Big Project ME May 2021

Licensed by Dubai Development Authority

180 May 2021

MEConstructionNews.com

THE BUSINESS OF CONSTRUCTION

Bird�s Eye View

DATA DERIVED FROM DRONE TECHNOLOGY WILL TRANSFORM THE WAY CONSTRUCTION SITES ARE PERCEIVED IN THE NEAR-FUTURE, BIG PROJECT ME FINDS OUT

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CONTENTS

May 2021

08

16

18

22

28

40

ANALYSIS

FEATURES

INSIGHT

08

The briefing

22

34

Comments

The big picture

Gavin Davids interviews Osama Hamad Tarifi, the new group general manager of Concrete Industries Complex, on building on a legacy

36

Tenders

Progress report

Industry experts discuss leak detection systems and how technology improves collaboration

12

In profile Osama Hamad Tarifi

The industry’s brightest minds share their thoughts on a variety of topics and issues impacting the construction industry

Providing a wrap-up of the biggest local, regional and international construction news stories

28

Big Project ME, in association with ProTenders, provides the biggest tenders for the month of May 2021

16

Market report

Anirban Bagchi reports on how Wolffkran is helping build the Museum of the Future in Dubai

40

18

Analysis

JLL’s Dana Salbak says that the UAE’s real estate sector is transforming in 2021

Project profile Future Perfect

ALEC has completed the top out of Tower A for Ithra Dubai’s One Za’abeel

Rabih Bou Rashid, CEO of FEDS Drones Solutions, shares his insights about how drones can change the construction industry

MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

2

WELCOME

Introduction

Lessons in succession

A

s I write this month’s editor’s letter, I’m waiting for the biggest game in Arsenal FC’s season – a Europa League semi-final matchup against Spain’s Villareal.

What’s interesting about this match is that Unai Emery, the Villareal manager and serial Europa League winner, was the Arsenal manager just over a year ago, replaced by the current incumbent, the FA-Cup winning ex-captain, Mikel Arteta.

What made me decide to use them as the introduction to this month’s column is that both men have struggled with the legacy left by Arsenal’s greatestever manager, Arséne Wenger.

While Wenger was undoubtedly a legend for the club, when he left, there was a gaping void in leadership – one that has not yet been successful filled, more than three years since his departure, highlighting the challenges around succession planning.

As I was speaking to Osama Hamad Tarifi, the man replacing another long-standing leader in Bashar Abou Mayaleh at Concrete

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

Industries Complex, I was struck by how well-planned the handover has been.

Not only has Tarifi been involved with every major decision and plan for the company in the month’s leading up to Abou Mayaleh’s departure, but for years he was actively trained and prepared for a leadership role, along with other senior executives in the company.

What this has meant is that the company has been able to continue functioning as normal, while a base has been put in place to ensure its future success.

This is a lesson I think many companies in the regional construction industry could do well to heed. How many times have seen companies struggle when a long-serving leader departs?

As I close, I would like to remind readers that we’ll be launching the first-ever Construction Intel Summit KSA in June.

We’re putting together a fantastic line up of speakers, with the likes of Qiddiya, Amaala and TRSDC all lined up to participate.

Do get in touch with me or the team if you’d like to participate, and don’t forget to tune in.

Gavin Davids

HEAD OF EDITORIAL & CONTENT gavin.davids@cpitrademedia.com @MECN_Gavin MEConstructionNews me-construction-news

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Licensed by Dubai Development Authority

180 May 2021

MEConstructionNews.com

THE BUSINESS OF CONSTRUCTION

Group MANAGING DIRECTOR Raz Islam raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com MANAGING PARTNER Vijaya Cherian vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com

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Advertising COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Jude Slann

Bird�s Eye View

DATA DERIVED FROM DRONE TECHNOLOGY WILL TRANSFORM THE WAY CONSTRUCTION SITES ARE PERCEIVED IN THE NEAR-FUTURE, BIG PROJECT ME FINDS OUT

jude.slann@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5714 HEAD OF KEY PROJECTS Andy Pitois andy.pitois@cpitrademedia.com +44 7816 843610

Design ON THE COVER

Big Project ME learns how drone technology is helping to broaden the horizons of the regional construction industry

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Web Development The publisher of this magazine has made every effort to ensure the content is accurate on the date of publication. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the publisher and editor. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content are published in good faith. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher in writing. Publication licensed by Dubai Development Authority to CPI Trade Publishing FZ LLC. Printed by Al Salam Printing Press LLC. CPI Trade Media. PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE. +971 4 375 5470 cpitrademedia.com © Copyright 2021. All rights reserved.

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

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Future of Architecture Influences such as climate change, increased urbanisation, health and wellbeing, and - more recently - the outbreak of COVID-19, are challenging construction industry stakeholders to reimagine the exterior and interior design of buildings, as well as the master plans of cities. New materials and ever advancing technology have also opened up a realm of possibilities, all of which begs the questions – what will buildings and cities of the future look like and how can they better support and nurture our day-to-day lives?

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Discussions This event will bring together the industry’s leading minds to engage in discussions and share presentations, all of which you will be able to follow from the comfort and safety of wherever you are.

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6

ONLINE

MOST POPULAR

READERS’ COMMENTS

FEATURED

CONSTRUCTION

CAN WE TRULY COLLABORATE?

Azizi Developments awards multimillion dollar shoring contract for Riviera

I just read your column in Big Project e-Magazine April 2021 issue, and I liked the topic speaking about ‘Collaboration’ and totally agree with you. I just want to add a humble comment saying that ‘Collaboration’

CONSULTANT

is a way of life and a

Dubai CommerCity launches offices and logistics units in first phase of development

good effective one takes place based on two key elements ‘Trust & Respect’ both ways between

PROJECT PROFILE A Future from the Nile

collaborators, lack of these two elements will result in no collaboration and/ or lack of a 2 ways action.

As for the ‘Supply Chain’

CONSTRUCTION

Nakheel opens new mosque at Jumeirah Park

indeed it took a massive hit due to the Covid-19, sadly most of the concerned stakeholders in the industry didn’t show any cooperation & support in this area, and accepted no exceptions, that really was hurtful to

CONSTRUCTION

many industry players being

Acciona announces completion of Jebel Ali SWRO desalination plant

small, medium and large entities. Governments or Industry intervention in this matter advisable as you have stated. Thank you for your good article and words passed on this to the industry through your Big

CONSTRUCTION

Heriot-Watt University in Dubai opens new campus in Dubai Knowledge Park May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

ANALYSIS Refurbish to recover

Project media platform.

Name withheld by request

8

THE BRIEFING

Technology

Plugging the Leak MIDDLE EAST

Mustafa Hashmi of PermAlert details how the leak detection solution provider is utilising technology to improve efficiency, performance and operations of pipeline systems May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

P

ipelines are amongst the most economical and safest modes of transportation for oil, gases, and other fluid products.

However, one of the critical challenges that come with the installation, maintenance and operation of pipeline systems is the detection of leaks.

Although these pipeline systems can last indefinitely if properly maintained, ensuring their longevity and performance comes down to being able to predict where damages are likely to occur, and acting quickly to ensure that operations are no disrupted or delayed.

That is why US-based Perma-Pipe International was keen to develop a feasible inhouse solution when it

came to detecting leakages in their pipelines. In the 1980s, the company was finding that the technology available to them at the time was not able to pinpoint leakages accurately, nor was it able to detect multiple leakages, resulting in false alarms that cost valuable time and money.

Therefore, the company decided to come up with its with its own accurate, reliable and fast response patented solution, using TDR leak detection technology. Over time, this in-house solution, PermAlert, proved to be a success, with demand for it leading to the creation of a separate entity that has operated for more than 30 years, monitoring more than 30 million square feet of sensing facilities worldwide.

30M

PermAlert is monitoring more than 30 million square feet of sensing facilities worldwide

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As the company goes from strength to strength, with facilities in Canada, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India, Mustafa Hashmi, regional sales manager – MENA, tells Big Project ME that the company’s ambitions are only going to get larger.

What is the PermAlert Leak Detection System and how does it work?

The PermAlert Leak Detection System is based on TDR technology, which functions like a radar. The system measures the impedance change throughout the cable based on the signal reflected. The system was developed in late 1980s to complement our pipe system when we realised the fundamental inadequacies with the resistive based leak detection system in the market at that time was prone to false alarms and limited in distance.

Our system is now used on projects as varied as Data Centres, Control Rooms, Pumps, Water Pipelines, Fuel Pipelines, Generators, Storage Tanks, Fuel Farms, Airports, Hospitals, Generators and even in containment piping for monitoring liquids like Water, Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene, Jet Fuel, Naphtha, Electrolytes, as well as other hydrocarbons and chemicals (including acids and bases).

Fast response Having a system that responds as fast as possible is crucial when designing a leak detection system.

