Big Project ME October 2013

OCTOBER 2013

READY FOR THE

091 ALSO INSIDE WHAT THE PMI CAN DO FOR YOU TOP GERMAN PLAYERS GCC TERMINAL VELOCITY MTB SITE VISIT

WORLD what a dubai expo win will mean

C

M

Y

M

MY

Y

MY

K

2 - 3 Contents.indd 2

10/1/13 5:23 PM

M MIDDLE EAST

CONTENTS

OCTOBER 2013 07

the big picture

Qatar is the most expensive place to build UAE joins its Gulf neighbour in global top 20.

14

News ANalysis

Come together How will the industry be affected by Dubai’s incoming green building code?

18 IN Profile A helping hand Mark Langley talks about the PMI’s role in raising standards in the region.

24

Market analysis: Aviation

Up in the air Balancing the needs of airport development with national carriers.

30 SITE VISIT MIdfield terminal building Exclusive report on-site at the Midfield Terminal Building with TAV.

36

project management consultants

great expectations The challenge of facing up to a construction industry in flux.

42 TOP GERMAN PLAYERS GERMANY’s REGIONAL CONTRIBUTION A look at the German companies that continue to push the envelope.

48 SPECIAL LOOK AT EXPO 2020 welcoming the world What would winning Expo 2020 mean for Dubai.

54 SPECIAL FEATURES Going mobile Why cloud-based software could change on-site management.

across the gap A look at bridge construction in the region.

62 CPD Module mission critical destination Conducting audits for facilities management.

82 Constructive criticism Big Project ME talks exclusively to Turkey’s TAV Construction.

Flights of fancy Is the UAE an example for the rest of the region to follow?

OCTOBER 2013

MIDDLE EAST

PAGE 24

3

EDITOR’S COMMENT

M MIDDLE EAST

BIGPROJECTME.COM

Risky Business Is Doha doing enough to convince the construction industry that contractors will be treated fairly in the lead up to the World Cup in 2022?

I sat on a panel session at this month’s Hotel Show in Dubai discussing the current state of play in Qatar and how it will achieve its aims. On the stage the talk was about its undoubted potential, but on the sidelines the talk was of risk to bonds, litigation and arbitration. Depressingly three years on from Qatar’s victory, there are few signs of putting in place the financial, legal and regulatory framework that will be required to protect those brave enough to take on work there.

PUBLISHER DOMINIC DE SOUSA GROUP COO NADEEM HOOD MANAGING DIRECTOR RICHARD JUDD EDITORIAL GROUP EDITOR STEPHEN WHITE stephen.white@cpimediagroup.com +971 56 795 8740 +971 4 375 5477 DEPUTY EDITOR GAVIN DAVIDS gavin.davids@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5480 REPORTER NEHA BHATIA neha.bhatia@cpidubai.com +971 4 375 5476 FEATURES EDITOR CHARLES MARTIN MARKETING & ADVERTISING PUBLISHING DIRECTOR RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5483 COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR MICHAEL STANSFIELD michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5497 SALES DIRECTOR CARLO MENEZES carlo.menezes@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5495 MARKETING MANAGER CAROLE MCCARTHY carole.mccarthy@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5498 DESIGN

Akbar Al Baker suggested this month that NDIA will now open early next year, extending delays to four years.

Al Baker has readily blamed contractors for the delays, but we saw Lindner Depa Interiors fight back in September by launching a $250 million international arbitration claim.

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER REBECCA TEECE rebecca.teece@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5713 JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER PERCIVAL MANALAYSAY +971 4 375 5712 CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION CIRCULATION AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER ROCHELLE ALMEIDA rochelle.almeida@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 368 1670 DATABASE AND CIRCULATION MANAGER RAJEESH M rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147

In his statement, an exasperated Mohannad Sweid, Group CEO at Depa said: “We consider the termination of our contract to have been wholly unfounded and the subsequent lack of response by the New Doha International Airport has left Lindner Depa Interiors with no choice... We have spent significant time and effort over the last nine months to resolve this matter amicably with the NDIA but without success.”

PRODUCTION MANAGER JAMES P THARIAN james.tharian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9146

Serious money is being spent in the hope of winning contracts in Qatar. Unless you’re confident that you will see it through to the end, I would question whether that is money well spent.

PUBLISHED BY

Stephen White

Group Editor

DIGITAL WWW.BIGPROJECTME.COM DIGITAL SERVICES MANAGER TRISTAN TROY MAAGMA WEB DEVELOPERS JOEL AZCUNA JANICE FULGENCIO online@cpidubai.com +971 4 375 5470

Registered at IMPZ PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 375 5470 Fax: +971 4 443 5178 PRINTED BY Printwell Printing Press LLC © Copyright 2013 CPI All rights reserved

4

MIDDLE EAST

While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

1

OCTOBER 2013

4 - 5 Ed comment.indd 4

10/2/13 6:02 PM

6 News.indd 11

10/1/13 4:53 PM

The Formwork Experts.

Panel floor formwork Dokadek 30 The beamless hand-set system for fast erection and dismantling Speed Safety Simplicity

Quicker to put up - quicker to take down Productivity on safe ground Easy to explain - easy to use

Stand

717-1

Hall 1

Scan here for more information on Dokadek 30

www.doka-me.com

6 News.indd 6

10/1/13 4:52 PM

THE BIGGEST PICTURE

QATAR REMAINS MOST EXPENSIVE

MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRY TO BUILD IN

BIG PROJECT, BIG NUMBERS THE MOST EXPENSIVE COUNTRIES TO BUILD IN ARE: 1 Hong Kong 2 Switzerland 3 Denmark 4 Sweden 5 Macau 6 Australia 7 Japan 8 France 9 Singapore 10 Belgium 15 Qatar 20 UAE 21 Saudi Arabia

2013 INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS REPORT RANKS QATAR AND UAE IN THE TOP 20 MOST EXPENSIVE LOCATIONS TO BUILD QATAR REMAINS THE most expensive country to build in the Middle East, and the 15th most expensive globally, following the release of an EC Harris report.

According to the 2013 International Construction Costs Reports, Qatar and the UAE remain in the top 20 most expensive locations to build, while KSA continues to move up the cost curve, with inflation running at five percent per annum.

“Qatar’s construction market is relatively small and historically has been associated with a steady rate of development, but all of this is about to change with a set of major programmes linked to the 2030 National Plan and the 2022 Qatar World Cup,” said Nick Smith, head of Cost and Commercial, Middle East at EC Harris.

“This investment programme includes major elements of social infrastructure, transport and

energy infrastructure to support population growth and economic diversification. In previous reports, we have warned of the risk of high rates of inflation resulting from a peak of workload in Qatar from 2016 onwards,” he added.

“These programmes have got off to a slow start, so as yet there is little price escalation in the system. This could change as programme procurement accelerates unless steps are taken to further build industry capacity.”

The study found that relative construction costs around the globe have been hit by currency fluctuations through the year.

However, as the Gulf currencies are pegged to the dollar, the impact has been limited here.

Saudi Arabia is currently in the midst of delivering large social infrastructure and economic diversification programmes, including the construction of

six new economic cities. The youthful demographic, the size of the country and the prospect of continuing population growth means transport, housing, education and health are a priority, which will drive continuing growth in construction markets.

“In 2013 we are seeing a more broadly based recovery in the Gulf markets, with a general shift to increased spending on social infrastructure and positive signs emerging that the construction markets in the UAE are set for recovery,” continued Nick Smith.

“Preparations for the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 are the most obvious manifestation of accelerated growth, but sustained growth is also expected in Saudi Arabia, which is in the midst of a large social investment programme including the building of six new economic cities,” the analyst concluded.

OCTOBER 2013

6 - 13 News_V2.indd 7

MIDDLE EAST

BIG PROJECT ME TALKS TO MARK LANGLEY, CEO OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE – PAGE 18

7

10/6/13 11:21 AM

THE BIG PICTURE

BIGPROJECTME.COM

SEPP BLATTER: ‘QATAR WORLD CUP MAY HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE’ FIFA boss says he will push for a winter tournament FIFA president Sepp Blatter has expressed doubts over Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the first time after admitting that ‘it may have been a mistake’ awarding them the event, and admitted that he would back a winter World Cup. Blatter’s comments came in an interview with insideworldfootball.com, where he was asked if Qatar should have been awarded the event.

A final decision will only be made in October, and Blatter said that would try to get his proposal for the switch endorsed by the FIFA Executive Committee.

“It may well be that we made a mistake at the time,” he said

TENDERS REFLOATED FOR OMAN’S REGIONAL AIRPORTS Ministry of Transport and Communication for Oman relaunches tenders for the development of greenfield airport projects OMAN’S AWAITED PASSENGER terminal packages linked to the development of green-field airport projects at Sohar and Ras Al Hadd were relaunched by the government after a delay of almost two years, the government has announced.

Overseeing the multi-billion dollar modernisation of the country’s aviation sector, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, following a major design review, reappraised the packages covering three regional airports, including the one under-construction at Duqm.

The design review resulted in the overhaul of the design of terminal buildings at all three airports, with the structures scaled down to improve functionality without reducing their passenger throughput capacities, estimated at 1.5 million per annum, local media reports said. Reworking the technical and design features was also expected to achieve cost reductions in the construction, maintenance and operation of the terminals, the Ministry stated, besides allowing for horizontal expansions to smoothly take place in the future.

The Ministry reportedly has adopted a uniform layout for all three airports.

in the interview.

“On the other hand, you must also consider political and geo-political realities. The World Cup is FIFA’s biggest, if not only, global event. Who are we, the Europeans, to demand that this event has to cater to the needs of 800 million Europeans above all?

“We must accept that football has moved away from being a European and South American sport, it has become the world sport that billions of fans are excitedly following every week, everywhere in the world.”

Regarding his plan to switch the event to winter, he said: “After many discussions, deliberations and critical review of the entire matter, I came to the conclusion that playing the World Cup in the heat of Qatar’s summer was simply not a responsible thing to do.

“We would need to speak to and consult with all interested parties and stakeholders.”

AL HASSAN ABU DHABI AWARDED $6.75MN EPC CONTRACT BY GASCO Project expected to be completed by May 2015

2015 MAY EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE FOR THE EPC CONTRACT

ABU DHABI GAS Industries (GASCO) has awarded a $6.75 million EPC contract to Al Hassan Engineering Co Abu Dhabi, it has been announced.

Controlled by Al Hassan Engineering Co with a 49% stake, the company announced the deal on the Muscat Securities Market in September.

The contract for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) work on the Ruwais surge drum protection and battery limit ESD valves at Trains 1 and 2 in Abu Dhabi is expected to be completed by May 2015, the company said.

“We expect reasonable income from this project”, Al Hassan said in a statement to the bourse.

Al Hassan was recently awarded a $1.8mn sub-contract by Siemens in Abu Dhabi which included civil and associated building works for Mirfa, Abu Dhabi’s new 400/220/33kV substation, the report added.

8

MIDDLE EAST

BIG PROJECT ME EXCLUSIVELY VISITS THE MIDFIELD TERMINAL BUILDING PROJECT IN ABU DHABI – PAGE 22

OCTOBER 2013

6 - 13 News_V2.indd 8

10/2/13 10:32 AM

THE BIG PICTURE

UAE PRECAST COMPANY TO BUILD SCHOOLS IN IRAQ

PLUNGING RUPEE COULD HIT INDIAN INVESTMENT INTO UAE REAL ESTATE

Contract part of Iraqi programme to build 1,485 schools across the country

Indian housing minister says that depreciating value of the Indian rupee could affect Indian investment into the UAE market

THE UAE-BASED precast contracting company, Gulf Precast, has signed a contract to build 65 precast schools across Central Iraq, it has been announced.

With the initial part of production already underway in the UAE, the company is in the process of setting up a production plant in Iraq.

The contract to build the schools are part of an Iraqi national programme to build 1,485 schools across the country this year.

They will consist of six, nine, twelve, eighteen and 24 class rooms.

The design of the schools and their boundary walls has already been finalised, Gulf Precast added.

Omar Araim, the representative of Gulf Precast in Iraq stated: “The Iraqi government has launched an ambitious programme of construction development which can only be achieved if modern performing technologies such as precast are employed.”

The factory will cater for the second production phase of the schools project as well as for the fast-track infrastructure and housing programme launched by the Iraqi government.

SAUDI CONSTRUCTION OFFICIALS BACK FIDIC CONTRACTS Application of FIDIC contracts protects rights of local contractors

The application of FIDIC contracts in Saudi Arabia could solve as much as 80% of the country’s contracting sector problems, the head of the Contracting Committee at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has said.

Abdullah Rudwan said that the application of FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers) contracts could preserve the rights of local contractors and serve as a reference for differences arising from the implementation of contracts.

He added that the council of ministers had given a 180-day period – expiring in November, to contractors, to allow for the completion of the new FIDIC-compliant system, which will be supervised by the Commerce, Finance and Labor ministries.

SCHOOLS BEING BUILT BY GULF PRECAST

THE FALLING VALUE of the Indian rupee and its impact on Indian investments into the UAE real estate market is a matter of concern, the Indian housing minister has said.

Dr Girija Vyas said that although Indians are the second-top investors into the UAE real estate market, after Emiratis, there are concerns that the depreciating value of the rupee would affect these investments.

However, she insisted that the impact would only be in the short term as the difficulties facing the Indian currency and economy were merely passing through a ‘temporary phase’.

Pointing the devaluation of rupee and the current economic situation, she said itt was a ‘time-being issue’.”

Sanjay Verma, the Consul General of India, added that the Indian government had set up a fiscal committee that will

look at the current economic deficiency and currency drop and try to limit it.

Dr Girija Vyas was in the UAE on a two day trade mission, which was organised by the New Delhibased National Real Estate Development Council and the Indian Business Professional Council. Vyas also met with members of the UAE government, to discuss ways to explore opportunities in both countries.

“The aim of this trade mission is to enhance cooperation between India and UAE especially in the real estate sector,” she said. “(The) reality market is booming and UAE based companies should make use of these opportunities.”

“Seven main developers from the UAE show their willingness to invest in India,” she added, speaking to local media during her visit.

OCTOBER 2013

6 - 13 News_V2.indd 9

MIDDLE EAST

BIG PROJECT ME EXAMINES THE IMPACT OF THE AVIATION PROJECTS IN DUBAI AND ABU DHABI – PAGE 32

9

10/2/13 10:32 AM

THE BIG PICTURE

DE M ON ST RA TI ON S

LI VE

BIGPROJECTME.COM

10

MIDDLE EAST

Raz Islam Islam Raz PublishingDirector Director Publishing raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com Mobile:+971 +97150 50451 4518213 8213 Mobile:

Michael Stansfield Stansfield Michael CommercialDirector Director Commercial michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com Mobile:+971 +97155 55150 1503849 3849 Mobile:

OCTOBER 2013

6 - 13 News_V2.indd 10

10/2/13 10:32 AM

16-20 February February 2014 2014 16-20

DAMMAM DAMMAM

Dhahran International International Exhibition Exhibition Center, Center, Dhahran Dammam, Kingdom Kingdom of of Saudi Saudi Arabia Arabia Dammam, Show timings: timings: 9:30-12:00 9:30-12:00 and and 16:00-22:00 16:00-22:00 Show

TheConstruction ConstructionMachinery MachineryShow Show2014 2014isisthe thelargest largestheavy heavy The constructionmachinery machineryevent eventininthe theregion, region,showcasing showcasingaawide wide construction varietyofofproducts productsranging rangingfrom fromheavy heavyequipment equipmenttotomachinery, machinery, variety fromlighting lightingtotogenerators generatorsas aswell wellas asdealers dealersand andservice serviceproviders. providers. from

actionvia viaits itsprogramme programmeofoflive livedemonstrations demonstrationsand andthe thelargest largestever ever action showcaseofofits itstype typeininthe theMiddle MiddleEast.

East. showcase

Theevent eventwill willprovide providean aninvaluable invaluableplatform platformfor forcustomers customersininthe the The Arabworld worldbringing bringingtogether togethermanufacturers, manufacturers,distributors distributorsand andbuyers. buyers.

Arab

In2014, 2014,the theConstruction ConstructionMachinery MachineryShow Show2014 2014isisteaming teamingup up In withleading leadingSaudi Saudiexhibition exhibitionorganiser, organiser,Dhahran DhahranInternational International with ExhibitionsCenter Center(DIEC).

(DIEC).This Thisyear’s year’sshow showwill willrun runininconjunction conjunction Exhibitions withthe thepopular popularBUILDEX BUILDEXevent, event,now nowininits its16th 16thyear. year. with

TheConstruction ConstructionMachinery MachineryShow Show2014 2014isisalso alsothe theonly onlyevent event The theregion regionwhere wherebuyers buyerscan cansee seeaahuge hugerange rangeofofequipment equipmentinin ininthe

Bothevents eventswill willattract attractworldwide worldwideindustry industryexperts, experts,investors investorsand and Both buyerstotothe thelargest largesttradeshow tradeshowininthe theEastern EasternProvince.

Province. buyers

GoldSponsor Sponsorr r Gold

6 - 13 News_V2.indd 11

10/2/13 10:32 AM

THE BIG PICTURE

BIGPROJECTME.COM

RTA PLANS MASSIVE EXPANSION FOR DUBAI METRO LINES Red and Green Lines to see additional 12km and 24km added respectively DUBAI METRO IS expected to undergo a massive expansion plan on both the Red and Green Lines, the Road and Transport Authority has announced, adding that work is expected to begin as early as next year.

