The Big 5 2009 Show Dubai News - Day 2 by ITP Business Publishing

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NOVEMBER 24, 2009 [DAY 2]

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Dubai deputy ruler 27 opens Big 5 show

Philippe Dessoy on building the world’s tallest tower

BRINGING THE HAMMER DOWN

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‘Impressive growth’ as Trade Centre opens doors for a record number of exhibitors HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and minister of Finance and Industry, officially opened The Big 5 exhibition yesterday. The Big 5 is the Middle East’s largest exhibition for the international construction industry which has grown by 15% this year, according to organisers of the event, dmg world media. The event, which is on until November 26 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), has taken up the entire venue, occupying a total of over 43,000m2, including the recently completed hall Sheikh Saeed Halls extension. This year’s show has attracted over 3000 exhibitors from 52 countries, ranging from major global suppliers to regional agents

HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (centre) opens The Big 5.

and distributors, along with 22 national pavilions. Big 5 vice president of construction Simon Mellor said, “We are delighted and greatly honoured that

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum officially opened The Big 5 Exhibition. It has been a tough year for the construction industry, but the Big 5 is the first time that

the international construction community has come together since the beginning of the downturn and it will provide an excellent platform to share our thoughts on the past 12 months and devise strategies for the future. We look forward to an exciting four day event.” Helal Al Marri, CEO of DWTC said, “As has been evidenced by The Big 5’s impressive growth this year, the demand in key sectors such as construction is clearly on the rise. Our recent infrastructure expansion is hence a critical step that will cater for the increasing demand and positive growth in the region’s events sector. This growth reinforces rising levels of global business and investor confidence in Dubai as a global business powerhouse.”

TAKES 35EUROPE CENTRE STAGE A look at the European suppliers on show today

PROFILE 47HIGH ROPE ACCESS Head for heights required in safety focused industry

An ITP Business Publication on behalf of dmg World Media Dubai

BIG 5 OPEN FOR FULL DAY ON THURSDAY The Big 5 exhibition will still run the full day this Thursday, 26 November, despite it being declared a public holiday for Eid, CW Big 5 Daily can conﬁrm. This follows confusion among many industry specialists over the show’s operating status on

Thursday. Last week the UAE government declared public holidays for Eid, the ﬁrst of which falls this Thursday, which is also the last day of the Big 5 exhibition. But speaking to the show’s ofﬁcial newspaper

at the opening on Monday, Simon Mellor, vice president construction – dmg world media, which is also the organiser of the show, said the show will be in full swing. “The Big 5 show will be open on Thursday, full day,” he said.

“Obviously some government entities will be closed but we hope that this will give them the opportunity to take time out of their otherwise busy schedules and come down to the Big 5 to support the show and the construction industry.”

SHOW INFORMATION The Big 5 2009 show timings: 23-26 November 11am - 8pm The Big 5 venue: Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Visitors are encouraged to pre-register online at www.thebig5exhibition.com to ensure quick and easy access. On-site registration is available for trade and business professionals only. Persons under the age of 18 will not be permitted entry.

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Dubai has to safeguard quality Construction ﬁrms say building regulations must be enforced to protect Dubai’s growing reputation A number of building companies have called upon the Dubai government to support their attempts to maintain quality within the industry. Al Rajhi Holding CEO Othmar Wutscher lent his weight to the Dubai government’s drive to introduce new, tougher build standards, but

warned that new regulations would also have to be strictly enforced in order to succeed. “They can’t just be on paper. Dubai has been built on quality but, with the economic downturn, there’s too much value engineering at the moment and buildings that may look good are anything but.

Al Rajhi Holding is the umbrella group for companies such as Romeo Design, Cladtech International, Mada Gypsum and Unipods. “We realize that, at this time, we need to be competitive but we also want to remain quality conscious,” continued Wutscher.

“In the next two or three years, I’m sure we’ll see an increase in the number of dedicated refurbishment companies at shows like Big 5, as the corners being cut start to come apart – refurbishing is expensive and labour intensive.” Cladtech International business operations director

Bater Biyouk agreed, adding: “We compromise a little on price which we’re able to do at Cladtech [a curtain walls and cladding specialist], as we manufacture our own glass and steel…we can avoid the commission from the middle men. But we never compromise on quality.

“However, testing has to be thorough. Quality curtain walling is a matter of using the right material, in the right place at the right time – it has to be tested as a system, not as individual parts. We support the government is any moves it makes to improve those tests and standards.”

France showcases ideal UAE green product firm air conditioning solution to attend “Hope in Hagen” France’s Ciat Group, which manufactures equipment for central air conditioning, heating by heat pumps, air handling and heat exchange is currently showcasing its district cooling solutions at the Big 5 Show. According to the company, these solutions offer three key advantages including comfort, air quality and energy optimisation. Energy efficiency, district cooling solutions make huge savings and enable construction projects to be completed quicker. They also have a minor impact on the environment, making them suited for use in urban areas. Ciat offers three key products including the Itex plate heat exchanger, its range of Alto and District Ciat fan coil units and Cristopia thermal energy storage. Thanks to their excellent heat transfer coefficients and compact design, Ciat’s range of Itex plate heat exchangers transfer cooling capacity and ensure the performance of the whole system. The com-

French district cooling solutions are being presented by Ciat.

pany said it underwent many qualification tests and received the approval of Middle Eastern authorities to equip gigantic district cooling facilities in the UAE with plate heat exchangers. The District Ciat and Alto units are specially designed for district cooling applications (operating with a temperature difference of 9K). They deliver the required cooling capacity to ensure optimum comfort even at wide thermal amplitudes and do so with minimum pressure drops. Their large drain pans are perfectly suited to any climate and feature reinforced insulation.

Cristopia latent thermal storage, a flexible system for managing significant refrigeration energy needs stores heat in spheres inside an insulated tank during off-peak periods or when costs are low and then transfers the heat for use when demand is high. The size of installed equipment can be reduced by as much as 70% without affecting the available capacity, peaks in consumption are levelled out and energy costs are cut. As a result, facilities are more dependable, safer and last longer. Thermal energy storage is particularly suited to district air conditioning.

Gulf International Trading Group chairman and CEO, Khalid Mohammed Ibrahim Al Midfa, said his company will be participating at next month’s United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in order to support the global green cause. Speaking to CW Big 5 Daily, he said, “We were invited by the UN to participate at the Climate Change Conference in December, after they heard of all the environmental campaigns we’ve done and for our products which are extremely green in nature.” In addition to his participation, 65 heads of state and governments have also accepted Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s invitation to attend the conference in the Danish capital. The conference had originally been intended to produce a new global climatechange treaty on limiting emissions of greenhouse gases that would replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Midfa said he was not sure

Khalid Mohammed Ibrahim Al Midfa, CEO of GITC.

if all objectives set out would be achieved but it was a step in the right direction and that his company fully supports all causes to protect the environment. In the company’s brochure that is available at their stand in Hall 11, he says: “My dream is to create homes that rely completely on natural energy sources and that create optimal living surroundings for the Middle East.”

The company provides a range of renewable energy and safety and security products including Powerglaz, which the company describes as “the real green building cladding material” and uses photovoltaic technology to produce electricity, hydrogen and fuel cell operation products, fire resistant glazing Aluflam, steel profiling system Stalprofil and SaintGobain’s Vetrotech glass.

Welcome to Swiss Building & Construction Solutions!

Hall 7 – Booth No. 7A301 – 7C302 of switzerland

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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A night on the tiles Brazilian tile makers are enjoying growth and see even more ahead

Registered at Dubai Media City ITP Business Publishing, PO Box 500024, Dubai, United Arab Emirates tel +971 4 435 6000 fax +971 4 435 6080 Offices in Dubai & London ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING CEO Walid Akawi Managing Director Neil Davies Deputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell Editorial Director David Ingham VP Sales Wayne Lowery Publishing Director Jason Bowman EDITORIAL Senior Group Editor Stuart Matthews Editor Conrad Egbert tel +971 4 435 6256, email conrad.egbert@itp.com Online Editor James Boley tel +971 4 435 6268, email james.boley@itp.com Bahrain & Saudi Arabia Editor Benjamin Millington tel +973 1 756 4111, email ben.millington@itp.com News Editor Matthew Warnock tel +971 435 6179, email matthew.warnock@itp.com Assistant Editor Sarah Blackman tel +971 4 435 6278, email sarah.blackman@itp.com MEP Editor Gerhard Hope tel +971 4 435 6252, email gerhard.hope@itp.com PMV Editor Greg Whitaker tel +971 4 435 6263, email greg.whitaker@itp.com Contributing Editor Alison Luke

Casagrande and Itagres, Concourse 848 and 873 Demand from the Middle East for ceramic and porcelain flooring solutions has been soaring for Brazilian exporters. Silvio Fernandes, export manager for porcelain tiling specialist Itagres, says that Middle Eastern business represented just 5% of the firm’s direct sales six years ago, but has grown to represent over 35% of sales and revenue. “Last year, we did over US $1

million dollars in the Middle East, and I have at least the same level of expectation for 2009, if not a little bit more.” Fernandes says that Saudi Arabia represents the biggest opportunity for his firm and is already his biggest market in the region. “We have started to tailor our production to local tastes, and that has had a big difference. This year, we have actually tripled our revenue from Saudi Arabia. The demand for high-end porce-

lain tiles there is very strong, particularly the dark, highly polished stonework.” Fernandes says this year’s Big 5 will be all about building the brand and increasing market awareness of the product range, which is extensively shown on the Brazilian Pavilion in the concourse. Claudio Cetenareski, export manager for Casagrande, a ceramic floor tile manufacturer from Brazil, agrees the local market is growing in

ADVERTISING Commercial director Raz Islam tel +971 4 435 6371, email raz.islam@itp.com Business Development Manager Alex Bendiouis tel +971 4 435 6324, email alex.bendiouis@itp.com Key Account Manager Leigh Wright tel +971 4 435 6473, email leigh.wright@itp.com Online Sales Manager Scott Woodall tel +971 4 435 6172, email scott.woodall@itp.com STUDIO Group Art Editor Daniel Prescott Art Editor Simon Cobon Art Editor Nadia Puma Director of Photography Sevag Davidian Chief Photographer Nemanja Seslija Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Khatuna Khutsishvili Staff Photographers Khaled Termanini, Jovana Obradovic, Rajesh Raghav, Ruel Pableo, Lyubov Galushko PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Production Manager Eleanor Zwanepoel Production Coordinator Devaprakash V.A Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Image retoucher Emmalyn Robles Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami CIRCULATION Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati MARKETING Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell Deputy Marketing Manager Annie Chinoy tel +971 4 435 6133, email annie.chinoy@itp.com EVENTS & CONFERENCES Director, Conferences, Marketing & Events Kimon Alexandrou Producer Oscar Wendel ITP GROUP Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors KM Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin Corporate website www.itp.com Circulation customer service tel: +971 4 435 6000 Web www.ConstructionWeekOnline.com ITP Images Certain images in this issue are available for purchase. Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visit www.itpimages.com Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions Printed by Atlas Printing Press L.L.C. Dubai Controlled Distribution by Blue Truck The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Cetenareski: Casagrande has begun tailoring products speciﬁcally for the Middle East.

importance. “The UAE, and in particular Abu Dhabi right now, is a very big opportunity for us.” Casagrande does about 10% of its worldwide direct sales into the Middle East, and is at Big 5 on the lookout for distributors, showrooms and stores to carry its brand locally. “We have had a tremendous number of enquiries for day one. I am very confident that a lot of the traffic will turn into some concrete business by day three or four.” Casagrande has also begun designing and marketing products tailored to Middle Eastern tastes. “Our range of beige matt finish tiles, and the sand coloured range sells very well across the region. It’s more in keeping with traditional styles.” Both manufactures say hotels and commercial developments are targets, but that residential and private sales represent the lion’s share of business. “There is a big trend to tile both indoor and outdoor areas in this region, and we are delivering a high-quality, Brazilian manufactured product which is a great fit.”

Globcom ﬂushes out stale odours Rashid Hall, C179 Globcom General Trading LLC has debuted the Hidrovent localised air extraction system for toilets at The Big 5. The company has global distribution rights for the patented technology, and has used The Big 5 to introduce it to the region. “The Big 5 has a high profile, and therefore represents the perfect opportunity to launch a new product like Hidrovent. The current emphasis on ‘green’ building and sustainability also virtually guarantees interest in the product. Combined with the high calibre of the visitors attracted by The Big 5, this is the perfect place for us to be,”

comments Globcom managing director Jean Bellumat. “Hidrovent is a revolutionary electromagnetic device to extract air from toilet bowls. It essentially removes any unpleasant toilet smells without any need for maintenance,” explains Bellumat. The product is adaptable to all buildings, making it ideal for the refurbishment market. It comprises a 12 V DC suction motor fed by 125-220 VAC 50/60 Hz electronic control, with infra-red or switch operation, plus a universal water-emptying mechanism. The system is contained in a sealed box in a wall at least 90 mm thick, which prevents exterior tampering as well as

ensuring aesthetic appearance and safety. “Hidrovent is activated when a person sits on the toilet, by either infra-red ray or a customer-activated switch,” says Bellumat. The system halts 100% of the odours em-

anating from the toilet, and thereby prevents these from spreading into the rest of the washroom or building. The odours are directed towards the AC extract duct, or externally through the Hidrovent system.

Bellumat: Globcom helps get rid of undesirable odours.

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Masa hits a milestone Masa Group is showcasing its 200th plant sold in the Middle East Zabeel H131 Construction machinery manufacturer, Masa Group is celebrating the sale of its 200th plant in the Middle East. The company’s range includes concrete block-making machines, aerated concrete machines and plants, and limestone plants. “Around the world we have supplied more than 1000 block making machines and hundreds of aerated concrete and limestone plants. In this region, we have just sold machine number 200, which is a real achievement,” said CEO

and chairman of the board, Masa Group, Dirk Bunthoff. ‘Plant No. 200’ is being showcased on the company’s stand, H131 in Zabeel Hall. It was developed for Pasco, an Al Ain-based company that specialises in the construction of concrete blocks, concrete pavers and retaining walls. “One of the things about Pasco is that it is concentrating on creating high-quality products. So you have two companies working together who focus on quality,” Bunthoff continued. “Pasco has bought a total

of nine machines from us. I think that’s important – if a client is interested in buying more than one of your products. That comes down to good client relations, and means not just selling the machines but providing a full service.” To that effect, Masa Group offers a 24-hour hotline service, and has created a hub in Dubai in order to better service its clients in this region. “We have an office, along with service and erection people, and sales people. We also have stock here. So if there is a malfunction in

the plant, we can service our clients immediately with parts, people, and whatever else is needed.” The Germany-headquartered company has been in business for over 100 years, and is present in the US, Russia, Europe, India, China and Korea. It has been active in Middle East since the early 1970s. “This is one of the most important parts of the world for us. It is an area with one of the highest growth rates and we have contributed with a fairly large number of plants,” Bunthoff said. “A year into this crisis and we are still running a successful business. We will end 2009 with the same turnover as 2008. What’s more, Masa Group has doubled its turnover over the last five years – mostly because of contracts in the Middle East,” Bunthoff said. “This is why it is such an important region for us.”

Liebherr keeps customers cool Zabeel J131 The refrigerators and freezers division of the Liebherr Group is attending The Big 5 for the first time, in an effort to expand its presence in the Middle East. “The Liebherr Group has an annual turnover of EUR 8.4 billion and our division represents 10% of that,” explained managing director, refrigerators and freezers division, Steffen Nagel. “We started production in 1955 so we have a long history. We are very strong in Europe and now have hopes and plans to expand our business in the Middle East.” The ‘cooling and freezing’ specialist currently works exclusively with regional distributors. “We offer the best

quality on the market and we focus on the premium side of the business. We are here looking for project business, which includes hotels, restaurants and catering, but we are also looking for new distribution channels,” Nagel said. The company is showcasing a range of products on its stand, W21 in Zabeel Hall, including the energy-saving GTP 2356 chest freezer. “This is the most energy-efficient chest freezer in the world,” noted regional manager, Middle East and Africa, Liebherr refrigerators and freezers division, Gian Paolo Glucker. “It is the first model with a 60% better than A rating. And if there’s an energy interruption – it keeps food frozen at -9 degrees for four days.”

FACT BOX Masa Group says that it will end 2009 with the same turnover as in 2008 The Masa Group executive team: Al Ain-based Pasco is the lucky purchaser of ‘Plant No. 200’.

Liebherr’s refrigerators and freezers division is new at Big 5.

Miele promotes its ecological credentials Hall 1 J23 Miele, a German manufacturer of high quality domestic appliances and machines, is highlighting its eco-credentials at The Big 5 this year. The company is showcasing its ‘ecological’ line of products on Stand J23 in Zabeel Hall. “We took this opportunity to present our ecological line – so whether it is washing machines or dishwashers, the product range we are showing will consume less water and less electricity, and will have of all the functions that will help protect the environment,” said managing director, Miele, Gaby Koudsi. 6

Attention to consumption, cleaning processes, water temperature and cycle length also set this line apart, Koudsi explained. “The environment is becoming more important for decision makers here, and we are targeting projects that are driven by environmental initiatives,” he said. The company is also using the show as the Middle East launch pad for its Octoplus washing machine and tumble dryer. The product was first uncovered in Berlin in September and has already received a Red Dot award. “The Octoplus is from our professional range. It is an

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

8kg, heavy duty washing machine and tumble dryer. It can be used for commercial and residential applications. In places like the Gulf, families are large, so although it is a professional machine, we anticipate high levels of domestic use,” Koudsi said. “For a professional machine, we’ve done a very good job with the aesthetics, and also, you don’t require a degree from MIT to operate it.” Miele is also keen to promote a new collaboration with IBM. This new technology will enable Miele appliances to determine, and then run, during off-peak hours.

Miele is promoting its environmentally-friendly line of products, including washing machines.

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Reem Emirates Aluminum (REA) and its subsidiaries: Reem Emirates Glass (REG); Reem Emirates Metals (REM) & Reem Emirates Cladding (REC), boasts of its factory as the largest in the Middle East and GCC market, equipped with complete line of the most sophisticated equipments and state-of-the-art technology to be able to meet the ever increasing demands for architectural cladding elements. With its unparalleled business expertise matched with a team of highly professional engineers and architects, Reem Emirates Aluminum carefully blends creativity and ingenuity to produce competitive products that meet the exacting architectural requirements of its clients such as: Double Skin Active Walls l Conventional Curtain Walls l Unitized Curtain Walls l 3D Metal Structures l Metal Cladding Spider Walls l Sliding & Casement Windows, Doors l Shop Fronts, Doors, Windows, Balustrades l Skylights l Domes l Grilles & Clusters Rolling Shutters Special l Architectural Featured BMS l Fully Tempered/Toughened Glass l Heat Strengthened Glass l Insulated/Double Glazed Units l Laminated Glass l Stainless Steel Architectural Metal Products

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Green rooﬁng hits ME IPAF to promote access equipment safety following in-depth survey The Middle East could be set to be hit by a wave of green rooftops, according to an industry professional. “The interest is improving in green rooftops in the Middle East and I see it as a trend that will increase in the future,” revealed Melanie Manlangit, manager of Al Yousuf Agricultural & Landscaping. The company supplies and installs the roof systems which allow landscaping to be put on the roof of buildings. Green roofs are said to provide many benefits to a building, includ-

ing lowering the cost of irrigation, protect waterproofing on a building and also reducing the temperature inside. “We have had a lot of interest in the UAE in our product, and we have also been talking to companies in Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia, so interest has been high,” commented Manlangit. “The region seems to finally have reaslised the benefits of having a green roof installed on a building. Dubai is pushing for it now and a new ruling is being discussed whereby

new buildings in the city would have to have 30% green roof technology,” she added. Green roof systems have been widespread in Europe in for several years, and countries such as Germany have seen particular enthusiasm for the technology. Al Yousuf Agricultural & Landscaping is a partner of German firm ZinCo. Manlangit stressed that the firm can operate best when it is involved in the design stage in order for it provide technical support and work closely with the designers and architects.

