The Big Picture

01 GERMANY Bauma 2022 to put autonomous machinery in focus

The route to greater autonomy in construction machinery will be highlighted at Bauma 2022, which is billed as the world’s leading trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines, construction vehicles and equipment. Intelligent machines could relieve machine operators of repetitive and tiring activities while remaining independent of their individual tasks – an advantage that could be crucial when there is a shortage of skilled workers.

The event will take place from 24-30 October in Munich.

04 KUWAIT Kuwait ministry to appoint consultant for sewage plant feasibility studies

A consultancy will be appointed to conduct integrated feasibility studies for the North Kabd sewage treatment plant project and related works by Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works.

The North Kabd plant will be implemented as a public-private partnership project with the aim of raising the level of infrastructure services, meeting the state’s needs, keeping pace with urban development, treating sewage, and benefiting from treated water for agricultural and irrigation purposes.

02 SPAIN Tim Dawidowsky appointed as COO of Siemens Gamesa

Siemens Gamesa has appointed Tim Dawidowsky as its Chief Operating Officer.

Dawidowsky, who has been a member of the Board of Directors of Siemens Gamesa since 2020, joins the company on May 5 from Siemens Energy where he was serving as Senior Vice President, Project Excellence.

In a 28 year career in the Siemens group of companies, Dawidowsky has held leading functional positions in service, supply chain management and manufacturing as well as a number of CEO roles in different countries.

In his new role, Dawidowsky will be based in Madrid.

05 SAUDI ARABIA Dewan appointed as lead design consultant for Qiddiya Water Theme Park

Dewan Architects + Engineers has been appointed as the lead design consultant for the recently announced Qiddiya Water Theme Park, which is one of the flagship projects in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia’s disruptive and futuristic destination.

Dewan has successfully delivered the design of the water park and is now supervising the physical construction of the landmark development. The firm is working with a large team of renowned water theme park experts, ride vendors, engineering and infrastructure professionals.

03 EGYPT AD Ports Group and RSPA sign agreements for major port projects in Egypt

Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group and the Red Sea Ports Authority (RSPA) have signed a Term Sheet and a Head of Terms agreement for major port projects along Egypt’s coastline, it has announced.

AD Ports Group will develop, operate and manage a multipurpose terminal in Safaga Port in a consortium with the Red Sea Ports Authority and the Egyptian Group for Multipurpose Terminals Company, the commercial arm of the Egyptian Ministry of Transportation. The new JV will provide port users with a wide range of marine services.

06 SAUDI ARABIA Green Riyadh launches in seven neighbourhoods

Green Riyadh has officially launched in seven neighbourhoods in the city. The project, which is billed as one of the largest Integrated and comprehensive urban afforestation projects in the world, is being implemented in the Al-Aziziyah, Al-Naseem, Al-Jazeera, Al-Araija, Qurtuba, Al-Ghadir and Al-Nakhil neighbourhoods.

The project will see 7.5mn trees being planted and will contribute an increase in per capita green space from 1.7sqm to 28sqm and increase the total green space in the city to 9% or 545sqm. It targets the afforestation of several locations in Riyadh.

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07 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES EWEC asks for EoIs to be submitted for new solar PV IPP in Abu Dhabi

Developer/developer consortiums have been asked to submit expressions of interest (EoIs) for a new solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power project in the Ajban area of Abu Dhabi by Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC).

The Al Ajban Solar PV is the third world leading large-scale utility solar PV project EWEC is developing, following the successful closing of Noor Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra Solar PV.

The project will generate enough electricity for approximately 160,000 homes.

08 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Rachel Willacy joins Compass as head of Procurement

Compass has announced Rachel Willacy as its Regional Head of Procurement. As part of her role, she will spearhead the evolution of the firm’s service line with the inclusion of procurement excellence, aligned with the group’s client-centric, project development consultancy focus.

Willacy is a senior FCIPS qualified and chartered procurement professional, having honed her skills through assignments in the Middle East and United Kingdom. She has been acknowledged for her strategic development abilities in navigating client solutions, whilst leading major projects.

09 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Houlihan Lokey secures funding for SPIPD’s Imperial Avenue development in Dubai

Global investment bank Houlihan Lokey has announced it has secured funding for Shapoorji Pallonji International Property Developers (SPIPD) to finance the completion of its Imperial Avenue residential development in Downtown Dubai.

Imperial Avenue is Shapoorji’s flagship real estate project in the UAE. The 45-floor residential tower is currently 55% complete and is expected to reach completion by the end of next year.