The RTA has finalised plans to extend the Red Line of the Metro from Rashidiya to Mirdif. It had earlier announced that the Green Line would run from Al Jaddaf to Academic City. Both extensions are expected to be operational before 2020.

2020 YEAR BOTH METRO LINE EXPANSIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED

12 KM EXPECTED ADDITION TO RED LINE

400 KM RTA RAIL NETWORK EXTENSION MASTER PLAN

RISING COSTS THREATEN SAUDI REAL-ESTATE MARKET

3 MILLION

Crisis in Syria halting the import of Turkish building materials overland routes

PROJECTED POPULATION OF DUBAI BY 2020

24 KM EXPECTED ADDITION TO GREEN LINE

LOW COST HOMES

6 MILLION

TO BE BUILT BY SAUDI MINISTRY OF HOUSING

PROJECTED POPULATION OF DUBAI IN 2030

MAF PROPERTIES APPOINTS NEW CEO Parent company MAF Holdings is investing heavily into expansion in the region

12

MIDDLE EAST

Leading UAE-based developer, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, has announced the appointment of its new CEO George Kostas, who will replace former CEO Peter Walichnowski.

CEO of parent company, MAF Holdings, Iyad Malas was quoted saying: “We are pleased with George’s appointment.

He joins at a time when the company is investing heavily in the expansion of its current assets and the development of new projects across the MENA region. We are confident that he will help the company achieve those milestones.”

MAF Holding recently released future plans to invest $817 million into the

extension and enhancement of its Dubai businesses over the next five years.

These will also bring major investment into MAF Properties’ shopping mall and hotel portfolios.

Kostas has previous industry experience in varied sectors and different leadership roles, and over various business disciplines such as finance and strategy. His most recent role was in handling construction and development for the Australian construction giant, Brookfield Multiplex.

“We have exciting growth opportunities ahead of us and I look forward to guiding the company as we pursue them,” Kostas said in a statement.

A NEW CRISIS is set to threaten the Saudi real-estate market, with obstacles cropping up when it comes to local contractors importing building materials, especially from Turkey.

Iron factories wishing to increase their productivity also face problems importing essential material for their operations, the report added.

Abdullah Mussaed, a general manger at a building materials company in Dammam, said: “Transportation by sea is very expensive. Most building material companies and factories in the Kingdom prefer to transport material by land.

However, there are many difficulties in importing building material from Turkey by land.”

“The high prices of construction material are not limited to the Saudi market alone. There is a global phenomenon of high shipping prices.

There are consumers demanding that the Ministry of Trade and Industry intervene for controlling rising prices”, he added.

Saleh Al-Said, a member in the Real Estate Committee of the Eastern Province Chamber for Commerce and Industry, said: “There is an increase in demand and a lack of supply of housing units due to the high prices of building material in the summer, and fears that the prices of units will increase further.”

OCTOBER 2013

6 - 13 News_V2.indd 12

10/6/13 11:24 AM

THE BIG PICTURE

TAV WINS $272MN DAMAC HOTEL CONTRACT

CHESTERTON UNVEILS $272MN LONDON TOWER FOR UAE INVESTORS

Four tower luxury hotel complex will be built near Burj Khalifa

Tallest tower in Croydon will be investment opportunity for UAE residents looking to invest in London property market

$272.2 MILLION THE TOWER’S WORTH

45

NUMBER OF FLOORS IN THE TOWER

163 METRES

2016

SCHEDULED COMPLETION DATE

414

SUITES, ONE, TWO AND THREE-BEDROOM APARTMENTS AND PENTHOUSES

$252,000

STARTING PRICES FOR SUITES

9%

PERCENTAGE OF INVESTORS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST FOR THE ENTIRE LONDON REAL ESTATE MARKET

21%

PERCENTAGE OF CROSSBORDER TRANSACTIONS IN H1 2013 FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

17,369 FT2

AMOUNT OF RETAIL FLOOR SPACE THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE TOWER

CURRENT TALLEST TOWER IN CROYDON, THE TOWER WILL BE THE TALLEST STRUCTURE IN CROYDON ONCE COMPLETED

DUBAI NOT HEADED FOR 2008 REPEAT MILLION AMOUNT MAF HOLDING PLANS TO INVEST

Dubai property market now more sustainable, Standard Chartered report finds A recent Standard Chartered report has found that Dubai’s property market is not headed towards another crash, following concerns that the market recovery may have been accelerating too quickly.

Despite apartment prices rising to 38% over the past year and villa costs rising to 24%, the study found that the UAE’s property market is now more sustainable and will not repeat the ‘boom-and-bust cycle of 2008’.

“The market seems to be driven by fundamentals rather than excess speculation, in contrast to what the market went through in 2008. The outlook of the market will therefore depend on how these fundamentals evolve over time,” the report said.

“Right now, we conclude that there are no serious indications of a speculative bubble in the housing market,” it added.

The report further focusses on the new set of laws that are aimed at maintaining property values, and within two years, Dubai could have seven new laws for the same.

“The commitment towards improving and strengthening corporate governance practices by protecting property rights has helped gain new investors and maintain existing ones. Stakeholders such as homeowners and tenants have regained confidence in the real estate sector, as reflected in the recovery of market prices,” the report continued.

OCTOBER 2013

6 - 13 News_V2.indd 13

MIDDLE EAST

THE DUBAI BRANCH of Turkey’s TAV Construction has been awarded a $272.3 million contract to build a luxury hotel complex near the Burj Khalifa.

The deal between the private UAE developer, DAMAC Properties, and TAV Tepe Afken Investment Construction and Operations - has described as the largest single contract ever awarded by the property developer.

Situated in the Burj area, the ‘DAMAC Towers by Paramount’ will consist of four towers, each standing at over 250m and are expected to feature 540 hotel rooms and over 1,400 service apartments, the report added.

A recent trend has shown developers in Dubai are reviving stalled projects and announcing new ones as the emirate’s property market recovers after prices tumbled by 50 percent in 2008, and DAMAC has announced a series of projects over the last few months including a new golf course along with American real-estate mogul Donald Trump.

13

10/6/13 11:22 AM

NEWS ANALYSIS

BIGPROJECTME.COM

COME TOGETHER

Big Project ME speaks to experts to find out how a unified building code could impact the construction industry. Neha Bhatia reports

U

AE’s emirates have, since before the official creation of the country, been vastly diverse and selfgoverning entities. The federal government system has allowed each city to create, implement and regulate their own laws – a practice that has allowed for the culturally diverse emirates to thrive.

Over the last few months, a debate has arisen as to whether or not the country should adopt a unified building code

across all seven emirates. So prevalent has the debate been, that leading daily newspapers have entered into the discussion, questioning the validity of such a move.

At present, the country’s existing system allows for each emirate to follow a building code of their choice. For example, Abu Dhabi follows a modified version of the International Building Codes (IBC), a model building code developed by the

14

MIDDLE EAST

“STANDARDS FOR CONSTRUCTION ACROSS THE EMIRATES ARE DIFFERENT TOO, SO TO BRING THEM UNDER A SINGLE UMBRELLA WOULD BE A GOOD MOVE”

International Codes Council in 1997 and followed throughout USA. This code was, as the capital city’s government website states, adapted to suit the region and heavily scrutinised for amendments by various sectors of the construction community - government employees, academia and industry leaders such as consulting firms and developers to customise it for local conditions.

Dubai’s building code, until recently was also a combination of the British and American code systems, and the Dubai Municipality has further incorporated other countries’ regulations into its Green Building Code.

It stands to reason then, that questions have arisen as to whether UAE’s emirates could, sometime in the future, unite under a single building code that is

OCTOBER 2013

14 - 15 News Analysis.indd 14

10/1/13 5:30 PM

NEWS ANALYSIS

“THE TROUBLE WITH USING A MIXTURE OF INTERNATIONAL CODES IS THAT IT LEAVES ROOM FOR INCONSISTENCY. A SINGLE CODE, INSTEAD, WOULD ALLOW MACHINERY AND SYSTEMS TO BE STANDARDISED ACROSS THE EMIRATES”

WHAT MAKES A BUILDING GREEN? n Minimum

disturbance to site conditions

n Efficient water use and recycling

n Energy efficient

and eco-friendly equipment

n Renewable energy n Recycled building materials

n Effective controls and BMS

would allow machinery and systems to be standardised across the emirates”, he tells Big Project ME during a phone interview.

“Standards for construction across the emirates are different too, so to bring them under a single umbrella would be a good move. As I recollect it, Dubai’s building codes used BS6399 at the design stage and seismic & earthquake measures from the American system. With geologies so diverse across the world, it would be wise to bring the international regulations and concepts under a unified code bettersuited for the region.”

“High-rise towers and buildings across Dubai have in the past been built without much thought for how they react to the weather conditions of the region, and it is highly likely that this is a common mistake in other emirates and Gulf countries too.

With Dubai’s involvement in the process, our provisions to eliminate such concerns could extend to every city following the

NO CONSIDERATION Previously buildings in Dubai have been built without consideration for how they react to the weather conditions in the region.

OCTOBER 2013

14 - 15 News Analysis.indd 15

MIDDLE EAST

HESHAM SHEIKH AMIN

applicable across the country.

Therefore, Big Project ME decided to talk to a few experts to assess the industry’s views on the topic.

The obvious place to start was to ask why this would be a good move for the industry.

Common and equitable standards across the country’s projects have been touted as a major advantage of a unified building code.

“The regulation will make for stricter coding, zoning and design standards.

A single set of regulations will make it safer for architects and designers when it concerns working with contractors controlling several projects across the country,” says Hesham Sheikh Amin, managing director of Arkitek ICB, Dubai.

“There are many issues, such as mismanagement during construction, especially of buildings 30 stories and more, where factors such as wind speed, rain and so on, need special consideration. With a unified code governing the situation’s dos and don’ts, low quality workmanship and mismanagement can be brought to level,” he explains David Whittaker is a technical director of structural engineering at Beca, New Zealand, and co-author of ‘Seismic design of high-rise structures in Dubai, UAE’, a study undertaken in 2007 at the 8th Pacific Conference for Earthquake Engineering.

Having worked in UAE in the past, Whittaker raises an important concern with regard to the need for a unified building code.

“The trouble with using a mixture of international codes is that it leaves room for inconsistency. A single code, instead,

15

10/1/13 5:30 PM

NEWS ANALYSIS

bigprojectME.com

“ trying to unify (Building codes) could create more problems than solutions”

Seven categories for the Estidama pearl rating system n Integrated Development Process

n Natural Systems n Livable Buildings n Precious Water n Resourceful Energy n Innovating Practice

16

MIDDLE EAST

Standard practice UAE building experts feel a standardised code is ‘only a matter of time’.

OCTOBER 2013

code”, said Adel Mokhtar, an architectural engineer at the Dubai Municipality.

However, Ali Abdel Aziz Ali, a geotechnical engineer at Al Hai & Al Mukaddam is not particularly pleased with the idea of a unified code.

“Geologically, UAE is a diverse country.

Soil compositions differ between Dubai and Abu Dhabi and all the other emirates, trying to unify which could create more problems than solutions. Strictly speaking, even our seismic codes far exceed our susceptibility to earthquakes, and it is perhaps our close proximity to the the Hajar Mountains in Oman that has led to Dubai being classified as a Zone 2B for all G+10 towers. Numerous building codes already exist across the world that have been adapted into the emirate’s building codes, and I don’t think we need any more” he explains to Big Project ME .

An official at the Dubai Municipality, who did not wish to be named, contrastingly believes that UAE is gradually heading towards a unified building code. “Abu Dhabi launched their sustainability drive, the Estidama in 2008, and we at Dubai Municipality announced our Green Building Code

plans a little later in 2009. The vision of the governments is moving in the same direction, and this will over time result in regulations that are largely similar. I believe a green building code should be the same in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and the Gulf region, because they eventually fall under the same conditions. A unified code will be better for developers and investors, and it is only a logical move for a region as similar as ours.”

He is concerned about the variable of time, though. “As a federal system, Abu Dhabi has its own regulations, so does Dubai and so do Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Sometimes, if you wait for everyone to agree over something, you wait too long.

If proactivity is what differentiates Dubai from the rest, so be it. Every region has its own vision, and that doesn’t make them ‘wrong’ in their approach.”

“If I’m not entirely mistaken, Dubai and Abu Dhabi already have an arrangement in support of a unified code, and I have witnessed meetings between municipalities of Kuwait, Saudi and Qatar regarding a unified building code for the region”, adds Mokhtar. “I also believe there is rationale behind a unified code for the emirates and other countries from the GCC. Our ultimate aim is the same.

Even if the systems and practices are different, the desired result is to conserve resources such as energy and water.”

The arguments against a unified building code are few, and it is seemingly an eagerly-anticipated move across the industry. Whittaker believes a unified building code would largely standardise the UAE construction industry’s practices at every stage of a project’s development.

Amin is inspired with by the idea that a unified code could reduce irregularities across each emirate’s projects. Opponents are justified in believing the unified code could, speaking realistically, hamper the rate of construction across the UAE as a result of varied regulations brought together – broadly speaking, a shortterm drawback that can be eliminated by leaving room for amendments and exceptions. As the Municipality official concludes; “there are factors for and against the unified code, but if viewed purely logically, the creation of a unified code is a matter of time.” n

OCTOBER 2013

MIDDLE EAST

CONTENTS

3

18

MIDDLE EAST

IN PROFILE MARK LANGLEY

BIGPROJECTME.COM

OCTOBER 2013

18 - 24 InProfile.indd 18

10/1/13 5:39 PM

IN PROFILE MARK LANGLEY

A HELPING

HAND

Big Project ME talks to Mark Langley, CEO of the Project Management Institute, about how project management can impact not just the construction industry, but the region’s economy as well

“ONE OF THE WAYS WE HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT IS TO WORK WITH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANISATIONS TO EMPHASISE THE VALUE OF FORMAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT”

and training available to them is a vital component to any successes the regional construction market could hope for.

It is at this point where the Project Management Institute (PMI) steps in to provide assistance to those in need. A notfor-profit membership association for the project management profession, PMI has more than 700,000 members, credential holders and volunteers in 185 countries around the world. In the UAE alone, their membership numbers at 4,400.

The institute’s charter is to advocate project management worldwide, while providing a globally recognised standards and certification programme, extensive academic and market research and professional development opportunities.

Mark Langley is the CEO of PMI, and the lead advocate for the organisation’s global operations. His primary responsibility is to execute PMI’s strategic plan through the development and implementation of its operating strategies.

“One of the ways we highlight the importance and value of project management is to work with private sector organisations, and as importantly, public sector organisations or government, to emphasise the value of formal project management, where government budgets are included or at risk, where there’s some support, either through private public partnerships, sponsorships from

SIZE OF THE PROFESSION ANALYSIS n Total number of

project management practitioners globally: 51 million

n Total number of

project management practitioners in UAE: 107,000

n Total number of

project management practitioners in Saudi Arabia: 154,000

Source: PMI, 2013

STRATEGIC PLAN PMI looks to execute its strategic plan through the development and implementation of its operating strategies.

OCTOBER 2013

18 - 24 InProfile.indd 19

MIDDLE EAST

W

hen you ask a project manager what his job actually entails, he’s likely to tell you that it can be defined as the ‘planning, organisation and control of resources to achieve specific goals.’

This definition is woefully inadequate when one considers that the duties of a project manager onsite can include making sure hundreds of tonnes of building materials and thousands of workers are all managed and controlled throughout the lifecycle of the project.

Therefore, it stands to reason that construction project managers need all the help that they can get when it comes to doing their jobs. Given that the GCC is the most active construction region on the planet, it would not be an over exaggeration to say that ensuring project managers have the best resources

19

10/1/13 5:39 PM

IN PROFILE MARK LANGLEY

NUMBER OF PMI MEMBERS IN THE GCC n Total number of PMI members in the GCC as of 31 August 2013: 11,300

n PMI members in UAE: 4,400

n PMI members in Saudi Arabia: 3,600

n PMI members in Qatar: 1,600

n PMI members in Kuwait: 800

n PMI members in Bahrain: 500

n PMI members in Oman: 400 Source: PMI, 2013

20

MIDDLE EAST

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT PMI works with governments to introduce PM best practices.

BIGPROJECTME.COM

“I THINK A GREAT EXAMPLE WAS WITH THE RTA FOR THE DUBAI METRO PROJECT. THERE WE SAW STRONG GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND SPONSORSHIP OVER A PROJECT”

the government and so on,” he explains to Big Project ME during an interview at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, where PMI was hosting its executive council meeting.

“I think a great example was with the RTA for the Dubai Metro project. There we saw strong government support and sponsorship over a project. We work with governments to highlight the need for and the requirements for project management. They in turn require contractors and suppliers for major government projects to have project management in place. We do that globally; we’re starting here and we’ll continue here, but we’re active in the EU, the US, China, India, all around the world,” he adds.

“The second area…since many of these megaprojects are executed and delivered by large construction companies, or EPC companies, we work with them to identify their needs and help them improve their overall maturity of project management,

part of which is full time professional project managers, which is again where you’re seeing that demand.”