Al Yousuf Agricultural & Landscaping is currently working on one project in the Middle East where the client is seeing to use the rooftop for storage of rainwater. Asked how the company would supply green roof technology to the Burj Dubai, Manlangit revealed the firm would look to install walkways and pathways on the podium level of the building. On the green building policies in the Middle East, Manlangit was optimistic about the future; “It’s a work in progress, they have come up with a system for here but they are just starting really. The country’s building sector is not as old as those in Europe so it is no wonder they need to catch up a little. The important thing is these guidelines have to be adapted and adjusted so they can be used in the Middle East and I think so far they have been,” she concluded.

FACT BOX The UAE is aiming for 30% green roof technology for new buildings Melanie Melangit, manager of Al Yousuf Agricultural & Landscaping.

Poor pipework ﬂoods region The piping industry is being affected by low-quality products that are now starting to flood the market, an industry insider has warned visitors and buyers at The Big 5 show this week. “There were already a number of low-quality products in the Middle East market, but there has been an increase in since the economic troubles that have affected the construction sector began some 12 months or so ago,” claimed Rajesh Thunoli, project sales representative at Al Sahoo, a trading company for Aquatherm products. “We have a lot of problems with these lower, cheaper products, we do try to educate the people but of course the contractor always wants to cut costs so you win some, you lose some,” he added. Thunoli added that the Middle East market for pipes is huge, and revealed there are a number of companies looking to bring in high quality products from a number of countries around the world. Needless to say, the executive was also keen to advise potential buyers at the show that the best products were of German origin.

Thunoli also indicated that he has witnessed some signs of recovery in certain markets in the Middle East. “If you look at Dubai, it has not been that encouraging but I do see a little bit of improvement in the Abu Dhabi market and Qatar does not seem to have been as badly affected from what I have seen recently.” Aquatherm provides piping for a number of different applications from domestic water to chiller systems. “We cover a number of different systems,” Thunoli concluded. The firm produces plastic pipe systems and developed the Fusiotherm plastic pipe system of polypropylene (PP-R) for potable water and heating installations in 1980. The company now has more than 74 marketing partners across the world. On the sustainable side, Aquatherm also has a strong portfolio of environmentally friendly solutions, including its Greenpipe and Climatherm systems. Al Sahoo Trading has been active in the Middle East since its inception in the 1950s, and has a particular focus on the GCC market.

New glasswool insulation outﬁt launches Maktoum A121 The Big 5 is playing host to another new company launch as Glasswool Insulation Technology, a manufacturer of glass-fibre insulation products, officially begins operations this week. “We began production in April this year, and have used The Big 5 to launch the new company,” said operations manager Jun Brigole. Based in Abu Dhabi Industrial City, the factory will have a yearly production capacity of 12,000 tonnes of glass-fibre products, ranging from boards to pipe insulation. “The applications are numer8

ous, ranging from metal-roof insulation to insulation of airconditioning ductwork, and even walls,” Brigole added. The executive indicated that his firm’s new factory has been equipped with advanced technology from STM Technologies of Italy, an internationally renowned supplier of quality glass-fibre production equipment and systems. This advanced technology will enable Glasswool Insulation Technology to offer a substantial range of high-quality products to meet the needs of the region’s commercial, airconditioning, construction and industrial markets.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

“This is a very competitive market, with some major manufacturers already well established, including one from Kuwait, and therefore The Big 5 is an ideal platform for us to introduce the new company,” stated Brigole. Commenting on launching a new company at such a difficult time, Brigole said the pending ‘green’ regulations together with the larger sustainability agenda is focusing the spotlight on proper insulation and the role it plays in energy saving. “Insulation plays an important role in environmental comfort, thermal and noise

control and fire safety. In Europe, for example, the use of proper insulation is proscribed,” Brigole explained. “It helps conserve energy, thereby saving operating costs, which means it has an important bottom-line benefit. However, perhaps the greatest advantage, which is perhaps the least tangible, is that it lowers greenhouse gas emissions and the associated carbon footprint.” Glasswool Insulation Technology falls under Exeed Industries, the industrial arm of National Holding, a privately held Abu Dhabi-based diversified holding company.

Jun Brigole, operations manager at the newly established company, Glasswool Insulation Technology, based in the UAE.

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HSCC lands major regional job Brazilian skirting board manufacturer announces US $150,000 deal to supply UAE property manager Concourse 821 Starting Big 5 with a spring in its step this year is Brazilian skirting board manufacturer HSCC Business Solution. On day one, the firm was able to announce its first major UAE contract, a US$150,000 deal to supply skirting products to a UAE construction and property management firm. “We launched our UAE office in July this year, so to net such a major contract in Dubai in such a quick turnaround has been remarkable,” says Tania Lompa, business development manager. The firm produces polystyrene skirting solutions for commercial and residential properties, which Lompa

FACT BOX

says is a unique offering for this market. “The polystyrene solution is a perfect fit for the Middle East market. It’s cheaper than wood, more durable and ready to go. With wood or MDF the installation firm needs to cut, paint or treat the product, whereas our skirting is ready as soon as it arrives.” The quick turnaround is what has impressed Lompo most on the recent deal. “Typically in the Gulf market it takes much longer to go from bid to signing the contact. In fact getting local companies to open up and look at new suppliers and new products has been a real challenge,” she says.

The deal for HSCC Business Solution will see the skirting installed in apartments in Dubai within the next three months. The company says it bids at the project management level, but meeting with fit-out firms and interior designers is what has brought the company to Big 5. “This is a great way to meet clients from all over the Middle East, and the firms we meet here will allow us access to the Qatar and Abu Dhabi markets, where it is very exciting right now.” Lompa says gaining market traction and launching new products has been her biggest battle to date, but she has very high hopes for Big 5.

Greek company eyes Mapei reﬂects on entry into the region successful period Concourse 792 Altis Wood, part of the Greek Pavilion at The Big 5, is on the lookout for UAE distributors for its products. Porte by Altis, a member company of Altis Wood, manufactures a range of wooden interior doors in modern and classical designs. Altis says the high level of new projects in the UAE, despite the overall slowdown in

the construction industry, indicates a natural niche for Altis Wood to distribute its exclusive, high-end range. “We are a first-time exhibitor, and are very excited and privileged to be part of the extensive Greek contingent at the exhibition,” comments marketing director Nikos Altis. “The slowdown has meant a renewed focus on quality. Customers particularly are

US $1.4 BILLION Value of Al Salam Street & Mina Road road development projects in Abu Dhabi Altis: Better ﬁnishing raises the value of the end product.

Lompa: Polystyrene is a more suitable material for skirting boards in the region than wood.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

paying more attention to the end product, as it adds overall value. Shoddy construction and poor attention to detail are detrimental to the real-estate market overall. “It is only by focusing on quality, and thereby high-end products, that we will all overcome the current market constraints,” opines Altis. However, it is important to be cost-effective as well, as the market is still very price-sensitive, he adds. The company was founded in 1919 by Christopher Altis, with a furniture division being established in 1960. This was followed by a veneer-finishes division covering 4000 m2 in Kavala, Greece. “The Big 5 is the ideal platform for us to promote our products. We see it as an important stepping stone to the MENA region as a whole, and further afield,” concludes Altis. The company is also pursuing the certification of its product range to meet international manufacturing standards.

Stand 7 E291 ‘Fast-track solutions with no compromise on quality’ is the message from Innovative Building Solutions (IBS), the UAE subsidiary of Italian adhesive and chemical products giant Mapei, which is showcasing its skills for the fifth consecutive year at The Big 5 this week. It’s been a good month already for the company, which won a silver medal at the Gaia Construction Environmental Awards held in Dubai at the beginning of November, and Mapei is clearly building on this achievement by welcoming all comers to its sizeable stand in Hall 7. A list of the latest projects in which Mapei has been involved reads like a roll-call of the GCC’s most high-profile developments. Aside from previously carrying out work on the Burj Al Arab, the Atlantis Resort and the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, the company has more recently completed work on the

Metro Red Line, Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport, and is even now putting the finishing touches onto the Burj Dubai, set to be the world’s tallest building when it opens in early January. “With regard to the Burj Dubai, we’ve carried out a lot of work in the Armani Hotel, where as you can imagine, an exceptionally high standard of finishing is required,” said Laith Haboubi, business development manager at the Mapei subsidiary. “And we’ve also been working on everything from substrate floor preparation, self-levelling and screed-work, as well as adhesives and grouts.” Another of Mapei’s major highlights of the year has been the successful completion of its work on some of the surrounding infrastructure for the Formula One Grand Prix on Yas Island in early November. Given the tight deadlines put down by the Abu Dhabi authorities, on-time completion was of vital importance.

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Australia touts green products Australian ﬁrms at Big 5 display their expertise in water recycling and heat reﬂection technologies Hall 8, Australian Pav Touting years of experience with building sustainable properties and outdoor spaces in hot and arid environments, this year’s contingent of Australian exhibitors in Hall 8 have much to offer the Middle East, according to Graeme Wright, environmental water management consultant at Wisa Australia. “Soil moisture control is the key to making crops, landscaped gardens or golf courses flourish in a water starved environment,” says Wright. “By using intelligent water capture and reuse systems, anyone managing a green outdoor space in the Middle East can save a fortune on water and electricity costs, and that’s what we’re here to promote.” Paul Wright of Burdens Environmental, also from Australia, says hotels and golf clubs in the region could make huge savings by deploying the right technology. “Our water management and re-

cycling systems are designed to maximise the retention and use of non potable water. Straightforward recycling systems can reduce water use with proven reductions in utility bills. For example, a hotel at 60% occupancy, with our system, should have no need at all to draw fresh water for its landscaped areas.” Burdens is hoping the Big 5 exhibition will act as a gateway to lucrative contracts around the Gulf. “For agricultural and crop use this technology has already made a big splash in Jordan, and we are seeing a lot of business from Iran; in fact, that’s going to be our next big push,” says Wright. Both Burdens and Wisa see Abu Dhabi and Qatar as important markets, and are hoping for a breakthrough on the back of Big 5. Wright sees hotels and water theme parks as major potential markets across the Gulf. “There is still huge potential in the Middle East and even Dubai. These solutions

Paul Wright (left) and Graeme Wright: Australian ﬁrms know a thing or two about how to save energy and water.

are all about being sustainable and saving money, so now is a good time to invest,” says Wright. Australian firm Green Insulation is also focused on costsaving eco-solutions, touting its Reflecta-Range of energysaving insulation.

Paul Cox, general manager, says that 60% of the firm’s business comes from the warmer areas of Australia, and the solution is designed to reflect heat back out of a building, keeping air conditioning and district cooling costs to a minimum.

“If you look up at the ceiling here there is no insulation. By installing reflective aluminium insulation, or even retrofitting it, the cost and energy savings would be enormous,” says Cox. Cox is at Big 5 in search of a distributor for the Gulf re-

gion, or a network of country specific distributors to represent his firm. “We signed a distribution deal in India last week and we’ve already got a big order. The product is just right for this market, so I’m hoping for much the same from Big 5.”

RAK Ceramics expresses PPG introduces energy conﬁdence in the future saving facade coatings Rashid Hall, A181 RAK Ceramics, a regular exhibitor at The Big 5 for the past decade, has expressed its confidence in the local construction industry with an impressive stand showcasing some of its latest product ranges and innovations. Assistant manager, marketing services, Rajesh Patil says that, while the company expects this year’s footfall to be down on preceding years due to the economic crisis and its impact on the construction industry, the exhibition nevertheless remains the premiere platform to target the sector. “By being a regular exhibitor, we are showing our confidence in the construction 12

industry. Our continued presence at The Big 5 also shows us to be a major player in the market,” says Patil. “It sends a strong message to our customers that we are a committed player.” Established in 1989, RAK Ceramics has established a solid reputation as one of the world’s leading producers of high-quality ceramic wall and floor tiles and sanitaryware. It also exports its locallymanufactured products to 135 countries spread across five continents. “Despite our entrenched global presence, the UAE remains an important focus for us, and hence our participation at The Big 5,” explains Patil. The company began with

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

a single production line in June 1991 producing 5000 m2 a day, and today is capable of producing 200,000 m2 a day. As to what visitors can expect to see at The Big 5, Patil reveals that the company will be showcasing The Source, Infinity, Zen, Summit and Series 600 ranges, which are some of the specially-crafted sanitaryware models expected to make an impact in 2010. In the tile porcelain series, RAK Ceramics will be displaying the Inline, Lavagna Pearl, Ardesia, and Granada Stone ranges, as well as the Crema Marfil, Diano and Calacatta in 30 x 100 special format, manufactured utilising new NanoPix technology from Italy.

Concourse 801 PPG Industries, a leading diversified industrial-coatings manufacturer, has launched its new Ultra-Cool extrusion coating for aluminium composite panels at The Big 5. “The new technology saves 8% to 15% reflected energy over conventional paint coatings,” says MENA marketing director Vincent Allais. Regional technical manager Ramesh Morabad explains that Ultra Cool has been developed specifically for the Middle East climate, where energy-saving measures in terms of building facades is a key focus of pending ‘green’ building regulations and sustainability initiatives. Ultra Cool is a silicone-poly-

Vincent Allais: Coating can facilitate energy savings of 15%.

ester coating, and is available in a variety of colours. The formulation process is proprietary, with the company having established a dedicated -manufacturing facility in the Jebel Ali Free Zone about two years ago. “This is the first time we

are exhibiting at The Big 5,” reveals Allais. He says that despite the economic downturn and its impact on the construction industry, the exhibition remains the premier venue for companies to introduce new technologies and products.

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Flexibility key in crisis Greece-based Eurobend is back at Big 5 for the ﬁfth year in a row Hall 6 E268 Greek rebar and wire-processing machinery multi-national Eurobend sees portfolio diversification as the route to success in what has undoubtedly been a tough last 12 months. “We are operating in a number of different sectors in this industry, but we also have installed bases in more than 45 countries,” said George Adamis, sales and marketing director for Eurobend SA. “So by changing markets or by changing products in the same market, I would say that we have coped

extremely well, considering the circumstances.” The company has now appeared at The Big 5 for five years on the trot, and sees the event as a great opportunity to showcase its new flexible mesh-welding line, as well as expanding its installed base in the Middle East. “Traditionally in the Middle East, the larger and older dedicated machines that provide this service are being sold, but this crisis has proved that you need to have flexible machines,” Adamis added. “You need to adapt quickly to

manufacture different products, which will allow you to reach out and seek different markets and different sectors, and I am convinced we have the best solution for this.” Some of the key features of the company’s latest PLR model for mesh-welding include user-friendly software, which requires no programming skills, and a customised working width, which offers adaptability to demanding production requirements. Aside from this product, Eurobend’s portfolio includes continuous multi-layer au-

tomatic stirrup benders, automatic straightening and cutting machines, and wire automatic benders, all of which can be used to process coil or straight bar between 2mm and 60mm in size. “For us, flexibility and service are absolutely crucial,” Adamis remarked. “And by service terms I mean our physical presence in the region; we are not just an address on a brochure.” Looking forward, the Eurobend executive confesses to being excited about the projects in the pipeline. “We’ve recently carried out a lot of work in the UAE, but in terms of installed base, our biggest market is Saudi Arabia,” said Adamis. “Depending on the economic situation, the Middle East is often our most important market, and it’s always in the top three regions for us worldwide.”

GulfWall unveils precast walling Hall 7 G339 Australian firm GulfWall is using The Big 5 show to highlight its new generation of light-weight precast walling and partition systems, which offer several key benefits to the local construction market. “It’s important for us to be here, not only from the sales perspective, but most importantly to educate potential clients about the new technologies and smart building systems that are now available in the market,” said Colin Williamson, project manager for GulfWall FZCO. “Our walling system is made from gypsum, and fibre-glass rovings, water-proofing materials and a number of other proprietary components.”

GulfWall makes its products at a US $7 million facility based in Jebel Ali. “We mould the walls themselves and then install them onsite,” said Williamson. “As construction is extremely fast, our process saves on cost and labour.” Once a GulfWall product is installed, the company then fills it with concrete, allowing the wall to become load-bearing. “The main factors that separate us from the competition are the speed of construction and our versatility,” Williamson added. “Clients aren’t bound by concrete precast because the design can be changed, and we can also take clients’ drawings and work to them at the drop of a hat.”

FACT BOX Two 1.3 km tunnels have just been blasted through the mountains of the Eastern UAE. Adamis: Diversity of operations has helped Eurobend pull through the economic downturn.

Colin Williamson: “It’s important for us to be here [at Big 5].”

Quality matters, says Elba Zabeel C130 The Middle East construction sector is more competitive because of the intense level of competition, a manufacturer of concrete plants has stated. “The Middle East market is very tough,” reported Rainer Paetzelt, Middle East delegate of ELBA. “The entire world markets meet here and this makes it different from any other market. “You get some markets that are isolated on their own and they can be easier to break into but everyone is of the opinion that you can make easy sales here,” he added. ELBA is a manufacturer of 14

concrete plants although it does not have a manufacturing base in the Middle East. Paetzelt revealed the company looks to collaborate with local markets for some components of its job. “Our competitors don’t manufacture in this region but in the countries that surround it and there is a difference in the standards,” commented Paetzelt. “We have to compete with plants which are cheaper, German products are among the most expensive but there is a standard which is expected of a German manufactured product and that is some-

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

thing that you have to live up to. You feel the difference of the product later rather than straight away,” he added. The company has, like most of the industry, experienced a difficult year. Paetzelt revealed that 2009 has been “tough” following an excellent year previously. “Internationally, key markets such as Russia broke down and here there was a significant drop also,” he explained. The company’s Middle East involvement makes up around 10-15% of its worldwide activities and ELBA is looking to increase that figure through exhibiting at The Big

5. “The challenges are actually being close to the projects which are coming up, in places such as Abu Dhabi, you get a checklist out, you get involved and you meet the key players. In this sector AlBA is a supporting company because we are doing plants which are for the construction business but we are not a key player like a developer. But it is a brand that is well known so it is more or less reminding people of our service,” stated Paetzelt. “We are a regular exhibitor here, and come more or less just to show our face and keep in touch with clients.”

Paetzelt: Competing whilst maintaining standards is tough.