Market leaders Mustafa Hashmi says that PermAlert’s systems surpass competitors in their reliability, rapid response times, and ability to detect multiple leak points.

proven to be extremely reliable as the TDR technology allows our system to detect any liquids (conductive or nonconductive) with rapid response times, which has allowed us to differentiate ourselves from common resistivebased leak detection systems that cannot detect non-conductive liquid.

Furthermore, our PermAlert leak detection solutions are capable of detecting multiple leakages at the same time, on a single channel, whereas our competitors cannot detect multiple leakages simultaneously. They add electrical components at regular lengths in order to monitor, while we have continuous monitoring in place, without any additional components. We can even detect if the leakage is growing, or if there is a cable break and locate it.

While we can detect water leakage in about 30 seconds, which is a similar time taken by our competitors, when it comes to hydrocarbons, we can detect them far quicker (within 30 seconds, as compared 19 to 35 minutes). When it comes to detecting non-conductive liquids, we can detect these within seconds, while our competitors cannot as their resistive leak detection technology will not allow them to do so.

Our Same Sensing Cable (AGW GOLD ) can be used to monitor both fuel and water, whereas our competitors have different sensing cables for water and for fuel. We also have a separate fuel-only sensing cable (TFH GOLD). We have projects where the same sensing cable is being used for more than 20 years and is still in satisfactory condition.

Our Single Chanel Panel can monitor upto a max of 2300 meters, while our Multi (4) Chanel Panel can monitor upto 9100 meters. We are also FM7745 approved for fast response, which is something only two companies in the world have at the moment.

What are the other types of leak detection technologies being developed by PermAlert and how do you intend to improve on your current offerings?

We have looked to provide a full end-toend solution with web-based software monitoring capabilities, which comes with the enhancement of user interfaces and wireless communication. We are also well positioned to serve the IoT-space as we are developing an IoT-based SMART wireless product which will come as an easy-to-use, plug and play solution.

What are some of the key considerations when designing a leak detection system?

It is important to have a system response that is as fast as possible, especially for life safety applications. Typically, they should be able to respond in seconds.

Accuracy is another key consideration, with a margin of error that is typically +/- 1% of overall length. Practically however, this is less important as long as the user gets a reasonable range in which to visually locate the leak.

Thirdly, a leak detection system should have the ability to withstand and detect harsh chemicals. Finally, it is critical to select the right cable, capable of withstanding high temperature applications.

How does PermAlert’s leak detection solutions compare to competitors in the market?

PermAlert leak detection solutions have MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

10

THE BRIEFING

Technology for Change MIDDLE EAST

Dr Anas Bataw, director, Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) and associate professor – Smart Construction at Heriot-Watt University in Dubai, sheds light on the benefits of technology as a means for collaboration and transparency in construction

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

T

echnological advancements have always been somewhat elusive when referring to the construction industry.

According to a report by Deloitte, the construction industry was among the least digitised sectors globally, with IT investments being historically low. In fact, the report found that just 1.2% of revenue is allocated for IT, compared to a 3.5% average across industries.

However, with minimal adoption of technology, the industry has now seen a sudden rise in the need for digitisation as a result of the global disruption caused

by COVID-19. Before the pandemic 93% of construction industry players agreed that digitisation is essential to enhance the way we work and deliver projects, according to a Roland Berger survey for developed countries. Despite this, only 6% of construction companies

have made full use of digital tools. The Pandemic has certainly fast-tracked digital transformation and showcased the possibilities that technology can offer to enhance and support the future of the construction sector.

Technology can not only increase collaboration but also create transparency within the industry, which is a much-needed factor in these times of uncertainty and everevolving landscape. Driving digitisation and leveraging technologies such as Building Information Modelling/ Management (BIM), robotics, virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing, GIS (geographical information systems) and Blockchain has become exceedingly important.

This is why it it is crucial to shed light on the benefits of technology as a means for collaboration and transparency in the construction industry:

11

Shedding light Dr Anas Bataw says that technology in construction will help shed light on collaboration and transparency in the industry.

1.2%

Amount of revenue allocated for IT by the global construction industry

USING BIM TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT COLLABORATION A cloud-based BIM technology is becoming essential in the workflow to support the shift to remote working and to increase collaboration, better manage risks and better plan for sustainability.

This collaborative approach enables data management and data to be shared globally in a virtual environment thereby facilitating a smarter more enhanced way to work together despite of geographical or other constraints.

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS Adopting other smart technologies such as Artificial Intelligence or AI can also prove beneficial as they introduce transparency and real time updates. Specifically, when it comes to designing, the AI technology can be truly leveraged as it uses big data and complex algorithms to build designs in a more collaborative and transparent manner.

These designs can be experienced and tested virtually to confirm their feasibility and cost implications. As it can be done via virtual platforms, members involved in the project can have easy access to discuss and make decisions in less time than traditionally required. AI can accelerate the work process by automating the designing process. On similar lines, robotics too is making its presence felt.

Although the idea seems like it has many years to embed itself into the industry some construction companies globally have begun using it by introducing automated construction techniques. According to a report by MarketWatch, the Global Robotics Market is expected to increase at 28.51% CAGR. Valued at USD$43 million in 2018, it is expected to reach USD$181,028.6 million by 2024.

Automation can be a useful tool to speed up projects. Some of the different examples of how robotics can be applied within the industry are 3D printing and the ability to build large-scale projects through pre-programmed instructions.

LEVERAGING PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS Software and project management tools are also slowly but surely making

Technology can not only increase collaboration but also create transparency within the industry, which is a muchneeded factor in these times of uncertainty and ever-evolving landscape” their way into the industry as most organisations realise the importance of adopting easier ways to oversee teams, better their task allocation process and track budgeting and scheduling.

A global report by MarketWatch, noted that the global construction project management software market was valued at USD$1,030 million in 2018 and is expected to reach USD$1,620 million by the end of 2024.

DRONES TO MINIMISE ON-SITE DANGERS While looking at the industry in its entirety we also see that the construction industry is one the most

dangerous work sectors. According to the United Nation’s International Labour Organisation (ILO) the top three causes of construction related deaths are on-site falls, electrocution, and crush injuries.

The introduction of drones to the work sites can provide respite to workers from dangerous tasks.

Drones can survey and record data of locations that could be harmful or hazardous for workers to recce. They also allow project leads and supervisors to keep up with projects in real time thereby facilitating stronger oversight and more efficient surveillance.

Underpinning the above is the need to keep up with the new normal for a resilient future. With investment in next generation technology, not only will key players create a sustainable workflow but also be ready to face future disruptions. These massive changes can be achieved through industry, government, and academic partnerships as we also need to enhance the workforce of tomorrow.

Heriot-Watt University Dubai’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction is one such initiative working towards advancing industryled innovations in construction by collaborating with organisations and governments to lead transformation in the construction industry.

MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

12

THE BIG PICTURE

01 UNITED KINGDOM

03 BOSNIA

UK’s Enshore Subsea acquired by KSA’s Al Gihaz Contracting

Dar Al Arkan launches sales for $133m Bosnian luxury development

Al Gihaz Contracting has announced the acquisition of assets, intellectual property, and the management systems of the UK-based Enshore Subsea Ltd, a subsea trenching company providing seabed intervention services to megaprojects across industries around the world.

The acquisition will see the creation of a new joint venture which will rely on the acquired specialised assets of the company, its skilled team and the company’s successful track record of completed projects to aid the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s drive to generating 58.7GW of clean energy by 2030.

02 FRANCE

France’s Egis acquires Projacs International Egis, the French engineering and construction services giant, has completed the acquisition of Projacs International, a Kuwaiti-based engineering consultancy and project management company.

The announcement comes in the wake of Egis purchasing 51% of Projacs Internationals shares in 2015, thus becoming majority shareholder. Since then Egis and Projacs have worked on aligning their business strategies in the Middle East and enlarging their geographical reach, a statement from Egis said.

With the acquisition, Egis’ total stake in the Kuwait firm has risen to 95.45%.

Dar Al Arkan, the Saudi developer, has launched sales for villas within its $133 million luxury vacation and housing development in Bosnia.

According to a statement released by the developer, the 500,000sqm development – known as Sidra – will be surrounded by 20,000 native trees and is the largest single real estate project in the European nation.

It will offer a gated community of highspecification villas that have been designed for modern living, in an area classified as one of the healthiest and cleanest in the Balkans.

04 EGYPT

06 SAUDI ARABIA

ACWA Power to develop 200MW Egyptian solar PV project

L&T unit wins EPC contract for 1.5GW Saudi solar plant

ACWA Power has inked an agreement for the development of a new 200MW solar PV (photo voltaic) plant in Egypt. Construction on the Kom Ombo PV plant is expected to begin in Q3 2021. It will cater to the power needs of 130,000 households and offset 336,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Once operational, the plant will be one of the largest privately developed utility scale solar plants in Egypt and is expected to support the country in increasing its renewable energy capacity in line with the national targets to generate 22% of power from renewables by 2022 and 42% by 2035.