With EPC companies such as Fluor, CH2M Hill, Larsen and Toubro on its books, Langley points out that the Institute looks to target organisations that do major construction projects across the world, which in turn allows them to utilise the resources that PMI provides.

This not only allows for the awareness of project management to be spread, but also encourages good practices, based on standards set out by the Institute itself.

The spread of awareness is something that Langley is acutely conscious of, given that he says that PMI has identified that there would be 1.5 million project management jobs created globally every year, for the next ten years. At the present growth rate of the industry, he worries that there won’t be anyone left to fill this rapidly expanding job market.

“The third area we’re working in is universities. That’s getting project management education into universities early so that that they can see a career path into project management. This is so that the pipeline, to fill the gap, begins in undergraduate education,” he says, adding that PMI has a dedicated academic resource team that works with universities to push through this change.

“We have what’s known as a Global Accreditation Centre. It’s a body within PMI that accredits academic universities, their degree granting programmes and it’s focused on universities that already have curriculum or degree granting programmes.” “(However) what we (PMI) focus on are those that don’t have degree granting programmes or any curricula at all. So they may not have any course work in project or programme management. We have an academic relations team that works with universities all over the world and we’re

OCTOBER 2013

18 - 24 InProfile.indd 20

10/1/13 5:40 PM

18 - 24 InProfile.indd 21

10/1/13 5:40 PM

IN PROFILE MARK LANGLEY

22

MIDDLE EAST

coming now to the Gulf, with a particular focus on the UAE, because of the level of activity and the importance it plays as a centre in the region,” Langley explains.

With the UAE and Saudi Arabia forming the Institute’s two largest membership populations in the region in terms of certified professionals and members of PMI, the emphasis given to developing both countries is set to be crucial for the work PMI is doing in the region.

“The same focus we have in the UAE, we have in Saudi Arabia. For example, we’ll be running a series of business roundtables in the region, if not by the end of Q4, then by the end of Q1 2014. One or more will be held in the UAE and one or more will be held in KSA,” Langley says.

“We’ll split our efforts between the two countries. We do have a focus there.

We have a very strong chapter in Saudi Arabia, with great support and thousands of members. They also help us carry out the message to companies, because many of them are either employed in private sector companies or are sponsored by the government, and likewise here in the UAE.” Given that the GCC is one of the fastest growing construction markets in the region, the increase in demand for project managers in the industry should come as no surprise. However, Langley points out that this simply poses new challenges to an industry

BIGPROJECTME.COM

that has traditionally struggled to meet international standards in construction.

“One of the greatest values that I think PMI brings to the project management profession globally, is what we refer to as a ‘common language’ and framework for project management,” he explains.

“So these global EPC concerns that are coming into the market, they use PMI’s standards and certifications as a framework, so that regardless of where they are conducting projects around the world, they have a common language or framework for project management.”

“They may speak a different native language, but when it comes to project management, they’re using PMI standards and certifications because of the highly ambitious plans and the big goals in the region and what they want, each one and collectively, what they want to accomplish. The prospects for project management are huge and they’re going to continue to grow,” Langley asserts.

“As we mentioned, there’s already a gap, there’s thousands of project oriented jobs being created every year and nobody to fill them. So there’s going to be a demand and therefore the response to that demand is, I think, going to be critical for the region.”

“How is the government going to worry about training and up scaling their citizens to be able to handle these major projects that come down in future, and to be able to create careers in project management?,” he asks.

“It’s not unique, there are the same challenges in Singapore: Australia has some restrictions on immigration and they’re having a hard time finding the specific skills that they need. It’ll be the same for this region, how are they going to reach out? But more importantly, how are they going to know they’re attracting the right people? And that’s where an organisation like PMI can help them.” n

PMI PROJECT MANAGEMENT TALENT GAP REPORT, CONDUCTED BY THE ANDERSON ECONOMIC GROUP There will be a total of 1.57 million jobs available globally each year for project management workers, and there won’t be enough trained and experienced project managers to fill them.

In the construction industry: globally there will be 17,507 jobs per year 2010 through 2020 (71% will be available due to growth and 28% due to attrition).

In Saudi Arabia: 1267 project management jobs in all industries per year 2010 through 2020 In UAE: 1800 project management jobs in all industries per year 2010 through 2020 Construction industry is expected to have the lowest attrition rate (28%) from 2010 to 2020, attributable to significant employee losses already experienced and the relative difficulty of transferring construction management skills to other industries.

Two roles – construction manager and cost estimator – make up 69% of the replacement needs in the construction industry.

INCREASE IN DEMAND Demand for project management is on the up in the GCC as the pace of construction increases.

“WE HAVE A VERY STRONG CHAPTER IN SAUDI ARABIA, SO GREAT SUPPORT AND THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS. THEY ALSO HELP US CARRY OUT THE MESSAGE TO COMPANIES”

OCTOBER 2013

18 - 24 InProfile.indd 22

10/1/13 5:40 PM

OCTOBER 2013

MIDDLE EAST

CONTENTS

3

ON SITE MIDFIELD TERMINAL BUILDING

Project Name

Midfield Terminal Building – Abu Dhabi

BIGPROJECTME.COM

CAPITAL GATEWAY Some 20 million passengers are expected to pass through ADIA over the next few years.

International Airport Abu Dhabi, UAE

Site Area

702,000m 2

Building Type

Airport Terminal

Construction Cost

$3 billion

MIDDLE EAST

24

Location

OCTOBER 2013

24-27 Site Visit.indd 24

10/6/13 3:25 PM

ON SITE MIDFIELD TERMINAL BUILDING

GATEWAY TO

THE CAPITAL Big Project ME gets an exclusive first look at the Midfield Terminal Building at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Gavin Davids reports

A

bu Dhabi has long been considered a sleeping giant in the GCC region. Backed by vast reserves of oil, the UAE capital had never really grabbed the headlines like its noisy neighbour.

However, the last five years or so have seen Abu Dhabi shake off its lethargy and step up a development drive that has firmly established it as one of the hotspots for the construction industry in the Middle East, which of course means globally.

This surge in growth has seen visitors and workers descend upon the emirate, which in turn has put tremendous strain upon its existing infrastructure.

Within the next few years, an estimated 20 million people are expected to use Abu Dhabi International Airport as their origin, destination or transit point for international and domestic travel, stats released by Abu Dhabi Airports Company have found. As such, the Company has backed the massive $3 billion Midfield

Terminal Building project that is set to change the face of aviation travel in Abu Dhabi. The contract was signed last year, and by August 2012, work had started on the project.

To realise the project, a joint-venture consisting of TAV Construction, CCC and Arabtec, was appointed as the main contractors by ADAC. Set to be a benchmark in airport construction worldwide, the terminal building will feature an undulating roof, and inclined façade, a 52m tall processor ceiling and the use of advanced technology, with a total built up area of 702,000m2.

“The total duration of the project is 49 months,” says Ali Haydar Ozak, the project director for the MTB project. “It means that by September 2016, we have to have substantial completion. The airport building will then go through an operational readiness and testing period to be fully commissioned in 2017.”

OCTOBER 2013

24-27 Site Visit.indd 25

MIDDLE EAST

“IF YOU LOOK AT THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED, CHALLENGING, AND FOR ME, ONE OF THE BEST DESIGNS FOR AN AIRPORT THAT YOU CAN SEE”

25

10/6/13 3:25 PM

ON SITE MIDFIELD TERMINAL BUILDING

MTB FACTS AND FIGURES n Terminal design

capacity 27,000,000 passengers per year

n Terminal building area 702,000m2

n Passenger boarding bridges 106 units

n Structural steel works 84,000t

n Roof cladding 225,000m2

n Façade cladding 200,000m2

n Suspended ceiling 300,000m2

n Natural stone flooring 325,000 m2

CONCRETE CASTING More than 180,000m3 of concrete has been casted for the project.

“There are other packages around our building, but we’re responsible for the construction of the MTB – the Midfield Terminal Building. There are also other packages, big packages around us, the airfield contract and the landside contract. So we’re just in the middle of the two runways. That’s why this is called the Midfield Terminal Complex.

More than 13 months of the project have passed, and we’re almost at 25% of time elapsed,” Ozak adds.

“If you look at the design of the building, this is one of the most, let’s say, most sophisticated, challenging, and for me, one of the best designs for an airport that you can see. It’s not straightforward, it’s complicated, but it’s with challenges.

Only the façade, the processor façade, when you enter the building, the height of the glass is more than 50m. This is just the glass, then think about the support system behind it and the roof shaping is coming from the sand dunes. All these waves, in

26

MIDDLE EAST

“SO THE WHOLE BUILDING WILL BE MODELLED IN A BIM ENVIRONMENT, AND WE’RE GOING TO BE DELIVERING THIS WITH COST CONTROL, COMMERCIAL CONTROL ASPECTS”

BIGPROJECTME.COM

the main processing area and the piers. So the designer and the client, who made the decision on the design, decided to have the best terminal building in the region, for me, maybe in the world,” he explains to Big Project ME. Approximately 84,000t of steel will be used for the construction, while the terminal building will have a roof area of 225,000m2. The total façade area will be 200,000m2, TAV Construction says.

“Mainly now, we’re in the concrete structure stage, till date we have casted over 180,000m3 of concrete and in terms of progress wise, we started with the concrete work, and now the other trades come in. For example, we’re planning to start MEP activities very soon, MEP, façade, roofing and some other internal architectural issues, so all this progress will jump significantly,” Ozak points out.

With more than 500,000m3 of concrete needed for the project, Ozak says that TAV cannot afford to rely on outside resources to supply the construction site. As a result, the Turkish contractor has tied up a deal with two suppliers, Al Farrah and Synaxis, to work on site and supply only the MTB building.

Furthermore, with a completion date set for September 2016, work on the project has to progress as smoothly as possible to avoid any delays and unnecessary complications.

Therefore what received considerable attention from Ozak and his team was the organising of the project’s labour force.

With more than 10,000 workers on site and project staff of around 856, this was no easy task to accomplish.

“This is (complex),” he tells Big Project ME. “Now that the summer season is just over, we have diverted our main shift to the day, 80% to 85% of our labourers are working during the daytime, so the numbers are quite obvious. We’re talking about 8,000 to 9,000 labourers, logistically, coming from the camps to the site, so each bus can accommodate 50 to 60 labourers, so think about the number of buses. And that’s only for labour.”

“And then there’s the materials, the trucks. There’s a huge amount of logistical delivery for the concrete, rebar and most importantly structural steel. (The start of ) MEP and other trades will definitely

OCTOBER 2013

24-27 Site Visit.indd 26

10/6/13 3:25 PM

ON SITE MIDFIELD TERMINAL BUILDING

LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE With 10,000 plus workers onsite, TAV has its work cut out.

“So the whole building will be modelled in a BIM environment, and we’re going to be delivering this with cost control, commercial control aspects.

That’s been a huge amount of modelling in the past, but currently, there’s a challenge to apply BIM & Collaborative working into the project, and that’s what we’re trying to ensure here, and that’s why I joined TAV, to work on this project.

We’re establishing a team to join into the project. So that will support us in many ways,” he adds.

“As you can imagine, it’s a massive project, so the specifications had quite a lot of detail. In the detailed design phase, we’re looking for the construction phase, the fabrication phase and then delivery to the client. The facilities management phase. So there’s a full life cycle approach to BIM, from the start.”

Clearly then this project is unique, and its builders are well aware of this, and it’s not a responsibility they wear lightly.n

OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: n 65 Number of

aircraft that will be accommodated at the piers, including the Airbus A380

n 8,500 Number of

passengers that can be serviced per hour by the check-in counters

n 165 Number of

conventional check-in counters

n 48 Number of selfservice check-in kiosks

n 136 Number of

security screening lanes for passengers

n 25 Number of

security screening lanes for staff

“BY SEPTEMBER 2016 WE HAVE TO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION. THE AIRPORT BUILDING WILL THEN GO THROUGH TESTING TO BE FULLY COMMISSIONED IN 2017”

OCTOBER 2013

24-27 Site Visit.indd 27

MIDDLE EAST

increase the number of logistic activities to and within the site. So starting from this simple point, for fielding the joint venture staff only, then going to the subcontractors, it’s a very challenging logistical management,” he adds.

An additional logistical complication is that the site is in the middle of two runways, which have been constructed by two different contractors, who have their own workforce and materials being brought onto those sites.

“The runways are completed, so if you see the two runways, the south and north runways, they’re already under operation. So there’s only some air site works around our building, the apron and the connecting taxiways, and the utilities for all the fuel hydrant systems and so on,” Ozak says.

“These are all packages done by different contractors. We’ve got the air site contractor next to us, they’re working just as a neighbour to us. On the landside, we’ve got the car park, and the interchange. We’re using the most crowded and busy highway, so there’s going to be an increased number of movements to the project. So very soon, we believe by the end of the year, or the first quarter of 2014, the trucks and the containers coming to the site, not only for us, but for all the other contractors, will be tremendous,” he warns.

So then the challenge of organising the site is considerable, to say the least.

In order to cope with the sheer workload, the contractor decided to embrace BIM technology and use it to completely plan out the entire project.

Heading this massive task is Dr Ozan Koseoglu, the BIM leader for TAV Construction. His role is not only to oversee the implementation of BIM in the design and modelling phase, but to push its collaboration throughout the project.

A former professor at Herriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus, Koseoglu taught Construction Management and Surveying at the School of the Built Environment. He was brought on board to work on the MTB joint venture project in April of this year.

“First of all, we have a massive scope for the BIM implementation (in this project), he tells Big Project ME.

27

10/6/13 3:26 PM

Al Garawi Group

Al Garawi Galleria, Al Orouba-King Fahad Highway Junction Olaya, P.O. Box 41122, Riyadh 11521, Saudi Arabia Tel.+966 1 4196096 / 4195058 Fax. +966 1 4196101 / 4196103, email:algarawigroup@saudi.net.sa / www.algarawigroup.com

6 - 13 News_V2.indd 6

Al Garawi Group an authorized distributor of the following licensee for Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait and Yemen.

Wolverine World Wide, the global footwear licensee for Caterpillar Inc.

10/2/13 10:49 AM

P.O. Box: 17301, Jebel Ali, Dubai, U.A.E., Tel.: +971 4 881 8821 Fax: +971 4 8818944, Showroom: Al Kwakeb Building, (B-Block) Sheikh Zayed Road, P.O. Box: 2904, Dubai, U.A.E Tel.: +971 4 343 7400 / 343 7500 Fax: +971 4 3437600, email:medcodxb@emirates.net.ae

Medco

6 - 13 News_V2.indd 7

10/2/13 10:49 AM

www.cat.com Š 2013 Wolverine World Wide. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, "Caterpillar Yellow" and "Caterpillar Corporate Yellow," as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission. Al Garawi Group, an authorized distributor of Cat Footwear for Wolverine World Wide, a global licensee for Caterpillar Inc.

AVIATION FEATURE

BIGPROJECTME.COM

30

MIDDLE EAST

HEAVY DEVELOPMENT Abu Dhabi has invested $6.8 billion into the expansion of ADIA.

OCTOBER 2013

24 - 27 Aviation.indd 30

10/1/13 5:58 PM

AVIATION FEATURE

UP IN

THE AIR

With the UAE’s national carriers flying high and set for a major surge of growth, Big Project ME examines the task ahead for the airports that service them. Gavin Davids and Charles Martin report

S

easoned international travellers know a truism; ‘an airport tells you what you need to know about a country, long before you even step out of it’. Think about it, aren’t your first impressions of a country formed by the experience you have in its airports?

So it’s no wonder then that the GCC plans to spend more than $313 billion in airport development as it looks to manage

$8.1 billion is being spent on the Dubai World Central project in Jebel Ali. Not to be left behind, Abu Dhabi is investing $6.8 billion into the redevelopment of the Abu Dhabi International Airport, which is currently underway. In 2012, it awarded a $3.26 billion contract to a joint venture between TAV Construction, CCC and Arabtec, for the development of the Midfield Terminal Complex.

“THE CONTINUOUS SIGNIFICANT GROWTH THAT ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAS BEEN RECORDING IS DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION PLANS OF THE HUB CARRIER, ETIHAD AIRWAYS” AVIATION INVESTMENT: Ali Haydar Ozak, project director, Midfield Terminal Contractor, TCA Joint Venture, tells Big Project ME that the project is set to be one of the most iconic in the world.

“This building will be a landmark for Abu Dhabi,” he says. “If you think about the countries in Europe or the US continent…when you talk about France, you talk about the Eiffel tower, when you talk about London, you think about Big Ben, and I think and I believe, that this building will be a similar iconic building for Abu Dhabi. This is a top notch quality project. If you look at the

n $313 billion Amount to be invested by the GCC into airport development

n $23 billion Amount to be invested by the UAE alone

n $15.79 billion Amount to be spent on Dubai aviation projects

n $6.8 billion Amount to be spent on the redevelopment of Abu Dhabi International Airport

OCTOBER 2013

24 - 27 Aviation.indd 31

MIDDLE EAST

a surge in passenger traffic, which is being driven by the region’s six major airlines.

According to a report by the International Air Transport Association, the UAE is set to spend $23 billion on developing its airport infrastructure, including $15.79 billion on Dubai alone.