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Breakthrough from KSA LEDCOM ﬁnds Saudi Ceramic produces ceramics, sanitaryware and water heaters

new customers

Rashid D161 Saudi Ceramic Company has used The Big 5 to unveil a new 300 litre energy-saving, glass-lined water heater, says Dubai branch manager Tony Barbour. Based in Saudi Arabia, the manufacturer has a representative in Dubai, as well as exporting to over 45 countries. Established in 1977, Saudi Ceramic Company is a leading manufacturer of ceramic tiles, sanitaryware and electrical water heaters. Its head office is based in Riyadh, where it has a total facility covering 600,000 m2 in Industrial City. The company employs about 2500 people. “Being established in the region for more than 30 years, we are a well-known and re-

Architectural lighting and illuminated signage in the Middle East is lagging far behind that of Western markets and so it’s no surprise that when LEDCOM Technology was looking for a new market, it decided to test Big 5. “This is our first time to try Big 5 for the LEDCOM brand,” explained Erwin Mittermann, managing director of LEDCOM Technology. “We’re doing a lot of work in Austria, of course, but also Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic as well. We feel it’s good to try to see if we can expand into foreign markets.” Not only is LEDCOM Technology offering an aesthetic boost to consumers in the

spected brand name. Being at The Big 5 only serves to enhance our reputation and standing in the marketplace,” comments Barbour. Given the extreme heat of the desert climate in the UAE, the need for water heating is often overlooked, as is the role it can play in energy efficiency and sustainability, argues Barbour. The company’s water heaters feature glasslining treatments, stainless steel for the water inlet and outlet pipes; magnesium anodes, five-bolt flanges and recyclable components. Quality Italian components are used in the assembly of the water heaters, which are easy to install and maintain. Applications run the gamut

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

from residential to commercial use. Barbour says The Big 5 is the ideal platform to target the construction industry in Dubai. “Our aim of exhibiting here is to convince the profession-

als of the efficacy and benefits of our products, following which we will go public. The market is still price-sensitive at the moment, but the benefit of The Big 5 is it focuses on technology and innovation.”

Tony Barbour: Saudi Ceramic is a well respected brand.

Middle East, its approach is also heavily focused on ecofriendly and energy conscious solutions as well. “Energy consciousness is a big issue. We’re in the process of changing from traditional fluorescent tubes to LEDs; this is where we’re putting our money and research efforts,” said Mittermann. “While it’s true that LED lights are more expensive, using them can reduce energy consumption by up to 90%.” LEDCOM’s core technology lies in providing lighting for various outdoor applications. “If you’re building a commercial building, you’re going to need lights of some kind. That’s where we come in,” said Mittermann.

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Upbeat research good Libya next growth news for PMV makers market, says expert PMV hall

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A number of Far Eastern companies have become excited by some new research issued to coincide with the Big 5 exhibition, which illustrates the true state of the GCC construction market. The figures paint a generally positive picture of the regional construction industry, which has been battling to shrug off the effects of the global economic crisis. According to the research, Saudi Arabia has 847 active projects valued at US $417,859 billion. The UAE leads, with 1853 civil building projects worth a total of US $661,443 billion currently underway. Kuwait has 160 active projects worth US $142,759 billion, Qatar 186

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

projects valued at US $48,215 billion, Bahrain 232 projects worth US $40,258 billion, and Oman 116 projects valued at US $38,512 billion. Benny Khoo, a manager at Hongmen, an electrical gate firm from Shenzen, said: “We

are looking for a dealer here, so it is great news that the market valuation is still very high. The number of ongoing projects, particularly in Saudi Arabia, means we should have a good market for our security products.

Khoo: Encouraged by reports of the value of the local market.

PMV hall Libya is going to be one of the new growth markets for construction plant, machinery and vehicles, according to the boss of one of Dubai’s leading equipment firms. “There are three types of project there – infrastructure, construction and petroleum. This might well be the next area to expand into after Saudi Arabia” said Waiel Manafaluti, the general manager of House of Equipment. With an area of 1,800,000 square kilometres, and ageing infrastructure, there is potential for suppliers of machinery when the decision is taken to modernise the African nation. “That is the country that we hope will become good in the

Manafaluti: Likes Libya.

future.” Manafaluti confirms. Speaking at the Big 5 PMV, he added: “We also hope that the ‘balance’ countries (non-GCC states) in the Middle East will also start modernising when they are past the credit crisis. Already in the UAE, we are seeing the start of recovery – projects that had been put on hold are being finished, albeit at a slower speed.”

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Road kit makers have high hopes Government investment in infrastructure across GCC has PMV companies eyeing rich pickings PMV Hall International firms manufacturing road building equipment are looking to the GCC and its many ongoing infrastructure works as a way to shore up sales while the rest of the world puts such projects on hold. “We’ve sold quite a few in Morocco and Algeria, but I really want this market,” explained Antonio Alvarez from Mexican asphalt process equipment firm Triaso. “This is one of the countries that is still kind of thriving, from an infrastructure and roads point of view.” The drop off in business through the Americas has been hash through the recession, according to Alvarez.

“To give you some idea, we were selling eight of these per month last year, and that dropped back to three.” Local businessman Waiel Manafaluti agrees. “Many of the countries in the region need modification and improvement to the infrastructure whether it is roads, bridges or power supply and railways,” he says. “All those infrastructure projects will soon be released, and some, as we are all aware, are already being built, notably the projects in Saudi Arabia.” Manafaluti is the general manager of Dubaibased machinery company House of Equipment, which is looking forward to taking advantage of the roadlaying

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Huang: Vibratory drum rollers are doing very well right now.

boom. “It’s is a line which we are now exploring – asphalt equipment and paving equipment,.” Manafaluti says. “We have signed a deal with Rapid International who specialise in mobile batching plant and fully mobile stabilisation plant, which will be exhibited for the first time at the upcoming Saudi PMV exhibition in Jeddah. “It is a highly reputed brand, and of course, being made in Northern Ireland, it meets all EU standards as well as American ones. The equipment has already been very successful in the US for massive concrete paving of roads,” he continues. Throughout a generally gloomy year, manufactur-

ers of general construction equipment have also seen sales rise in their road building range. Chinese conglomerate LiuGong is best known in this region for a long-established line up of wheel loaders, but according to the general manager Huang Zhaohua it has been the firm’s line-up of vibratory drum rollers that have seen the largest increase in sales over the last year. “This type of equipment has seen a 30% rise in sales over the last year, against a downturn of 30% in the market generally.” Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia committed around US $3 billion to road building projects in 2009.

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SIX DEGREES IN CONSTRUCTION The six degrees rule normally applies to people, but in the peculiar case of Philippe Dessoy, it seems to apply between him and his job too. Well over six feet tall and heading up Six Construct in Dubai, he helped build the tallest tower in the world. It’s destiny. By Conrad Egbert

efore the towering Belgian stepped off the plane and onto the tarmac at Dubai International Airport sixteen years ago in 1992, he’d never heard of the emirate. He joined Besix in 1989 and had worked at the head office in Belgium for three and half years when he was asked by the company if he fancied moving to Dubai. Confused and unfamiliar with a name that was destined to become one of the most well known cities in the world, Dessoy feebly asked “Where?”

In a way i think the crisis has actually been good for the region.

“The company asked me to go, so I went,” says Dessoy. “I had never heard of Dubai before that, but I had of Saudi Arabia of course. Some friends from university had gone to work in Saudi and they weren’t very happy, so I wasn’t too keen to come to the Middle East or anywhere in the Gulf for that matter,” he adds. For Dessoy, the Middle East consisted of Saudi Arabia and little other versions of it. 24

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Names like Dubai and Sharjah were of no particular relevance and ideas of the Gulf in his head painted classic story book tales of shifting dunes, camels and oases. “My company then convinced me to go to Dubai for two weeks to see if I liked it. I came, I saw and thought why not. I went back to Belgium and said ‘okay’ but also that I would stay for only two years.” It’s been sixteen years since then. “When I got here I was surprised to see that it was quite well developed and open. I was not expecting that. I was expecting Saudi Arabia. At that time, the company had a compound there where all the staff was staying and I thought living in a compound was not the type of life I wanted. So I went to the city and the company put me in an apartment where it was okay,” he reminisces. “Dubai on the other hand was quite well developed at that time, I mean Sheikh Zayed Road was being developed into four lanes; some parts were already four lanes to Jebel Ali. Since then I don’t think Dubai ever looked back. Development went well until, I’d say 2003 or 2004, when it began to go too fast and it became a nightmare. In 2006 to 2008, there was just maddening traffic with everybody rushing everywhere, so in a way I think the crisis has actually been good for the region. Things are back to normal and you can have a decent life again. So what brought on such an epic turnaround for Dessoy who started out in the back offices of Besix as an estimator? He is now one of the most wanted men in the construction fraternity not only in the Middle East but globally. His little office in Al Quoz is responsible for more than half of

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INTERVIEW PHILIPPE DESSOY

If you’re not paid what’s the point in taking up a job? we’re not a bank.

Philippe Dessoy heads up Six Construct in Dubai.

the turnover for the company worldwide. Dessoy’s legendary rise to his current position as general manager of one of the biggest contractors in the Middle East is a success story that is second to none. “I suppose the reason I chose to stay on here, from a work point of view, is because business here is interesting. I mean the projects we are currently working on here are quite nice. We cannot do these types of projects in Europe anymore. There isn’t that type of demand in Europe and the money is also not there sometimes. Plus I’ve also grown in the company which plays a big role in my staying on,” says Dessoy. “On a personal note, the quality of life here is good too; it’s a central place so you can fly off to almost anywhere; places that are often only a dream are at your doorstep here; it’s liberal too, of course not as free as Europe but its not too bad. I’ve been on holiday a few times to Oman, Iran, North Pakistan, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia. There’s great food here too. The variety is amazing.” While living in Jumeirah one and often seen at his favourite after-work haunt, Madinat Jumeirah, Dessoy says Dubai has several beautiful places and is a great city to

live in, but would still prefer to buy and own property in Europe. “There are a few very nice places; what they’ve done with the Burj Dubai downtown area, when it is finished more than what it is today, it should be a very nice place. But I don’t think I’ll buy property here. I prefer to keep properties in Europe. I mean today I don’t need it. If I come back here, I won’t be back for that long – maybe a few weeks in winter and for just that much time, dealing with the many issues surrounding the buying of property here – it’s not worth it. The cost is high, the maintenance charges are high. One would rather stay in a hotel; no headache.” They say Dubai makes you stronger and if you’ve survived here, you can make it anywhere in the world. But many of these survivors have had their moments and Dessoy has had his share too. “At one stage I remember, I said to myself I have had enough and I wanted to leave; this was in 2007 and then I got promoted to this position and the business life changed. I mean it was a nightmare when you had to go somewhere, because you needed half a day to get to a meeting in town; it was awful but that’s changed now.”

But like every action has an opposite and, mostly, equal reaction, the “good for the region” downturn also sent many companies running for cover. Dessoy reveals why he had it better than most. “I think it was more difficult for other companies than for us, because from the beginning we’ve always tried to be diversified, so we have different clients; we’ve been working in different parts of the Gulf including here in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Qatar and Bahrain. Work in Dubai is down but Abu Dhabi is doing okay, Qatar is still very good; Of course we have suffered a little because a lot of projects in Dubai have been stopped but it’s still okay; we’re still working and we’re still busy.” But unlike many companies in the same bracket Besix has not made a knee-jerk decision to enter the Saudi market. But it does feature in the company’s future plans. Egypt, on the other hand is a market that the company is already working in and one that Dessoy has a soft corner for. “My first ever job was in Cairo. I’ve got very good memories of it. It was in 1983 to 1988. With endless trips to the Dead Sea, going to the mountains, diving; those were good days. Besix is working on two projects there. We’re

just finishing the Fairmont and we’re doing a job for Qatari Diar. But Egypt is a difficult market as the quality on many projects there is not of standards that any international contractors would work to. “In terms of Saudi, I’ve been there a few times and we’ve decided to enter the kingdom, so we’re going to put somebody there full time, but of course, it will take time before we start on a job and sign the contract; it may take a few more months. We don’t regret not entering Saudi earlier. I mean we were in Qatar before a lot of companies went there so we’ve got a good name there. Similarly, we were in Bahrain before and Oman as well, so we’re in a pretty comfortable place at the moment.” Comfortable for some, means not-socomfortable for others, at least, until the economy begins to look up again. But when? “I think, the recovery, will still take some time. From what I hear, some people say 2010, 2011, 2012. Some even say 2010 is going to be even worse, so I think we need to be prepared as it will take some time.” An interesting outcome of the downturn has been the offer of property in lieu of payments by several developers to contractors. Despite not being a fan of the idea, Dessoy says he’s open to hearing what’s on offer. “As a company we’ve already bought 20 properties about four or five years ago, in order to house our staff. We have been offered property in lieu of payments before, in fact just a few months ago one of the biggest developers here did that – the problem here is how do you evaluate the property they give you? According to the market rate? It’s inflated, it’s too high.” “The downturn has left us with a backlog of payments. In Dubai we have not put in a tender for the past nine months. Its not that we haven’t been invited to bid, but that we’ve declined. If you’re not paid, what’s the point in taking up a job? We are owed about AED500 million (US $136 million) currently. I mean we are all working here to earn money. We’re not a bank.” A risky road in a region where contractors often tender to stay on the right side of developers. Dessoy thinks not. “If you’re based here, I suppose you’d tender to survive, but not companies like us.” 5 BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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BUYER’S GUIDE AUCTIONS

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GOING UNDER THE HAMMER Are auctions the way to buy necessary plant during a cash ﬂow crisis? By Alison Luke

ver the past few months, the Middle East’s construction sector has changed dramatically. At this time last year, resources were so scarce firms were employing staff in advance of tenders being signed in order to prove their ability to complete the work. Now, many firms work from job to job, employing only those staff essential at the time and keeping standing assets to a minimum; finances are being tightened and a firm’s every cost is being scrutinised. One of a contractor’s biggest initial outlays for a project is for the plant and machinery needed for the build process. Without suitable equipment available as and when needed, critical time delays can be incurred. And while some firms may have fleets of machinery at the ready, for others the question is how to acquire this plant to meet needs cost-effectively. “The golden rule is to own 70% of your plant requirements that are needed for six months or more; rent 30% maximum of a project’s plant requirements; and preserve internal cash flow by using company-owned machinery,” states Keith Lupton, general manager World Wide Auctioneers (WWA). Hiring or buying may be the two options that first spring to mind, however a third choice does exist – auctions. But how do these operate and what are the potential benefits of taking part?

THE AUCTION MARKET Two of the biggest advantages of using an auction to procure plant are the wide range of products available in a single sale and the relatively low cost of these items. “Auction prices are, if not lower, at least avoiding the middle-man’s cut. It is a cash- quick settlement business and provides immediate availability to fill an immediate need,” states Lupton. “If you have a project that will last two to three years, why buy new equipment that has a guarantee for ten years, but will have its biggest depreciation value [over this initial period]? Why not buy second-hand?” reasons Tom Cornell, managing director Europe, Iron Planet. Also, being able to acquire all the equipment needed for a project from a single supplier is a strong benefit and adds to potential time savings. “Bidders can view a diverse range of equipment brands at one convenient location…and equipment purchased at an auction is available immediately,” stresses Steve Barritt, Ritchie Bros Auctioneers (ME) regional manager, Middle East, Red Sea, Turkey and South Africa. The fast downturn in the global economic market has meant there is currently an extremely large amount of equipment available at such auctions. As well as secondhand machinery being offered by sources, such as plant hire firms and contractors, new plant is also available. “Think of

KEY BUYERS PROGRAMME A new feature of this year’s edition of the Big 5 show is the Key Buyers’ Programme, designed to add extra support for the industry’s 300 biggest buyers – the people managing projects valued at over US $500 million each that are based in the Middle East, North Africa, Iran and India. These heavy-hitting deal-makers get fast track access into the show and are hosted in a private lounge with executive suites available to conduct meetings in private. The Key Buyers are also given more complete and detailed information on all exhibitors prior to the show, making it easier for them to pinpoint, ﬁnd and discuss business with the exhibitors that are of interest to them throughout the Big 5. “Our exhibitors want to see the key buyers and we’re excited to see what the results will be this year,” said DMG World Media VP construction Simon Mellor.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

BUYER’S GUIDE AUCTIONS MIDDLE EAST AUCTION HOUSE Worldwide Auctioneers (WWA) WWA holds fully unreserved auctions, with no minimum bids, seller bids or reserved items, assuring buyers and sellers that equipment is traded at fair market value. Through the Middle East auction centre, which comprises a 100,000m2 compound in the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone (FTZ), Dubai, WWA sold more than 52,000 items of construction equipment at its 60 auctions in Dubai from March 2001 through February

the investment that a manufacturer has made over the last ten years to meet demand…the economy burst happened very quickly and it’s taken a long time to wind down [the manufacturing plants],” explains Cornell. And the variety of plant on offer is as large as the volume. “There’s absolutely everything from cranes, excavators, dozers and loaders to pavers, profilers and batch plants. That’s not to mention the trucks, buses and pick-ups, or the generators, compressors and pumps,” states Barritt. In the Middle East, the changes over the past few months in terms of the types of projects that are going ahead has become evident in the auction houses. “Items for villa construction are on an evident downturn, for example,” reports Lupton. “The Arabian Peninsular has huge infrastructure demands and has always had a huge demand for road building plant such as motor graders, bulldozers, wheel loaders, and Mercedes trucks,” he adds. “Demand comes from every corner of the world and if our registered bidders can’t be at the auction facility in person, they will normally register to bid live and in real-time, on-line,” explains Barritt. “If there is an over supply of a particular equipment item in the local market, we will identify an overseas market that has a demand for the item.” The increasingly global nature of auctions has been behind the success of dedicated online auction firm Iron Planet. Launched in the USA in 1999 and aimed principally at the construction and agriculture industries, the firm has grown by 50% annually since 2006. It began operating in Europe in late 2008 and held the first of its monthly auctions in January 2009. At the time of writing, the interest from Middle East buyers in the firm’s European operation was growing significantly. “There are a lot of people around the world willing to buy construction equipment online…and people are prepared to transport equipment huge distances,” states Cornell.

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2009, for a total amount of over $762.5 million in auction value. The ﬁrm has held auctions in other countries such as Qatar. www.wwauctions.com

Dubai. In 2008, it sold US$3.57 billion of used and unused equipment at 340 unreserved auctions, including a wide range of heavy equipment. www.rbauction.com

Ritchie Bros Auctioneers Canada-based Ritchie Bros Auctioneers is the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, selling equipment to both on-site and online bidders. It offers auctions at more than 110 locations worldwide, including 38 auction sites such as one at the Jebel Ali FTZ in

Iron Planet US-based online auction house Iron Planet is targeting Middle East buyers and sellers via its European base. The ﬁrm is also aiming to increase its presence in the region in the future. http://eu.ironplanet.com

“Currency is the great determinator and the strength of local markets...The plant and equipment business will buy where prices are attractive,” adds Lupton. “Europe at the moment is bargain basement and the UAE dirham is strong against the GB Pound.”