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10 SAUDI ARABIA DGDA to transform Wadi Hanifah into nature-focused getaway

Wadi Hanifah is to be transformed into a nature-based escape from Riyadh’s bustling city centre according to Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA).

Two square kilometres will be transformed with the addition of unique palm groves containing hundreds of thousands of trees from species native to the wadi, as well as creating new parks with walking trails, biking tracks, outdoor games areas and picnic spots.

Wellness spaces, activity and ecotourism attractions will be at the heart of the wadi’s enhancements.

11 SAUDI ARABIA KEO appoints Dani Ghandour as GM of KSA operations

KEO International Consultants, the construction services firm, has announced the appointment of Dani Ghandour as general manager of its expanding operations in Saudi Arabia.

Ghandour will bring decades of leadership experience in delivery and implementation of megaprojects for key public and private entities in the region and in Saudi Arabia.

His specialised area of expertise has been in the delivery of strategic PMC services and establishing and running highly complex and successful Project Management Offices (PMO) in various governmental institutions.

12 BAHRAIN Muscat Municipality begins work on Golden Jubilee Walk project

Work will soon begin on Phase One of the Golden Jubilee Walk project in Seeb according to Muscat Municipality. The project will feature a variety of recreational elements, areas for picnics and physical activities.

Spread over 84,400sqm, the key phase will be developed in the middle of a lively area surrounded by residential neighbourhoods, commercial facilities and prominent landmarks. Muscat Municipality has invited tenders for the development of the mountain walkway and the construction of internal roads.

13 BAHRAIN Alba unveils ESG roadmap

Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has unveiled its environment, social and governance (ESG) roadmap, which align with Bahrain’s objective of ‘Net Zero Emissions by 2060’.

The roadmap was said to have been developed in collaboration with an ESG consulting firm, and highlights six strategic priorities over the years: (1) Decarbonisation, (2) Green Energy & Aluminium, (3) Circular Economy & Secondary Aluminium, (4) Employee Welfare, (5) Collaboration & Partnership and (6) Transparency, Communications & Due Diligence.

Led by the CEO, a special ESG Taskforce Committee has also been created, Alba has said.

16 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Arada awards $125m in contracts for first residential district

Arada has awarded two major contracts worth $125 million to build the first residential district at Masaar, Sharjah’s forested megaproject.

Arada said that Masaar will feature 4,000 villas and townhouses, and that it is divided into eight gated districts, set in a woodland and nature-inspired masterplan. The masterplan has been carefully designed to encourage its residents to be in harmony with nature.

Featuring over 50,000 trees, Masaar’s signature feature is a landscaped and walkable ‘green spine’.

14 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES HKS Architects to be design consultant for RAK-based Wynn Resorts on Al Marjan Island

Marjan, RAK Hospitality and Wynn Resorts, have announced that HKS Architects will be the design consultant for the consortium’s integrated beachfront resort in the Northern Emirate.

The multibillion-dollar development will be located on Al Marjan Island, and will be the first in the MENA region by Wynn Resorts.

Set to open in 2026, the resort will be a significant addition to RAK’s tourism sector.

17 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES DUBAL to collaborate with Nature Alu for UAE’s first HPA facility

DUBAL Holding has announced a collaboration with Nature Alu (NA) to set up the UAE’s first high purity aluminium (HPA) facility.

In a statement, DUBAL said that the project will focus on the production of aluminium from grade 4N and above. The development is expected to provide a major boost to the industrial sector by focusing on varied applications of aluminium in electrolytic capacitators, lithium-ion batteries and semiconductors, among other products.

15 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES WSP Middle East appoints Rob Cooling as Regional HSE director

WSP Middle East has announced that Rob Cooling has rejoined its business as Regional HSE Director, following a successful tenure with EXPO 2020 Dubai, where he was VP of Health, Safety, Quality & Environment. Prior to this, Cooling held several key roles within the WSP Middle East business between 2010 and 2017, the firm noted.

As part of his role, Cooling plans to further develop WSP Middle East’s reputation for implementing world-class Health & Safety practices, which positively impacts clients, projects, and people.

18 OMAN Hutchinson Ports breaks ground on $30m solarpowered inspection facility in Oman

Hutchinson Ports, the global port developer, has broken ground on a new solar-powered integrated inspection facility in Oman, which is being developed at a total investment of $30 million.

The project, which will come up on a 37,000sqm area within Terminal C premises of the Omani port of Sohar, is part of the terminal’s development plans to enhance the inspection services for inbound and outbound containers.