Dubai, for long the tourist capital of the Gulf, has already spent $5.4 billion on Dubai International Airport over the last 15 years. The ongoing fourth phase expansion of the airport will cost the government $7.6 billion and will include a fourth concourse and associated infrastructure. In addition, a further

31

10/1/13 5:59 PM

AVIATION FEATURE

design of the building, this is one of the most sophisticated and challenging…and also for me, one of the best designs for an airport that you can see.

“The designer and the client, who made the decision on the design, decided to have the best terminal building in the region, and for me, maybe in the world.

When completed, Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Midfield Terminal Building will be a landmark for Abu Dhabi,” he reiterates.

Clearly then, the Abu Dhabi government is taking this project extremely seriously. And it’s no surprise, given that the emirate’s own airline, Etihad, predicts that passenger traffic figures are set to skyrocket.

When the airline started it needed 20% of Abu Dhabi airport’s capacity. Ten years later, the figure stands at 80%.

Etihad Airways is soon taking delivery of its first Airbus A380, and in doing so has highlighted some of the problems associated with airport development.

Airbus point out that an A380 can take off and land in the same distance as any

BIGPROJECTME.COM

H1 PERFORMANCE FOR ADIA: n 12.6% Passenger

growth between January and June 2013 compared to 2012

n 7.9 million Number of passengers passing through between January and June

n 65,072 Number of flights during that period

PRE-PLANNING TAV has used BIM to plan out the MTB terminal.

“ABU DHABI’S ECONOMY, WHICH IS MORE THAN TWICE THE SIZE OF DUBAI’S, EXPANDED 5.6% LAST YEAR COMPARED WITH 4.4 PER CENT IN DUBAI, ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT DATA.”

If you quantify that, it is impressive. In July ADAC released traffic performance results for the first half of 2013 revealing strong double digit growth of 12.6% in passenger traffic between January and June 2013, compared to the same period last year.

During the first six months, the airport welcomed 7.9 million (7,941,922) passengers and 65,072 flights representing a 10.4% increase in aircraft movement compared to the same period last year.

Cargo traffic also increased in the first half of 2013, with 325,737t passing through the airport, a 21.5% increase compared to the first 6 months of 2012.

Etihad opened its own terminal three in spring 2009. Terminal 3 is designed to feel like a luxury hotel rather than an airport, according to Etihad’s claim.

So Abu Dhabi airport is big and it is clever. But it’s about the get a lot bigger.

By the time the MTB comes into operation in September 2016 it will be able to handle approximately 27,000,000 passengers per year through its 106 passenger boarding bridges.

And if you’re wondering how long the conveyor belts will have to be to handle the 19,200 bags an hour, the answer is over 22km.

We know this because the clever people at TAV Construction have elected to use Building Information Modelling, so they can achieve project management

32

MIDDLE EAST

other airliner. But crucially it can’t load in the same way. The A380 has two decks and so special piers have to be built to accommodate it. In Dubai they are poised to become the world’s busiest international airport in the next year or so, and already handle more than 30 A380s.

“The continuous significant growth that Abu Dhabi International Airport has been recording is directly impacted by the aggressive expansion plans of the hub carrier, Etihad Airways, and the increase in the number of partnerships with international carriers. This is a reflection of Abu Dhabi’s appeal not just as a leisure and business destination but also as an aviation hub,” says, engineer Ahmad Al Haddabi, COO at Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC).

OCTOBER 2013

24 - 27 Aviation.indd 32

10/1/13 5:59 PM

24 - 27 Aviation.indd 33

10/1/13 5:59 PM

24 - 27 Aviation.indd 34

10/1/13 6:00 PM

AVIATION FEATURE

and progress monitoring in a 3D working environment.

“As you can imagine, it’s a massive project, so the specifications had quite a lot of detail,” says Dr Ozan Koseoglu, BIM leader at TAV Construction and the man tasked with heading up BIM development for the MTB project.

“In the detailed design phase, we’re looking for the construction phase, the fabrication phase and then delivery to the client. The facilities management phase.

So there’s a full lifecycle approach to BIM, from the start,” he adds.

When asked if the region needed this much airport, Abu Dhabi Airport chief executive Tony Douglas says he’s not concerned there is too much capacity in the region.

“All three locations are six hours away frm two-thirds of world’s population,”

Douglas said at the construction site.

“There are 100 capital cities within six hours of where we are.”

“Am I concerned that when we open this we’ll see tumbleweed blowing along the runways, empty departure halls and an aircraft control tower with everyone reading the newspaper? No, no and no. We can’t get it open a minute soon enough,” he enthuses.

Douglas also points out a surprising statistic: “Abu Dhabi’s economy, which is more than twice the size of Dubai’s, expanded 5.6% last year compared with 4.4% in Dubai, according to released government data.”

However, that doesn’t meant that Dubai is going away anytime soon.

Kez Taylor, the CEO of ALEC, the contractor working on Terminal 4 at the Dubai International Airport, told Big Project ME that according to the figures he had available, Concourse A, the huge 528,000m2, dedicated A380 terminal (the first of its kind in the world) at DIA, had

INCREASED CAPACITY The expansion of the Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports are backed by economic growth in the cities.

seen more than 700,000 passengers pass through it in just the first month of its opening and operation.

“It’s going to increase the capacity of Dubai’s airports from about 60 million to about 75 million. It’s going to add a lot of capacity through the airport,” he adds.

Terminal 4 will deliver a further 18 gates to the airport.

Furthermore, the entire airport has been in a process of expansion, with a $150 million upgrade of Terminal 2 being undertaken by Arabtec, which will bring the total capacity at Dubai International up to 80 million.

Adding to those figures will be Al Maktoum International. In September 2013, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) certified the airport for passenger flight, commencing from October 27 of this year.

This doesn’t even take into account the massive cargo and freight facilities that are already in operation at Al Maktoum International Airport.

With the considerable amount of work that is on-going and still planned, perhaps it’s fitting then that the last word goes to Tony Douglas, who says: “The airlines are growing so quickly we can hardly keep up with the infrastructure. It’s the type of problem that every airport operator dreams of.” n

OCTOBER 2013

24 - 27 Aviation.indd 35

MIDDLE EAST

“THE AIRLINES ARE GROWING SO QUICKLY, WE CAN HARDLY KEEP UP WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE”

35

10/1/13 6:00 PM

36 - 41 Proj Management.indd 36

10/2/13 9:56 AM

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

GREAT

EXPECTATIONS Big Project ME speaks to project management consultants to find out the challenges their sector faces in a construction industry that is in a state of flux

HOSSAM AL RASHOUDI

“MOST CONSULTANTS AND CONTRACTORS ARE HAPPY TO ADOPT ANYTHING NEW BECAUSE MOST OF THEM THRIVE ON ENHANCING THEIR OWN ABILITIES”

interests and their project, but equally the contractor will be looking at the project manager to ensure that the contract is administered appropriately and that other parties to the project perform as they should,” says Steve Law, regional director of Project Management – MENA for the Sweett Group.

“It comes back to expectations, managing them and responding to each party’s demands and requirements.”

“To do this, the project manager needs to demonstrate a number of critical elements. They need to hold solid technical and contractual awareness, an understanding of roles and responsibilities and where various parties can be pushed. Most importantly, it is the soft skills that differentiate a good project manager from a mediocre one. Key elements like personality, communication, empathy and transparency go a long way in ensuring a smooth operation.”

However, one of the major challenges facing project managers operating in the region is that often their clientele struggle to understand what it is that they can offer. With a number of developers

MANAGE EXPECTATIONS Managing the client’s expectations is a crucial part of a PM’s job.

n 430 Number of

Hill International employees in 2010

n 1,500 Projected

number of Hill International employees in December 2013

SEPTEMBER 2013

36 - 41 Proj Management.indd 37

MIDDLE EAST

L

ook at any major construction project and you’ll see thousands of workers on site, hundreds of tonnes of building materials moving in and out of the site and construction schedules that stretch into years. And that doesn’t even consider the cost of construction, the budgets allocated to projects, all of which run into the millions or billions of dollars.

What ties all these disparate functionaries together is often a single individual or company. In fact, it could be said that the project manager is arguably the single most important component on a construction site.

“We are that critical link between the contractor and the client. The client will be looking to us to protect them, their

37

10/2/13 9:56 AM

Anz_Big-Project_250x310 06.09.13 10:15 Seite 1

Intumescent coatings for fire protection.

bai how, Du BIG 5 S .2013 .11 25. - 28 20 P1 Zabeel

How RENITHERM works: In case of fire, intumescent coatings expand to form a foam barrier which is 30-50 times thicker.

Reliable fire protection of structural steel, wood, electrical cables ■ Tested according to British Standard 476:21 ■ Top product quality. Made in Germany.

■ Approved building projects in GCC, e.g.

- New Doha Int. Airport Hangar, Qatar - Al Rafi Car Park, Dubai ■

AUDAX-Keck GmbH Germany Phone +49 70 51/16 25-0 fire@audax.de, www.renitherm.com

Saving time for more safety!

36 - 41 Proj Management.indd 38

10/2/13 9:56 AM

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

OUTSIDE THE BOX PMs must be encouraged to think creatively, experts agree.

be sophisticated enough to understand the complexity of the project and how to tackle all the issues and make sure to deliver as anticipated within the budget.”

“Saudi Arabia is really changing very fast. So it’s about proper training, proper education, choosing new systems, but today the issue we’re facing with some of the project managers in the Kingdom, or even outside, is that they’re reluctant to try new methods and techniques.”

As such, the only way to surmount these problems is to push forward with programmes and training that not only educate project managers, but their clients as well.

“We’re going into Oman, into Iraq and we’re there big time,” says Mohammed Al Rais. “What we’re trying to do is bring these systems with us. Instead of them having the requirements, it’s us explaining, opening horizons to what is available and what we can do for them.

We’ve started a training programme for Iraq, for example, whereby we’re training our own staff. We have about 75 people in Iraq. We invited, from our clients, members of their teams, and from government entities, to train with us.”

TEN RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER: n Plan the work n Hire, Fire, Supervise n Get equipment and materials

n Set goals n Stay on time n Stay under budget n Keep clients (and boss) in the loop

n Dispute management n Draft contracts n Manage risk

“WE ARE THAT CRITICAL LINK BETWEEN THE CONTRACTOR AND THE CLIENT”

OCTOBER 2013

36 - 41 Proj Management.indd 39

MIDDLE EAST

and contractors fixed in the way they operate, the introduction of new methods, systems and technology can be quite an uphill struggle.

“I think you’ll find that most consultants and contractors in the area, in the UAE maybe, are more than happy to adopt anything new because most of them thrive on enhancing their own abilities. But in other areas, no, but it’s a matter of trying to explain and then eventually, with the client’s permission, enforce the use of these systems,” says Mohammed Al Rais, the senior vice president and managing director at Hill International (Middle East).

“I always remember, in Abu Dhabi about six years ago, we were doing a particular project for a client, we introduced a system for the client and there was huge resistance from the contractors. We eventually had 20 of their people in our offices, just to facilitate and train them; and they will not leave that system. They now implement it across the board, on all their projects across the region, and they swear by it. People by nature will always avoid something they don’t understand, something that’s going to cost them. But once they understand how easy it is, and how effective and practical it is, I think everybody will come on board.”

This is something Hossam Al Rashoudi, CEO of Maskan Arabia, a Saudi-based housing developer that provides project management services, says he relates to.

Working exclusively in the Saudi Arabian market has exposed his company to a number of issues that he says need to be addressed if the Kingdom is to move its construction industry forwards.

“We have a lot of issues to be honest with you. I speak as a developer, not only as a project manager. A lot of the concerns in the industry today is that new regulations have come up in the past year that will affect a lot of projects.

The industry is changing rapidly because of new techniques, new technology, so the project manager has to understand what they are. He has to be updated with things,” he points out.

“Today, in a project, you have a lot of parties that you’re working with. Some of them are government entities, some are clients, so the projects manager has to

39

10/2/13 9:57 AM

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

MOHAMMED AL RAIS

Al Roushadi adds he encourages his project management staff to be more proactive and open to new ideas, which in turn will feed down into their clients, and hopefully spread awareness of what they can bring to the table.

“You cannot go in conventional ways of construction because the costs are increasing, the labour costs are increasing and you don’t have the quality of labour, which has been much less than previous,” he says.

“When I speak to my project managers, I want them to think outside the box, think of it as more of a manufacturing process, make sure that everything is detailed properly, do your plans properly and understand the sophistication of the project, what are the financial restrictions you have. They have to be aware of all the new materials that are coming into the market and they shouldn’t be afraid to test them.”

“Clients are always an obstacle. They’re always wary of new technologies. So it’s about the way you do your process, your workflow, the way you do your activities.

If you have proper approval systems from the municipalities, structural safety and everything, then the clients shouldn’t have a problem. However, the project managers here aren’t used to that system and this is why it requires more effort from their side,” he warns.

Steve Law agrees, and says that the management of client expectations is crucial to a project’s success.

“Client expectations are often the singlemost tricky element of managing a project.

The important point is to support the client in understanding their expectation.

They may have high aspirations but are constrained financially, for example.”

“In a number of cases we’ve stepped into projects that are ‘over budget’ and sought to provide alternate solutions to achieve the same quality through differing means – be it introducing new technology

BIGPROJECTME.COM

and build methods, value engineering or even thorough design reviews.”

Ultimately it comes back to ensuring a client is aware of what the final product is intended to be and that the set budget achieves it, he says.

For this to happen, all three insist that project managers need to be brought in right at the start of the project. This early involvement allows them to map out the needs of the project and work towards a fixed target.

“Bringing PM/CM later in the day is always an issue because then you’re trying to get them to buy into something that they’re not used to, or have used in other projects and all of a sudden there’s this PM coming in trying to enforce certain systems and procedures that they’re not accustomed to.”

“In most of the cases, we do manage and they understand the benefits.

Do we still have resistance in certain projects? Absolutely. Does that hinder us?

Absolutely. But we try to do the best we can in the circumstances.” n

EARLY INVOLVEMENT PMs need to be involved at the early stages of a project to have the most impact.

“THE INDUSTRY IS CHANGING RAPIDLY BECAUSE OF NEW TECHNIQUES, NEW TECHNOLOGY, SO THE PROJECT MANAGER HAS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE”

40

MIDDLE EAST

STEVE LAW

OCTOBER 2013

36 - 41 Proj Management.indd 40

10/2/13 9:57 AM

36 - 41 Proj Management.indd 41

10/2/13 9:57 AM

GERMAN PLAYERS

BIGPROJECTME.COM

THE GCC’S BEST GERMAN COMPANIES Big Project ME profiles the best German construction companies in the region

U

42

MIDDLE EAST

AE’s construction industry has grown over the years into a formidable option for foreign investors and companies to operate in. Constant government support has ensured the country’s markets appeal to investors who want to thrive in a region with burgeoning construction activity. German corporations have long sustained their growth in this competitive, multicultural environment that allows for smooth trade relations.

“UAE is Germany’s most important export trading partner in the region.

In 2012, German exports to the UAE amounted to $13.1 billion (€9.7 billion),

belonging to the top ten importers of the UAE and currently ranking number 4, after India, China and the US”, said Dr. Dalia Samra-Rohte, deputy CEO of the German-Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce. “German companies are very strong in the field of machinery and their engineering services are also highly valued. Since they cannot compete in general construction projects, where price decides rather than quality, they position themselves in niche sectors.

Their strength lies in specialized projects, such as complex bridges, airports, or transport projects, where the engineering quality has priority.”

OCTOBER 2013

42 - 47 German companies.indd 42

10/2/13 11:27 AM

GERMAN PLAYERS

BAUER A STRONG FOUNDATION

THE CHEMISTS BASF is a Germany-based chemical company, known predominantly for its vast portfolio of products like chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products, besides oil and gas. Headquartered in Ludwigshafen, the company, which posted sales worth $106 billion in 2012 operates over 380 production and six integratedproduction sites worldwide, employing more than 100,000 people globally.

Active in UAE’s construction region, BASF has been involved with Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi. BASF’s super-plasticiser ‘Glenium SKY’ was incorporated into the Burj Khalifa. “The construction of Burj Khalifa is an exceptional engineering accomplishment. We are proud to have contributed to it with our products”, Tilman Krauch, Head of BASF’s Construction Chemicals division had said.

Ferrari World used Ultramid® A3WG10, a glass fiber-reinforced polyamide 66 from BASF for its roofs. BASF is also a founding member of the Emirates Green Building Council and the company has a variety of solutions and techniques for durability, energy efficiency, climate protection and saving resources, besides their own analysis tools to scientifically assess the environmental and social impact of diverse products on the client’s projects.

CAPAROL THE DECORATED DECORATORS Established in Dubai in 1998, Caparol develops, produces and markets high quality paints, enamels, glazes, structural coatings, materials for facade and insulation technology in markets like Germany, Austria and Turkey. A privately owned group internationally, Caparol’s operation in Dubai - Caparol Paints Dubai - is a Joint Venture between Emaar Industries & Investments and DAW Group, Germany.

The company’s move to Dubai was initially aimed at serving the UAE market with minor focus on the other GCC countries. After joining forces with Emaar Industry & Investments in 2007, they added to their operations, allowing them to better serve the entire region. Caparol recently established a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Dubai Industrial City, and plans to expand on this facility in the coming years as it meet increasing demand for paints, coating and insulation increasing throughout the Middle East. The CapaCare paint range sets a new standard for environmental performance.