ATTENDING AUCTIONS Taking part in an auction as buyer or seller is kept as simple as possible, assure the auction firms. Deposits are generally required to ensure the financial competence and serious intentions of buyers and the turnaround of equipment after a sale is kept to a minimum. WWA employs multilingual staff to aid interested parties and its website includes both English and Arabic instructions; a dvd explaining the auction process is also offered. The firm has held auctions in the Middle East since March 2001 and currently holds six auctions per year, with a deposit of $27,500 (AED100,000) required to obtain a bid book. It is planning to expand into the Levant and USA, adding to its operations in the UAE, Qatar and Australia. Ritchie Bros Auctioneers (ME) also plans to expand. The firm held its first unreserved auction in October 1997 and has conducted regular auctions every year since. It currently has 38 full-service auction facilities worldwide with more on the way. It is free to attend the firm’s auctions; however, buyers registering for its Dubai auction, for example, must provide a deposit equivalent to 25% of their intended purchase price. UAE-based bidders must also provide a copy of their trade licence, while overseas buyers must provide photo ID. Anyone wishing to register as a bidder with Iron Planet must place a deposit of €2,000. In addition to making direct bids, buyers can register in advance the type of products that interest them and the firm’s Dublin-based staff will contact them about suitable products that are due to be included in

Attending an auction is a popular way of building construction equipment because of the wide range of products available .

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

upcoming auctions. Buyers can place bids during a preview period to counteract issues such as global time differences; these bids won’t show online until the auction day. As an entirely web-based auction process, Iron Planet carries out independent analysis of each item entered into auction and provides potential buyers with an ‘iron-clad assurance’ of the item’s condition. With land-based auctions, equipment is sold as seen without warranty, making it vital for potential bidders to undertake a mechanical check if they want to ensure plant will meet their needs and provide value for money. 5

10 TIPS FOR BIDDING AT AUCTION • Review equipment online/in catalogue/first-hand. • Register at the auction office on the day or online. • Remember to bring: a signed agreement specifying the buyer’s name, company, contact details and banking information, photographic identification and either cash deposit or a guarantee letter from a bank or other credit agency. • Registered bidders are issued with a personal bidding number, bidding catalogue and list of the equipment in order of sale. • Once issued with a bidding catalogue, a buyer may bid on any item in the auction and will be held responsible for any purchases applied to their bidding number. Buyers can place bids in real time over the internet, as well as in person at the auction house. • Each item of mobile equipment for sale will be driven across a selling ramp in front of the auction house theatre; bids should be placed during this period. • The auctioneer will announce the lot number and a starting price; if no bids are placed the price will be dropped until someone bids, then rise according to interest from buyers until no higher bids are offered, at which point it will be announced as sold. Bids can be made by the buyer raising their bidding catalogue. • Every item in an auction will be sold to the highest bidder on the sale date. • Once bidding is complete, the bidder will receive an invoice listing of all their purchases. Payment must generally be made within seven days. • On completion of payment, bidders can collect their items; the auction house generally offers transportation options.

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What is being carbon neutral?

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS Visit the Green Stand in Hall 9

The Big 5 has gone carbon neutral, so we spoke to the team at EcoVentures to ﬁnd out what the process is really all about

What does carbon neutral mean? An individual or an organization can become carbon neutral, once it reduce its carbon emissions emissions internally and then purchases offsets to balance the unavoidable carbon footprint. It is the point at which the equivalent amount of CO2 produced by a manufacturing process; distribution system and / or product use is equal to the amount being removed. A Carbon Neutral program involves the assessment of carbon emissions, the reduction of emissions at source, and the ‘offset’ of unavoidable emissions.

What is the process of becoming carbon neutral? An organization can become carbon neutral by using the following process: • Measure: Calculate your Greenhouse Gas Emissions (carbon footprint). • Target: Set internal targets to reduce your carbon footprint at source. • Reduce: Work towards achieving your internal reduction targets and purchase offsets to balance the unavoidable carbon footprint.

What are offsets? A carbon offset is a financial instrument that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e). One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases. By purchasing offsets you are in essence investing in an organization to reduce carbon emissions on your behalf.

DID YOU KNOW? One step The Big 5 will be taking towards carbon neutrality will be offsetting its carbon emissions by contributing to a waste heat recovery based captive power project in Chhattisgarh, India. The project, being worked on in association with MSP Steel & Power Limited and emissions reduction specialist EcoVentures, will aim to capture the waste heat of the gases emanating from a 900 C kiln, used to produce direct reduced iron. This recovered waste heat is then used to generate electrical energy, aiming to produce 16MW of power to meet the in-house requirements of MSP, which would otherwise have been met by the coal-based grid power.

the highest possible environmental standards. One of the key ways to stop global warming is to use new technology, such as wind and hydro energy, and channel our customers’ money into projects to do just that. In India, for example, we have enabled local generators to switch from diesel to biomass (natural compost with lower CO2 emissions). We then use the savings in CO2 emissions to balance out some of our customers’ CO2 production - thereby helping them to go carbon neutral. Our technology projects not only reduce CO2 emissions, they also help to promote rural economies and local communities.

The business value of carbon offsets What kinds of carbon offset projects are used in your carbon neutral services? EcoVentures has partnered with The CarbonNeutral Company to provide offset based advisory services to its clients in the MENA region and our offset projects are selected against

Offset-based carbon management strategies have a vital role to play because they: • Provide an immediate response to the need for material reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions; • Use principles of efficient markets to identify and enable

those reductions wherever they can be made fastest and at the lowest cost; • Speed progress to a low / no carbon economy by enabling additional investment in carbon reduction technologies over and above that achieved by Government regulations; • Establish a ‘price for carbon’ which promotes investment in cleaner technologies and processes, and in low carbon assets; • Enable those who are not obliged to take action to set and meet meaningful reduction targets by fully or partially balancing out their greenhouse gas emissions; • Engage and communicate with individuals and organisations about the impact that they can make towards solving climate change.

Is becoming carbon neutral expensive? You would be surprised to learn that it takes less than AED 2.5 per employee per day in an average company to become carbon neutral.

Who is EcoVentures? EcoVentures is the Middle East’s premier emissions reduction firm. Based in the UAE, the firm helps companies across the Middle East and North Africa reduce their environmental impact by becoming carbon neutral, offsetting their emissions, and replacing their use of fossil fuels. EcoVentures delivers sound consultancy, advisory and management services to public and private sector organizations in the Middle East and North Africa region, using global best practices and meeting internationally recognised standards. EcoVentures specializes in the following areas: emissions reduction advisory, carbon finance and green building advisory.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

IN DEPTH GAIA AWARDS

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SILVER STARS The range of Gaia Silver award winners means almost any project can look to being more sustainable By James Boley

fter the tricky challenge of selecting one overall winner for the Gaia Awards, the judging panel then had to turn their attention to those products that still remain a benchmark in their field for sustainability. To pick up a silver award, the judges were looking for products that were highly innovative, included world leading technology, generated high-level benefits to other building systems and were either energy efficient or fully recyclable. All the winners proved they easily exceeded all the requirements, and as a result the winners’ list is a truly creative and advanced range of products, representing some of the very best in sustainable design and technology. Six companies snapped up Gaia Silver awards, with winners from across the world. All winners were listed in the awards for the very first time, clearly showing how rapidly the sustainable building product market is growing. A survey by EcoVentures shows how eagerly the UAE market is embracing such products. Around 86% of UAE-based companies and 78% of multinational companies already have an environmental strategy, and

93%

Simon Mellor looks of dmg World Media.

reporting that their customers care about their environmental performance. Meanwhile, 93% percent of UAE-based companies and 78% of multinationals have attempted to reduce their firms’ environmental footprint through energysaving measures, and this is expected to increase over the next two years. “The Gaia Awards, in addition to our moves this year to become carbon neutral, demonstrate that we are not just paying lipservice to these issues, we are actually leading by example, and we look forward to some innovative and ground-breaking environmentally-friendly products featuring in this year’s show,” said dmg world media’s vice-president of construction, Simon Mellor. 5

of UAE ﬁrms are attempting to reduce their carbon footprint. this is expected to increase within the next two years. Many companies either already have environmental committees in place, or will establish one within the next two years. Customers are also increasingly environmentally conscious, with 91% of companies

The team from Custom Building Products.

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IN DEPTH GAIA AWARDS

THE NOMINEES This year’s nominees represented a broad range of products, from MEP products designed for air-conditioning, bathroom ﬁttings and ﬁxtures, grouting and construction concrete, meaning whatever your industry, there’s an award-winning sustainable product for you. DuctSox

CYS-210 Automatic/Manual Faucet

Reusable Concrete Curing Covers

Stand Number: 1 B15 Manufactured by DuctSox Corporation from the USA, DuctSox systems discharge air through a combination of porous fabrics, engineered oriﬁces and linear vents to meet a large range of HVAC and Refrigeration requirements. Because they’re made of fabric, air is discharged uniformly along the entire length of the system providing consistent and uniform air dispersion to the occupied space. They’re also lighter than steel so they require less heavy lifting to install, and can be easily

Stand Number: 11 A187 Taiwan’s Chang Yi Shin Co., Ltd. (CYS-210) picked up a Gaia Silver award for their automatic and manual faucet which reduces water wastage. In automatic mode, the tap only dispenses water when a user is present. Alternatively, the tap can be converted to manual usage for user convenience, with as timer to control how long after use it switches off.

Stand Number: 1 E20 / 4 C161 US ﬁrm Reef Industries manufactures Transguard Concrete Curing Covers for controlled curing of concrete slabs, bridges and roads. Proper moisture control during curing will reduce cracking, dusting and scaling for both ﬁeld and pre-cast applications. Transguard 4000 is a natural coloured polypropylene fabric with a white polyethylene backing. It is ultraviolet light stabilised to provide protection against degradation and to offer long service life. The reusable covers are lightweight with exceptionally low permeability to retain water and allow concrete to achieve maximum expansion, control the cure and minimise plastic shrinkage. They can be used for wide ranging projects, including

LevelLite, MegaLite, Prism SureColor Keraflex Stand Number: 7 E291 Keraflex is a cementitious adhesive from Italian firm Mapei, with no vertical slip and extended opening time for ceramic tiles and stone materials. The product is certified by GEV (Gemeinschaft Emissionskontrollierter Verlegewerkstoffe) as being ‘very low emission’ with EMICODE EC1, which is the highest possible certification for protection against environmental pollution. The criteria for testing was defined by the Technical Council of the GEV, with the professional support of the environmental institute Miljö-Chemie, the Carpet Research Institute (TFI) and the Association for Environmentally-Friendly Carpets (GuT).

Stand Number: 9 C71 Three products from Custom Building Products made the cut for the GAIA Silver awards. LevelLite helps level floors prior to the installation of ceramic tile, natural stone, resilient flooring, carpet, wood and other floor coverings. MegaLite Rapid Set Crack Prevention Mortar is a premium one-part formula with the high, fast bond strength and flexibility for time critical commercial and residential installations. Finally, Prism SureColor Grout is a lightweight, polymer-modified, cement-based grout that offers consistent colour without mottling or shading, regardless of tile type, temperature of humidity. All three products can be used to contribute towards LEED certification.

Eco-Logical Recyclable Plastic Panel Stand Number: 1 H11 UAE-based ﬁrms are also doing their part for sustainability too. The Eco-Logical plastic panel from Logical Plastic Industries can be used for a modular hording system, costing less than timber and can be 100% recycled. The panels are also easy to re-site or reuse, and their light weight means they can be transported in a van or pick-up truck, reducing environmental damage.

Der Leitwolf. The leader of the pack – live at BIG 5. Visit us: Stand Zabeel N113

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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EUROPE REGIONAL VIEW

European Region Welsh wizards are back for more Fifth consecutive year of attendance shows the little country has a great deal to offer the regional industry Hall 3 Stand 3D 121 Nine construction and building materials companies have come together under the banner of International Business Wales (IBW), the overseas trade and investment arm of the Welsh Assembly Government, which is taking part in its fifth consecutive Big 5. IBW has brought almost 100 companies to the Middle East for the event since its first appearance in 2005, highlighting the wide range of innovation and expertise available in Wales, providing products and services ranging from the supply of industrial doors

IBW is here for the ﬁfth year running.

for the security industry; fire, thermal and acoustic insulation products through to a manufacturer of equipment for the recycling industry. “Big 5 is the premier event for the construction industry in the Middle East and features all the important movers and shakers who influence developments in the sector. The exhibition offers a fantastic opportunity for us to bring expert Welsh companies to connect with their counterparts in the region. We are looking forward to this years show and building on

the successes of our previous visits,” IBW vice president Lee Jennings. “IBW has been active in the Middle East for five years now, following the opening of the regional office by the Welsh Assembly in 2004, and in that time we have worked with almost 500 companies from Wales. Our recent activity in the region includes a highly successful trade mission to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, where participating companies met with local companies and government officials and identified potential deals worth over US$ 2.5million,” he concluded.

WHO’S WHO – Wales promotes best in business Eurobond Laminates

MD Recycle Direct

Teddington Engineered Solutions

Contact: Darren Stewart Website: www.eurobond.co.uk

Contact: Kevin Davies Website: www.recycledirect.com

Contact: Jason Thomas Website: www.tes.uk.com

Established in 1981, Eurobond has over 25 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of stone wool cored panel systems that provide superior ﬁre and environmental performance. Eurobond manufactures a range of external and internal composite panel systems. All systems provide built-in passive ﬁre protection and are tested and approved to stringent UK and European standards.

Recycle Direct provides complete recycling solutions, including baling, shredding and waste material reduction machinery. Recycle Direct supplies new, rebuilt and refurbished baling and recycling equipment, and offers worldwide installation, commissioning and troubleshooting.

Teddington Engineer Solutions is an amalgamation of three formally independent bellows manufacturers, which, since being established in the 1920s, have offered expertise in the design, application and manufacture of the most comprehensive range of bellows and expansion joint solutions in the industry.

Rhino Engineering Contact: Colin Brown Website: www.rhinodoors.com Rhino Engineering has 25 years’ experience of supplying industrial, security; ram resist and acoustic range of Rhino Doors® which are regularly speciﬁed for use on government buildings, cash handling centres, the aerospace industry and high proﬁle companies that demand robust, highquality and above all, reliable doors.

Julia Brooker Paintings Contact: Julia Brooker Website: www.juliabrooker.com Julia Brooker is a British ﬁne artist with an international reputation with a studio in Cardiff, Wales. Clients include Harvey Nichols, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline and BP International. She has been exporting her paintings since 2004.

Siderise Insulation Ltd Contact: James Barrow Website: www.siderise.com For over 30 years, the Siderise Group has been providing innovative insulation solutions for ﬁre, thermal and acoustic applications. Its Lamaphon, Lamatherm and Lamapro ranges have become trusted brands in construction, building services, OEM and many other industries.

Digital Surface Research Contact: Darren Shipard Website: www.digitalsurfaceresearch.com

Terram Ltd Contact: Martin Lambley Website: www.terram.com Terram is a geosynthetics company dedicated to the supply of geosynthetic materials to the worldwide construction industry. The Terram range of products has grown to meet the demands of the civil engineering industry with its focus on the supply of geotextiles for road and rail construction.

Digital Surface Research is provides the pioneering technology SolaVeil, capable of naturally illuminating interiors whilst signiﬁcantly reducing energy consumption. While SolaVeil is relatively new to the market, it is already making an impression with developers, facility managers, building and property managers who want to reduce their buildings’ energy consumption. BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

EUROPE REGIONAL VIEW

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Focus on European MEP POLYPIPE TERRAIN

MODULBAGNO

Category: Pipe Systems Where: Hall 2 Stand F61 Claim to fame: Based in the UK, Polypipe Terrain is the market leading range of soil

Category: Plumbing, Sanitaryware Where: Stand 6 E260 Claim to fame: This Italian company manufactures high-quality prefabricated bathroom

and waste systems for commercial applications, available with an extensive range of pipes and ﬁttings in PVC, HDPE and polypropylene to suit almost every application. Terrain’s history as a supplier of plastic drainage pipes and ﬁttings to the Middle East stretches back over the last 50 years, so the company already has very strong links with the region and established relationships with the construction industry there. What to watch out for: “In addition to the range of products and services we can provide, we want visitors to our stand to be aware of the tremendous history that Terrain has in the Gulf region,” says Appleby. “We can supply everything from individual products right through to complete solutions.”

pods. They are supplied to site complete with water intake pipes in non-toxic reticular polyethylene, waste system, electrical installation (sockets and switches), lighting (downlights, fluorescent strip-lighting or halogen spot lights built into the ceiling), ventilation system (exhaust fan or extract valve), heating, cladded with first-class italian tiles and sanitaryware, taps, sanitary chrome fittings, shower and bath, doors, etc. Podded bathrooms bring significant benefits. In any hotel or multi-residential project, bathroom construction is usually a critical-path item. What to watch out for: The prefabricated bathroom pods are available in both concrete and anodized aluminium.

Website: www.terraindrainage.com

Website: www.modulbagno.com

MEDESA GmbH

XPELAIR

Category: Desalination Where: Zabeel B121 Claim to fame: MEDESA of Germany sells micro MVC/

Category: HVAC Where: Not listed Claim to fame: A UK market leader in domestic, commercial, industrial ventilation and space heating products, with

MED desalination plants with capacities of between 100 to 400 cubic metres a day of very high quality water. The plants produce distilled water at a ppm of under 10, have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years, and require minimal chemicals for pre- and post-treatment. What to watch out for: The company manufactures portable units suited for container transport and multipurpose application. These feature quick installation time, fast operational start-up, non-grid power supply capability and automatic dosage and integrated water analysis.

distribution in 80 countries. For over 50 years the Xpelair name has been synonymous with fans and air movement. Over that period it has continued to push the boundaries, developing new products and new technologies to ensure that the air we breathe is clean, fresh and healthy. Today the growing need to reduce carbon emissions has led Xpelair to take a leading role in the development of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. What to watch out for: Xpelair has an extensive collection of fans and controllers for commercial and light industrial applications, available to specifiers, installers and end users. The new Xpelair Xpress range redefines inline fan performance to provide ultra high pressure development, volume and efficiency, allowing smaller ductwork to be used than conventional inline fans. At the heart of the design is a dynamicallybalanced, mixed-flow impeller and bellmouth entry with minimised clearances to ensure optimum pressure development. Transferred though a meridian channel, the air then enters a static 3D guide vane. This dihedral twist retains a third of the pressure build-up, which would otherwise be lost. Air turbulence noise and vibration associated with centrifugal inline fans is virtually eliminated.

Website: www.medesa.de

Website: www.xpelair.co.uk

ITDR RUBINETTERIE SpA Category: Taps, Fittings Where: Stand 9 B66 Claim to fame: ITDR manufactures a full range of plumbing ﬁxtures, including kitchen and basin faucets, tub and shower ﬁxtures, thermostatic controls, accessories and components. Products are exported as 36

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

far aﬁeld as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen. What to watch out for: The ideal manufacturer if you are looking for contemporary Italian design combined with high standards in material and quality, at accessible prices.

Website: www.itdr.eu/eng

EUROPE REGIONAL VIEW

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Keep cool under concrete pressure KTI Plersch managing director Rupert Plersch discusses the energy beneﬁts of concrete cooling ing plant. The more ice is added to this mixture the lower is the concrete temperature.