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

05 JORDAN

Bauer builds cut-off wall in Dead Sea potash extaction dikes Bauer has carried out a project to build a 112,000 square metre cut-off wall over a length of 4.2km on one of the main dikes on the Dead Sea coast in Jordan where potassium salts are mined.

Bauer International FZE, a subsidiary, was commissioned by the Arab Potash Company of Jordan to build the dikes in 2018. The project began in April 2019 and posed several challenges, including a timeline of just 16 months, as well as complicated logistics, mobilisation of specialist staff, harsh weather conditions, and an extremely salty environment.

India’s L&T Power Transmission & Distribution has been awarded the turnkey engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the 1.5GW Sudair Solar PV project.

The project will take shape in the Riyadh Province over a 30.8sqkm area and is billed as the largest solar plant in the Kingdom.

The contract was awarded to L&T’s renewable arm by a consortium of ACWA Power and the Water and Electricity Holding Company (a subsidiary of the Public Investments Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).

THE BIG PICTURE

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08 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Steve Gee joins Mace as head of Cost Consultancy for MENA 07 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Miral opens new mosque at Yas Bay

Miral has announced that its new mosque at Yas Bay is open to worshippers. The mosque was developed in collaboration with the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments and can accommodate 800 worshipers within two separate prayer halls designed for males and females.

Inspired by modern Islamic art, the Yas Masjid features an architecturally unique design, replacing the traditional dome with horizontal Mashribiya panels, which extend across the building to provide a striking and dynamic impression for visitors.

Yas Masjid is located within The Residences, a fast growing leisure and entertainment destination.

Mace, the international construction and consultancy company, has announced the appointment of Steve Gee as head of Cost Consultancy for MENA. In a statement, Mace said that Gee joins Mace after 16 years at AECOM, where he was most recently the vice president of Program Cost Consultancy (PCC) for Middle East and Africa.

He brings a total of 22 years of cost and commercial experience from the construction industry and has helped deliver some of the Middle East’s most iconic projects.

09 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Summertown Interiors awarded Times Square Centre refurbishment project Summertown Interiors has been awarded the Times Square Centre food court refurbishment project. The firm said it will work with the mall’s management team to deliver the 2,330sqm space in Q3 of 2021.

Picnic Square at Times Square Centre, will feature natural materials, and the integration of biophilic elements such as plants and greenery. Familyfriendly seating zones including stylish ‘private pods’ for mothers to feed their babies in privacy will complement the functional open plan design.

MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

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THE BIG PICTURE

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15

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10 SAUDI ARABIA

12 SAUDI ARABIA

Steady progress being made on 65,000sqm Riyadh urban district

BIHG announces two new executive appointments

Steady progress is being made on a new 65,000sqm urban district in Riyadh, architecture firm Benoy has announced.

The Solitaire project is being developed by Saudi-based Al Marqab Investment Company, with Benoy’s scope of work covering master planning, architecture, landscape design and interior design services.

The design of the project encompasses two basements, ground floor and first floor retail spaces. Raft work has been completed and the casting of the first basement slab is set to begin..

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

11 SAUDI ARABIA

TRSDC awards D&B contract for Coastal Village to CCE The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the massive Red Sea Project in Saudi Arabia, has awarded the contract to design and build infrastructure at its Coastal Village to Riyadh-based Contracting & Construction Enterprises Ltd (CCE).

CCE, an engineering procurement and construction firm, will be responsible for developing the Village’s local infrastructure.

CCE will also construct a network of paths and walkways, as well as the earthworks and utility hub buildings structure.

Binladin International Holding Group (BIHG) has appointed of Balaji Prasad as the group’s new chief financial officer, and Roberto Liuzza as the chief organisation excellence officer, as part of an overhaul of the organisation’s governance and operations, it has been announced.

The parent company of Saudi Binladin Group, the largest construction conglomerate in the Kingdom, BIHG said the appointments of Prasad and Liuzza are amongst several recent appointments at senior level, a statement from the company said.

THE BIG PICTURE

15

14 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Al Faris completes UAE power plant lift project 13 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Work on track for Sharjah’s 79,353sqm Soor Kalba project Construction work is progressing on track on the 79,353sqm Soor Kalba building project, which is being developed at a cost of $29.3m in the Suhaila area of Sharjah.

A total of 105 buildings are being constructed, which will comprise 420 apartments and 315 shops overlooking the Kalba Corniche. The design of the buildings are characterised by a architectural style that employs aesthetic and Islamic architectural elements on the facades of the buildings.

Each of the buildings consists of four residential units and three retail units designed to the latest specifications.

Al Faris recently installed 16 doublewall heat recovery steam generators at a power plant project in the UAE, with the heaviest of the units weighing 80t and measuring 28m in length.

Using a 650t-capacity Demag CC 3800-1 lattice boom crawler crane as the main crane for the job, as well as other lifting and moving equipment, Al Faris finished the lifts, a part of the power plant expansion, in six months.

This included transporting, lifting, and setting up of various power plant components.

15 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Raimondi installs 11 tower cranes at Sharjah’s Aljada project Raimondi Middle East has supplied 11 topless tower cranes to Sharjah’s underconstruction Aljada project, billed as the emirate’s largest development yet, as part an ongoing relationship with UAE-based developer Arada.

The cranes, positioned across three different plots on the large-scale development, will lift site materials as part of the development’s ongoing construction over the next year. Each crane erection took one day involving four staffing groups.

Raimondi has previously installed more than 15 Raimondi tower cranes at Aljada.

17 IRAQ

16 IRAQ

GE secures finance to move forward with 2.7GW Power Up Plan 4 in Iraq

GE has secured a financial close with the Iraqi Ministry of Finance (MOF) and its partners for the Power Up Plan 4 (PUP4) project. GE will now provide capital and spare parts, repairs and services to tAhe Qudus, Khairat, Baghdad South, Hilla, Mussayab, Haidariya and Karbala power plants, in an effort to maintain more reliable generation of up to 2.7GW of electricity.

As part of these efforts, 20 gas turbines that are currently not operational at these sites will be returned to service.

Khatib & Alami completes design of new land port in Safwan, Iraq Khatib & Alami (K&A) has announced the completion of design for a new land port in Safwan, on the Iraq-Kuwait border.

Subject to authority approvals, the project will enhance the passage of commercial goods and people by increasing capacity to around 1,000 vehicles per day, with the seamless separation of traffic between commercial goods and travellers.

The final designs and plans for the 727,500sqm site include industryleading technologies for customs transactions and goods clearance.

18 JAPAN

Japan’s Komatsu rolls out plans for 100th anniversary celebrations Construction equipment giant Komatsu, which celebrates its centenary this year, has announced that it will mark the occasion with commemorative activities, expressing appreciation to all stakeholders for their support over the years and by embarking on efforts for sustainable growth in the future.

The Japanese behemoth will kick off celebrations on May 13, the day of its founding, with continuing activities that will revolve around “creating value together through manufacturing and technology innovation.”

MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

16

MARKET REPORT

Industry outlook

UAE real estate market overview for Q1 2021

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

JLL’s latest UAE Real Estate Market Performance report finds that the local real estate sector is undergoing a transformation in 2021

N

ewly announced regulatory measures, local availability of the vaccine, and the upcoming Expo 2020 festivities are all opportunities to revive the UAE’s real estate market during 2021, according to JLL’s latest UAE Real Estate Market Performance report.

With signs of recovery already underway, the report highlights that a large emphasis of the year will be re-envisioning spaces as tenant and endusers find community amenities more appealing.

“As roles of different properties are shifting, property managers will need to offer residents an optimal way of living and working with a blended and multi-purposed dynamic. The

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

successes and failures of the multi-purpose concepts will provide an opportunity and insight into how the modern-day tenant has evolved, allowing the future of real estate to take a step forward in creating properties that are adaptable to an individuals’ needs,” says Dana Salbak, head of Research at JLL MENA. During the first quarter of 2021, the office market remained two-tiered with demand for well-managed, single owned, quality space being sought after. Dubai’s office market saw a total of 30,000 sqm of Gross Leasable Area (GLA) delivered, primarily in Tecom A&B, increasing the total stock to 8.9 million sqm. Meanwhile in Abu Dhabi, no new office deliveries kept the total stock stable at approximately 3.8 million sq m, with future supply of 69,000 sq m scheduled for delivery by the end of 2021.

COVID-19 has irreversibly changed the way the retail industry operates. With the closure of various retail projects and movement restrictions implemented across the country, footfall and sales have witnessed a drop.

However, the sector remains resilient with market conditions improving during the first quarter of 2021, according to the report. Some retail segments such as F&B, have adapted through digital solutions as well as relocating to more street and community locations.

Meanwhile, other segments such as fashion, luxury and entertainment within established

malls lagged in performance due to change in consumer spending habits and subdued tourism.