Its CapaTect insulation product is formulated to withstand the rigors of the Middle East climate. Caparol recently became a member of the Emirates Green Building Council.

OCTOBER 2013

42 - 47 German companies.indd 43

MIDDLE EAST

BASF

Bauer Group is an international construction and machinery manufacturing company based in Schrobenhausen, Germany, known for the execution of complex excavation pits, foundations & vertical seals and development and manufacture of related machinery. The Group’s equipment segment specialises in foundation equipment and works on developing new products for mining, deep-drilling and offshore-drilling, with 85% of the revenues by this sector made from sales abroad.

A global driving force in the development of specialist foundation engineering, it has built up networks in numerous regions worldwide and previously worked on Burj Khalifa in Dubai and The Louvre and Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi. Spezialtiefbau acquires and executes contracts both in the countries in which it is represented and in neighbouring countries using its own machinery and in-house engineering consultancy. Bauer’s presence in the region spreads outside the UAE as well and the company has been in Saudi Arabia for over three decades, besides Kuwait, Bahrain and Africa. Subsidary Saudi Bauer was handed the contract for Piling Works of the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, KSA last year.

43

10/2/13 11:27 AM

GERMAN PLAYERS

BIGPROJECTME.COM

DEUTSCHE BAHN THE KINGS OF THE TRACK

DORMA THE DOOR SPECIALISTS Dorma isproud to carry a history of 104 years. Dorma’s international reach extends to operations in over 50 countries and a global workforce of almost 6,700 employees. In the Gulf region, Dorma launched its presence with the opening of Dorma Gulf Door Controls FZE in Jebel Ali, Dubai, in 1997. Today, Dorma Gulf generates sales of $70 million (€52 million) and employs over 325 people. Currently Dorma operates four companies in the region of which three are based in the UAE and one in Saudi Arabia with branches in eight cities and a total of 320 staff across the Middle East. Some of DORMA’s historical projects include Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Metro, Meydan Racecourse, Qatar Convention Centre, Mall of Arabia (Jeddah), Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandria), Emirates Palace Hotel (Abu Dhabi), King Abdallah Financial District (KAFD) Abu Dhabi Convention Centre (ADNEC) and others.

As the region expands its steel, petrochemical and hightech industries, Dorma looks forward to participating in this development.

Founded in 1994, Deutsche Bahn AG is one of the world’s leading passenger and logistics companies that operates in 150 countries with almost 237,000 employees across the world.

With rail activities in Germany being the company’s core business, it also focuses on providing mobility and logistics services, as well as controlling and operating the related transport networks in the rail, land, ocean and air freight transport sectors. DB’s strategy mainly looks at linking together all modes of transportation, and building comprehensive intermodal travel and logistics chains. DB International, Deutsche Bahn’s consultancy business was recently awarded a contract by S to support the construction of the 444km Haramain High Speed Rail project.

Deutsche Bahn also recently established a joint venture with Etihad Rail, called Etihad Rail DB Operations LLC, to operate rail freight transport services on the Arabian Peninsula.

As per the Etihad Rail agreement, DB Schenker Rail was appointed to recruit the employees required for the development of rail operations and maintenance of the fleet and British subsidiary DB Schenker Rail UK also coordinated on this recruitment drive.

HOCHTIEF THE ALL-ROUNDERS

44

MIDDLE EAST

Hochtief is a globally recognised construction service provider and stands for experience, innovation and stability. Hochtief has been working in the region for almost 40 years, and it completed the international airport of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia with a turnkey airport project between 1974-1985 in what was then the biggest contract ever placed with a single construction company. HOCHTIEF also has operations in Qatar, and has previously worked on the Barwa Commercial Avenue in the country. Along the city highway Abu Hamour Road in Doha’s southern outskirts, roughly 600 new retail units and approximately 1,300 residential units and offices were built between 2007 and 2012, and HOCHTIEF was involved in the project as its General Contractor.

The company is also providing facility management services for the Bahrain International Airport. Located in Muharraq, 7 km northeastern of the capital Manama, the airport is the primary hub for Gulf Air and Bahrain Air. Since 2008, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) is responsible for managing and operating the Bahrain International Airport, and its objective is to enhance the airport’s status, infrastructure and facilities.

OCTOBER 2013

42 - 47 German companies.indd 44

10/2/13 11:28 AM

42 - 47 German companies.indd 45

10/2/13 11:28 AM

GERMAN PLAYERS

BIGPROJECTME.COM

NORA GETTING IT COVERED

KNAUF DISCIPLINE DISCIPLES

46

MIDDLE EAST

Family-owned Knauf was founded in Germany, 1932, and has since expanded to over 150 production sites in more than 37 countries. “We want to deliver around the country and the region with sustainable and commercially viable products. This depends on the quality of the products and people at Knauf, and training is key to this process”, said Amer bin Ahmed, Managing Director, Knauf Dubai.

Besides producing conventional gypsum, Knauf also produces construction materials for drywall construction, plasterboards, acoustic boards, internal and external plasters and insulating materials.

“Discipline is the key. German technology and engineering has constantly succeeded in the UAE market - everybody likes to drive a Mercedes!

All our installations are put in place by German teams, and our technology and knowhow is transferred to our suppliers, customers and partners. We believe we’re creating a circle of trust, and the transparency is important in the industry.

Mere test reports are not enough, we back it up with quality supply chains at Knauf.”

Knauf’s previous undertakings in the Gulf involve projects such as Burj Khalifa and Armani Hotel in Dubai and the Grand Hyatt Doha in Qatar. “We are supporting the Expo 2020 in UAE, FIFA 2022 in Qatar We are also looking to contribute to UAE’s Vision 2030 and Saudi Arabia’s future projects,” says Ahmed.

Nora systems, a specialist in high-quality, resilient floor coverings, has strategically positioned itself to take advantage of the upsurge in airport, education and healthcare projects in the Middle East. With a market share of more than 80% in Germany and more than 50% worldwide, Nora systems is the global leader in the market for rubber floor coverings, focusing on the healthcare, education, transportation, industry and public buildings markets. Its renowned floor covering ranges norament and noraplan epitomise the quality that Germany is globally renowned for.

“We are already very well known to all of the international architects and consultants and we see a great opportunity to be specified by the US consultants that are now very active on highvalue, prestigious projects in the region,” says Steven McFadden, regional manager of the company. “We want to reflect the widely held German reputation for quality in the region and emphasis our concept of value engineering. We need to change the perception in the market and show that value engineering does not mean using the cheapest materials and products.”

SIEMENS THE POWER PLAYER The Middle East has been a key region for Siemens since the company first established a presence here. The company has expanded steadily and now has offices and operational units across the entire region. Siemens has supplied the technology behind many of the region’s key infrastructure projects.

The company was recently awarded a turnkey contract, scheduled for completion

by December 2015, by the Kuwait National Petroleum Co. (KNPC) to supply highvoltage substations at refineries south of the city of Kuwait. Earlier this year, Siemens was awarded a contract worth $966.8 million to supply the key components for a major combined-cycle power plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by Saudi Aramco.

With an installed capacity of 4,000 megawatts, Jazan will be the largest gasificationbased power plant site in the world. Siemens Infrastructure & Cities was commissioned last year to set up a turnkey tram system in Qatar’s capital city Doha by the Qatar Foundation, and the scope of delivery includes signal and communication technology, the rail electrification system and equipping a depot. The company plans to move into its new regional headquarters at Masdar City during Q1 of 2014.

OCTOBER 2013

42 - 47 German companies.indd 46

10/2/13 11:29 AM

ACTIV’AIR. PLASTERBOARD FOR HEALTHIER LIVING ENVIRONMENTS

Register for an information pack at www.gyproc.ae/register or call free on 800 GYPROC (497762).

Activ’Air is a revolutionary plasterboard that actively improves indoor air quality by removing VOCs from the air and converting them in to safe, inert compounds. Once captured in the plasterboard the VOCs cannot be released back in to the environment and will continue to work for up to 75 years - giving peace of mind for generations.

Activ’Air is available across the full range of Gyproc plasterboards and Gyptone perforated acoustic products. *VOCs (volatile organic compounds) - formaldehyde and other aldehydes

42 - 47 German companies.indd 47

10/2/13 11:29 AM

COUNTRY FOCUS

BIGPROJECTME.COM

WELCOMING THE

WORLD

Charles Martin reports on what winning the Expo will mean for the UAE and Dubai in particular

E

48

MIDDLE EAST

veryone in the region knows that Dubai is bidding to host the 2020 Expo, but like the meaning of the word ‘paradigm’ everyone may think they know what it means, but they probably don’t have a clue.

For the uninitiated the World Expo first took place in 1851. London World Expo is universally recognised as the first modern World Expo, which was called the ‘Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations’.

The next one was in Paris and that’s why they built the Eiffel Tower. Other buildings built for World Expos in the past are: Crystal Palace in London, the Palace of Fine Arts in Chicago, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Atomium in Brussels, the Space Needle in Seattle and the Millennium Dome in London, again.

48 -51 UAE.indd 48

World Expos offer a chance to change the image of a city. Chicago’s reputation was flagging in the 1930s. A World Expo study done by China for the 2010 event concluded that ‘The World Expo in 1933 transformed Chicago into one of the centres of American cities.”

Urban decision makers and planners in every city in the world came to know this: the World Expo is a rare opportunity to transform a city, namely to incorporate the World Expo design into the master plan for the city and take the cultural and trade exchanges at the World Expo

as a necessary step towards creating a transformed city.

Now this writer, among many others, feels that if Dubai transforms any more you won’t be able to find anything, but there is no doubt of the economic benefits this could bring to Dubai.

MEED’s MENA Projects Forecast and Review 2013 report puts this into perspective: “More than $1.1 trillion worth of contracts have been awarded in the GCC alone over the past 10 years,” the report says. “In 2012, about $110 billion worth of deals were let, and 2013 is

“IF DUBAI IS SUCCESSFUL, THEN CONFIDENCE WILL BE CATAPULTED TO EVEN GREATER HEIGHTS”

OCTOBER 2013

10/2/13 11:38 AM

COUNTRY FOCUS

MASSIVE BOOST Winning the World Expo 2020 bid will be a major profile raiser for Dubai.

expected to better that with around $150 billion worth of contracts awarded based on the performance of the first six months of the year,’ it adds.

So to put it bluntly, Dubai doesn’t really need the Expo. It just wants it.

Craig Plumb, of Jones Lang LaSalle, points out the benefits: “If Dubai is successful when the winning city is announced in November, then confidence will be catapulted to even greater heights on the back of boosted employment and economic growth and reinforce the emirate’s position as a regional hub.”

His colleagues at Jones Lang LaSalle agree: “The short-term benefits are pretty obvious, in that it will be a massive boost to the tourism market, a huge profile raiser for Dubai and it will generate

THE BIDDING CITIES n Izmir - Turkey n Yekaterinburg Russia

n Sao Paulo - Brazil n Dubai - UAE

economic activity in the run-up to the event, in the six months of the event and for a period afterwards,” says Alan Robertson, chief executive officer (CEO), Middle East and North Africa for Jones Lang LaSalle, which advised on the Dubai Expo 2020 master plan.

The total value to the economy of staging the event has been estimated at over $38 billion, with more than 277,000 jobs created between 2013 and 2021. So Dubai’s residents can look forward to another quarter of a million expats and a fair bet that rents in JLT and JBR will rise by another 4,000,000% by 2021 (A slight exaggeration).

And don’t even think about mall parking because it’s a horror story. But I digress, there are benefits even after the expo has finished.

Robertson explains: “Equally important is the post event legacy plan which will see the expo site become the Dubai Trade Centre, Jebel Ali.” “A successful bid will also bring forward major infrastructure improvements including the Al-Maktoum International airport and the extension to the Dubai metro. One of the real legacy values is the residential development around Dubai World Central. It will help sort out the big housing imbalances in Dubai.”

So more tourists, more construction, more labourers, and a bigger metro...

Dubai has also hired consultancy Mace, a consultancy and construction company with a presence in 69 countries around the world.

Mace has been engaged by the Expo 2020 team to assist with cost management and planning.

This £1 billion firm has carried out a wide range of high-profile projects, including serving as a delivery partner for the infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Which went on to be considered on the best Olympic Games ever held.

Helal Saeed Al Marri, CEO of the Dubai World Trade Centre and Member of the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, says: “As this announcement demonstrates, we continue to strengthen the team leading the master plan development of this specialised, highly connected 438ha site.”

OCTOBER 2013

48 -51 UAE.indd 49

MIDDLE EAST

“EVEN IF THE EXPO BID FAILS, ALL IS NOT LOST. DUBAI’S ECONOMY IS MORE ROBUST THAN IT HAS BEEN FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, AND SHOULD MAINTAIN ITS UPWARD TRAJECTORY”

49

10/2/13 11:38 AM

COUNTRY FOCUS

BIGPROJECTME.COM

UAE REMAINS INTERNATIONAL REAL-ESTATE HOTSPOT Average retail rental rates for Dubai at $114 per sq.ft per annum and $71 per sq.ft per annum for Abu Dhabi have not deterred competitive international resellers from the UAE market, according to global real-estate consulting firm CBRE’s latest research.

“The UAE remains an attractive destination for international retailers; with an array of brands already present and its relative affordability compared to other global retail markets. The emirates in many ways holds an edge over other established cities as it offers access to significant consumer numbers, high quality mall facilities, and cost sensitive rents even within prime centres,” commented Matt Green, head of Research and Consultancy UAE, CBRE

50

MIDDLE EAST

So who are the other bidders, you’re probably wondering?

They are Brazil, Russia, Thailand and Turkey. Those who did not bid included Ayutthaya, Thailand (Withdrawn Bid), Houston, Texas, USA (Non-Bid), Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Non-Bid), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Non-Bid), Silicon Valley, California, USA (Non-Bid), South Africa (Non-Bid) and St. Petersburg, Russia (Non-Bid).

The website www.expomuseum.com points out: ‘Since their inception in London in 1851, over one billion people have visited a world’s fair.”

“Known in most of the world as expos. the largest held so far was Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China.’

However, whoever wins Expo 2020 will be setting a precedent: ‘If Dubai or Izmir wins, it will be the first Middle Eastern expo. Expo 2020 will be the first Russian world’s fair if Yekaterinburg wins.

A São Paulo victory would make it the first world’s fair in South America and Latin America as well as the first in the Western Hemisphere in 34 years and the first in the Southern Hemisphere in 32 years’ according to a statement on the Expobids official website.

So what are the odds of Dubai winning?

The US’s New York Times thinks they are fairly good.

48 -51 UAE.indd 50

“Dubai is expected to win the bid to host 2020 World Expo, thanks to government support and political tensions in other countries bidding for the event.”

In an article about the event, the paper said Dubai, which would be the first host of the world’s fair in the Middle East, has emerged as the front-runner. It said: ‘Political tensions in Russia and in Turkey could hurt the chances of Yekaterinburg and Izmir.’

The paper also said that São Paulo in Brazil, the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere, is seen as least likely to succeed, when the 100 or so delegates of the exposition bureau’s General Assembly vote in November.

Let’s leave the last word to Craig Plumb, of Jones Lang LaSalle.

“Even if the Expo bid fails, all is not lost,” advises Plumb. “Dubai’s economy is more robust than it has been for more than five years, and should maintain its upward trajectory regardless of whether or not it wins the bid.” n

Middle East.

“Retailers continue to expand into this region, often using Dubai as their ‘launch’ platform into other markets such as Doha, Riyadh and Jeddah. According to CBRE research, 25 new retailers opened stores in Dubai last year. A young population, strong brand association, solid household consumption and modern retail concepts coupled with a flourishing tourism sector continue to provide ideal conditions for retail growth in the country,” added Green.

“Abu Dhabi in particular is seeing significant new retail space under development, as it looks to establish itself as a major destination for leisure and shopping. New retail destinations such as the recently opened The Galleria, and the soon to be opened Yas Mall are helping to increase exposure, bringing new brands and concepts to the region.”

“DUBAI’S ECONOMY IS MORE ROBUST THAN IT HAS BEEN FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, AND SHOULD MAINTAIN ITS UPWARD TRAJECTORY”

OCTOBER 2013

10/2/13 11:38 AM

BPME_15 Lines_Oct13_OL.pdf

1

9/29/13

10:55 AM

OCTOBER 2013

48 -51 UAE.indd 51

MIDDLE EAST

COUNTRY FOCUS

51

10/2/13 11:38 AM

82 - 84 Constructive crit.indd 84

10/2/13 1:55 PM

SPECIAL FEATURE PM SOFTWARE

GOING MOBILE

Big Project ME finds out how the latest advancements in PM software technology are pushing project managers to go mobile as they work. Gavin Davids reports management software into a more mobile format that will allow those managing construction projects access to not just information, but also allow them to inform and communicate in real time with all the stakeholders involved.

Michael Konieczka, an executive consultant with Hill International, says that this move has been prompted by the need for increased collaboration, as clients are now taking a more hands on approach to their projects.

Hill International uses PM Web, a webbased project management that collates information into a visual workflow that is powerful, but easy to use.

“With PM Web and with any other project management software, you have the ability for collaboration. So one of the key things that PM Web has that some of the other software don’t have is that within PM Web, we have the ability to do document sharing, we are able to do cost control, and we’re able to do our schedules, all in one stop,” he explains.