Has the drop in prices of concrete affected the prices of technology you offer?

Zabeel V28

What products and services do you offer and how they work? KTI offers water chillers, flake ice plants, mobile ice storages, ice delivery systems and modular turnkey solutions. In the first step, we cool down fresh water by using our ice bank system. Dry, crisp flake ice is then produced and stored. Only such kind of ice is suitable for storing or delivering to the mixer without problems of blocking. Depending on the recipe of the mixture and required concrete temperature, we supply chilled water and ice directly to the batch-

Before spending money, companies think twice on investments. We have learned that during this time customers are not only checking investment prices. Attributes like quality, flexibility, mobility, sustainability and service availability and reliability are more important. They honour higher prices because of these advantages and they know that the pay back will come during the utilisation of our equipment.

KTI Plersch is in the business of keeping concrete cool.

Who are your competitors?

Have developer needs changed when it concrete choice?

How does your concrete technology contribute to green building?

Since the construction boom in the mid2000s, we see frequent competitors from India, China or even this region ones showing up. They try to sell their machines for a cheap price and just copy our technology. Ninety percent of customers who tried the competitors’ products have come back to KTI after bitter experiences.

This depends on the mentality of companies and regions. The demand for environmentally friendly and efficient refrigerant is increasing. But, at the same time, investing in this kind of technology can come at a high price for customers. Not everybody is willing to invest in green systems because this market is still a bit conservative.

Our concept gives the customer the possibility to produce ice with the lowest consumption of energy. Production of ice can also be done during the night and stored under safe conditions. With our multistage cooler, the customer sees up to a 50% reduction of energy consumption compared to conventional water chillers. 5

FAKOLITH Find them at: 2 D96

The scientiﬁc approach to wall coatings Originally founded in Germany more than 45 years ago on the back of years of targeted scientiﬁc research and development from the company’s founder Wilhelm Dieter Farenkopf, Fakolith addressed the need for paints, coverings, coatings and chemicals protecting non-conventional surfaces and based on sustainable, advanced technologies.

CONCEPTURBAIN Since the opening of Fakolith España in 1993, the company has gone from strength to strength in delivering innovative insulation systems, water repellents, antimould paints and many other different types of cleaners and coatings, formulated from the company’s research in microtechnology and even nanotechnology. The company’s facility in Spain now includes a factory, a research department and a regulating centre in Spain, which is the driving force behind brands such as Fakolith Farben, Mixol, Scheidel, Pigrol and Tikkurila.

Street furniture is just a load of bollards The French ‘street furniture’ designer and manufacturer Concepturbain has brought 30 years of experience with it to Dubai’s Big 5 show, where the company is showcasing its wide range of products created from materials such as cast iron, steel, stainless steel and aluminium combined with wood or composites. Concepturbain has managed to combine environmental constraints, local authority requirements and modern style in producing lines of bollards, posts and barriers such as Basic, Vesta, Imawa and Eveole. The six ranges provide what the company describes as ‘an adequate response to public road problems and elegant solutions in laying out public areas’.

ST JORIS CERAMICS Find them at: Rashid F178

A tail of tough tiles Initially more a craft shop than a manufacturer, since 1923, St Joris has been turning out ceramic products made from an extremely pure Westerwalder clay. After the Second World War, the company switched to the professional production of glazed ceramic products using special coarse-ceramic, vacuum-pressed blending and hand-form/moulding methods to create a high fragment density. Once dry, the glaze is applied and baked once at 1200 degrees, resulting in a strong product with cindered fragments. As a result, St. Joris’ tiles retain their shape, are colourfast and free of crazes, as well as being frost-proof and having a self-washing glaze. 38

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Superior, Fast and Safe Highest Quality Formwork Engineering - Made in Spain

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An Echo heard around the industry Drawing on its engineering experience, Echo creates fast, easy and ﬂexible hollow core machinery Find them at: 2 G56 Originally starting life as a machine workshop, where tools for producing pre-stressed hollow core concrete were developed and produced, Belgian company Echo Engineering was founded in 1990 as a response to growing demand from concrete hollow core floor and ceiling manufacturers for those machines. Now, the engineering and machinery sides of the business work together to create stateof-the-art technology for its machinery. Echo Engineering managing director, Kris De Meester, and design department manager Ludo Zimmermann, explain the benefits of the company’s Universal Slipformer machinery.

In what ways does the universal slipformer help hollow core production companies? Kris De Meester: Echo Group’s production plants, and other customers around the world, including customers in emerging regions such as South America and India, are faced with changing requirements for a wide

range of concrete products: hollow core floors of different thicknesses and widths, wall panels, half-slabs, lintels, hollow core beams, and so on. Ludo Zimmermann: The Universal Slipformer has been tested in the field to produce an existing range of hollow core floors from 10 to 50 cm thick and expansions to 6 and 60 cm are planned for the near future.

What gives the slipformer such ﬂexibility? LZ: That’s possible thanks to the combination of a mainframe and a product unit. This product unit can be changed very quickly and, with it, all the product-related machine components. Replace the product unit and you’re producing a completely different concrete element. KDM: The interchangeability of product units and mainframes enables companies to make extremely flexible choices, and this applies to both smaller producers and major players with several plants.

SPACE REFLEX Find them at: 10 C90

Environmental insulation solutions from Space Showcasing their products at the Big 5 this year will be Space Reflex, a leader in thermal insulation all the way from Portugal. The company claims to put its technology at the disposal of those who build with quality and for those who care about the environment. But, how are its products sustainable? The main objective of the company’s technology is to reduce the expenses necessary to artificially heat or cool a building. The usual insulation products such as glass wool, mineral wool or polystyrene, are effective in reducing loss of heat and cold, but their value of reflection is

How would this work in a practical example?

In addition to ﬂexibility, this will create faster job turnarounds?

KDM: Well, an HC producer has two plants, one producing the 11-core 10 cm-thick slabs, the other producing the 6-core 50 cm-thick slabs; each with one mainframe and possibly multiple product units. By just exchanging one product unit, both plants can produce the 10 cm and the 50 cm slabs.

LZ: With changeover times of a few minutes, the universal slipformer makes efficient work possible for everyone. Production can change course in a very short space of time and, for that matter, the fast changeovers show that we’ve paid a great deal of attention to making the machine user-friendly. 5

usually very low because they are absorbent materials. Space Reflex’s insulation screens are made from aluminium foil, a plastic air bubble film and polyethylene foam and are designed to reflect radiant energy. The screens are highly resistant to water absorption – ideal for the Middle East’s humid climate. They are also durable and can be recycled. Since the opening of Fakolith España in 1993, the company has gone from strength to strength in delivering innovative insulation systems, water repellents, antimould paints and many other different types of cleaners and coatings, formulated from the company’s research in microtechnology and even nanotechnology. The company’s facility in Spain now includes a factory, a research department and a regulating centre in Spain, which is the driving force behind brands such as Fakolith Farben, Mixol, Scheidel, Pigrol and Tikkurila.

EUROSLOT Find them at: B146

Euroslot adds some steel to the Gallic flair Entering the exhibition and hailing from France is Euroslot, a manufacturer and supplier of architectural and decorations surfaces. The Euroslot structure is a welded combination of stainless steel profiled wires and support rods (without any need for filler material). The company supplies products either with or without framing or fixing devices and ready for installation. Dominique Perrault was the first architect to utilise the product for the famous Parisian library Biblioteque Nationale de France in 1993.

TERREAL Find them at: 3A1412

Terriﬁc terracotta from Terreal The French company Terreal has brought its knowledge of all things terracotta to the Big 5 for 2009’s edition. From roof tiles to clay wall claddings products, Terreal has more than 100 years of experience in clay manufacturing. However, the company’s focus is on remaining young and independent, providing for an international network of subsidiaries in Spain, Italy, Malaysia and the US. With an eye also to the environment, over several years, the company has invested heavily to reduce kiln smoke and gas emissions when manufacturing its products and all waste is treated or recycled.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Please register your interest in cooperation by clicking www.nolte-kuechen.com/partners

www.nolte-kuechen.com

Since its foundation in 1958 the family enterprise Nolte Küchen has been dedicated to manufacturing high quality kitchens. Today, we are Germany‘s second largest brand with over 1.100 employees and standard production capacity achieving 800 kitchens daily. Expert logistics, intensive service and a large variety of door styles and cabinets have assured us strong long-term cooperations with both retail and project partners in more than 40 countries worldwide. In combination with our innovative measurement system “Matrix 150” kitchens from Nolte Küchen provide the ﬁrst step for a successful partnership!

GET NEW INSPIRATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS – TOGETHER WITH NOLTE KÜCHEN

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Build green Gunnar Svensson, Swegon general manager, spoke to CW Big 5 Daily about some of the pros and cons of ‘green’ building How have you encouraged clients to put forward the premium required to build? We are showing our customers that you have to look at the long-term costs. You have the investment cost, the running cost and the maintenance cost. The running and maintenance costs stay with the building its entire lifespan. What we are trying to indicate is that you have to look at the pointers – not only at investment but the life-cycle cost.

Has the construction industry lost the will to go green in the face of the economic climate?

Swegon presentation on Nov 24, 1pm

To what extent does the green performance of a building inﬂuence the buyer’s decision to purchase? The launch of Sheikh Mohammed’s green building initiative at the end of 2007 was the first step towards changing the criteria so that people paid more attention to energy efficient solutions and green building solutions. Such solutions are on their way to the forefront of people’s minds. There is a slow move away from build fast, build cheap and sell.

The recession could help in some ways. People will be more discerning. Before, everybody could build and sell. But now the market should be more stable, as opposed to people simply looking to build fast and sell. That’s why Sheikh Mohammed’s green resolution was a big step. Someone has to take the lead, or practical steps will never be taken. 5

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Technical talk

Meet the experts face to face at The Big 5 Product Seminars, running throughout the show Need detailed product information before making a decision? Need to know exactly how something will work for you? The Big 5 Product Seminars give you an opportunity to get face-to-face with manufacturers and suppliers of a range of construction products and services. Speakers will be presenting concise and detailed information about what they can offer, so check out the timetable and ﬁnd time in your show schedule to learn something new.

LOCATION Seminar Rooms Dubai D, 1st Floor (above Sheikh Maktoum Hall), Dubai World Trade Centre

DAY 2: Tuesday 24th November Environmental Solutions 11.00 Topic Green Building Services and Capabilities 12.00

SWEGON 14.00

Where: Stand 1 F26

How should we encourage the developer to take an interest in the life span of a building? There must be some kind of education. There are two types of investors – owners and speculators. Owners are going to pay the bills for energy, water, and so on. The problem is with speculative buyers. When somebody else is paying the bill it is not so easy. We must remember that if you have a Leed certified building you can get more money out of it, which remains an advantage, even for speculative investors.

You have to look at the pointers – not only at investment, but the lifecycle cost. 42

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

15.00 Claim to fame: Swegon manufactures and sells products and solutions for ventilation and indoor climate systems. It is based in Sweden, with an important global export presence, including the UAE. What to watch out for: Swegon will be releasing the new Paragon silent cooling unit. It operates without a fan, meaning no draught, less maintenance and added energy savings. Paragon is a dry system, meaning no condensation and drainage system. A range of room control systems is available.

Mr Kapil Kumar, Manager- Energy Audits, Leed AP

Company

Prime Technologies LLC

Topic

P3 Hydrotech Ducts - Our Ecological Footprint to Save Nature

13.00

Category: HVAC

Speaker

Mr Andrea Van Schalkwyk, Technical Consultant

Company

M/s P3 Srl Italy

Topic

The Silent Cooling for Hotel Rooms

Speaker

Mr Carl Tobisson, Business Development Director

Company

Swegon

Topic

Carbon Footprint of Construction

Speaker

Armen Vartanian, Director

Company

Ecoventures

Topic

HCFC Replacement Technologies

Speaker

Mr Amir Naqvi, Business Development Manager( Honeywell Intl)

Company

Abu Saeed Trading Co L.L.C

Cost Saving Products & Services 16.00 Topic Get Smart Speaker

James Noble, International Marketing Manager Kevin Quin, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

17.00

Company

Kristal Technologies Ltd & Al Fajer

Topic

Technical Interior Design

Speaker

James Noble, International Marketing Manager Kevin Quin, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

18.00

Web site: www.swegon.com

19.00

Company

Kristal Technologies Ltd & Al Fajer

Topic

Mechanical Rebar Coupling System

Speaker

Ms Shari Robitaille

Company

TECNIA GmbH

Topic

HOTEL&OFFICE Maintenance of Artiﬁcial and Natural Stone

Speaker

Mr Jost J. Plewa, Sales Director Export

Company

AKEMI Chemisch Technische Spezialfabrik GmbH

YOUR PARTNER IN CONCRETING THE FUTURE AND MORE... Committed to satisfy the concrete industry requirements with consistent quality, competitive price and on time delivery of readymix concrete.

PO Box 171929, Jebel Ali, Industrial Area 2, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 880 3534 / 880 3553 Fax: +971 4 880 3226 Email: grm@goldenreadymix.com Web: www.goldenreadymix.com

Operating in Dubai, Sharjah & Abu Dhabi

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Conference sessions start Two days of informative conference kick off early tomorrow, but you can still register to attend now.

THE BIG 5 BUSINESS CONFERENCE Tuesday 24th November 2009 09.00 – 17.15 The Monarch Hotel Once again The Big 5, in conjunction with Proleads, have exclusively brought together the Region’s most inﬂuential and distinguished industry leaders for the building and construction industry. The quality and breadth of experience of our speakers ensures that each of the conference sessions are relevant, timely and structured to deliver maximum value. Don’t miss this exclusive opportunit

Building Future Cities of the Middle East: Opportunities, Challenges & Lessons Learned 8:00 Registration opens. Coffee on arrival 9:00 THE VISION Is it important? Is the vision sustainable? Is the vision crisis proof? CHAIR: Mr Simon Azam, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Canterra H.E. Khalfan Saeed Al Ka’abi, Chairman Construction & Contracting Committee of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ADCCI) Mr Mohammed Nimer, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer, MAG Properties

10:25 Networking Break & Mid Morning Coffee 11:00 BUILDING THE VISION

CONFERENCE LOCATION THE MONARCH HOTEL JUST ACROSS SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD FROM THE TRADE CENTRE

Can the dream become a reality? What are the challenges? How can we build better? CHAIR: H.E. Khalfan Saeed Al Ka’abi, Chairman Construction & Contracting Committee of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ADCCI) Mr Ziad Makhzoumi, Chief Financial Officer, Arabtech Holding Pjsc Mr Euan Mcewan, Chief Executive Officer, Currie & Brown Mr Kez Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Alec

Once again The Big 5, in conjunction with Proleads, has brought together some of the region’s most inﬂ uential and distinguished industry leaders in the building and construction industry.

12:30 Networking Lunch

Day one – Tuesday 24th - sees The Big 5 Business Conference address issues vital to the way businesses perform in the industry. It will look at the overall vision for the industry and the challenges it faces, examine the impact of escrow and discuss what needs to happen along the road to recovery. Day two – Wednesday 25th - is The Big 5 Technical Conference, designed speciﬁcally for professional engineers. Leading technical ﬁ gures have been invited to speak on sustainability and green environmental engineering, energy saving solutions and district cooling and project management.

14:00 SUPPORTING THE VISION How does escrow affect the outcome? What have we learned from litigation? Can we afford going green? CHAIR: H.E. Khalfan Saeed Al Ka’abi, Chairman Construction & Contracting Committee of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ADCCI) Mr Mario Seneviratne, Managing Director, Fimeche, Peng, Leed Faculty Member, Green Technologies Mr Nigel Truscott, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins Mr John Cowling, Risk Manager, Faithful & Gould

15:30 Networking Break & Afternoon Coffee Both days get an early start, with conference programmes kicking off at 9am sharp. Each day’s discussions are scheduled to ﬁnish at 5:15pm, leaving plenty of time for a few hours at the exhibition too. The conference sessions will be held at the Monarch Hotel, on Sheikh Zayed Road, a short walk from the Trade Centre. Attendance is free and registration can be completed at onsite registration desks or you can reserve your space ahead of time online at www.thebig5exhibition.com.

15:45 THE ROAD TO RECOVERY Can the economy sustain the vision? What challenges lay ahead? When will we get there? CHAIR: H.E. Khalfan Saeed Al Ka’abi, Chairman Construction & Contracting Committee of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ADCCI) Dr Imad Al Jamal, Vice Chairman, UAE Contractors Association Mr Michael Stephen Small, Partner, VSM Consultants

17:00 END 44

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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today, register right now! Attendance is completely free, so log on to www.thebig5exhibition.com and reserve your place today

THE BIG 5 TECHNICAL CONFERENCE Wednesday 25th November 2009 09.00 – 17.15 The Monarch Hotel We are delighted to introduce The Big 5 Technical Conference - designed specifically for professional engineers. Leading technical figures have been invited to speak on Sustainability & Green Environmental Engineering, Energy Saving Solutions & District Cooling and Project Management. If you are working in an applied engineering role within the Middle East Building & Construction industry you will find considerable value in attending this programme. Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity

For the Engineering Professional 08.00 Registration opens. Coffee on arrival 09.00 – 10.45 Project Management CHAIR: Mr David Dale, Partner EC Harris Dr Mamoon Atout, Project Manager Horizon Star International LLC Mr Emil Rademeyer, Director Proleads Mr Martin Seaward-Case, Director - Contracts & Procurement Chairman of RICS UAE Board Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Panel Session Q&A

10.45 Networking Break & Mid Morning Coffee 11.00 - 12.30 DISTRICT COOLING & ENERGY SAVING CHAIR: Mr Ben Thompson, Senior Editor GDS International Ms Cathy Crocker, Associate Director of Building Services Scott Wilson Ltd Mr Daryl Wilson, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Hydrogenics Corporation Mr Mohammad Abusaa, Regional Manager of Business Development ADC Energy Systems Panel Session Q&A

SELECTED SPEAKERS Khalfan Al Kaabi Chairman, ADCCI Time: 9am, 24 November Khalfan Saeed Al Kaabi is Member of Board and Chairman of the Construction and Contracting Committee of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI). Being a prominent local businessman, innovator and pioneer of numerous concepts in UAE for more than 20 years, he is also Chairman of Ascorp Holdings.

Euan McEwan Group Chief Executive Officer. BSc, CA, CMC, FRSA Time: 11am, 24 November Euan McEwan is Group CEO of Currie & Brown. He has extensive experience in the real estate, construction and management consultancy sectors. Euan is a qualified chartered accountant and has a BSc in Civil Engineering. He is also a certified member of the Institute of Management Consultants and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.

Kez Taylor CEO, Alec Time: 9am, 24 November Kez Taylor was born in South Africa on 12th of May 1963. He studied a Bsc. Building (Construction Management) at the University of Witwaresrand in Johannesburg. Currently operating in Dubai and Abu Dhabi ALEC has delivered developments of the highest quality to key clients. Many of these developments have become signiﬁcant landmarks in the UAE.

