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Industry insight
MOHAMMAD ALMUTAWA
DUCAB CABLE
Aligning to global trends as the future of energy unfolds
Ducab Group's continued success rests on an agile strategy and responding to customers' needs. This is reflected in an impressive 25% revenue growth for 2021 compared to 2020 amidst challenging market conditions.
Being attuned to customer needs is the foundation for our tailored solutions for specific applications. Many verticals we serve are highly specialised and a one-size-fits-all approach is not ideal. Therefore, we have developed customised cables for various applications, including nuclear energy, marine and offshore, oil & gas and more.
Most cables are made to order, which entails working closely with customers to design cable solutions that are fit for purpose.
This is possible thanks to our in-house technical department dedicated to expanding our product range through product R&D initiatives. We also maintain eight fully equipped materials test laboratories across our manufacturing sites that carry out sample tests in accordance with international best practices.
The evolving global energy landscape has seen alternative energy sources rise to the fore of national energy strategies in many countries. To support these efforts, Ducab launched the SolarBICC line of cables specifically for the solar energy sector, which powers two of the region's largest solar power generation projects, including the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai and Shams 1 in Abu Dhabi.
Additionally, we launched the NuBICC range, which caters to the nuclear industry and is currently used in UAE's Al Barakah and South Korea's Shin Hanul nuclear power plants.
Looking at the future, we recognize that wind energy will constitute an increasingly sizable part of many nations' energy mix. Ducab, therefore, developed several cables for the wind industry and has supplied cable solutions for the Dhofar Wind Power Project in Oman and the Galloper Wind Farm Project in the UK.
Ducab is a proud member of the communities we serve. So as organisations pivoted to green energy sources, so did we. Last year, Ducab opened a solar plant at our head office in Jebel Ali. That incorporates a rooftop array and ground-mounted panels. The plant generates 3.5 GWh of power yearly, enough to save about 660 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year. The electricity produced by the system covers the needs of the PVC plant on site.
The decarbonisation of the energy sector is one of the major priorities in many of our markets. Given our vast expertise in renewable energy; increased investment in the sector provides a significant opportunity for us to become a much more important player in the world's post-oil energy economy.
Energy transition and digital transformation are at the heart of many regional socioeconomic visions. One of the common denominators between them is high-quality cabling solutions. As our customers pursue their business objectives, we will play our part in delivering the robust infrastructure required to support their visions.
IAN WILLIAMSON
TRSDC
Five Years of Milestones
As we celebrate the milestone of five years since the announcement of The Red Sea Project, it provides us with a moment to reflect on how far we have come in taking this development from a vision into a real destination, ready to welcome guests early next year
As one of the first people to work on the project, it gives me immense pride to see the progress we have made. At the beginning, we were only a small group of colleagues figuring out the first steps to take on our amazing journey towards delivering one of the most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations in the world.
Our aim then, which remains to this day, was to set new standards in sustainable development, respecting the
natural world, creating opportunities for the local communities and protecting and enhancing the destination for the future.
We've appointed some of the world’s greatest consultants to imagine and design thousands of assets and we've engaged several hundred contractors, including many here in the Kingdom, to construct and deliver on the vision. We have achieved milestone after milestone despite a global pandemic, setting new environmental, health & safety and construction standards for Saudi Arabia and we are on track to deliver our first hotel assets early next year.
For me personally, it really is a culmination of my 40-year career in not only leading the delivery of this world-renowned project but contributing to the rebirth of a great nation.
With a vision to pave the way for an incredible transformation in Saudi Arabia and beyond, TRSDC has already proven to be a significant contributor to diversifying the Saudi economy. Through destinations like The Red Sea Project and AMAALA, we are embarking on an exciting journey to spotlight the Red Sea coast as a platform for the regeneration, revival, and resurgence of the Kingdom’s rich natural and cultural heritage. We are developing the nation’s luxury tourism sector, bringing opportunities to the people of Saudi Arabia, and opening an undiscovered destination for the world to experience a deeper understanding and appreciation of this country.
TRSDC has also been a catalyst for social development and diversified growth, investing in enabling knowledge transfer, enhancing professional development opportunities, and developing local talent.
And now, after years of planning and preparing, we are only a few months away from welcoming the first guests to our destination.
Developments like The Red Sea Project are primed to become global references for eco-tourism, development, conservation, and regenerative sustainability.
Today, that small team has become a large and mighty one, acting as agents of change to demonstrate to the world that creating worldclass destinations can go hand-in-hand with protecting and enhancing the environment.
SHERIF NAGY
THE FITOUT
Benefits of an in-house manufacturing facility for interior designers and fit-out firms
The interiors of a room are important features in any construction. Fascinating ceiling designs, excellent floor patterns, elegant furnishing, partitions etc, create an everlasting impression on customers. This is what the term ‘Fit-out’ refers to. Every building, outlet, store, and commercial space include in their strategy to build a state-of-the-art interior space of the highest industry standards.
With the rising demands and requirements of clients and evolving trends in the industry along with the UAE’s culturally diverse environment, every client opts for a fresh and innovative design that could be delivered quickly within a time frame. This has led the fit-out companies to adopt several alternative methods to deliver projects on time. Professionals suggest that effective planning and prompt deliveries are the two most crucial components of a project's successful completion and client satisfaction.
One of the unique ways that fit-out companies opt for is possessing a manufacturing facility. It is absolutely advantageous and practical to have an in-house manufacturing plant, where firms can create and use their own products, if an efficient and timely completion of the project at a lower cost is the company’s top goal.
The advancement of technology has led to the evolution of machinery that enable multi-run production of high-end quality finishes. Having an in-house manufacturing facility can help fit-out companies in minimizing the outsourcing expenses and save costs on damage management.
Furthermore, fit-out companies have observed an increase in client satisfaction when they create and provide the designs from their own facility, especially during the times when customers require an improvisation of any interiors during the course of the project. A built-in manufacturing facility can save time as firms can immediately turn to their designers for quick rework and production of the new set of interiors including walls, wardrobes, doors, and more. Thus, saving the effort taken and expenses of finding new products in the market. In addition, firms can use the same products and designs in a different way for a new project.
To guarantee that the quality of services is consistently upheld and delivered to the highest standard possible, fit-out firms are advised to employ professional craftsmen and use extensive quality control procedures.
One of the healthiest ways to navigate through the current competitive market is to adopt methods that can make tasks easier and yet deliver quality, by grasping the opportunities that modern technology provides. Modern technology has been driving business growth in all sectors and having a manufacturing facility is one of the added advantages.
With the development of a manufacturing plant, companies can enjoy the benefits of incorporating design both with a contemporary and traditional touch, while devoutly producing superior quality products.