“Facility Management and Asset Management, we’re able to tie all of this together in a visual workflow, where we’re able to build a workflow approval process for these individual construction records, for instance a submittal or an RFI. We’re able to put it through in an electronic

“WE SEE THE ONLINE AND MOBILE SOLUTIONS GROWING QUITE A LOT, WITH IPADS AND THE DEVICES GOING OUT THERE”

OCTOBER 2013

54 - 59 S. Features.indd 53

MIDDLE EAST

P

roject management software has been around for more than two decades, with early pioneers using DOS-based systems to manage the data garnered from their construction projects and planning.

Obviously these initial attempts were relatively unappreciated by an industry, that preferred to use tried and tested paper-based methods ahead of the clunky and complicated programmes being explored at the time.

However, with the advent of Web 3.0 over the last five or six years, there has been a marked upswing in the adoption of project management software, which has seen the use of the various software mushroom. This in turn has led to the constant evolution of the technology, as it better adapts to the needs of the global construction market.

One such development has been the move towards turning project

53

10/2/13 12:26 PM

SPECIAL FEATURE PM SOFTWARE

BIGPROJECTME.COM

“IT’S NECESSARY TO DISTINGUISH CLOUD-BASED SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS AND CLOUD-BASED DATA.”

BENEFITS OF CLOUDBASED PM SOFTWARE n Accessibility

54

MIDDLE EAST

visual workflow, where I don’t have to generate a report, go find one person and get them to sign off on it. The system automatically handles that process and gets it into the hands of the people that need to see it,” he adds.

Ian Hauptfleisch, general manager of CCS (Gulf ), points out that construction organisations are becoming increasingly aware of the need to integrate their systems and obtain the benefits of real time reporting.

“Construction organisations are becoming increasingly aware of the need to integrate traditional accounting and financial data with engineering data to get real time and reliable CVR reporting,” he says, calling it a critical prerequisite for decision making, pre-emptive corrective actions and accurate cost to complete and at completion computations.

“Accounting and construction project control systems have been used in construction since the advent of

MICHAEL KONIECZKA

computers but they’ve never successfully integrated as they’ve always been perceived as two very different and distinct entities and, as a result thereof, impossible to compare and integrate,” Hauptfleisch adds.

However, Peter Hedlund, the regional director at Trimble Export Middle East, points out that project management software is now becoming a ‘natural part of the project’. This means that project managers are becoming more comfortable with the technology and are taking it into the field.

“We see the online and mobile solutions growing, with iPads and the devices going out there. It’s something that we see significant interest in. We have offline capabilities in our online products as we know that internet in this region is not that good, especially out onsite.”

“Clients can download the forms and templates and stuff like that in the morning in the office, go out to the site

n Ease of Use n Up to date software n All features and functionality available

n Easier deployment n Better collaboration

OCTOBER 2013

54 - 59 S. Features.indd 54

10/2/13 12:26 PM

SPECIAL FEATURE PM SOFTWARE

PETER HEDLUND

where construction sites can typically be located) cannot cope with. It is therefore a lot more common and efficient to store and share data on cloud and cloud-based collaboration solutions,” Ian Hauptfleisch tells Big Project ME. Hedlund agrees, and adds that while the use of the ‘cloud’ is definitely growing, it may not be as good as vendors claim.

“It’s a low entry fee, but over time it actually becomes quite expensive. If I would compare cloud versus self-installed and self-hosted, it is still primarily selfhosted that is driving the industry,” he points out.

“That said, people are starting to realise that they can self-host and create their own cloud. And that’s actually quite a good solution.” n

n Security Users have

expressed concerns over the security of their project data on cloud software

n Connectivity There

is not100% internet coverage in the GCC

OCTOBER 2013

54 - 59 S. Features.indd 55

MIDDLE EAST

and still get his stuff done for the full day, and charge for a full day of work, and then when the internet access is back, he can send everything up to a central repository, or he can come back to the office and send it up then.”

Thus, the cloud would seem to be an essential part of the evolution of project management software, however, all three experts say that this isn’t the case.

“It’s necessary to distinguish cloudbased software applications and cloudbased data. You will not come across many usable versions of the former as a result of the amount of processes, calculations and interlinking required to be performed on PM data that puts a heavy load on bandwidth that this region (and especially outlying, remote locations

55

10/2/13 12:26 PM

SPECIAL FEATURE BRIDGES

BIGPROJECTME.COM

ACROSS THE GAP

Big Project ME examines how bridges are built in the Middle East region and the various challenges that come with building them in a unique environment

H

56

MIDDLE EAST

ere in the Middle East, bridges have not always been regarded with the true appreciation that they deserve, given the supreme levels of engineering and construction that need to be applied while building them.

For the most part, bridge engineers have valued function over form, and sturdiness over sleekness. As a result, for a long time there were no truly iconic bridges like the ones seen all over the world, with the likes of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

However, spearheaded by the likes of Abu Dhabi, governments and engineers are beginning to embrace bridges, not just as methods of conveyance or of crossing gaps, but as structures that are both artistic and functional, which serve

to make a statement to the travellers crossing them.

One such bridge is the Hodariyat Bridge in Abu Dhabi. The bridge links Abu Dhabi’s western coastline with Hodariyat Island. It is 1.3km long and provides a 29m vertical clearance for the 170m-wide navigation channel. Furthermore, six lanes of traffic and two walkways were designed as part of the structure.

It is the biggest suspended bridge in the UAE with a height which allows ships

to pass underneath, says the project’s owner, TDIC (Tourism Development and Investment Company). Designed by International Bridge Technologies, the bridge’s builders were a joint-venture between Overseas AST and VSL. “It consists of a 36m-wide single cell concrete box girder with stiffening struts inside and outside the box. The 200m-long main span is supported by a single plane of stay cables within the bridge median. The foundations consist

“REPLACING AN EXISTING BRIDGE WITH A NEW BRIDGE OR WIDENING AN EXISTING BRIDGE OFTEN REQUIRES STAGE CONSTRUCTION”

OCTOBER 2013

54 - 59 S. Features.indd 56

10/2/13 12:27 PM

SPECIAL FEATURE BRIDGES

“PROPER PLAN PREPARATION IS ESSENTIAL IN BOTH PRODUCING A QUALITY PRODUCT AND ADHERING TO THE LETTING SCHEDULE. THE INDIVIDUALITY OF EACH PROJECT NECESSITATES THE NEED FOR GREATER DETAIL IN THE STRUCTURAL DETAILS”

EARLY INVOLVEMENT Early involvement of all stakeholders is crucial for a bridge project.

on concrete and combining savings in materials and time, it became a very attractive option, and a lot less labourintensive.”

He adds: “Basically, for the structure itself, we did the technological incremental launching for the back span, then for the centre span – this was a precast balanced cantilever segmental, which kept the stay cable in position,” he adds.

Given the amount of work that needs to be done in projects of this type, it’s clear that early involvement is required for all stakeholders: from contractor to supplier to consultant. This becomes even more crucial when complex projects – and bridges are invariably complex – are being undertaken alongside existing structures.

As such, Ahmad Al Rifai, head of Business Development at OVM Middle East and North Africa, points out that careful consideration is needed for the entire construction process.

“Replacing an existing bridge with a new bridge or widening an existing bridge often requires staged construction.

Keeping lanes of the existing bridge open while the first phase of the construction of the new bridge takes place maintains minimum traffic needs,” he explains.

“Each project may require unique solutions or have individual needs.

These unknowns make the planning and design of stage construction a challenging process. The uniqueness of each project requires engineering judgment and experience in developing the bridge plans. Resolve any uncertainties early in the preliminary plan preparation stages,” Al Rifai warns, adding that there are a number of factors to consider.

“Determine the need for stage construction early in the planning stages. Due to the complexity of stage

CHOOSING AN APPROPRIATE SUPERSTRUCTURE n Span length n Vertical clearance n Hydraulics (freeboard)

n Speed of construction n Economics n Aesthetics

OCTOBER 2013

54 - 59 S. Features.indd 57

MIDDLE EAST

of 1.2m and 1.5m diameter drilled shafts socketed into the bedrock. The 55m-long approach spans are built by incremental launching from the abutments, while the main spans are built in balanced cantilever with precast concrete segments,” explains IBT. It took more than 650 people to build the structure, with a total of 5 million man hours dedicated to its completion. Work on the project began in August 2009 and was concluded in March 2012, six months ahead of schedule, says TDIC. The swiftness of the completion belies the demanding physical construction of the project. Stephen Burke, deputy general manager of VSL Middle East, who worked on the project, says building Hodariyat was no easy nor small task.

“We went for the precast option and so we had to set up a precast yard adjacent to the bridge site; on the waterfront. We cast a lot of innovative things. For instance, normally the foundations would require us to sheath the piles and pump out the water. We came up with a precast block that we dropped over the foundation piles; then pumped out the water and cast the foundation for the piers,” he says.

This approach enabled the construction to proceed faster and more efficiently, Burke explains, pointing out that the project was on a very tight deadline: “It was about speed and savings in materials. In terms of reinforcing steel

57

10/2/13 12:27 PM

SPECIAL FEATURE BRIDGES

COMMUNICATION Bridge builders say that communication between engineers is critical.

TOP FIVE LONGEST BRIDGES IN THE WORLD n Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge 164,800m

n Tianjin Grand Bridge 113,700m

n Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge 79,732m

n Bang Na Expressway 54,000m

BIGPROJECTME.COM

construction, other solutions may be preferable,” he says. “Also, identify the traffic control needs of the project prior to the development of the bridge layouts.

Communication between the engineer responsible for traffic control and the design engineer is critical during the preparation of the bridge layouts and construction sequence process,” he adds, pointing out that it might be best to leave the exact break-back locations up to the designer, if possible.

“Proper plan preparation is essential in both producing a quality product and adhering to the letting schedule. The individuality of each project necessitates the need for greater detail in the structural details. Fully detail complex construction or unique solutions to avoid any confusion. Delays often result due to the lack of information in the layouts,” he says.

Christopher Stanley is another proponent of the early involvement process. The technical director at

58

MIDDLE EAST

“THE INDIVIDUALITY OF EACH PROJECT NECESSITATES THE NEED FOR GREATER DETAIL IN THE STRUCTURAL DETAILS”

Unibeton Readymix says that as a supplier of concrete, his company insists on being involved right at the beginning of a project, often helping to formulate an effective specification for it.

“If there is effective specification in place, it can help the consultant. It helps the contractor and of course it helps us with the supply of concrete. If we can get involved in the early days, then very often we can iron out the sort of problems that come later because we can help to formulate a good, workable specification, whereby we can produce good, strong, durable concrete that satisfies the conditions that you need for a bridge,” he explains to Big Project ME. “For example, a lot of people make the concrete too low in workability, which doesn’t enable it to flow properly around the reinforcement, and then you end up with maybe uneven concrete, or even honeycombing, or patches of not so well compacted concrete. So we help to draft the clauses in the specifications to get a much better concrete, which helps everybody concerned. Because then the client gets a much better bridge, with a much better finish.”

Burke says the process is simpler for contractors if the codes and practices that they follow are well regulated.

“There is a certain amount of redundancy in the design of these codes and practices. The factors of safety are always a little on the high side, to make sure that if, for instance, there’s any vehicular impact on one of the piers or something like that, you wouldn’t be faced with a collapse. It may damage the bridge, but it wouldn’t be catastrophic. There are international design criteria that have to be followed very rigidly,” he explains.

“You might also have a number of checks that are done by third parties, who independently check your design and approve. It’s the same on-site during construction. There are consultants who are appointed to do the supervision and it’s their job to ensure that all the quality is there in terms of the concrete, the slump of the concrete, that the concrete is placed correctly and that the rebar is placed correctly. So you have all those layers of comfort during construction, because we are building significant structures.” n

OCTOBER 2013

54 - 59 S. Features.indd 58

10/2/13 12:27 PM

FOAMGLAS® Insulation

Composite Facade System, Mineral Render

Qatar Convention Center and Tower, Doha Architect Murphy / Jahn Inc, Chicago / Berlin / Shanghai Build Under construction 2012 Application of FOAMGLAS® Façade insulation, about 6000 m2, T4+ slabs, 80 mm thick, adhesively bonded and mechanically fixed to the structural wall Finish Lime renders in thick layer 3

4

2

1

Render system 1 Concrete wall 2 Lime adhesive 3 FOAMGLAS® slabs, bonded and mechanically fixed

hR R hiG iSE BuiL FO Di E n AD

GS

ThE BE ST FA C

Qatar Convention Center and Tower have been designed by Murphy Jahn Inc. with a creative and inspirational power, just like other projects for which they are famous, be it Deutsche Post building in Bonn or the Sony Center in Berlin. Qatar Convention Center and Tower will be an iconic symbol for the Doha skyline – a 550 m high tapering obelisk, containing a total of 112 storeys. It will also comprise a 100,000 square metre convention center. When architects are looking for aesthetic quality, it is the chance to explore new insulation system solutions for façades – systems which will have high impact resistance.

No maintenance, no degradation within time and, most important, fire safety – these substantial benefits are only possible due to the specific FOAMGLAS® insulation properties, providing high compressive strength, dimensional stability and non-combustibility.

FIR

E F A ES 6 E13 84, E M AST

4 Reinforcing mesh 5 Lime render layer 6 Final layer of render

Ecological and fire safe, a recommended building material.

Web: www.foamglas.ae Email: info@foamglas.ae Dubai office Tel: +9714 434 7140 Doha office Tel: +974 465 5360

54 - 59 S. Features.indd 59

10/2/13 12:27 PM

00509_Big5_Dubai_2013_Vispromo_New_DPS_Ad_448x280mm.ai

1

9/23/13

11:03 AM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Supported by

2.indd 6

Diamond Sponsor

Platinum Sponsors

Information Services Partner

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsor

Free Zone Partner

Official Broadcast Partner

10/2/13 12:31 PM

Dubai World Trade Centre 11:00 - 19:00 Daily

INTRODUCING NEW EDUCATIONAL FEATURES AT THE BIG 5 • Dubai Green Building Codes Seminar - Dubai Municipality • Materials Testing and Certification Seminar - Dubai Central Laboratory • Project Management Workshop - Society of Engineers • Arbitration Workshop - Society of Engineers • Estidama Training - Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council …and much more! Visit www.thebig5.ae/education

REGISTER ONLINE NOW FOR FREE ENTRY

www.thebig4.ae/bp15 (or pay AED 100 at the door) Your online registration will give you access to the exhibition and free educational events

8 DEDICATED PRODUCT ZONES

2.indd 7

10/2/13 12:31 PM

CPD MODULES

BIGPROJECTME.COM

MISSION CRITICAL DESTINATION Paving the path to comprehensive facilities management by optimising operations and maintenance, completing third party commissioning and performing operational audits

G

62

MIDDLE EAST

lobally, billions of dollars are invested annually in infrastructure to build 24/7/365 mission critical facilities. But, this investment in the design, equipment procurement and construction of today’s data centres is just a fraction of what it costs to operate and maintain them.

In fact, a typical Tier III data centre with a 1.5MW critical load will cost $19 million to $26 million to design and construct over two to three years, while more than $50 million will be spent on its operations and maintenance (O&M) over the next 15 to 20 years (see Graph 2 on pg 64).

Unfortunately, though, too often very few data centre capital dollars are invested up front in a data centre’s Comprehensive Facilities Management (CFM) planning, which can help

62 - 65 CPD.indd 62

reduce lifetime O&M costs. From the development of O&M procedures to hiring, educating and training building operators, to the testing and commissioning of all MEP systems, building owners and operators must plan for the life of their facility as early as de-sign and construction in order to ensure efficient operations, maintenance and ultimately, 24/7/365 infrastructure reliability.

It is key that the ultimate owners of the facility, be it the facility management team or operator, are involved in the major decisions before the commissioning phase, ideally and, based on best practice, this begins during the project’s initial design phase. Ultimately, the CFM strategy should be in place and executed before any onsite commissioning otherwise the handover and operational risks will be very high.

OCTOBER 2013

10/2/13 12:34 PM

CPD MODULES

ROAD MAP A proper road map is needed to know where companies are headed.

DEFINING DAILY OPERATIONAL STRATEGY n Evaluation of Staffing Requirements

FIRST STOP: COMPREHENSIVE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ROAD MAP Without a proper road map, no one knows where they are headed and there is no clear direction. CFM is no different. Dealing with the myriad of daily operational situations that surface in a typical data centre, from scheduled maintenance, operator training and computer room safety to equipment failure and emergency procedures, facilities management tools and a well thought out process are key to navigating the way.

The first step is defining the data centre’s daily operational strategy, which should include an evaluation of the staffing requirements. What does the organizational structure look like? Will the facility have their own internal staff managing and performing the day-to-day operations or will a portion or all of the facilities operations be outsourced?

These answers should be based on

many factors, such as core competency and local skill levels. A written O&M plan will outline the overall strategy, including equipment maintenance, in addition to a reporting structure. The reports should include capacity management that provides key performance indicators for senior management and a service level agreement if operations are outsourced.

Secondly, even when hands-on operations are outsourced, an owner still must ensure that facility operators have been trained in the relevant skills.