12.30 Networking Lunch 13.30 - 15.30 SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR REAL ESTATE Sustainability Advocates and Green Design & Construction Professionals share their expertise in presenting and sharing their knowledge CHAIR: Mr Mario Seneviratne, Managing Director, Green Technologies FZCO Mr Ali bin Towaih, Executive Director Enpark and SEED Mr Brocas Burrows, Marketing and Sales Director Platinum Vision Mr Ray Noble, Senior PV Consultant Gulf International Trading Group - Romag Panel Session Q&A

John Cowling Risk manager, Faithful & Gould Time: 2pm, 24 November John’s career in risk management began in the Australian ﬁnancial industry in the mid 1980’s. Since then his experience has included the environments of; project management, training, security, consulting and petrochemical. He has developed a holistic view in bringing risk management processes and techniques into the construction industry.

15.30 Networking Break & Afternoon Coffee 15.45 - 16.45 SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR REAL ESTATE CHAIR: Mr Mario Seneviratne, Managing Director Green Technologies FZCO Mr Alexander Volobuev, Commercial Production Manager, Australian Innovative Systems Mr Olli Vuola, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer NEAPO Mr David Baggs, CEO, Technical Director and Co-founder EcoSpeciﬁer Global Panel Session Q&A including Mr Richard Smith, WS Atkins

17.00 END

Michael Stephen Small Partner, VSM Consultants Time: 3:45pm, 24 November A ‘classically’ trained banker, who after achieving his Associateship of the Institute of Bankers (Distinction) in 1981, moved through a major US bank in London to join Credit Suisse, London. Mike formed VSM with Cyriel Varwijk and produces almost daily VSMails highlighting macro economic risks to the personal and corporate clients of VSM. BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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Vist us on Stand 121, Hall 3, Row D and see what Wales can offer you.

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FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ROPE ACCESS

HEAD FOR HEIGHTS The Gulf's skylines are ﬁlled with hard to reach places that require clever solutions to keep them clean and in good order By Stuart Matthews

epending on who you talk to, it is either the genius of architects or the ingenuity of engineers that has gifted the Gulf ’s skylines with an array of towering icons. These structures have reached new heights, taken forms that appear to defy gravity and created some of the most difficult to reach dust traps on the planet. But someone still has to clean and maintain them. Making this happen is the job of the FM manager and safe access is at the heart of the issue. The earlier the issue of access is considered, the better the opportunities to make it easy are. But we don’t live in a design utopia, so sometimes solutions have to be devised well after the problem has been created. Regardless of when it’s thought about, or indeed, whether the problem is one of height, tricky spaces, or just urgency, understanding your access options may make life easier.

MACHINE… “Cleaning at great heights is predominantly carried out in the classical way with cradles and climbers, though our focus is increasingly on high-tech cleaning solutions,” said Thomas Moslener, CEO of ABS Group, an FM company. “Our main issue is always safety for workers.... Both are provided by our autonomous façade cleaning robot, which is not dependent on any humans to operate or maintain and which delivers a consistent cleaning standard.” ABS expects growth primarily in the area of maintenance, as the lifecycle costs arguments for predictive and preventative maintenance grow stronger. “This of course means more and more industrial climbers inside and outside the construction,” said Moslener. “We do not rely on standard concepts, but design specific solutions for our customers and their problems.” This kind of bespoke solution is in part a result of the variety of design we see in the Gulf. It’s a variety that has also led to a growth in another kind of bespoke solution – rope access.

…VERSUS MAN In the recent past rope access has been used as the last choice, when other options, for whatever reasons, were simply impossible. But a well-trained team of rope access technicians can turn up on site with a bag full of gear, deploy it, and be ready to do the job in about the same time a scaffolding outfit could unload their trucks. That’s if scaffolding is even an option given the site conditions. “Rope access has tended to be a last resort,” said Billy Harkin managing director of Megarme, a rope access company. “But I’m pleased to say it’s becoming a first choice and architects are designing systems into buildings. “We get involved, not just with execution, but in the design of the buildings to make sure they have anchor points and rails, which is crucial.” While cleaning is an obvious application of rope access skills and provides the bread and butter contracts, it has other maintenance and installation uses. Take the prominent project of the Yas Hotel. There, Megarme has had a team of about 90 involved since January, installing the panels that displayed the post-race light show. Jobs such as this require more than just rope skills, technical ability and knowledge with plumbing, electrical installation and welding all part of the mix, it’s just that much of the work is done at the end of a rope. “It [the hotel] is such a tough structure because it has so many dimensions, with the electrical component, plus the panels with the lights projecting back,” said Harking. “We’ve been operating 17 years here now and that’s probably been one of the most challenging jobs we’ve had, because of all the components related to the project and the sophisticated lighting system.” Between Yas Hotel and the Metro, Megarme has been involved in some high-profile jobs of late. The Metro saw the company make the front pages of several papers in the run up to the opening and every eye in Dubai probably spent a minute or two watching the team dust down stations, to make them shiny, as well as new. However, staying out of the public eye is a more common situation. BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ROPE ACCESS

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Megarme's team worked feverishhly in the lead up to the grand opening of the Dubai Metro.

Rope access is used when nothing else works.

Being less noticeable than some high access alternatives is one advantage of using a rope team. As mentioned, cleaning provides the most regular work, and much of this comes from the hospitality industry. Tall hotel atriums are a good example of spaces that can’t have scaffolding, or cordoned off areas, but still need to be maintained.

“As an access specialist we undertake anything where conventional access systems are either impractical, too cumbersome, or not cost-effective,” said Harkin. “It’s quite a niche market where a building maintenance unit won’t work and where a crane is not practical. Rope access is the only system where you can get in and out quite quickly,

As an access specialist we undertake anything where conventional access systems are impractical, too cumbersome, or not cost-effective.

The Yas Island Hotel has had about 90 staff onsite since January 2009.

which is why we are used in hotel atriums. “While on a building site, you would have a certain amount of freedom to protect directly below the drop zone. In a hotel you are not allowed to do that.” With a company background that started out doing access jobs for the off shore oil industry, the training is intensive. In civil engineering applications Harkin describes the level of skill as using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. “There is always room for human error, but we try to limit it by even applying the offshore standards, regulations and safety to onshore projects.” “We’ve always done bottom up training on the rope access side, as we tend to bring people in with skills, such as trades inspectors, welders, electricians or plumbers. We always do an awful lot of technical training, through a third party trainer.” Calling a rope access team is often an event-based experience for FMs, such as when there was an urgent need to repair the fire-damaged Atlantis Hotel, just prior to its official opening. “The designers had felt no need for any kind of access system, so when the fire happened it was panic and we were called in that day,” said Harkin. “We needed to access the structure, so in the end we had to come up with some quite ingenious solutions.” “Working on the Atlantis hotel has been our biggest accomplishment,” said Daniel Gill, business development manager for Megarme. “The need to get it finished and its high profile meant it was one of those jobs where they didn’t ask how long it would take, they told us.”

SAFETY Both Moslener and Harkin place a great deal of emphasis on safety. Intense levels

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

of training, combined with systems of certification and continuous assessment help to keep the specialists safe. In fact the industry has a remarkable safety record, given the dangers inherent in high work and the fact that falls from height are the number one cause of lost time injuries on construction sites in the UAE (source: Build Safe UAE). Primary causes are inadequate training, poor equipment, or incorrect use of the right kit. Items such as harnesses have to be selected for the job and worn correctly. A harness must be designed to hold a person both during and after a fall in such a way that their head remains in an upright position, according to All Safe, a lifting and fall arrest solution provider. “Prior to use, safety harnesses, their lanyards, shock absorbers and hooks should be inspected by a competent person,” says All Safe corporate sales manager Hugo Laverdin. Harkin says that Megarme uses a mixture of experienced people on each job, to make sure there is enough supervision and the right skill set for each job and its requirements. Thanks to local visa rules this is often easier to achieve in the Gulf region than in Europe and the rest of the world. Here, staff are permanent and tend to be trained by the companies they work for, where as European-based rope access technicians are frequently freelancers, who move from job to job, making it more difficult to keep a track of their current skills and to update their qualifications. Regular assessment, well established teams and adherence to appropriate international standards, will all help to ensure the industry's solid safety record continues. 5

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SPECIAL REPORT STANDARDS

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STANDARD OPERATIONS The recent collapse of a newly constructed building in Dubai has brought build quality to the fore and in particular the adherence to recognised standards and certiﬁcations. What is expected of construction ﬁrms and is this likely to change? CW Big 5 Daily investigates By Alison Luke

WHY WE RECOMMEND GETTING CERTIFIED

HOW TO GET CERTIFIED • Identify the relevant certification body that works best for you • Contact the relevant local authorities to establish what certifications are required • Contact the certification body to determine their requirements • Appoint an individual to oversee the implementation of the standards procedures • Submit any required materials to the issuing body and/or allow access for any inspections needed prior to gaining certification

• Win contracts – being able to prove that your firm operates to internationally accepted standards and certifications can win you contracts • Top Quality – operating to the methods given in accepted standards and certifications will ensure a better quality endproduct • Better H&S - health and safety standards both within the firm and on projects on which it is working will be improved • Higher productivity – efficiency of operations and productivity increase when there are set and accepted standards under which to work • Better assessments – benchmarks can be set to enable continuous improvement of the firm’s operations to be accurately assessed • Easier global expansion - it is easier to expand operations geographically if the firm is working to internationally recognised standards that are valid in many regions

he collapse of an eight-storey building in Deira in midAugust hit the headlines across the region. The fact that it was a new built property and there was no immediate reason for the collapse, such as a fire, heightened concern over why it had happened. The results of an investigation by Dubai Municipality into the collapse are expected to be announced within the next few weeks. However, initial statements from the investigating committee have confirmed that aspects being included within their scope are whether suitable building materials were used in construction; whether the design of the structure was flawed; and the operational aspects of the project. One of the main ways to gauge all of these factors is whether they met approved standards and certifications. But what does gaining recognised certifications actually mean and are the authorities likely to increase the stringency of their requirements following this latest incident?

STANDARD PRACTICE There are a wide number of standards and certifications applicable to firms operating within the construction industry. Those that must be adhered to by law vary according to discipline and the local authority regulations, however, certain standards are now recognised globally and widely used throughout the industry. “From a certification perspective, I would say that ISO14,001 for environment; OHSAS 18,001 for occupational health and safety; in addition, ISO9001 for quality [are among the main standards that must be adhered to in GCC countries],” states BSI Abu Dhabi general manager Ahmad Al Khatib. In general, the certification of firms to such standards shows that they adhere to recognised methods of working that have

been set out within the listed standard. The aim of doing so is to improve performance, efficiency and safety, with the certifications demonstrating the firm’s achievements to outside parties. Although standards are voluntary and separate from legal and regulatory systems, they can be used to support or complement legislation. Some of the other standards that are applicable within the industry relate to specific materials or products. “For reinforcing steel the product standard mainly used is the British Standard BS 4449: 1997,” explains UK Cares executive director Ben Bowsher. “The standard requires either steel supplied by a company that has a valid accredited product certificate, which is normally supplied by Cares, or there should be a product testing regime applied, which approved each batch of steel from a noncertified source,” he adds. Such stringent quality control over products is imperative in the construction of buildings. The absence of approved and properly installed products can create major issues warns Passive Fire Protection Federation (PFPF) chair David Sugden: “[In the case of passive fire systems] you can’t test the installed system you need to have the products tested in a lab in a test rig. But unless you install the materials and products in a building to the same standard as they were in the test rig then they won’t perform in the same way,” he warns.

CONTROLLED STANDARDS Just how strictly are the application of standards and certifications enforced in the region and are firms complying? Again this appears to vary between countries, disciplines and the size of firms involved. “In specific sectors like construction some of the standards are regulated,” assures Khatib. “In Abu Dhabi, for example, the government started an initiative this year on regulating HSE implementation for the build BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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BSI Abu Dhabi general manager Ahmad Al

UK Cares’ Bowsher urges the industry not

Sugden says some products will work only if

Khatib recommends iso9001 for quality.

to cut corners.

installed in buildings of the same standard.

and construction sector,” he explains. “I understand that, in the main, steel from Cares-certificated sources are used although it is apparent that sometimes this is not the case,” reports Bowsher. “I have seen steel from sources of dubious origin supplied to reinforcement fabricators in this way, when in the UAE,” he warns. In general, the international firms comply with such standards as a matter of course and also seek certifications from any subcontractors they employ. A spokesperson from a major construction industry contractor comments: “We take services and materials from companies that are registered to certain ISO systems; also, from subcontractors we want to see health and safety discipline.” There are several reasons cited by major contractors for following internationally recognised standards that are not specifically required by law. These include the ability to standardise the company’s processes and services to increase efficiency; plus the ability to bid for work in markets

that require the additional standards such as the oil and gas sector, municipalities and government departments. And for those standards that are legally required, ensuring that all work is carried out within guidelines is essential in order that the final building produced can be used. “Currently, before we can pour a [concrete] slab on site we have to get the work inspected by the municipality; they have to be convinced that the supporting structure is correct,” states the spokesperson. “The municipality has to sign off the slab pour and we must show these documents before can get an occupation notice on completion of the building,” he explains. So with the Deira building collapse fresh in everyone’s minds, are the regulations for the region’s construction industry likely to become stricter? “Not necessarily,” stated Al Khatib. “This issue is more related to companies adhering to the local law and construction guidelines imposed by the local authorities rather than not having the right law in place.

Nevertheless, it might raise a need for better or stronger specifications and standards.” “The need for standards and best practices is increasing due to the nature of highprofile, huge, extremely expensive projects in the Middle East region, there is a strong demand and need for international best practices and standards,” adds Al Khatib. Enforcement of the standards is made by different local authorities throughout the region. “In the UAE, for example, Abu Dhabi Municipality is in charge of enforcing HSE (14 and 18) implementation and certification to the build and construction sector of Abu Dhabi,” reports Al Khatib. “PFPF member firm Warrington Fire has a role with the Civil Defence Department of Dubai in setting and maintaining standards,” adds Sugden Penalties for non-compliance vary according to the severity of the consequences that this would invoke and could involve a warning notice, fine, removal of trading license or, in the event of a death on site, the people deemed responsible can be jailed.

OTHER CERTIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS There are numerous standards and certiﬁcations that can be applied to construction ﬁrms and their operations throughout the GCC countries. Some of the most widely recognised and followed are as follows. ISO 9001 ISO 9001 outlines the requirements for a quality management system (QMS) ie a framework around which an organisation can control its processes in order to achieve set objectives including customer satisfaction, regulatory compliance and continual improvement. First published in 1987, it was thoroughly revised for the third edition,

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

which was introduced in 2000; changes included new requirements and a sharpened customer focus. The fourth and latest edition, ISO 9001:2008, does not require any specific reassessment for certification. ISO 14001 ISO 14001 sets out the requirements for an organisation’s environmental management system (EMS). It applies to those aspects over which an organisation can be deemed to have control or influence over. First published in 1996, it has since been updated several times. OHSAS 18001 OHSAS 18001 provides specifications for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management Systems. It is

intended to enable an organisation to control its health and safety risks and ensure a continually improving performance trough ongoing measurement and setting of targets. Registration to OHSAS 18001 by an independent, third party, certiﬁcation body demonstrates a commitment to implement, maintain and improve the way in which you manage your health and safety system BS 4449 BS 4449 is the speciﬁcation for carbon steel bars used for the reinforcement of concrete. The standard lists the characteristic yield strength, tensile properties and ductility of the three grades of steel approved for use on the reinforcement of concrete.

And aside from potential legal consequences, operating without applying recognised standard procedures can create even more serious issues. “The penalty for occupants if a passive fire system is not properly installed is death,” stresses Sugden. So what more can be done to ensure that buildings are constructed to international standards and standards-certified products are used on projects? “Create national building regulations, design codes and product standards and enforce their use,” suggests Bowsher. Ensuring that the message reaches a wider audience is also vital. “Establishing forums where experts and end-users can get together to discuss several related issues and share ideas and working with the local authorities on regulating many of those standards,” he adds.

INTO THE FUTURE One of the major forthcoming events due to take place in the standards sector is the introduction of Eurocodes. These structural codes are scheduled to come into force in March 2010 and the flexibility of their design has meant that several countries outside of Europe have already committed to adopting Eurocodes reports the BSI. BSI is currently working to identify existing regulations for construction.The introduction of the Eurocodes has several objectives, including the provision of common design criteria for mechanical resistance; to form a common basis for research and development, in the construction industry; and to enable the preparation of common design aids and software. They are also intended to provide a common understanding regarding the design of structures between designers, manufacturers and contractors of construction products. 5

LEED Developed by the US Green Building Council, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) rating system is used to establish the environmental accreditations of new construction or major renovation projects. There are six categories in the Leed system - sustainable sites; water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmental quality; and innovative design – each of which has a number of options. An environmental designer or Leed Accredited Professional (Leed AP) uses these categories to determine what environmental features the project can incorporate given its geography, goals and budget and assigns a certification level which range from certified to platinum.

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TOP 10 PROJECTS

When selecting the ten greatest construction achievements in the Arab world, we decided to include all projects that have been completed from 1950 onwards in the wider Mena region

THE ARAB WORLD’S TOP 10 CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS 1. THE PALM JUMEIRAH (UAE) Completion dates: 2006 Cost: US $12.3 billion Besides Nakheel’s Palm Jumeirah, any one of a number of projects would be worthy nominees. The Burj Al Arab, one of the world’s tallest hotels, is built on a man-made island, and the Middle East’s most important port, Jebel Ali, was also carved out of Dubai’s shoreline. Further south, Abu Dhabi is enhancing its island network using similar techniques, and The Pearl Qatar has also learnt lessons from Dubai’s experience. Construction on The Palm Jumeirah began in June 2001, and the project was completed using 94 million m3 of sand and 7 million tonnes of rock. Nakheel awarded the major contract to Dutch reclamation specialist Van Oord. The entire island is 5km x 5km, and the crown of the trunk is connected to the mainland by a 300m bridge. The first residential units were handed over in 2006.

3. ASWAN HIGH DAM (EGYPT) Completion date: 1971 Cost: Estimated US $1 billion Damming the world’s longest river is no easy task, a hard lesson learnt by British engineers, who had to raise the level of the original Aswan Dam twice, in the 20th century. But after Egypt asserted its independence from the UK, the country’s ambitious authorities decided to build a second dam a little upstream. The Aswan High Dam, as it is now known, was – and still is – considered a feat of engineering. But what makes the Aswan Dam so special? The project both prevents seasonal flooding of agricultural land and allows water to be retained for irrigation. Turbines embedded within the dam also provide hydroelectric power amounting to around 2.1GW for towns and villages across the country. The $1 billion dam (AED3.6 billion) is 3830m long and 980m wide at its base, and the structure stands 111m above sea level. Lake Nasser, which began to fill up during construction, is similarly colossal, stretching back hundreds of kilometres into Sudan and containing 111km3 of water.

2. RAS TANURA TERMINAL AND SEA ISLANDS (SAUDI ARABIA) Completion date: Most recent Sea Island completed in 1975 Cost: Unknown Each year, around 9000 tankers call in at a number of Saudi Arabian port facilities to ship the country’s most precious resources – crude oil, natural gas liquids and refined products – to countries around the world.