“There are several ways in which retail destinations can be adapted to drive consumers back while still adhering to social distancing measures, with several approaches already underway,” said Salbak.

“As the sector prepares for a prosperous future following its pandemic recovery, we will see more innovation and culture brought to the forefront as retailers relocate to more street and community locations.”

Within the hospitality sector, Dubai saw a very limited number of keys being added to the market, maintaining the total stock at 134,900 keys. Similarly in Abu Dhabi, delivery of around 545 keys brought the total hotel stock to approximately 30,600 keys.

Hotels targeted staycationers throughout the first quarter of the year, Dubai saw hotel occupancy levels drop to 60% in the year to (YT) February 2021, compared to 81% in the YT February 2020. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi saw occupancy levels reach 61% as of YT February 2021 and Average Daily Rates (ADR) recorded a 21% decline Y-o-Y to USD 90.

“Despite noting performance declines globally, the UAE market has fared much better than others, owing to its efficient screening processing and the fact that it is one of the few countries open for tourism,” Salbak concluded.

MARKET REPORT

17

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES OFFICE REAL ESTATE STOCK, SQ M GLA DUBAI ABU DHABI Total Stock

8.9M

-2%

Y-o-Y Average Grade A Rent

2021 Expected Delivery

120,000

Total Stock

3.8M

-2%

2021 Expected Delivery

69,000

10

8

6

4

2

Y-o-Y Average Grade A Rent

With signs of recovery already underway, the report highlights that a large emphasis of the year will be re-envisioning spaces as tenant and endusers find community amenities more appealing” UNITED ARAB EMIRATES RETAIL REAL ESTATE STOCK, SQ M GLA DUBAI ABU DHABI Total Stock

-10%

4.2M 2021 Expected Delivery

Y-o-Y Average Rent

584,000

Total Stock

2.8M

-7%

2021 Expected Delivery

55,000

5

4

3

2

1

Y-o-Y Average Rent

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES HOTEL REAL ESTATE STOCK, THOUSANDS OF KEYS DUBAI ABU DHABI Total Stock

135,000

60%

February 2021 Occupancy

2021 Expected Delivery

16,000

Total Stock

31,000

61%

1,400

150

120

90

60

February 2021 Occupancy

30

Source: JLL

2021 Expected Delivery

MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

18

ANALYSIS

Drones

Taking Flight MIDDLE EAST

Drone technology can do so much more than just surveying sites and monitoring progress on site, as Gavin Davids finds out while speaking to Rabih Bou Rashid, CEO of FEDS Drone-Powered Solutions, the region’s first, and only, drone provider for the construction industry May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

A

s the use of drones becomes increasingly prevalent in the modern world, it comes as no surprise that forward-thinking construction companies and professionals are exploring ways to deploy the technology across project sites.

While drones are already being used to survey landscapes and monitor progress, experts predict that the usage of drones in construction will result in significant changes within the industry.

Some of these changes are already happening, with drones providing more information and communication to stakeholders, resulting in projects that are better managed and delivered.

The data generated by drones will be key to this evolution, with construction professional able to access detailed insights to create reliable, detailed, and complex design models that provide a holistic view of the projects they are working on.

Before the development and deployment of aerial drones, the traditional method of gathering site data was carried out by sending out operators to physical walk across the site, or by using manned aerial vehicles, such as helicopters.

For obvious reasons, both these methods were impractical.

Now, however, drones in construction are giving contractors the ability to receive up-to-date images,

ANALYSIS

in real time, as often as they like. This not only allows them to monitor any issues, track progress and manage the site better, but it also allows them to improve many other aspects of the jobsite, such as labour deployment, material wastage, and creating an overall return on investment through the detailed analysis of the data.

Rabih Bou Rashid, chief executive officer of FEDS Drone-Powered Solutions, has long been an evangelist for drone technology in construction.

As the head of the Middle East’s only drone-powered solutions provider, he is well placed to gauge how ready the regional industry is for the technology, and he tells Big Project ME that he expects construction sites of the near future to be powered by drones.

“When we talk about the construction sphere, we’ve never had this bird’s eye view of a construction site. Drones bring a layer that previously didn’t exist, and the cost savings have been proven, with regards to how much they can help contractors.

“While drones can be involved in the complete lifecycle of a project – surveying before construction begins, during the construction to monitor progress – but there are applications that can be missed.

Once a sensor is flying over a site, the data can be used for so many things – not just monitoring from the owner’s point of view, which is to

19

When we talk about the construction sphere, we’ve never had this bird’s eye view of a construction site. Drones bring a layer that previously didn’t exist, and the cost savings have been proven, with regards to how much they can help contractors” Bird’s eye view Drones give contractors a birds eye view of construction sites, providing them with an extra layer of information.

44m

Data points collected from one sqkm

see progress. From an EPC point of view, a project point of view, a safety point of view, it’s completely different what monitoring means, and for each department, we can bring them something different,” he explains, adding that drones can even help in inventory tracking by measuring and counting materials and equipment.

Rashid points that drones are essentially just robots with propellers, and that like all robots, they can be built and programmed to carry out certain automated tasks.

“Basically, the way we see it is that there will be drones all over the site – drones with robotic arms

doing welding, instead of having scaffolding and people climbing up (into dangerous spots). You can have drones that monitor, others that bring the equipment, do the heavy lifting, welding, inspecting and so on,” he says.

Of course, there are currently limitations on the technology due to some components being too heavy or complicated, while in terms of artificial intelligence, the technology is not yet advanced enough, but Rashid asserts that drone technology is getting to the point where their deployment on site is a commonplace sight.

In the present, however, he says that there are still plenty of ways

MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

20

ANALYSIS

that drones can be utilised on projects, pointing out that drones can be leveraged in four different ways to improve BIM output: • Easy Data Collection: As the point cloud that drones generate is very dense, leading to highly detailed and precise 3D models.

When a LiDAR sensor is used, this precision is further amplified, giving users incredible 3D models.

• Aerial Data: Record-keeping can be a time consuming and tedious job, especially when it is carried out via ground-level data and images. Drones alleviate the tedium by providing an ariel view and making the collection of data easier. Furthermore, the work can be minimised by analysing highresolution imagery to determine the characteristics of objects. Finally, the measurements of objects can be pulled from the collected images instantaneously, thereby drastically reducing the amount of time record-keeping can take.

• Controllable and easily repeatable, with high accuracy: Consistency is critical to the construction process and by using drones, contractors can capture the site in the exact same manner, every time. This ensures data integrity over periods of time.

• Integrate Drone Data into

Data collection Data collected by dones can help create highly detailed and precise 3D models.

2014

Year FEDS began operations

existing cloud infrastructure: Drone data can be easily integrated into any cloud infrastructure and will enable project stakeholders to seamlessly collaborate and create a system where data flows smoothly into the BIM software.

“A drone gives you an extra layer, one that (ground-based) BIM does not have. The sensors could be carried on the drone, or the drone data itself could be integrated into the model. BIM is usually part of a huge construction software, and a point cloud point of view or digitalisation point of view, is just one layer that

the drone can provide. From a holistic construction site point of view, a drone can add more information that can be used in parallel with BIM data,” Rabih continues.

“Right now, construction companies ask us ‘how can we fly drones and save money’? The link there is overlaying the blueprints to the as built and catching mistakes early,” he says, citing examples where clients had made mistakes during the build and encroached too far or built to too short, resulting in them having to demolish and build again at an increased cost.

He points out that drones and the data collected from them can actually help avoid these types of costly mistakes, while the database library that is built along the way can help contractors build more efficiently, effectively, and with less mistakes or changes.

“You’re digitising the whole process – there are historical records for every villa, every shopping mall, every building that a contractor builds. You can enter this data into an Artificial Intelligence model, and it can improve the efficiency of how you do things in the future. With more data, you can then figure out (how to save money in different ways).

“This can’t be guessed – only the data will know these things. Not every

Drone Data: Quality vs. Quantity One square kilometre of drone data contains more than 44 million points, while terrestrial surveying contains only a few thousand or even a few hundred.

• You no longer have to depend on interpolation between points to calculate large areas • You have the precise data of exactly what you need with little to no error While we are trained to think that higher quantity is inversely proportional to quality, this is not the case with drone data. Drones are consistent while capturing, and we take special steps to ensure optimal accuracy is achieved.

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

ANALYSIS

site is going to have problems where data can catch mistakes early, but every site can use data to improve their processes in the future. The more buildings they have, the more the data can be revisited. No one has had this data before – they have had plans and blueprints and so on, but no one has had this holistic view of everything that’s going on. I can easily imagine feeding this data into an AI that can tell you immediately where you can or could have saved, say 30% cost or time, on a particular product or component.”

When it comes to Artificial Intelligence, Rashid is adamant that

the drones industry needs to improve its capabilities as drones today can only sense and avoid obstacles, despite the technology existing to allow them to do far more.

