He takes over as MD from Daniël Dusseljee, who will be starting a new position within Witteveen+Bos in the Netherlands.

Boomen was most recently Managing Director of the firm’s Indonesian office.

03 COLOMBIA Abu Dhabi DoE inks MoU with Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy

A five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Colombia at the DoE’s headquarters.

The agreement explores opportunities for collaboration on capability development and sharing of knowledge and information, supporting joint projects and initiatives, and promoting the development of bilateral scientific, technical, technological, administrative, and commercial cooperation.

06 ITALY RINA Consulting names new CEO

Alberto Cavaggioni has been appointed as the new CEO of Italy headquartered engineering consultancy RINA Consulting. He takes over from Roberto Carpaneto who led the consultancy since 2007 and will now serve as President. One of his key responsibilities will be to grow the company’s business in foreign markets.

RINA provides a wide range of services across the energy and mobility, marine, certification, infrastructure and real estate and industry sectors. It has a global presence with over 4,400 employees and 200 offices in 70 countries worldwide.

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07 SERBIA Metito to develop, modernise and operate Serbia’s first PPP water project

Metito has been appointed by the City of Zrenjanin and Serbia’s Public Water Company (PWC) to develop, modernise and operate a state-of-the-art water treatment plant in the Zrenjanin.

The deal is said to be the first public private partnership (PPP) water treatment project in the Republic of Serbia. The water quality challenge in Zrenjanin is a complex case and, leveraging its global expertise, Metito has devised a sustainable and innovative solution that will see the integration of state-of-the -art technology.

08 LEBANON Beirut’s Waterfront City Business Park awarded LEED Gold certification

Lifestyle destination developer Majid Al Futtaim Communities has announced that its Waterfront City Business Park in Beirut, Lebanon has achieved LEED Gold certification.

Located on the Dbayeh seaside just off the highway, Waterfront City Business Park is said to be “the region’s first and only grade A office facility”.

Covering 72,000sqm with 60% of the masterplan dedicated to green open spaces, the pedestrian-only zone features twelve purpose-built office buildings.

09 IRAQ KSA and Iraq move forward with electricity interconnection project

Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the start of 2022 which outlined an electricity interconnection between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, the two countries have now signed an executive report that outlines the project’s principles.

The 435km electrical interconnection will link Arar in northern Saudi Arabia to Yusufiya near Baghdad with a total capacity of 1,000MW and a voltage of 400kV.

The project is expected to contribute to the reliability of the electrical networks in the two countries.