Among these terminals, which include Jubail, Yanbu, Rabigh and Ju’aymah, the development at Ras Tanura stands out for its massive infrastructure and for being the first facility to start shipping out the Kingdom’s hydrocarbon exports. Operations at Ras Tanura peninsula officially began in 1939, where the terminal consists of the South Pier, the North Pier and the Sea Islands. Construction of the most recent of these facilities, Sea Island 4, which was completed in the mid-1970s, resulted in a total of 18 berths .

4. KING FAHD CAUSEWAY (BAHRAIN/KSA) Completion date: 1986 Cost: US $1.2 billion At 24km, the King Fahd Causeway, which was Bahrain’s first land link to the Middle Eastern continent, is the world’s second-longest causeway. Construction began in 1968 and concluded in November 1982 when the cornerstone on the causeway was laid jointly by Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd and the then ruler of Bahrain, Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. The four-lane highway was built using 47,000 tonnes of reinforced steel and is divided into three main segments: Khobar to the Saudi-Bahrain border; the border to Nasan Island; and Nasan Island to Bahrain proper.

5. KING HASSAN II MOSQUE (MOROCCO) Completion date: 1993 Cost: Estimated US $500-$800 million In a tight race for the region’s most impressive mosque, the King Hassan II Mosque barely manages to nudge out Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Mosque and Muscat’s Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque – both iconic and beautiful structures in their own right. Located in Casablanca and built by French giant Bouygues, the King Hassan II Mosque is immediately notable due to its single 210m tall minaret – the world’s tallest. Another unique feature is that almost half the surface of the mosque lies over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Work began on the project in 1986 and was finally inaugurated in 1993. The third-largest mosque in the world, King Hassan II can accommodate 105,000 worshippers in all, with space for 25,000 within the building itself. Designed by France’s Michel Pinseau, its architectural influences are undeniably Moorish linking back to the Alhambra Palace and the Mezquita mosque in the Spanish cities of Granada and Cordoba, respectively.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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6. MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART (QATAR) Completion date: 2008 Cost: US $220 million December 2008 saw the opening of a new Museum of Islamic Arts in Doha, Qatar. Architect IM Pei designed the new development as what is believed to be his last ‘statement’ building. Commissioned by the rulers of Qatar - the Al Thani family - the 45,000m2 building is located on a purpose-built island at the southern end of Doha bay. While the building’s limestone exterior was finished in 2006, the museum has only recently opened its doors to the public.

8. QATARGAS 2 (QATAR) Completion date: 2009 Cost: US $13.5 billion

7. BAHRAIN WORLD TRADE CENTRE (BAHRAIN)

The $13.5 billion project at Ras Laffan Industrial City has seen the construction of two world class LNG trains each with a capacity of 7.8 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) and 0.85mtpa of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), 140,000bpd of condensate, three storage tanks, power utilities and water injection systems, a fleet of 14 ships and a receiving terminal. Around 30,000 workers were employed on the Qatargas 2 venture, and the project contains enough cable to stretch from Doha to London. To create the offshore facilities, Qatargas began with a drilling process that set a new benchmark for the company.

Completion date: 2008 Cost: US $150 million Marking a brave new age of sustainability for the Gulf, the Bahrain World Trade Centre’s unique twin-tower design has drawn praise from all over the world. It is the first skyscraper to integrate wind turbines into its design. The 240m high, 50-storey buildings were designed by South African Shaun Killa, with the contract managed by Atkins. Ramboll Danmark, Norwin and Elsam Engineering carried out contracting work on the project. The three turbines, which provide between 11% and 15% of the towers’ energy requirements, are supported by an individual 30m bridge. Each turbine measures 29m in diameter and faces north.

9. BURJ DUBAI (UAE) Completion date: 2009 Cost: US $4.1 billion Everything about the Burj Dubai screams massive. The tower is composed of three elements arranged around a central core. As it rises from the flat desert base, each element is set back in an upwardly spiralling helical pattern, decreasing the mass of the tower as it reaches toward the sky and thereby decreasing the wind load. The tower has the fastest lifts in the world, a water system that provides a quarter of a million gallons a day, and enough rebar to stretch a quarter of the way around the world if laid end to end.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

10. DUBAI METRO (UAE) Completion date: 2009 Cost: US $4.2 billion The Dubai Metro, which underwent a ‘soft launch’ in September 2009, is by any means an impressive achievement. Masterminded by the emirate’s Road and Transport Authority, the driverless network will be the longest fully automated rail system anywhere in the world once completed. The first phase of the network covers 35km of the proposed 75km layout and runs from Jebel Ali to Al Rashidiya (the Red Line) with the Green Line connecting Al Qusais 2 to Al Jadaf. A section of the 29-station Red Line, between Al Rashidiya and Nakheel Harbor & Tower (near Ibn Battuta mall) is already up and running with the entire Red Line set to open in February 2010. The Green Line, which will have 18 stations, is earmarked for completion in March 2010. Two further routes, the Purple and Blue Lines, are under consideration at the moment. In its initial phase, 47 stations are under construction. Tunneling work on the Red and Green Lines was completed in April 2009, with around 12.6km of both routes being underground.

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PROJECT REVIEW SAADIYAT HIGHWAY

HIGHWAY TO HAPPINESS The Sheikh Khalifa Bridge and accompanying Saadiyat-Shahama highway were delivered at the start of October. We take a look at how the project was delivered on time By James Boley

“Projects such as this that address both the immediate and future needs of the people stand a better chance of being recognised as a valuable contribution to the nation building process”

nyone who regularly travels down the UAE’s E11 highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi knows that the drive can be awful – in both senses of the word. While navigating among some of the more erratic drivers can be a little nerve-racking, there is the sight of the Aldar HQ, Al Raha Beach, Yas and Saadiyat Islands, which inspire awe even if you’ve become jaded by the megaprojects in the Emirates. However, the opening of the bridge at Saadiyat, and the Saadiyat-Shahama highway on October 14th, means the journey is now a little less stressful, and just as amazing. Starting from Port Zayed in Abu Dhabi, the highway stretches over the now-named Sheikh Khalifa Bridge, before traversing 27km across Saadiyat Island and Yas Island and joining back up with E11 to Dubai. The bridge marks the first time Saadiyat Island has been joined to Abu Dhabi and provides a crucial connection for the Tourism Development and Investment Council (TDIC) and its plans for the islands. Saadiyat will provide a cultural destination for tourists and residents in Abu Dhabi, while Yas Island will provide leisure and entertainment, including the Ferrari World theme park and Formula One. Construction on the bridge began in December 2006 and saw more than 7.5 million man hours put in to ensure the project was completed on schedule. A joint venture between Zublin – Saif Bin Darwish used approximately 15,000 tonnes of asphalt and 15,500 tonnes of reinforcement steel to build the 1.4km bridge, which can hold 10 lanes of traffic. Construction took 30 months. Keeping to the schedule of the project was vital, explains Zublin project manager

Holger Schmidt. “It was very important to deliver the project on time because the bridge was needed for the Formula One Grand Prix. Otherwise people coming to the event from Abu Dhabi would have to drive to the airport and back up to Yas Island.” Meeting this challenge required careful preparation and the corralling of international expertise. “We prepared all our internal systems to make sure we could deliver on time,” says Schmidt. “Also we brought many experts from Germany to work hard on this project. We had around 25 to 30 people from Germany here at one stage.”

WORKING ON FORM An important element in ensuring the Sheikh Khalifa Bridge was delivered on time, was the formwork. RJR Formwork supplied a flexible system that has been tried and tested elsewhere in the UAE and has proven particularly effective for bridge construction. RJR provided a system that could be moved along the bridge without dismantling, creating a considerable saving both in terms of time and manpower required. “We were able to move the system three times without dismantling it, which offered considerable advantages over traditional systems. They’ve used the system very successfully,” says managing director Roger Ratcliffe. He estimates that the RJR system greatly reduced the need for manpower on site and helped the project be delivered on time. “If you’ve lots of repetition you don’t need to keep taking it up and down, you can move the whole system as a big chunk,” he says. “The fact is you’re saving time by moving the system. You’d need at BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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“It was very important to deliver the project on time because the bridge was needed in time for the Formula One Grand Prix”

15,500 tonnes of reinforcement steel were needed for the bridge.

least two or three times the volume of equipment just for moving a standard system. I’d say with our system they saved 30% of the time required. There’s also not the same high labour element required.”

ROAD TO SUCCESS Accompanying the bridge is the Saadiyat-Shahama highway, which will provide the main artery for traffic heading towards the two islands under development by the TDIC. The highway provides an effective shortcut between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, allowing travellers to easily reach the corniche while avoiding the traffic in downtown Abu Dhabi. An unofficial assessment suggests that the new highway shaves a good 20 to 30 minutes off the journey time between the two cities. Creating a new highway has been an important part of Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, the strategic plan that provides a road map for development for the city and its environs for the next 20 years. The plan was the key guideline framework for the development of the newly inaugurated Sheikh Khalifa Bridge. “Projects such as this that address both the immediate and future needs of the people stand a better chance of being recognised as a valuable contribution to the nation building process,” said Aldar chairman Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh at the inauguration of Sheikh Khalifa Bridge. Part of this anticipation of “future needs” was the provision for alternative transport systems. A light rail transit (LRT) bridge has also been constructed to allow a future railway to link Yas Island and Abu Dhabi.

The highway provides an effective shortcut between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

650 PALM TREES HAVE BEEN PLANTED, ALONG WITH 500,000 OTHER PLANTS AND 10,000M3 OF STONE the bridge and roads from Yas Island to Saadiyat Island. Both sections were subcontracted to Al Jaber Construction, which appears to be doing well out of the building boom on Saadiyat. The firm also has won the contracts for the Saadiyat Beach Residences and Saadiyat Beach Hotel. Meanwhile, the construction of the actual road on Saadiyat was covered by Gulf Leighton Contracting Abu Dhabi, following the designs of US firm Parsons. As part of this construction, a 180m wide land bridge was built to link Saadiyat to Yas. In anticipation of future residents and out of respect for the natural landscape, the land bridge was built by using a trough contour, making it less visible and quieter. Along the Saadiyat section, 650 palm trees have been planted, along with 500,000 other plants, 10,000m3 of stone and 26,000m3 of sand. Construction took 24 months to complete. With the bridge and highway now officially open, a vital element of both the Saadiyat Island and Yas Island projects can now be crossed off the list. 5

“It was very important to deliver the project on time because the bridge was needed in time for the Formula One Grand Prix”

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY Aldar were responsible for 23m of the highway, plus a further 18km of interchange ramps and freeway improvements. As a result, 22 highway bridges, 17 exits and four underpasses came under the developer’s remit. In addition, Aldar was responsible the main interchange and surrounding highway for Yas Island, Aldar’s leisure and entertainment destination development and location of Yas Marina Circuit, the venue for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Aldar’s portion of the project was split into a further two packages. Six Construct handled the construction of the Yas Island section of the highway and the interchange with the Abu Dhabi-Dubai road, while Taisei Corporation handled the responsibilities for building 60

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

TOP FIGURES Saif Bin Darwish used approximately 15,000 tonnes of asphalt and 15,500 tonnes of reinforcement steel to build the 1.4km bridge.

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PROJECT REVIEW ITCC

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ITCC: SAUDI’S SMART CITY In two and a half years Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh will burst into the cyber-century and beyond with the completion of its Information Technology Communications Complex (ITCC), the Kingdom’s ﬁrst “smart city” By Benjamin Millington

n order to attract the world’s leading Information Technology and Communications (ITC) companies to a place like Saudi Arabia, you need to offer the world’s best ITC services and infrastructure - this is the concept behind the Kingdom’s new US $1.65 billion (SR6.5 billion) ITCC development. The project is being developed by Rayadah Investment Company, the investment arm of the government’s Public Pensions Agency (PPA), which is also developing the $10 billion King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh. As with KAFD, ITCC aims to generate income to support the PPA’s social security network, as well as achieve the broader goal of stimulating new jobs and industry to improve Saudi Arabia’s social future. Currently, the Kingdom’s ITC sector is disjointed, lacks sufficient infrastructure and faces numerous challenges and limitations with its internet service providers. ITTC will change that. Included in the project’s 776,000m2 will be administration buildings for ITC companies, technical business centres, buildings

for research, training and development and software production companies. There will also be support buildings such as hotels, restaurants, a convention centre, residential apartments, a technical college and government service buildings. When commissioned in mid-2012 it’s expected ITCC will make Riyadh a regional hub for ITC services, education, research and innovation.

following the award of three more contracts for phase one of construction. The main package went to Al Rajhi Projects for construction of ITCC’s central area, which includes four 20-storey towers - the projects main architectural feature. The contract also includes construction of two research and development buildings, two business technology incubator buildings, a sports club and a clinic. The second contract, valued at $150 million, was awarded to Con-

struction Contracting Enterprises to build a 326 room Crown Plaza hotel and a 5000m2 convention centre. The third contract, worth $50 million, was awarded to Al Yamama Company for the construction of a residential complex including apartments, villas and recreational areas. All three contracts are due for completion in 30 months. ITCC project director Mohammed Alsabek says construction is progressing as per sched-

CONSTRUCTION The master plan for ITCC was designed by a joint venture between local consultants Zuhair Fayez and Singapore’s Jurong International. Zuhair Fayez then carried on with the detailed design of infrastructure and substructures. In April 2008 Rayadah awarded a $65 million contract to local contractor El Seif Engineering for construction of infrastructure for the 487,000m2 of the development. The contract included a sewage treatment plant and a concrete-encased optic fibre cable network and was completed in August. Meanwhile, mobilisation and excavation works for the superstructures began in July

FACTS OF INTEREST • The total cost is around US $1.65 billion (SR6.5 billion) • The entire site will achieve at least the basic Leed environmental certiﬁcation • The four towers will be covered by a golden perforated aluminium sheeting 1.4m away from the curtain wall which will reﬂect up to 60% of the solar gain • Each of the 4mx2m panels holding the aluminium sheets will have individual lights which will illuminate the towers in various changing patterns at night • ITTC’s data centre will be rated tier four, the highest rating possible which allows virtually zero downtime • There will be an average of one parking space per 25m

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

PROJECT REVIEW ITCC ule and few hiccups are expected. “The time frame for this project is satisfactory; with hard work and good coordination we should be able to achieve the completion dates,” he says. Alsabek says excavation work for the superstructures is ongoing and isn’t expected to be complete until the end of the year. He says a staggering 1.6 million m3 of earth must be removed from the central area alone to accommodate ITCC’s extensive parking facilities. “For this development to be successful we wanted to provide enough parking for every tenant,” he said. “So under each of the four towers there will be five basement floors of parking, a total of 22m deep, while under the research and development building there will be two levels and under the hotel and conference centre there will be three levels. “If we don’t have proper parking it will be difficult to market the development properly, so overall we have worked out a design with 1 park per 25m2, which is quite a lot.” Alsabek said there are still several other elements within the project that are yet to start construction, including a 35-tonne district cooling plant. He said tenders will start rolling out gradually over the coming months.

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“The sheet is aluminium shined to gold and is perforated which means you can see out of the building but you can’t see the glass from the outside. “The purpose of this cladding is not only for aesthetics but also energy savings as it reflects UV rays and up to 60% of the solar gain.” The aluminum sheets will be held in 4mx2m diamond-shaped panels that will have individual lights which will illuminate the towers in various changing patterns at night, he added.

SMART CITY

The four 20-storey towers we be the architectural feature of the project.

60 PERCENT OF SOLAR GAIN WILL BE REFLECTED BY THE GOLD EXTERNAL CLADDING ON THE TOWERS

ITCC includes a vast network of optic ﬁbre cable encased in concrete for protection.

Meanwhile, phase two of construction, which includes 18 buildings and the second infrastructure package, is currently under design and tenders will be open to bidders during the course of next year.

ENVIRONMENT While the focus of the project is certainly on the technology aspects, ITCC will also be up to scratch on its environmental credentials according to systems project director Abdul Muhsin Al Bakr. Bakr says all buildings in ITCC will achieve at least the basic Leed environmental certification through the use of grey water recycling, low energy lighting, low energy air conditioning and most of all – reduction in solar gain. A key feature of the ITCC’s four central towers will be the unique external cladding designed to reflect the sun’s rays. “About 1.4m away from the curtain wall is a golden sheet covering the entire building,” Baker describes.

We benchmark ITCC with the best high-tech smart cities in the world.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

The concept of the “smart city” can be loosely defined as a place which offers widespread broadband services, the latest in voice and video communication platforms and highlevel data security. All of this should be operated on a huge optic-fibre cable network designed to give the fastest speeds and accommodate next generation technologies for years to come. Silicon Valley in the US was one of the first cities specifically designed around the needs of ITC companies. In this region, Dubai Internet City in the UAE is one development, which boasts the smart city tag while India’s Smart City Kochi and Smart City Malta are currently under development. As the world catches onto the economic and social benefits to be gained from a thriving ITC sector, Rayadah’s lead ITC engineer Khalid Al Arfaj says ITCC will ensure Saudi Arabia is not left behind. “We benchmark ITCC with the best hightech smart cities in the world,” he says. “If a company comes to us with a specific need there is no doubt that we will be able to do it. It’s a flexible design, which will suit both Saudi and multi-national companies. “We have no boundaries, the sky is the limit.” Rayadah commissioned international ITC consultants Orange to design all of its networks and solutions. Meanwhile the company has already signed MOUs with several leading ITC companies who want to be involved in the project, including Microsoft, Cisco and Cantel. “One of the biggest attractions for these companies is the fact that we will own and operate the infrastructure and ensure the highest quality is delivered to the tenant,” says Al Arfaj. “If you search around you are not going to find a space like this for ITC companies, basically there is nowhere in KSA that can provide all the services that an ITC company needs in one place.” Al Arfaj says he expects only ITC related companies to operate within ITCC. It’s expected that the project’s 22,000m2 technical college will help to feed the ITCC with trained professionals and create new jobs. The facility will act as a high-class ITC college and link in with the project’s research and development facility. 5

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PMV HEAVY LIFT

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HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION Have heavy lift companies focused more on oil and gas projects in recent months?