“They can see something and know that they shouldn’t touch it and will move, but the technology exists so that if we digitise something, the drone will follow the point cloud manipulation or flight control. What we want is a drone that’s smart enough to recognise and react like a human would. You can train a drone to react to a screwdriver or a pole, but what happens if there’s something

Evolving industry Drones can help automate and evolve the construction industry beyond just collecting data.

30%

Drone data can save costs and time

21

that it doesn’t’ recognise? We haven’t reached the point where a drone can do all of this automatically.

“In five years? Perhaps, but I can certainly imagine a future where instead of a roll of blueprints that you put in front of a client, you’ll have all of this data combined where you can walk through a building and see everything. Your blueprints will not only be in 3D, but they’ll be in virtual reality and people can actually visit and interact with them.

When you combine all of these technologies, you can do amazing things,” he predicts in conclusion.

MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

22

IN PROFILE

Concrete Industries Complex (CIC)

A Smooth Transition

BIG PROJECT ME CHATS WITH OSAMA HAMAD TARIFI, THE NEW GENERAL GROUP MANAGER OF CONCRETE INDUSTRIES COMPLEX (CIC), ABOUT TAKING OVER THE REINS FROM HIS PREDECESSOR, AND HOW HE WILL SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY IN HIS OWN VISION

April 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com May

23

MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

24

IN PROFILE

aking over from someone who has been at the helm of a highly successful organisation for the last two decades is no easy task, especially when the person you are taking over from is the one who has founded the company and seen it grow to become a major player in the UAE’s construction industry. Not only does the new leader have to work with and around the existing structures and policies in place, but they also have to convince the staff and management team that they can fill the boots of the person that came before him, all while continuing to evolve and growth the business according to their own vision and mandate.

Clearly this isn’t going to be an easy task for anyone, but when planning his succession, Bashar Abou Mayaleh, the former managing director of Concrete Industries Complex (CIC), was acutely aware of the challenges that would lie in wait for whoever replaced

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

We are looking at 2022 and judging how it will be. I think the market will be better than H1, in the second half of the year.

In fact, I think a lot of things will change in 2021 – maybe not big changes, but enough to help the industry survive” Succession plan Osama Hamad Tarifi says that he was involved with the decision making and planning for CIC for months prior to Bashar Abou Mayaleh’s departure.

22

Number of years Abou Mayaleh was in charge

him. Therefore, he was keen to put in place a structure and organisation that would not only outlast him, but also ensure the success and health of the company going forwards.

It is because of this structure and hierarchy that Osama Hamad Tarifi believes he has had a smooth transition into the role of group general manager for CIC. Having taken over management of the group from Abou Mayaleh in March of this year, he was formerly the general manager of Emirates Beton, the ready-mix concrete producer (and part of CIC), and says that the time spent with his predecessor has taught him many

things that will serve him in good stead in the coming months and years.

“With the proper planning and the advanced practices that we have, we can manage this transition. I am slowly engaging myself in the daily operations of all the companies, but it is nothing new for me. I was with Mr Bashar in all the meetings and operations for the companies, so I have the details and I know them very well. In fact, it would say that this is all very normal for myself,” he tells Big Project ME in his first interview since taking on the role.

“We’re a flat management organisation, which means that the transfer of information between

IN PROFILE

the departments and management is very clear. We’re able to receive and provide information very easily.

Secondly, because Mr Bashar had such a strong understanding of the business – he was a very demanding person who was always looking for more and more information about everything, and he was always open for discussions and the exchange of information and experience – that has left us with a very good environment for all the employees.”

He adds that he personally has learnt a lot, particularly when it comes to dealing with the day-today operations of the company.

“The first thing I learnt was to take full authority – at Emirates Beton,

Clear communication Due to the flat management structure of the companies at CIC, there is a clear pathway for communication and coordination.

85%

CIC companies are at 75-85% capacity for 2021

he played the role of monitoring and adding value to all the procedures and processes that we had. He built a good relationship between the managers of the companies and prepared us at an early stage, and in a good way, for his departure.

He distributed responsibilities in a very professional way and ensured that the communication between all parties was very clear. This helped us – and him – to make his succession plan (become a reality).

“To be honest, I’m a very lucky man to be able to takeover from Mr Bashar,” he states admiringly.

Of course, this does not mean that there is a lot to do and given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

25

The market is very tough, and the competition is unbelievable, but we’re optimistic. We do our homework very well, and honestly, our reputation in the market has helped us reach the level we are at now, and to be in this position” MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

26

IN PROFILE

We are in a very good position this year, with our backlog of projects, so have a good opportunity to achieve our goals, and we must target enhancing our performances and improving the skills of our people”

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

on the construction industry, Tarifi is sure to have his hands full over the coming months, particularly with Expo 2020 Dubai on the horizon.

However, even here, the foresight and planning of the company has ensured that his task will be a little easier, with CIC finding itself in a stronger position compared to its competitors. With the market in a downturn, Tarifi and his colleagues began planning long before the pandemic even in hit. This early preparedness ensured that they were able to navigate the challenges of 2020 successfully as an organisation.

“The early planning is also helping to pass 2021 successfully as well,” he adds. “Many of our competitors

Market leader Tarifi says that CIC’s reputation as a market leader has helped it thrive in a challenging market situation.

2020

Early planning helped ride out the pandemic

are not confident about the market situation and maybe they’re not doing so well, but I can say that we are still doing well and that things are looking okay for us.

“We’ve actually started preparing for 2022 as our companies are fully booked for 2021 – some of them are at 75% capacity, while others are at 85% capacity. Therefore, we are looking at 2022 and judging how it will be. I think the market will be better than H1, in the second half of the year. In fact, I think a lot of things will change in 2021 – maybe not big changes, but enough to help the industry survive.”

“The market is very tough, and the competition is unbelievable, but we’re optimistic. We do our

IN PROFILE

homework very well, and honestly, our reputation in the market has helped us reach the level we are at now, and to be in this position. I believe that we’re the best supplier – whether it’s concrete, ready-mix or precast.

“We have a standard of quality and we do not deviate from that.

We operate in a different zone to others, and that’s why we can say that we’re in this position.”

A large part of this difference is down to the company’s historical willingness to embrace technology.

In fact, Tarifi says that he would call CIC an IT company that sells concrete products, given the amount

Many of our competitors are not confident about the market situation and maybe they’re not doing so well, but I can say that we are still doing well and that things are looking okay for us”

of technology that is used across the company’s processes and procedures.

“We use the latest technology in terms of designing and delivering projects, from design to planning, through to delivery itself. At HPBS, for example, we use BIM and REVIT; at Emirates Beton, we have launched a mobile application and full ERP system; at HBF, we’re going into the online space very soon and will be publishing a mobile application as well,” he says. “As I say, we’re an IT synergy manufacturer. We optimise the use of technology to the maximum.”

Looking towards his immediate priorities, Tarifi states that he

Maximising technology CIC looks to optimise the use of technology to the maximum to ensure that they meet the standards they have set.

2022

Planning for 2022 is already underway

27

intends to make sure that the company will continue to meet its objectives, as well as the expectations of its parent company – ASGC. “For sure, we align the three companies with the same objectives, procedures and goals. We have started setting these goals as well.

You know, change scares people and people take it in different ways. We understand that and we need to create a good environment within the company to continue maintaining the warm relationships that Mr Bashar developed, so as to get the maximum from them, and to enhance their performance.

Furthermore, he adds that he is keen to introduce standardised policies across the companies as he believes that this will be very important in ensuring that everyone works fairly and deals with issues and challenges in a consistent and measured manner.

“Finally, my third and last priority is that success should be the only way for us. We have to be successful and aim to reach new horizons.

“We are in a very good position this year, with our backlog of projects being very different to everyone else in the market, so have a good opportunity to achieve our goals, and we must target enhancing our performances and improving the skills of our people,” he asserts, ready to lead CIC into a bright future.

MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

28

April 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com May

PROJECT PROFILE

29

Museum of the Future PROJECT NAME: Museum of the Future PROJECT CLIENT: Dubai Future Foundation PROJECT DEVELOPER: North25 PROJECT ARCHITECT: Killa Design LEAD CONSULTANT (DESIGN, SITE SUPERVISION & CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION): Buro Happold STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, FACADE ENGINEERING, SUSTAINABILITY, BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEERING: Buro Happold

Future Perfect

DUBAI’S ICONIC MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE IS AN ARCHITECTURAL LANDMARK AND A BUILDING FOR THE AGES. ANIRBAN BAGCHI REPORTS ON THE CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY INVOLVED IN THE BUILD, WITH AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE TOWER CRANES FROM WOLFFKRAN THAT MADE THE PROJECT POSSIBLE MEConstructionNews.com | April May 2021

30

PROJECT PROFILE

f you drive down the main highway and artery of Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, you will instantly be greeted by an architectural marvel - The Museum of The Future. Starting in 2017 Wolffkran Arabia implemented a lifting plan for this project, involving three tower cranes which were erected and then changed to meet the construction needs.