A training plan must be developed for both new hires, while training sessions for the existing team must be scheduled frequently to ensure that employee turnover and management changes don’t affect daily equipment performance and optimization. It is critical for all operators to be using consistent procedures. The procedures must be written for the skill levels of the operators, both for daily operations and emergency procedures.

The next generation of O&M manuals can be delivered in more accessible and practical ways than ever before.

Because the traditional O&M manual, whether in the form of a CD of PDFs or boxes of procedures and equipment manuals, eventually becomes outdated Syska Hennessy Group packages their O&M manual documents digitally, in a searchable and intuitive format that’s easy to reference from anywhere – onsite or offsite, even during an emergency.

Operational procedures such as standard operating procedures (SOPs) and emergency operating procedures (EOPs) are delivered in html. This html site is typically hosted by the company’s Intranet to help maintain security, which provides easy access for operators to the procedures from their workstations or mobile devices.

Finally, the road map must be well documented. Computerised facilities

n Organisational Structure evaluation

n Will facility have internal staff managing day to day operations?

n Outsourced facilities

“IT IS KEY THAT THE ULTIMATE OWNERS OF THE FACILITY, BE IT THE FACILITY MANAGEMENT TEAM OR OPERATOR, ARE INVOLVED IN THE MAJOR DECISIONS BEFORE THE COMMISSIONING PHASE”

OCTOBER 2013

62 - 65 CPD.indd 63

MIDDLE EAST

operations

63

10/2/13 12:35 PM

CPD MODULES

BIGPROJECTME.COM

“DURING AN OPERATIONAL AUDIT, THE AUDIT TEAM WALKS THE SITE TO MAKE SURE THE DATA CENTRE’S EQUIPMENT AND ITS OPERATIONS TEAM ARE BOTH FUNCTIONING AS THEY SHOULD ON A DAILY BASIS”

management tools are ideal for maintaining today’s building assets and monitoring the lifecycle of data centre equipment, including computer aided facilities management (CAFM) or computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).

64

MIDDLE EAST

CX TIME Commissioing allows the operation’s team to experience hands on training.

62 - 65 CPD.indd 64

SECOND STOP: COMMISSIONING Commissioning (or Cx) is the process of validating the procedures, sequences and viability of the data centre’s equipment and its infrastructure.

Contrary to popular thought, Cx is not an event that takes place at the end of construction, but rather a five-step process that runs parallel to the life cycle of the entire project, beginning with the documentation of the owner’s project requirements and culminating in postconstruction equipment testing (see Levels of Commissioning side bar).

But, why so many levels? Isn’t just testing equipment enough?

Unfortunately, many of today’s data centre projects spend years in the

design and implementation phases, with construction completed multiple years later. This can leave a gaping disparity between the original design intent and the delivery of systems and equipment, especially factoring in the rate at which data centre technology advances.

Because one of the objectives of the Cx agent is to serve as the owner’s watchdog during the design and construction of the data centre, choosing a third party, independent firm or acting Cx agent is crucial to obtaining the right Cx results.

Beyond testing, Cx time can also present a wonderful opportunity for the operation’s team to experience handson training, operating the equipment in normal and emergency modes with no risk to the critical environment.

Although this component of Cx is often overlooked, it can provide an invaluable opportunity for facility operators that can further strengthen their ability to operate equipment and the systems efficiently over the life of the facility.

LEVELS OF COMMISSIONING n Factory testing and Reporting

n Component startup and Installation Verification

n Sub-System

Prefunctional testing

n Major Sub-System

Testing and Operational verification

n Integrated Systems

Functional verification

FINAL FRONTIER: THE OPERATIONAL AUDIT Now that the staff has a road map for operations, they’ve been trained on the equipment and the systems have been commissioned to ensure they’re operating per the design intent, the best data centres will perform semi-annual or annual operational audits.

Because most data centre failures are the direct result of human error and all it takes is one operator or facilities manager not following the correct procedures to have a piece of equipment or the whole data centre fail in one way or another, operational audits can be crucial to the ongoing operations of any mission critical facility.

During an operational audit, the audit team walks the site to make sure the data centre’s equipment and its operations team is both functioning as they should on a daily basis.

In the early stages of a new or updated facility, operational audits are recommended every six months: one audit to be focused on the operations teams (people and process) and the second to focus on the site performance equipment condition, maintenance, failures, and so on.

OCTOBER 2013

10/2/13 12:35 PM

CPD MODULES

However, once the facility and its team mature, audits can be conducted on an annual basis.

Existing data centres also benefit from the operational audit, as this provides the owner a valuable insight into how the data centre is performing and also provides a benchmark on current conditions so improvements can be monitored.

Audits should be part of an ongoing continuous improvement program to ensure the facility is being operated to meet the owner’s goals.

CONCLUSION Regardless of the requirements of each data centre, its employee retention, training schemes, emergency procedures, maintenance processes and schedule, The Cx process and more deserve a road map that ensures the proper and timely involvement of the eventual owner (the Facilities Management team or the buildingW operator) and thus leads to the ultimate desired destination - a fullyfunctional, reliable and efficient mission critical environment. n

LEVELS OF COMMISSIONING Level 1 Commissioning: Factory Testing and

that components, equipment, systems and

Reporting - Manage, coordinate and attend

interfaces between systems operate correctly

off-site/factory acceptance tests (FAT) and

and includes operating modes, interlocks,

demonstrations of the engineering services

control sequences and responses to emergency

plant and equipment indicated on the

conditions.

Consulting Engineers Specifications and as

Level 4 Commissioning: Major Sub-System/

instructed by the client.

Major Equipment Functional Testing and

Level 2 Commissioning: QA/QC Component

Operational Verification – Load testing,

Startup and Installation Verification – During

thermal scanning and system demonstrations

this phase, the manufacturer technicians and

are performed during this step as well as

sub-contractors are responsible for furnishing

verification of the following: generator step

the Level 2 start-up checklist to the general

loading; UPS system operations when served

contractor. All NETA, NFPA, IEEE and any

by generators; working start-stop sequence

additional specified testing is to be completed

controls and HVAC system temperature and

during this level of testing. Completion

humidity maintenance.

inspection of checklists and start-up are

Level 5 Commissioning: Integrated Systems

performed during this phase.

Functional Verification or “Pull-the-plug” Test–

Level 3 Commissioning: Sub-system Pre-

This phase of acceptance and integrated

Functional Testing – The objective of this

testing verifies the overall facility resilience.

stage is to demonstrate each piece of

The final tests will incorporate steps to

equipment is operating according to design

validate that the intended design redundancy

intent and construction documents. Pre-

has been met and will integrate the

functional performance testing verifying

mechanical, electrical and control systems.

QUESTIONS FOR MODULE 4: EARLY CONTRACTOR INVOLVEMENT IN TENDERING PROCEDURES Provide answers below:

Q4: What are some tools used in the facility

PRIVACY POLICY

operations?

n Information you supply to CPI may be used

Q1: What does the operations and

A: CMMS

for publication and also to provide you with

maintenance of 1.5MW Tier III Data Center

B: CAFM

information about our products or services

cost over 20 years?

C:

Smart Electronic Manuals

in the form of direct marketing by email,

A:

$50 Million

D:

All of the Above

telephone, fax or post. Information may also

B:

$19 Million

C:

$26 Million

Q5: At what point during construction does

n “This module will contribute 30

D:

$10 Million

the Integrated System Test takes place?

minutes(general) towards your CPD

be made available to third parties.

A:

Level 1 Commissioning

obligations. If successfully completed,

Q2. When should the Comprehensive

B:

Level 5 Commissioning

certificates will be distributed two weeks after

Facilities Management (CFM) planning start?

C:

Level 3 Commissioning

the module closes.

A:

During construction

D:

Level 2 Commissioning

B:

After commissioning

C:

Initial design phase

NAME (capitals)

if you have any questions about our CPD

D:

After handover

JOB TITLE

programme.

n Email carlo@cpimediagroup.com

COMPANY NAME Q3:

What are EOPs used for?

ADDRESS

n You can also contact us on:

P.O.Box:

Corporate Publishing International

MOBILE:

P.O. Box 13700, Dubai, UAE

FACSIMILE:

Tel: +971 4 440 9100

EMAIL:

Fax: +971 4 447 2409

OCTOBER 2013

62 - 65 CPD.indd 65

MIDDLE EAST

Web: cpidubai.com

65

10/2/13 12:35 PM

TIME & MONEY AUTODESK

BIGPROJECTME.COM

Helping you make the smartest decisions

MINIMISE MISTAKES

Big Project ME speaks to Tony Merhej – country sales manager at Autodesk Middle East about how its suite of products can help construction professionals increase their efficiency from design to build to construction

66

MIDDLE EAST

TONY MERHEJ

HOW DOES AUTODESK HELP CLIENTS ACHIEVE OPTIMUM RESULTS?

HOW CAN IT HELP MANAGE WORKLOADS AND REDUCE TIME?

Autodesk solutions for Building Information Modeling (BIM) such as Revit, Navisworks, BIM 360 and others allow the entire project team to explore and visualise the building or structure from the earliest stages – before construction begins.

Quality and constructability issues are more likely to be spotted and eliminated quickly and affordably. But most importantly, the whole design is clearer to everyone — from the engineers to the owners to the subcontractors to the facility managers.

By getting the right information to the right people at the right time, multidiscipline teams can make better decisions and minimise mistakes and rework.

Bringing stakeholders and disciplines together with more accurate information and analysis, can yield fully informed decisions and higher quality outcomes throughout the project lifecycle.

There are many direct and indirect ways that Autodesk software for BIM reduces time, workloads and costs on a project.

Everything from automatically and dynamically generating material and equipment take-offs, to automatically conducting point layout for construction elements using the recently announced Autodesk Point Layout software, can dramatically reduce time and cost.

A customer in Texas recently reported that a layout job that took 6 hours to do manually using XYZ coordinates and a tape measure took only 30 minutes to do using the BIM point layout software.

BIM can be depicted to any level of detail imaginable. They can serve as the single source for the design document and the show drawing level of detail. This detail eliminates the cost and time associated with an iterative shop drawing process and improves the accuracy of translation.

AUTODESK SUITE OF PRODUCTS: n AutoCAD Design n Building Design n Entertainment Creation

n Factory Design n Infrastructure Design

n Plant Design n Product Design

OCTOBER 2013

66 - 67 Time&Money.indd 66

10/2/13 1:21 PM

TIME & MONEY AUTODESK

There are many tools available through the Autodesk Developer Network, to customise your Autodesk software, create or purchase existing plug-ins, or tightly integrate into your workflow pipeline.

Autodesk also has a consulting team that can help implement and customise our technology into your business.

HOW IT ENSURES DESIGN COORDINATION AND CLASH DETECTION

Our BIM software can be used to streamline the effort associated in translation from design intent to constructability. Contractors or consultants can contribute construction knowledge to existing design models having the same model generate the information necessary to provide to all project participants.

This concept is the premise behind the AIA Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) system – all participants are actively involved from start to finish and are sharing and evolving the same model along the way. Additionally, the evolution of cloud and mobile technologies has made IPD, enabled by BIM, even stronger.

The cloud makes the data in BIM available and accessible to the entire project team by unlocking it from an individual’s workstation.

Once in the cloud, data can be shared by all stakeholders. The cloud allows you to bring the people who need this information to a centralised and controlled environment to access the model. As

“BY GETTING THE RIGHT INFORMATION TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIME, MULTIDISCIPLINE TEAMS CAN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AND MINIMISE MISTAKES AND REWORK”

project information is changed, the changes are more quickly made available to the entire design and build team.

Team members can more efficiently coordinate design changes by sending each other hyperlinks to a navigable 3D model of the concerned area instead of attempting to share and exchange these models manually.

When problems are discovered during construction, it wastes a colossal amount of money. It’s not unusual for companies to spend $1,000 an hour on jobsite workers who can’t do their jobs until an issue is resolved.

But manual processes make it difficult to find inconsistencies and conflicts before construction. It’s virtually impossible to identify all potential conflicts by overlaying individual drawings on a light table or using 2D CAD tools to overlay CAD layers.

This process is slow and costly, and often leads to mistakes. Knowing this, many firms lack confidence that everything will fit as designed—so trades don’t bother using more cost-effective offsite fabrication.

With BIM, you use a 3D digital model to gain a whole-project view, allowing you to coordinate more effectively.

The model lets you check time and space coordination to help improve site and workflow planning, and check for interferences to identify and solve conflicts before they halt work in the field.

With earlier insight into design problems, teams can discern how to improve the design while they produce coordinated, accurate construction documentation.

BIM gives trades more confidence that everything will fit, so they can effectively fabricate more in the shop, shortening project timelines. And because you find problems before construction begins, you reduce RFIs and costly change orders and minimise field coordination problems. n

GLOBAL LANDMARK PROJECTS: n Shanghai Shanghai Tower

n Japan Tokyo SkyTree n Brazil National

Stadium of Brasilia

n India Navi Mumbai International Airport

n China South-to-North Water Diversion Project

n Panama Panama Canal Expansion

WORLD OF WONDER Autodesk software used

by Benoy on Ferrari World Abu Dhabi included AutoCAD Architecture, 3dx Max Design and Navisworks Manage.

OCTOBER 2013

66 - 67 Time&Money.indd 67

MIDDLE EAST

HOW CAN THE SUITES BE ADAPTED TO INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS?

67

10/2/13 1:21 PM

COMMENT NO HEADER PROVIDED

BIGPROJECTME.COM

JAMAL LOOTAH

Minimum Wage; Minimum Standards Jamal Lootah, CEO of Imdaad, says that it is time for the FM industry to take the lead in building a workforce that can continue to add tremendous value to the UAE's emerging economy

DISCUSSING THE MINIMUM WAGE n Reduced exploitation of workers

n Raised standards of living

n Reasonable income

to meet basic needs

n Improved productivity from workforce

n On-the-job traiining

should be also be a requirement

R

ecruitment and retention has long been touted as some of the major challenges for the region across all sectors and markets. The FM industry is no different and is not immune to the problems of sourcing and then subsequently holding on to talent. With the UAE’s recent upgrade to emerging market status and the corporate governance issues that arise with transitional economies, it is now more important than ever that the FM industry looks to lead the way in transparency and build a workforce that can continue to add tremendous value to our emerging economy.

There are various factors and tools available to the modern day HR professional and department, of which improving corporate governance and social responsibility falls upon. I will take a look at probably the two most prominent factors that can assist the regional FM industry continue its growth towards $9 billion by 2014, in keeping hold of and developing the next generation of facility management personnel - Salaries and training. With over 60% of an FM workforce made up of the lesser paid operational and maintenance staff, it is imperative that a

68

MIDDLE EAST

“I HAVE WITNESSED FIRST-HAND THE POWER THAT TRAINING CAN HAVE ON RETENTION RATE”

new strategy is implemented to ensure that crucial personnel are retained within the sector as the industry continues to grow.

The introduction of a minimum wage within our sector can aid this transition.

Minimum wage debates, irrespective of sector, have been taking place in our region for a number of years now. However to date, only Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon have functioning legislation in place, while Oman and Saudi Arabia extends their policy to their citizens and not foreign workers.

There are many advantages to the introduction of a minimum wage within our industry and for the economy as a whole. The fixing of a minimum wage will firstly and most importantly put a stop to the exploitation of weak, ill-informed or isolated groups of individuals. The implementation of a minimum wage affords workers a reasonable income to meet their basic needs and raise their standards of living. And it is universally practiced across the globe, with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) affirming that presently, there is legislation or binding collective regarding minimum wage in more than 90% of the 185 ILO member states.

Another argument is that with an introduction of a minimum wage, employers are not only hindered from using unreasonably cheap labour; they are encouraged to use human resources more efficiently and therefore, raise productivity.

OCTOBER 2013

68 - 69 Comment.indd 68

10/2/13 12:51 PM

COMMENT NO HEADER PROVIDED

RIYADH TO BUILD HOUSING FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS The High Commission for Riyadh Development (HCRD) has approved the construction of residential complexes for foreign workers on the outskirts of Riyadh to provide suitable housing facilities for bachelors working in the capital, it has been announced. Based in four locations, the residential complexes will house workers in unskilled, technical and supervisory positions. Additionally, there will also be housing projects for administrators and engineers.

The HCRD has developed construction guidelines to create residential complexes in coordination with the Secretariat of the Riyadh region, after conducting a special

company is valuing their growth. From a company’s perspective, continual training of your employees will also have a direct impact on the bottom line. In some companies, training programmes have managed to curb staff turnover by 70% and subsequently resulted in a return of investment of 7,000%.

With the eyes of the world once again on the UAE it is imperative that within the FM industry we strive towards assisting the UAE in reaching the next economic phase of transition through the securing of investments in property and buildings.

One need only look to the BRICS countries, to see how a reform and in some cases implementation of minimum wage legislation, continual training of the workforce and unprecedented growth over recent years has shown the world what can be achieved with these relatively obvious economic tools.

I firmly believe in the saying, ‘charity begins at home’. But for it to become an industry standard, we need to collaboratively approach the government and begin planning for its widespread adoption and legislation. n

Jamal Abdulla Lootah leads Imdaad with his visionary leadership and foresight and is dedicated to affirming the company’s CSR and green efforts.

study on the issue. The study included a thorough assessment of the current housing plan for workers in Riyadh, the regulations currently being implemented and lessons that can be learned from other countries in the field of worker accommodation projects.