By Greg Whitaker

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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he heavy lift industry is primarily associated with construction. Particularly in the Middle East, cranes are invariably linked to the build sector and were once the source of many urban legends surrounding the percentage of the world’s cranes located in Dubai. But with the construction sector suffering from a slowdown over the past few months, heavy lift companies have focused more of their attention on oil and gas based business. “The upstream oil and gas work shows a trend of gradual development of the Middle East infrastructures. This has resulted in a potential growth in the market for boom cranes, as oil and gas and its related projects have proved to be more resilient through 2009 in the present scenario, due to the down trend of the construction sectors which are expected to take off again during the second quarter of 2010,” Mohammed Razzaqi, product manager, Darwish Bin Ahmed & Sons reveals. This increase in business has been witnessed most in certain areas of the Middle East. “The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia have experienced the most dramatic growth. Saudi Arabia is the largest regional market and is followed by UAE, Qatar and Kuwait,” says Razzaqi. However working out of the country where a company is based can bring in logistical issues. “When the equipment is going out of the UAE there are logistical problems with that. So we are only interested if it is a big job,” states Hussein Ansar, deputy manager, Fabexi Trading. Liebherr, a company involved in manufacturing the cranes used in the industry, also sees the benefits of being involved in oil and gas. “Oil and gas projects were less affected than construction work. After the real estate collapse in October 2008 many huge projects were cancelled (e.g. Arabian Canal), this was not seen in the oil and gas sector,” states Wolfgang Beringer, sales promotion, Liebherr. The company offers a wide range of cranes, although not all of its range is used extensively in the Middle East. “Generally we offer our complete range of cranes, but mainly we sell in this area mobile cranes from 70 – 1200 tonne capacity, crawler cranes from 280 – 750 tonne capacity and harbour mobile cranes in the range of 100 tonne capacity,” comments Beringer. Beringer also states Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar as the countries which make up the biggest market in the Middle East, and adds Bahrain to the list also. The major use of cranes in the region for the energy sector is in

PMV HEAVY LIFT

Security is the big issue, you have to work hand in hand with the safety people. A lot of paper work has to be done. The cranes have to be equipped with emergency shutdown systems, spark arrestors. erecting rigs, moving of rigs and shutdowns, according to Beringer. Cranes and heavy lift equipment can also be crucial pieces of equipment at shipyards. Recently DP World Jeddah announced a delivery of 15 cranes at its south container terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port. The cranes were supplied by Zhenhua Port Machinery Company (ZPMC) of China, and included three Super-Super Post Panamax (SSPP) cranes and 12 Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes. DP World Middle East senior VP and MD Faisal Al Qahtani described the deal as “an

important milestone” for the company which fulfilled its commitment to deliver “state of the art yard equipment to enhance the terminals efficiency and productivity”. One of the major challenges which are affecting the heavy lift industry, and one which should not be ignored, is keeping the highest standards of safety intact. “Security is the big issue, you have to work hand in hand with the safety people. A lot of paper work has to be done. The cranes have to be equipped with emergency shutdown systems, spark arrestors,” says Beringer.

“The cranes have to be in top condition and they are inspected by the owners of the plants or third parties.” Another challenge is the amount of competition and the increasingly higher standards demanded from customers. “Our challenge is the competition with other companies which are operating in this market. Some of them are older than us in the UAE market so it is our challenge to offer services at competitive prices and standard of quality for this field,” comments Ansar. “Customers are very difficult these days with higher standards now than even two years ago. Accordingly we have upgraded our standards to be accepted by the customers. This is the main challenge in our business,” he adds. Companies in the heavy lift sector have had to find alternative forms of business following the construction slowdown, and for the many firms with a vested interest in oil and gas, the solution was obvious. With segments of the industry now looking like they are rebounding, there can now be a lighter outlook for the region’s heavy lifting business. 5

CASE STUDY WORLD’S STRONGEST CRANE The world’s largest boom telescopic mobile crane, a Liebherr LTM11200-9.1, was used for moving parts in the fabrication of a self-propelled rig known as a ‘Seajack’ at Lamprell’s UAE yard, through the first week of August. Specialist ‘builder’ Lamprell needed to lift and place the top two segments on the rig – fittingly named Leviathan. The four legs, each totaling a height of 86.46m, incorporate eight segments. For the 7th and 8th segments, each weighing 52 tonnes , the crane was positioned alongside the Seajack to provide a 26m radius and capitalise on the cranes telescopic boom – capable of reaching up to 100m – to ensure fast lifts and speedier erection times for each of the legs. The Al Faris Rental crane was configured with 202 tonne counterweights and an 88.30m boom length with superlift and an 18m hydraulic offset fly jib to complete all four legs. Additionally, in a twin lift with a Liebherr LTM1500-8.1 500t capacity mobile crane, the cranes were used to lift and position a Huisman marine crane at the stern of the seajack for permanent installation. The LTM11200 was configured with a 53.3m boom and superlift and the LTM1500 with a 31.7m boom to lift the 138t Heisman in a ‘top and tail’ operation. The Seajack ‘Leviathan’ is a self propelled, self elevating lift boat intended for harsh environment conditions and was commissioned to install wind turbines in the North Sea. Equipped with the latest Class 2 dynamic positioning technology the vessel is fitted with high standard accommodation for up to 90 people. The alternative option for Lamprell was to use Al Faris’s 500t Liebherr’s in a tandem lift operation with both cranes being rigged on luffing jib configuration. This was ruled out as the cranes would have had to be repositioned for each of the four legs; taking more time to complete the job.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

EXHIBITOR Q&A

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Showing his steel Mabani Steel president Muayyad Khudairi talks to the CW Big 5 Daily about his show experience and his company’s performance in 2009 What will you be exhibiting at the Big 5 show? The PEB product is a traditional product. Innovations in our industry are attributed to advances in equipment technology, manufacturing processes, material handling and engineering software. Mabani Steel enjoys competitive advantages in the following areas, all of which contributed to “the Mabani Steel advantage” giving our customers the highest value in the industry.

What are you expecting out of this year’s Big 5? We believe that this year’s Big 5 will produce a more focused construction industry crowd because the result of last year’s financial crisis resulted in the cancellation of many speculative projects leaving serious projects that will produce good inquiries.

What do you expect to achieve from the show?

How has your company been affected by the downturn? Despite the overall downturn we have experienced a 33% growth in shipments during the first 10 months of 2009. However we are experiencing a strain on our margins as a result of considerable discounting by our competitors.

What are the main challenges you’re facing in the steel market at the moment? Due to the retrenchment in demand there is considerable over capacity in our industry (Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings) in the GCC countries. Our biggest challenge is the behavior of our competitors in the GCC as they attempt to maintain market share as we build up volume.

What are you doing to overcome these? To address falling demand and increased competition in this region we have under taken an aggressive expansion outside the

Our exposure will increase overall awareness of Mabani Steel’s capabilities and expertise to meet the steel building needs of export markets. UAE by opening sales offices in Saudi Arabia, Africa, Iraq and the Indian Subcontinent. During 2009 exports outside the UAE accounted to 65% of all sales.

What are your plans in the region? We remain committed to continued growth in the GCC. We currently have three sales

offices in UAE (Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Ras Al Khaimah), three offices in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar) three offices in Iraq (Baghdad, Basra & Erbil) and offices in each of Bahrain, Qatar & Oman. We plan to add additional manufacturing in Saudi Arabia as the business environment in this region stabilises.

Mabani Steel currently exports 65% of total production outside the UAE. The Big 5 is a venue where potential Customers from the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent gather to see both the latest products and the new upcoming successful manufacturers. Our exposure will increase overall awareness of Mabani Steel’s capabilities and expertise to meet the steel building needs of export markets. We are particularly interested in Africa and welcome companies that are interested in marketing our products in Africa.

Will you be exhibiting any products that contribute to green building? As steel fabricators we are proud that steel itself is perhaps the most recyclable of all materials, therefore by definition steel construction is green. In addition steel construction is particularly adaptable to the use of efficient insulation materials and other green subsystems.

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009



 Turning Steel Fabrication into  

We handle every aspect of Steel Projects professionally from Start to Finish

   

Tel: +9714-886 2788, Fax: +9714-886 2799 www.steeltek.ae, Email: steeltek@eim.ae P.O.Box 262012, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, U.A.E. 

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EXHIBITOR Q&A

Lift for hire Ejar Cranes & Equipment is a leasing company providing lifting solutions. Ejar has emerged to become an active player in the Gulf region, thanks to an aggressive acquisition plan and investment in top manufacturing brands such as Liebherr, Demag, Kobelco and Tadano. We speak to Zoe Hudson, head of Sales and Marketing, about how the company copes with the current economic slowdown What are Ejar Cranes and Equipment Hire’s main business activities? We hire mobile, crawler and tower cranes to the construction, marine and oil and gas industries throughout the UAE, Qatar, KSA and Oman.

How do you perceive the hire industry in the Middle East? The industry has shrunk dramatically and there is an excess of cranes for hire in the market. It’s changed from a hirer’s market to a customer’s market - it is now far easier for our customers to find what they want to hire, at the price they want to pay.

Has Ejar Cranes and Equipment Hire faced any challenges due to the current economic climate and if so, how have these been overcome? Many projects have been put on hold or cancelled, particularly in Dubai, which has dramatically reduced the demand for plant hire. Companies still hiring plant are now more focused on cost and safety than they have been previously. We are responding by showing our customers the added-value we can bring and by building lasting partnerships with companies that are serious about safety. We are dedicated to safety; all of our operators are trained above and beyond local standards. All of our equipment has current and valid safety certification, and all of our operators have full PPE kit and are

What is your growth forecast for 2010?

It’s changed from a hirer’s market to a customer’s market - it is now far easier for our customers to ﬁnd what they want to hire, at the price they want to pay.

We have seen a good level of growth in 2009 with the implementation of the company’s strategic marketing plan, combined with our first class fleet and sales team, 2010 is envisaged to be another great year for Ejar.

Are you looking at working in markets outside the UAE? We currently operate successfully in Qatar and KSA. We have a large utilisation of fleet in both areas. In 2010 we are looking to further expand our customer base in Oman. We also have future work in Libya and new business on the horizon in Singapore.

What are the beneﬁts of hiring equipment over buying? continually assessed for their performance and capabilities by our training team. We have a brand new fleet of cranes from well-known manufacturers such as Terex and Liebherr, which not only increases the reliability of our fleet but also gives the customer confidence that we are committed to making their project a success, rather than just sending them a crane for hire. We have recently opened a new yard in Mafraq that will be utilised to service our customers in Abu Dhabi more efficiently, as well as our existing yard in Jebel Ali which continues to serve Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

The main benefit of hiring, particularly in the current economic climate, is that companies do not need to make vast capital expenditure on fleet, without the confidence of a buoyant market to support them. It also negates any of the problems with employing and training operators, and maintaining a fleet that encompasses parts, workshops, maintenance crews and trucks, delivery vehicles, safety checks and certification. Our customers can be confident that every time they place an order with Ejar, they will receive a reliable and first class service. 5

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

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SHOW INFO SHOW STOPPERS

YAMAHA KIT UP FUTURE SHOWS FOR GRABS IN DAILY DRAW Watch out for more informative and busy trade shows taking place in Dubai throughout 2010

Win a Yamaha Banshee motorbike as well as daily prizes of US $1,500 worth of Yamaha clothing and apparel when you visit the four brand new Sheikh Saeed halls

amaha has joined forces with The Big 5 and will provide a special temptation for visitors to explore the four brand new Sheikh Saeed halls that the show fills. These halls will feature over 540 exhibitors as well as PMV Heavy Construction Machinery exhibitors. On the Al Yusuf Yamaha stand (11G141) you will be able to enter a daily draw to win US $1,500 worth of Yamaha clothing and apparel. The Yamaha range of clothing that Al Yusuf promote in their stores is extensive. Winners of the three daily draws will be able to exchange the products for clothes and styles of their choosing. With the Big 5 open for four days, once you enter the daily draw, your details will automatically be entered into the Grand Prize draw for the Banshee motorbike, which will be drawn on 26 November at 7:00pm. The Yamaha Banshee motorbike is a sought after product here in the Gulf - it has Yamaha build quality, is simple and easy to maintain and huge fun off road. It’s easy to enter, just visit the new halls, find the Yamaha stand, and win clothing and apparel worth US $1,500 in the daily draw, or you might be the lucky winner of the Grand Prize, the brand new Yamaha Banshee bike. The Big 5 thanks Al Yusuf for its kind support. 5

The Ofﬁce Exhibition 9 - 11 February 2010 Dubai World Trade Centre www.theofﬁceexhibition.com The Office Exhibition is recognised as being the flagship show for the office sector. No longer just a furniture showcase, we now offer dedicated sectors for both technology and consultancy. We bringing together the world’s most important manufacturers and suppliers, situated at the centre of the Gulf region's construction boom. 2009 saw an increase in size of over 60%, with visitor numbers increasing by nearly 20%! Be a part of the Middle East’s largest office solutions show and book your place now for 2010… space is going fast!

The Hotel Show 18 - 20 May 2010 Dubai World Trade Centre www.thehotelshow.com Where the Hospitality industry meets... The Middle East remains a strong market for the hospitality sector, despite the current global downturn. It is forecasted that new hotel developments across the region will be worth US $30 billion through to 2010/11. Reliable estimates are that the UAE alone will invest $19.9bn into hotel projects already under construction in 2009, which will see fit-out and supply business continue to flourish over the next two or three years. Four dedicated product sectors ensure that exhibitors are able to take part among their peers, and that visitors can identify their needs easily and effectively: • Interiors & Design • Operating Equipment & Supplies • Security & Technology • The Resort Experience FM Expo 18-20 May 2010 Dubai World Trade Centre www.fm-expo.com A joint venture with Streamline Marketing Group, FM Expo is a ‘one stop shop’ for everything needed to manage and maintain the built environment including: environment / energy, IT maintenance and management, property services, security and health

and safety. Co-located with the Hotel Show and InRetail, the 2008 event saw almost 100 companies take part and over 3,000 FM specific professionals attend to discover the latest maintenance, security, cleaning, information technology and/or energy management encompassed within a building.

Index 8-11 November 2010 Dubai World Trade Centre www.indexexhibition.com Now in its 19th year, INDEX is the number one business interior design show in the Middle East. With over 1800 exhibitors from around the globe, the event brings together a comprehensive collection of innovative and state of the art designs which are set to inspire. INDEX 2008 was attended by 30,348 trade visitors and industry professionals, including nearly 30% attendance from overseas. INDEX 2009 will see exciting new developments including floor seminars by renowned industry experts, stunning room sets by leading interior designers, a new VIP trade buyer programme and a lot more. InRetail 8-11 November 2010 Dubai World Trade Centre www.inretailexhibition.com InRetail (co-located with the Index exhibition) is the largest retail design and shopfitting exhibition in the Middle East. InRetail offers a spectrum of products and services encompassing all working elements and support structures to the mall and retail sector. From shop-fitting and visual merchandising, retail design and consulting to supply chain management technology and retail security, the event offers a complete solution for anybody involved in the retail sector. Our first class seminar programme running alongside the exhibition offers an educational look at the retail sector and its development in the Gulf from shopping mall construction to security and globalising retail. BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

DESTINATION DUBAI

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BEST CIGAR BARS IN TOWN If you’re looking to meet friends, impress a client or simply unwind after a hard days work, Time Out Dubai has handpicked the best cigar bars in town The Cigar Bar Enjoy the warm tones of the mahogany lined interior and rich dark enveloping furniture at this charming little bar. It features an impressive selection of world-class cigars in a handcrafted, walk-in humidor, specialty cognacs, whiskies and a dedicated vodka bar. Location: Fairmont Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai; 04 332 5555 Travel: 7 minutes walk Timings: Open daily 6pm to 2am Credit Cards Accepted: Yes

Bar Below This swanky below ground-level cigar bar attracts Dubai’s cigar-chomping upper crust and its dark panelled walls, golden ceiling and marble-topped bar are a great way of impressing that special client you’re trying to win over. Location: Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai Marina, Dubai; 04 399 5555 Travel: Taxi to Al Sufouh Road Timings: Open daily 7pm to 1am Credit Cards Accepted: Yes

Blue Bar Located on the ground floor of the Novotel next door, Blue Bar combines fashionable decor,

cigars and an unusually good selection of draught Belgian beers. Location: Novotel World Trade Centre Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai; 04 332 0000 Travel: 0 minutes (attached to the exhibition centre) Times: Open daily 12.30pm to 2am Credit Cards Accepted: Yes

Cigar Lounge at Cin Cin One of the most popular cigar hangouts in town, this little bar is a good bet for a relaxed atmosphere to puff away on ideas with clients. Location: Fairmont Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai; 04 332 5555 Travel: 7 minutes walk Times: Open daily 6pm to 2am Credit Cards Accepted: Yes

Cuban Bar Located at one of Dubai’s favourite areas, this nice and gently lit Cuban bar on the mezzanine floor has a reasonable selection of Cuban cigars. Details Location: Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, Dubai; 04 399 1111 Travel: Taxi to Al Sufouh Road Timings: Open daily 6pm to 1am

BAR W BELOYAL

O LE R IAN ID MER

For more restaurants, bars and cafés visit timeoutdubai.com

P.O. Box 28078, Dubai, U.A.E. Tel: (+971)4-2729 711 Fax: (+971)4-2729 622 Email: tti_dubai@yahoo.com Web: www.ttiuae.com

WA Series Super Low Noise Technology

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

KX Series Industrial Tower

OPENING TIMES 11:00 – 20:00 11:00 – 20:00 11:00 – 20:00

When you arrive at the venue please make your way to the registration points marked on the map. Remember to register online at www.thebig5exhibition.com to fast track your entry into the exhibition.

Tuesday 24th November Wednesday 25th November Thursday 26th November

B C D F

650 Spaces 1450 Spaces 470 Spaces 500 Spaces

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

(behind Etisalat Building)

Multi-Storey costs AED 10 per hour or AED 200 per day Additional over flow parking Jafiliya - Free land

(behind Etisalat Building)

Multi-Storey Car Park 980 Spaces Over flow parking Jafiliya 750 Spaces

(Recommended Exhibitor Parking)

Park Park Park Park

CAR PARKING SPACES

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Car Car Car Car

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SHOW MAP THE ESSENTIALS

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USEFUL INFORMATION TAXI PICK UP AND DROP OFF Taxi Pick Up: Station E (Shuttle Bus from Ibis Corner) Taxi Drop Off: Za’abeel, Ibis Corner, Convention Gate, Hall 1

METRO There will be Free RTA Shuttle Buses from the following stops to Dubai World Trade Centre: Direction from Sharjah, Deira, Bur Dubai: Jafiliya Metro Station

VALET Pick Up and Drop Off – Ibis Corner

(Between Halls 4 & 5)

BIG 5 SHOW DAILY NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Car Park Shuttle Bus Green Route (Free Service) Car Parks B, C, D – Hall 1 Shuttle Bus to Station E (Free Service)

Direction from Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali: DIFC Metro Station

PRIVATE CAR HIRE Order from desk based at Al Wasl Corner

Over flow parking Jafiliya – DWTC Plaza (behind Etisalat Building)

Car Park Shuttle Bus Red Route (Free Service)

Ibis Corner – Station E (Taxi Pick Up & Dubai Mall Shuttle Bus)

Station E – Dubai Mall (From 15:00 – 21:00) RTA Shuttle Bus – Route C 045 (Costs AED 4.00 NOL card) Picks up at RTA Bus Station at Convention Gate. Stops at DWTC (Convention Gate) – Crowne Plaza – French Connection – Al Murooj Rotana – Dusit Dubai – DWTC (Convention Gate). Start Time 08:00 – 20:00 (Bus every 30 minutes).

Shuttle Bus to Dubai Mall (Free Service)

BIMFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Bob, Steel Fabricator

Dave, Precaster

Ellen, Structural Engineer

Professionals of various disciplines working in a construction project are faced with the challenge to communicate and agree on the design in detail. They need a tool that enables effective centralization and control of all stages. Sharing the Tekla model allows them to stay in the building information loop, real-time. Tekla Structures BIM (Building Information Modeling) software provides a data-rich 3D environment that can be shared by contractors, structural engineers, steel detailers and fabricators, and concrete detailers and manufacturers. Choose Tekla for the highest level of constructability and integration in project management and delivery.

John, General Contractor