The cranes were put up in three phases. Additionally, as a crane solution provider, Wolffkran also provided the base design and procedures to erect and dismantle the cranes safely.

They facilitated this process with the SMIE anti-collision system and in-house trained crane operators.

The first phase of the crane operations started in April 2017 when Wolffkran Arabia erected three main tower cranes in three days. They started off with a crane

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

We employed smaller saddle jib cranes to create the concrete podium with 2–3t lifts.

During the first stage, the smaller saddle jib cranes enabled us to lift with high speed and efficiency while saving power” Engineering marvel Wolffkran Arabia’s expertise was invaluable in helping to deliver the complex and challenging build.

3

Cranes deployed in Phase One of the project

arrangement of three saddle jib cranes – all Wolffkran 6531.12 models with maximum load capacity of 12 tons – operating for the first six months.

For identification purposes, the three cranes were called TC1, TC2 and TC3.

The TC1 and TC2 cranes were installed on 2.5m square bases, and the TC3 was installed on a 2.9m square base. Since Wolffkran’s crane bases can be exchanged between all its crane models, installing these bases at the start of the project, permitted for the jacking of the cranes as well as exchanging the cranes for different units on the same base as construction progressed.

The second phase of the crane operations began in October 2017 when the three saddle jib cranes were switched for two 28-ton 355B luffing jib cranes which was the new TC1 and TC2 and one 20-ton 8033.20 saddle jib crane which was the new TC3.

At the start of phase 2, the cranes elevated 11–12-ton panels but, as construction progressed, they were jacked up to lift up to 20-ton steel parts.

The cranes were operated for about 20 hours every day, lifting between 9–15 tons of steel parts every hour. phase 2 was the longest stage where majority of the construction was done.

For the third and last phase the height under hook of the cranes was increased to 67.5m for TC1 and TC2 and 87.7m TC3 with the jib of TC3 being extended from 45m to 50m to facilitate lifting material of up to 4t.

The Museum of the Future project required free standing cranes because of the design of the building and its proximity to the Dubai Metro Red line, where the critical zone is 5m.

Martin Kirby, managing director, Wolffkran Arabia, explains: “We’ve got decades of experience in engineering and operating cranes in confined spaces, usually very close to railway lines and roads. We believe we were chosen for the job because only we could offer a solution to operate high, free standing cranes at the site. We engineered the lifting systems cost

PROJECT PROFILE

effectively with complete control of the operation and without the pressure to offer cheap products or reduced service and support.”

Wolffkran executed a twofold lifting plan for the Museum of the Future project, involving three tower cranes erected, swapped and jacked up in three different stages. As a crane solution provider, Wolffkran provided the base designs and method statement to erect and dismantle the cranes safely.

Wolffkran also integrated the SMIE anti-collision system and handled the logistics involving mobile cranes in coordination with other divisions of

Kanoo Group, specifically Johnson Arabia, which has been operating a fleet of mobile cranes for more than 20 years. Wolffkran employed its own in-house trained crane operators.

The first stage of the crane operations, which started in April 2017, had an initial crane configuration of three saddle jib cranes – all Wolffkran 6531.12 models with maximum load capacity of 12 tons – operating for the first six months. For identification purposes, the three cranes were named TC1, TC2 and TC3.

The crane farthest from the Emirates Towers Metro station (TC1) had a jib

In-house operators Wolffkran employed its own in-house trained crane operators on the project.

12

Tons was the max load capacity for Phase One

31

length of 50m and height under hook (HUH) of 32.6m. The crane closest to the Metro station (TC2) was erected with a jib length of 45m HUH of 23.6m.

The crane at the centre (TC3) had a jib length of 50m and HUH of 42.8m.

Wolffkran erected the three tower cranes in three days, one crane a day. The TC1 and TC2 cranes were installed on 2.5x2.5m bases, and the TC3 was installed on a 2.9x2.9m base. As Wolffkran’s crane bases are interchangeable among all its crane models, installing large bases, initially, enabled the jacking of the cranes as well as swapping the cranes.

MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

32

PROJECT PROFILE

Jeffrey Watson, operations director, Wolffkran Arabia, says: “We employed smaller saddle jib cranes to create the concrete podium with 2–3t lifts. During the first stage, the smaller saddle jib cranes enabled us to lift with high speed and efficiency while saving power.”

The second stage of the crane operations began in October 2017 when the three saddle jib cranes were replaced with two 28-ton 355B luffing jib cranes (TC1 and TC2) and a 20ton 8033.20 saddle jib crane (TC3).

The TC1 and TC2 cranes had jib lengths of 50m and HUH of 45m.

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

Making progress As the Museum of the Future makes progress towards its completion, Wolffkran is constantly evaluating different scenarios to dismantle the cranes.

20 Hours

per day the cranes operated

The TC3 crane had a jib length of 45m and HUH of 60.3m.

In the beginning of stage 2, the cranes lifted 11–12-ton panels. As construction progressed, they were jacked up to lift up to 20-ton steel parts. The cranes were operated for 20 hours every day, lifting between 9–15 tons of steel parts every hour.

The third and final stage saw the HUH of the cranes increased gradually to 67.5m (TC1), 67.5m (TC2) and 87.7m (TC3). The jib of TC3 was extended from 45m to 50m. As the project nears completion for opening

in 2020, the cranes are lifting material of up to 4 tons, and the Wolffkran Arabia team is evaluating various scenarios for dismantling the cranes.

“We were thinking about dismantling the cranes before erecting them. Our method statement includes a detailed plan for dismantling the cranes after job completion. Planning the location of tower cranes should also take into account accessibility for mobile cranes for dismantling the tower cranes. We will miss seeing the Wolff red in the skyline as we drive through the area,” says Kirby.

34

COMMENT

Industry insight

KIM CUSTEAU AVEVA

The Autonomous Industrial Enterprise

A

sset performance is a strategic lever to optimise OPEX, which then fuels transformation programs in the business. It's an imperative for industrial enterprises to balance the risk, cost and performance of their assets, while ensuring the highest level of reliability and safety. In 2020 organizations dealt with the COVID-19 crisis where OPEX spending was cut and social distancing led to a reduction in workforce.

The combination of which highlighted the importance of remote access to critical information and guidance tools. Customers increased their interest in remote operations, amplifying the need for secure, scalable and accessible asset performance solutions that drive the operational resilience, agility, and asset reliability that companies look for.

The environment continues to be impacted by these macroeconomic factors.

Everything from changes in consumer demand and consumption patterns to the reality that autonomous or near autonomous operations with sustainability imperatives, are going to be changing the way we need to work. At the centre of this change is the workforce. It's a generation that doesn't have all of the learnings of the initial workplace and ecosystem to support them because of the increase in remote working activity.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMING PRODUCTION Technology is transforming production and driving efficiency and sustainability through

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

optimised planning and scheduling. But technology alone will not transform the business so focusing on people and processes is a must.

The human is at the centre because they ensure that any technology solution is well used.

Businesses have to ensure that if they connect the people with the technology, that the impact is going to be high and that it provides the return on investment companies are looking for. This means digital transformation through the eyes of the worker is mandatory. The focus must be to consider the needs of the human behind the working asset and if businesses succeed in doing this, employees will become empowered and be the agents of change to attain the full value of the potential of digital transformation.

For this change to manifest, there are four critical elements required. Businesses need to make sure that, no matter how remote, workers have access to the information that they need. Teamwork is vital too and ensuring all the collaboration of a situation with colleagues is not compromised by virtue of being virtual. Decision-making from that data, in terms of the way workers are able to consume it in order to make quick decisions, is paramount and so too, finally, are the skills and training to be equipped with the knowledge to do the job safely and effectively.

AGILE, RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE There are many companies today that can identify a failure potential failure through anomaly detection. But there are very few that can implement that as part of an end to end user scenario where information can be garnered ahead of time through an asset library through to the execution of the action that needs to be taken - institutionalized at scale through an end to end business flow.

With end to end solutions in the cloud, and deep industry expertise, businesses can capitalise on the power of technology to become more agile, resilient and sustainable.

If we can ensure the viability of new projects that will drive business volumes and growth in capex and OPEX in a constrained environment, enabling remote teams with the information to make decisions to keep operations running smoothly and keep equipment running reliably and safely with minimal supervision, Then we can maximise the business opportunities.

Kim Custeau is VP, Asset Performance, AVEVA.

KARTHIK VENKATASUBRAMANIAN

ORACLE CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING

The challenge of accepting probability in construction

D

ata provides the engineering and construction industry (E&C) with an opportunity to successfully manage built asset projects, using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to predict different elements of the construction process.

Here are four key phases to consider when building a data map. But even following these leaves the challenge of accepting what the data tells us, we’ll get to that later.

FORMULATING A DATA MAP: 1. ‘Flan’ (flexible plan): Define the problem and leverage data Create a flexible plan to address what business problems need to be solved, what data is available, where the data exists, and how to use it. Define the analytics journey in a way that makes sense. This starts with learning from past data, applying past data to current projects and pursuits, and using this collective knowledge to predict the future.

2. Learn: Accessing historical project data Mining historical data for insights to find answers to questions including: How long do processes take on average? Who are the best and worst performing sub-contractors? What activities have typically been delayed in the past?

These help to define baselines, benchmarks, key performance indicators (KPIs), and standards.

Historical data offers an excellent starting point.

3. Apply: Reviewing historical insights to current projects Applying historical insights to current projects to answer questions like: Are the estimates

COMMENT

built right? What did we learn from the past?

Have we constructed the schedule correctly?

Are these the best partners to work with?

4. Predict: Schedule, budget, quality, safety, and risk Use the data collected so far along with ML to predict future outcomes about things the industry cares about: schedule, budget, quality, safety, and risk. Complementing lag indicators with lead indicators including understanding the probability of delay on projects, amount of predicted delay, likelihood (and severity) of a cost blow-out, and hidden safety, design, rework, and litigation risks within a project can transform the business.

Creating a data plan is the easy part, the bigger hurdle the industry needs to overcome is trusting what the data tell us about what might happen on a project - the prediction.

We all like certainty but the industry needs to start accepting probability in order to get the most out of the data available. Certainty tells us about what has or is happening on a project (known as a lag indicator). To look at what might happen (the lead indicator) we need to appreciate the value of probability.

It’s one thing to collect and store the data, it’s another to take the step towards trusting what the data can tell us about the future of the project. This is even more so when the outputs of ML are probabilistic in nature.

The key word is trust. Making sense of the data and converting it to insights and intelligence is best left to the experts. Realistically, you want to make data available to project participants, but you don't want everyone to be a data expert. You need specialists to ensure certainty of results and reduce risk of errors.

This goes someway to instilling that trust.

Trust also comes from accepting the way we use probability in other areas of our lives and transferring that to projects, such as our acceptance of video streaming recommendations or weather predictions. While most of us use them regularly, we don’t really know how the predictions are made, how accurate the predictions are and what data went into making them. Yet, we generally trust them.

This is not a linear process and the journey in some ways is all about the initial steps.

Karthik Venkatasubramanian is vice president of data and analytics at Oracle Construction and Engineering.

STEPHANE POMMEREAU ORANGE BUSINESS SERVICES IMEAR

MSI is crucial to solving smart city complexities

S

mart cities and territories are very complex initiatives, encompassing multiple suppliers of IT and related services. Managing procurement, deployment and operation of infrastructure and IT services is extremely challenging. Engaging with a Multisourcing Service Integration (MSI) – also known in the industry as Service Integration and Management (SIAM) – partner helps simplify the process and eases the burden, allowing smart cities to thrive.

Managing a smart city involves overseeing a complex ecosystem of suppliers across all kinds of disciplines. The supplier ecosystem may include hardware, software and cybersecurity providers and spans numerous applications within the smart city. Parking management, waste management, smart buildings, public transport and many other areas of life in a smart city rely on them.

Outsourcing IT for an entire city is a massive undertaking. Deploying IT infrastructure and services means finding, partnering with and managing dozens, even hundreds of different suppliers. After the various services have been rolled out throughout the city, they will need to be continuously managed. It isn’t just a case of managing the technology and the devices, but also managing the environment itself.

Working with an MSI partner can help a smart city operate more effectively and remove a lot of the complexity inherent in such a big project. While MSI can benefit all types of organizations, from multinational corporations (MNCs) to government bodies, it seems even more suited to smart cities.

35

At Orange, we have worked with smart city projects in the Middle East, such as Silicon Park, Dubai’s first integrated smart city initiative that is part of the Dubai Silicon Oasis. In that project, we work with the municipality itself to plan smart city operations, along with our ecosystem of partners in the region, and with external smart city service suppliers.

Here, the MSI activity includes setting up a central command center and service desk to monitor the IT infrastructure. This allows the city authorities to control and manage the performance of the IT estate for full visibility on how suppliers are performing.

This, in turn, helps to accurately report costs, manage customer expectations, and more.

MSI is a specialist skillset: the MSI partner needs to understand and manage all the different types of services, and the approach is different for a city than for an enterprise. For an enterprise, MSI could incorporate the company’s telecoms, network, video conferencing, UC & C services and so on. In a city however, we concentrate more on the relationships and performance of the suppliers – the communications side in a city largely revolves around local area networks (LANs) and wireless connectivity.

Implemented effectively, MSI can give smart cities a competitive edge that can make it more attractive to investors. It also helps free up city resources to work on developing innovative new services. Cities can operate in more agile ways and save costs, thanks to the overall reduced complexity and increased control that MSI provides. MSI also offers smart cities standardized governance, thanks to clearly defined responsibilities and service level agreements (SLAs).

What we have realized in strategising MSI for smart cities is that cities want to retain control of choosing the various service providers they need, but they do not want to manage the countless interactions required with them. According to Gartner, MSI can free up an organization’s management time by as much as 50% and drive cost savings of 13%. Furthermore, Gartner also forecasts that 50% of large organizations will require an MSI partner by 2022. It would be smart for cities to get on board with MSI today.

Stephane Pommereau is responsible for business development for ICT outsourcing/ Multisourcing Service Integration at Orange Business Services IMEAR. MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

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TENDERS

Middle East tenders UAE OIL & GAS

Al Dabbiya Thamama B Transition Zone (Phase 2) TERRITORY Abu Dhabi, UAE CLIENT ADNOC Onshore (Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations) BUDGET $150 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the construction of Phase 2: Development of 19 wells in new clusters (EE & FF) and three existing clusters (B, Y & K), which includes 11 oil producer wells and 8 injectors; De-bottlenecking the existing water injection system by adding a new de-centralized water injection system near CLS-O to FEED existing WI-6 water injection pipeline feeding existing clusters CC, M, K, L, N & Y, pumps each with 50MBWPD capacity,

and one water supply near CPP Ph-III and associated facilities.

The project aims to achieve an additional production of 15 MBOPD by the start of year 2023.

COMPLETION 30/12/2023

for the Jubail Technology Centre in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

COMPLETION 30/11/2023 HEALTHCARE

Soliman Fakeeh Hospital

RECREATIONAL

Suhaila Sports Complex TERRITORY Suhaila, UAE CLIENT Sharjah Directorate of Public Works BUDGET $30 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the construction of a sports complex, which includes mini-golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, administration buildings, external roads and associated facilities for Ittihad Kalba Club at Suhaila Area, Sharjah.

COMPLETION 30/12/2023 RESIDENTIAL

Residential Tower in Al Mamzar (Plot No. 134-1398) TERRITORY Al Mamzar, UAE CLIENT Private BUDGET $25 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope

37

of work involves the construction of an 18-storey residential tower located in Al Mamzar, Dubai.

COMPLETION 30/10/2023

SAUDI ARABIA RESEARCH

Jubail Technology Centre Research Building TERRITORY Jubail, Saudi Arabia CLIENT Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) BUDGET $60 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the construction of a main research building, a laboratory, support services structure, substation, testing facilities and associated facilities

TERRITORY Madinah, Saudi Arabia CLIENT Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital BUDGET $305 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work consist of a 8-storey hospital building located at Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, Madinah, Saudi Arabia. It includes a development area of 6200 square meters. The project also includes integrated emergency departments, specialized laboratories, dialysis centers, physiotherapy centers, chemotherapy centers, parking facilities and associated facilities.

COMPLETION 30/09/2024 MIXED-USE

Smart Square TERRITORY Riyadh, Saudi Arabia CLIENT Aqalat Limited Company BUDGET $300 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work consists of residential and commercial development, residential units, offices, utility area building, infrastructure works, landscape works on an area of 140,000m2 located at Al Mursalat District, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

COMPLETION 30/04/2024

OMAN INFRASTRUCTURE

Port Suwaiq Quay Wall TERRITORY Suwaiq Port, Oman CLIENT Marafiq (Centralized Utilities Company) BUDGET $80 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work consist of a quay wall located at Suwaiq Port, Al Batinah North Governorate, Oman. The MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

38

TENDERS

scope includes construction of basin, dredging, reclamation works and associated facilities.

COMPLETION 30/12/2023 INFRASTRUCTURE

Al Ansab Street Dualization (Phase 1) TERRITORY Muscat, Oman CLIENT Muscat Municipality BUDGET $120 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the dualization of Al Ansab street from Falaj Al-Sham Roundabout to Cement Factory located in Muscat, Oman.

The total length of dualization is approximately 6.5 kilometers (km). The scope also includes 8 kilometers single carriageway, two dual carriageway of 2x3 lane (option 1) and 2x2 lane (option 2) respectively, 1 vehicular underpass, 1 over-bridge, box culverts, box culverts, new substations, retaining walls, four flyovers, service roads, road and footpath surfacing, installation of traffic signal systems, road lighting systems, road and overhead sign structures, road markings and utility protection units and associated facilities.

COMPLETION 10/02/2023

MIXED USE

Burj Al Sahwa Transport Hub TERRITORY Muscat, Oman CLIENT Oman Global Logistics Group (Asyad Group) BUDGET $80 million DESCRIPTION The projects scope of work consists of a mixed use development located at Willayat A’Seeb in Muscat, Oman. The project also includes parking for public buses, bus station, commercial and residential buildings, hotels, public facilities, tourist facilities, car rentals, information centers, retail shops, offices, medical center, food & beverages outlets, restaurants and entertainment facilities.

COMPLETION 31/03/2024

BAHRAIN OIL & GAS

Debottleneck Gas Distribution Network (Phase 1) TERRITORY Bahrain CLIENT Tatweer Petroleum BUDGET $45 million DESCRIPTION The project's

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

scope of work involves the construction of de-bottle-necking of gas distribution network in Bahrain. The scope also includes laying of 6.1km pipeline from Hidd Metering Station (HMS) to Wharf Valve Station (WVS), installation of valves, receiver and launcher, inter-connecting pipelines, instrumentation, mechanical and electrical works.

COMPLETION 30/12/2022 INFRASTRUCTURE

South Bahrain Loop Road Development (Phase 1) TERRITORY Bahrain CLIENT Bahrain Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning BUDGET $10 million

DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the construction of Phase 1 of the Loop Road Development in South Bahrain, Bahrain. The scope includes construction of approximately 9.5km of two lanes single 7.5m wide carriageway, 2m wide hard shoulder at the west, and 1.0m hard strip at the east side, earthworks, asphalt paving, installation of kerbs, fencing works, stormwater drainage works, road marking & signs, street lighting and associated facilities.

COMPLETION 30/12/2023 INFRASTRUCTURE

Al Fateh Road Development TERRITORY Manama, Bahrain CLIENT Bahrain Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning BUDGET $155 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the development of Al Fateh road that will be expanded to four lanes located at Al Fatteh, Manama, Bahrain.

The project includes a tunnel that has been added to the scope of the project. The tunnel will be constructed on the highway near the Gulf hotel and Ahmed Al Fateh Islamic Centre (Grand Mosque) and up-gradation of Al Fateh highway of the total length of 6 kilometers, an underpass and two overhead bridges, which will streamline the flow of traffic to and from Juffair and reduce congestion. The project is being paid for by the Saudi Fund for development, as part of a $10 billion financial support package pledged to Bahrain by its GCC neighbours last year. The project is part of another, bigger project – the Manama ring road – which aims to increase road capacity, ensure smooth traffic flow and higher levels of safety to cope with urban, demographic and investment development, upgrading the existing highway between the northern end of the

TENDERS

39

bypass and the southern end of the Sapphire to Woolgoolga upgrade, to a four-lane divided highway and a local access road, four interchanges, access roads, related infrastructure and installation of signaling, infrastructure works, landscaping works, installation of street lighting and safety systems.

COMPLETION 30/03/2023

QATAR OIL & GAS

Ras Laffan Industrial City Liquid Production Common Facilities (Berth 31) TERRITORY Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar CLIENT Qatar Petroleum BUDGET $85 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the construction of a common facilities for liquid product Berth 31, an electrical building, control building, loading arm platforms and associated facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar.

COMPLETION 30/12/2023 INFRASTRUCTURE

Bu Sidra & Fereej Al Manaseer Road works TERRITORY Fereej Al Manaseer, Qatar CLIENT Public Works Authority (ASHGHAL) BUDGET $80 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the construction of road and infrastructure works, Telecom ducts, stormwater drainage, interim roads, pathways and pavements, electrical and power systems and associated facilities in Bu Sidra and Fereej Al Manaseer areas of Qatar.

COMPLETION 30/12/2023 INFRASTRUCTURE

LRDP Doha North Duhail South & Umm

Lekhba (Zones 30 & 31) - Package 2 TERRITORY Doha, Qatar CLIENT Public Works Authority (ASHGHAL) BUDGET $150 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the construction of roads and infrastructure works, pedestrian and cycle paths, pavements and parking facilities in Duhail South and Umm Lekhba (Zones30&31) in Doha, Qatar.

COMPLETION 30/12/2023

was inspired by Boubyan Bank’s logo. The headquarters will be home to convention halls, public area, cafeteria, meeting rooms, storage rooms, parking facilities, visitors zone, development of the landscapes and spacious offices. The design reflects the client’s requirements by providing a fully furnished office tower with a combination of maximum floor efficiency and a breath-taking design concept.

COMPLETION 30/09/2024 COMMERCIAL

KUWAIT CORPORATE

Boubyan Bank Headquarters TERRITORY Kuwait City, Kuwait CLIENT Boubyan Bank BUDGET $80 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work consist of a 34-storey headquarters building (4B+G+2M+31) located at Kuwait City, Kuwait. The facility includes convention halls, office cabins, reception area, parking facilities and associated facilities. The design concept of the building

Sabah Al Salem University City Data Center TERRITORY Kuwait City, Kuwait CLIENT Kuwait University Construction Program (KUCP)

BUDGET $40 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the construction of a data center information technology (IT) infrastructure, disaster recovery hosting under co-location and disaster recovery IT infrastructure, datacenter and disaster recovery network infrastructure, external network infrastructure, datacenter and disaster recovery information and cybersecurity infrastructure at Sabah Al Salem University in Kuwait.

COMPLETION 30/12/2023 INFRASTRUCTURE

Khaitan Area Roads & Infrastructure Works TERRITORY Jleeb Shuyoukh, Kuwait CLIENT Kuwait Ministry of Public Works BUDGET $60 million DESCRIPTION The project's scope of work involves the construction of roads and infrastructure works in the Khaitan area, around the administrative and commercial center, and plots allocated to public welfare associations in the Jleeb Shuyoukh area, Kuwait.

COMPLETION 30/03/2024 MEConstructionNews.com | May 2021

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PROGRESS REPORT

Final update

ALEC completes top out of One Za’abeel’s Tower A Main contractor achieves ‘pivotal’ milestone on iconic project

A

LEC Engineering and Contracting L.L.C (ALEC), the Dubaibased contractor, has topped out Tower A on Ithra Dubai’s iconic One Za’abeel project, it has announced.

Standing at a height of 304 metres, Tower A has been fully connected to its neighbouring Tower B via a 225 metre, 9,400-ton sky bridge known as ‘The Link’, which was successfully installed at a height of 100m between over two lifts in Q4 2020.

May 2021 | MEConstructionNews.com

Tower A required 215,000m3 of concrete and 54,110 tons of steel reinforcement, the equivalent weight of just over 94 A-380 Airbuses. Featuring seven basements and 67-stories above ground, Tower A is twelve floors taller than its neighbouring Tower B and will soon to home to 17 office floors, 399 luxury and ultra-hotel rooms, 94 serviced apartments and six dedicated floors for the Investment Corporation of Dubai’s new headquarters.

Tower B was topped out in February 2021, and includes seven basement levels, ground floor, three podiums, 57-storeys, as well as multiple amenities and ultra-luxury simplex and duplex residential units.

Other specialised

Pivotal moment The completion of Tower A marks a pivotal moment in the construction of One Za’abeel.

304 Total

height of Tower A in metres

features of Tower A include five doubledecker lifts, which serve two adjacent floors simultaneously. Three lifts are dedicated to serving the ground and first floors to the 24th and 25th and two lifts travel from basement one and the ground floor to the 61st and 62nd floors.

Passengers are given express access to ‘The Link’ and ICD offices respectively at a speed of eight metres per second, meaning a transit time of just forty seconds from the basement and ground floor to the top.

“This is a pivotal moment for us on this project and I’m very proud of what the team has achieved, particularly in working in close collaboration with the developer, Ithra Dubai and the project stakeholders. This is a significant milestone for us as main contractors and I look forward to overseeing the project’s continued progress,” says Kez Taylor, chief executive officer of ALEC.

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Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia to lead the region’s construction sector into a new dawn 21 – 23 June 2021, Online

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This event will bring together the industry’s leading minds to engage in discussions and share presentations, all of which you will be able to follow from the comfort and safety of wherever you are.

Discussions

In 2021, the Saudi economy is expected to recover as global conditions improve and the COVID-19 vaccine becomes increasingly available.

While this recovery is undoubtedly good news, it also poses the question about what comes next for the construction sector in the Kingdom. The government aims to cement the role of the private sector by prompting private investment in manufacturing, tourism, and renewable energy, which opens the door to the implementation of parallel reforms that will encourage private sector investment.

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