EYES OF THE WORLD The rising profile of the UAE also means greater global scrutiny.

OCTOBER 2013

68 - 69 Comment.indd 69

MIDDLE EAST

Minimum wage implementation would realistically be redundant should it not be coupled with onthe-job training as part of the overall compensation package to attract potential employees into our sector.

This is especially pertinent as recent commentators have inferred that in the near future, our industry could possibly face a skills shortage due to the growth of FM in an emerging market Within our industry, we have a number of unskilled workers that start their careers within FM. It is then imperatively up to us to develop these personnel with on-the-job training to train them into skilled professionals within soft and hard services. The subject of cultures is one that should not be ignored, as without training, employees who come from various cultures across the world, will not be able to unify under the employers umbrella. Thus allowing them to work towards local and international standards, which subsequently improves productivity and service. At Imdaad we have inducted some of our personnel into the accredited Foundation in FM course offered by the Middle East Facilities Management Association.

As a consequence I have witnessed first-hand the power that training can have on retention rate as employees feel a sense of loyalty due to the fact that the

69

10/2/13 12:52 PM

TENDERS

BIGPROJECTME.COM

TOP TENDERS PROJECT NAME: HOTEL COMPLEX PROJECT - MECCA

REGION Dubai, UAE

BUDGET $1,100,000,000

DESCRIPTION Construction of Damac Towers by Paramount comprising a five-star hotel and branded serviced apartments

CLIENT Wijaya Karya (Indonesia)

STATUS Current Project

STATUS New Tender

PROJECT NAME: NORTH FIELD MONO ETHYLENE GLYCOL PIPELINE PROJECT

REGION Saudi Arabia DESCRIPTION Construction of a hotel complex comprising seven towers, each consisting of 1,000 rooms

STATUS New Tender

PROJECT NAME: LIWA PLASTICS PROJECT

BUDGET $3,600,000,000 CLIENT Oman Refineries & Petroleum Industries Company (ORPIC)

PROJECT NAME: AL HILAL BANK HEADQUARTERS PROJECT

BUDGET $100,000,000

REGION Sultanate of Oman DESCRIPTION EPC contract to build a steam cracker and petrochemicals complex

BUDGET $200,000,000 CLIENT Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company - RasGas REGION Qatar DESCRIPTION Construction of a 185-kilometre-long mono ethylene glycol (MEG) pipeline, including (11) wellhead platforms at North Field

STATUS Current Project

CLIENT Al Hilal Bank REGION Abu Dhabi, UAE DESCRIPTION Construction of new headquarters for Al-Hilal Bank comprising a 25-storey, 120-metre-tall building including (6) parking basements and (3) sub-podium parking levels

STATUS Current Project

PROJECT NAME: DAMAC TOWERS

BY PARAMOUNT PROJECT DOWNTOWN DUBAI

BUDGET $275,000,000 CLIENT Damac Properties (Dubai)

INTEGRATED ESTIMATING, PROJECT CONTROL AND ERP SOLUTION FOR CONTRACTORS

70

MIDDLE EAST

www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 346 6456 | info@ccsgulf.com

OCTOBER 2013

70 - 75 METenders.indd 70

10/6/13 3:31 PM

70 - 75 METenders.indd 71

10/2/13 1:10 PM

TENDERS

BIGPROJECTME.COM

MIDDLE EAST TENDERS SPONSORED BY Tel +9714 346 6456 Web www.ccsgulf.com Email info@ccsgulf.com

UAE THE ADDRESS RESIDENCE FOUNTAIN VIEWS TOWER PROJECT - DOWNTOWN DUBAI

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2808-U TERRITORY Dubai, UAE CLIENT NAME Emaar Properties PJSC (Dubai) ADDRESS Emaar Business Park, Bldg. No 3, Near Interchange No 5, Shaikh Zayed Road CITY Dubai

POSTAL/ZIP CODE 9440 COUNTRY UAE PHONE (+971-4) 367 3333 EMAIL customercare@emaar.ae WEBSITE www.emaar.com DESCRIPTION Construction of 60-storey, 220-metre-tall luxury residential tower comprising (280) apartments STATUS New Tender TENDER CATEGORIES Prestige Buildings TENDER PRODUCTS High-rise Towers, Residential Buildings

PROVIDED BY Tel +9712-6348495 Web www.MiddleEastTenders.com Email sales@MiddleEastTenders.com

RUWAIS SURGE DRUM PROTECTION & BATTERY LIMIT ESD VALVES PROJECT PROJECT NUMBER WPR051-U TERRITORY Abu Dhabi CLIENT NAME Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Limited (GASCO) ADDRESS Tower H, Corniche, Near Al Ain Palace Hotel CITY Abu Dhabi POSTAL/ZIP CODE 665 COUNTRY UAE PHONE (+971-2) 603 0000 FAX (+971-2) 603 7414 EMAIL info@gasco.ae WEBSITE www.gasco.ae DESCRIPTION Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for surge drum protection and battery limit ESD valves at a refinery BUDGET $7,000,000 PERIOD 15/05/2015 STATUS Current Project MAIN CONTRACTOR Al Hassan Engineering Company L.L.C (Abu Dhabi) TENDER CATEGORIES Gas Processing & Distribution, Oilfields & Refineries TENDER PRODUCTS Modification, Repair & Refurbishing Services, Oilfield Supplies & Services, Oilfields Exploration & Development, Valves & Fittings

REPLACEMENT OIL LINES INSTALLATION PROJECT LOWER ZAKUM FIELD PROJECT NUMBER MPP2811-U TERRITORY Abu Dhabi, UAE CLIENT NAME Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMAOPCO) ADDRESS Corniche Road CITY Abu Dhabi POSTAL/ZIP CODE 303 COUNTRY UAE PHONE (+9712) 606 0000 FAX (+9712) 626 6005 WEBSITE www.adnoc.com DESCRIPTION Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the installation of replacement oil lines at an oil field PERIOD 2016 STATUS New Tender FEED CONSULTANT Technip (Abu Dhabi) TENDER CATEGORIES Oilfields & Refineries TENDER PRODUCTS Oilfield Supplies & Services, Oilfields Exploration & Development, Pipes, Tubes & Fittings (Metal), Pipes, Tubes & Fittings (Non Metal)

SAUDI ARABIA FADHILI GAS PLANT PROJECT

INTEGRATED ESTIMATING, PROJECT CONTROL AND ERP SOLUTION FOR CONTRACTORS

72

MIDDLE EAST

www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 346 6456 | info@ccsgulf.com

OCTOBER 2013

70 - 75 METenders.indd 72

10/2/13 6:06 PM

70 - 75 METenders.indd 73

10/2/13 1:10 PM

TENDERS

PROJECT NAME Makkah Holiday Inn Project PROJECT NUMBER MPP1705-SA TERRITORY Saudi Arabia CLIENT NAME InterContinental Hotels Group (UK) ADDRESS 67 Alma Road, Windsor CITY Berkshire SL4 3HD COUNTRY United Kingdom PHONE (+44-1753) 410 100 FAX (+44-1753) 410 101 WEBSITE www.ihgplc.com DESCRIPTION Construction of Makkah Holiday Inn comprising 1,238 rooms PERIOD 2016 STATUS New Tender TENDER CATEGORIES Construction & Contracting, Hotels, Leisure & Entertainment TENDER PRODUCTS Hotel Construction

BIGPROJECTME.COM

PREFABRICATED HOMES MANUFACTURING PLANT PROJECT - KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY

TENDER CATEGORIES Industrial & Special Projects TENDER PRODUCTS Factories

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2806-SA TERRITORY Saudi Arabia CLIENT NAME Red Sea Housing Services Company (Saudi Arabia) CITY Jubail POSTAL/ZIP CODE 1531 COUNTRY Saudi Arabia PHONE (+966-3) 362 4544 FAX (+966-3) 361 4490 EMAIL info@redseahousing.com WEBSITE www.redseahousing.com DESCRIPTION Construction of a manufacturing plant to produce a total of 1 million square metres of prefabricated homes STATUS New Tender

JUBAIL CARBON DIOXIDE UTILIZATION PLANT PROJECT

PROJECT NUMBER MPR1437-SA TERRITORY Saudi Arabia CLIENT NAME Jubail United Petrochemicals Company - JUPC (Saudi Arabia) ADDRESS C/o. Saudi Basic Industries Corporation CITY 31961 Jubail Industrial City POSTAL/ZIP CODE 10040 COUNTRY Saudi Arabia PHONE (+966-3) 341 2758

FAX (+966-3) 341 8348 DESCRIPTION Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract to build a carbon dioxide (CO2) utilization plant with ability to compress and purify 1,500 tonnes a day (t/d) of raw CO2, with an estimated CO2 emissions of 500,000 tonnes a year (t/y) and capable of producing 200 t/d of liquid CO2.

PERIOD 2015 STATUS Current Project MAIN CONTRACTOR Linde Arabian Contractors Ltd. - LINARCO (Saudi Arabia) TENDER CATEGORIES Industrial & Special Projects TENDER PRODUCTS Chemical Plants

WATER STORAGE RESERVOIRS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT – JEDDAH PROJECT NUMBER MPP2825-SA TERRITORY Saudi Arabia CLIENT NAME National Water Company (Saudi Arabia) ADDRESS Abu Zeid Al Faisaliyah Tower, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10th Floor, King Fahed Road, Olaya Area CITY Riyadh 11421 POSTAL/ZIP CODE 676 COUNTRY Saudi Arabia PHONE (+966-1) 440 9444 FAX (+966-1) 440 9595 WEBSITE www.nwc.com.sa DESCRIPTION Construction of (8 Nos) cylindrical reservoirs of reinforced concrete, which each will have a capacity to hold 188,000 cubic metre of water.

BUDGET $587,000,000 PERIOD 2014 STATUS New Tender

INTEGRATED ESTIMATING, PROJECT CONTROL AND ERP SOLUTION FOR CONTRACTORS

74

MIDDLE EAST

www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 346 6456 | info@ccsgulf.com

OCTOBER 2013

70 - 75 METenders.indd 74

10/2/13 6:06 PM

TENDERS

TENDER CATEGORIES Water Works TENDER PRODUCTS Tanks (All Types), Water Storage

SOHAR PURIFIED ISOPHTHALIC ACID PLANT PROJECT

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2490-O TERRITORY Oman CLIENT NAME Takamul Investment Company (Oman) ADDRESS Bayt Muscat Bldg., Mezzanine Floor, Al Ghubra CITY Muscat 130 POSTAL/ZIP CODE 1951 COUNTRY Oman PHONE (+968) 2452 9000 FAX (+968) 2449 4986 EMAIL info@takamul.com WEBSITE www.takamul.com DESCRIPTION Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build a purified isophthalic acid (PIA) plant STATUS New Tender TENDER CATEGORIES Industrial & Special Projects TENDER PRODUCTS Chemical Plants

KUWAIT PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR POWER PLANT PROJECT

PROJECT NUMBER MPP2508-K TERRITORY Kuwait CLIENT NAME Ministry of Electricity & Water (Kuwait) ADDRESS Ministry of Electricity & Water Bldg., South Al Surra Street, Ministries Area City Safat - 13001

POSTAL/ZIP CODE 12 COUNTRY Kuwait PHONE (+965) 2537 1000 FAX (+965) 2537 1420 / 1421 / 1422 EMAIL webadmin@energy.gov.kw WEBSITE www.energy.gov.kw DESCRIPTION Supply and installation of a rooftop photovoltaic solar power plant with capacity of 1MW in Al Assimah BUDGET $3,100,000 PERIOD 31/12/2013 STATUS Current Project MAIN CONTRACTOR Al Amer Electrical Company (Kuwait) TENDER CATEGORIES Power & Alternative Energy TENDER PRODUCTS Solar Energy

IRAQ MUTHANNA CEMENT PLANT

REHABILITATION PROJECT PROJECT NUMBER WPR050-IQ TERRITORY Iraq CLIENT NAME Southern Cement State Company (Iraq) CITY Samawah POSTAL/ZIP CODE 5 COUNTRY Iraq PHONE (+964) 78010 27250 EMAIL info@southern-cement.com WEBSITE www.southern-cement.com DESCRIPTION Carrying out rehabilitation works of an existing cement plant with a view to reaching a production capacity of two million tonnes per annum PERIOD 15/08/2016 STATUS Current Project MAIN CONTRACTOR Asec Cement (Egypt) TENDER CATEGORIES Industrial & Special Projects TENDER PRODUCTS Cement Plants

INTEGRATED ESTIMATING, PROJECT CONTROL AND ERP SOLUTION FOR CONTRACTORS

OCTOBER 2013

70 - 75 METenders.indd 75

MIDDLE EAST

www.ccsgulf.com | Tel: +971 4 346 6456 | info@ccsgulf.com

75

10/2/13 6:07 PM

DIARY OCTOBER

BIGPROJECTME.COM

OCTOBER INFRA OMAN OIEC, OMAN 30 SEPTEMBER – 2 OCTOBER, 2013

IRAQ MEGA PROJECTS DICEC, DUBAI, UAE 1 OCTOBER – 2 OCTOBER, 2013

After completing 42 glorious years of the Renaissance, the Sultanate of Oman is pushing ahead with its rapid development with the ongoing construction of major infrastructure projects in many parts of the country. More development projects, costing billions of dollars, are set to be implemented in the coming years as the Sultanate takes concrete measures to diversify its economy.

As infrastructure investments continue to grow, Infra Oman 2013 is your direct gateway to the opportunities in this sector, enabling your company to play a prominent role in the country’s development.

By bringing together all leading companies in the industry, ministry officials, CEOs and other senior managers, Infra Oman will serve as an ideal platform for networking with key decision makers, expanding your business contacts and strengthening your presence in Oman’s vibrant construction market.

The only event in Dubai focused on Iraq oil and gas, Iraq Mega Projects, returns for its fourth successful year from 1 October till 2 October 2013 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, UAE. Iraq has an ambitious production plan underway with 500 live projects and 19 technical contracts awarded since 2008.

The Conference and international Exhibition provide a platform for the Iraqi oil and gas industry, from operators to smaller subcontractors, to discuss and source solutions for operating with greater efficiency as well as supporting the industry to meet contractual obligations with innovative products and services. .

LIGHT MIDDLE EAST EXHIBITION DICEC, DUBAI, UAE 7 OCTOBER – 9 OCTOBER, 2013 Over the last six years, Light Middle East has been delivering the opportunity to generate business in the Middle East. This

HAPPENING THIS MONTH... premier event offers a B2B platform to connect manufacturers, architects, designers, consultants, engineers, construction companies, hospitality professionals, government officials and other industry specialists. Light Middle East 2013 will deliver three days of quality conferencing and an exciting exhibition with the world’s leading lighting designers, presenting best practice and sharing their know-how of design and creativity. business.

COMING UP IN 2013

CITYSCAPE EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE DICEC, DUBAI, UAE 8 OCTOBER – 10 OCTOBER, 2013

Cityscape returns admist renewed positivity in the UAE. The annual networking exhibition and conference focuses on all aspects of the property development cycle and critical issues in real estate.

THE BIG 5

DICEC, DUBAI, UAE 25 NOVEMBER – 28 NOVEMBERNT

DATE

The BIG 5 is the largest trade show for the Building and Construction industry in the Arabian Gulf.

For more than 30 years, The Big 5 has served as a business and networking platform for the industry and proved to be an ideal opportunity for buyers and sellers from around the world. With its continuous growth, the construction market in the Middle East is offering huge potential to international exhibitors who are looking develop their business and The Big 5 is the perfect place to cultivate new opportunities from within the region.

PMV LIVE / MEC 2013

DICEC, DUBAI, UAE 25 NOVEMBER – 28 NOVEMBERT

DATE

76

MIDDLE EAST

PMV Live is the premier regional showcase for the construction ma-

chinery and vehicles industry. Held in Dubai, the perfect hub to attract visitors from across the region, PMV Live offers a wide mix of international products and technology as well as a range of features to inform and inspire thousands of visitors.

Middle East Concrete will bring together the buyers and sellers within the concrete industry to experience and interact with the full range of concrete products, share information and technical knowledge, and participate in ground breaking discussion on a global scale.

BIG PROJECT AWARDS 2013 JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, DUBAI, UAE 25 NOVEMBER 2013NT DATE

The Big Project Middle East’s Construction and Sustainability Awards of Excellence recognise regional leaders in the fields of architecture, engineering, design, FM, software, materials supply and consultancy.

OCTOBER 2013

76 - 81 Diary/Knauf/Big-5.indd 76

10/6/13 5:37 PM

76 - 81 Diary/Knauf/Big-5.indd 77

10/2/13 1:33 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

MY

K

76 - 81 Diary/Knauf/Big-5.indd 78

10/2/13 1:33 PM

DIARY KNAUF

KNAUF AND INTERTEK COMES TOGETHER WITH ATSM STANDARD KNAUF EVENT HIGHLIGHTS WORK BEING DONE TO ACHIEVE STANDARDS SET BY AMERICAN SOCIETY OF TESTING AND MATERIALS by representatives from the Dubai Municipality and Abu Dhabi government officials and engineers.

Knauf’s ASTM products are the first in the region to be certified by Intertek, a testing, inspection and certification agency that is headquartered in London, UK. Michael Luna, the regional manager for Intertek UAE, was the other main speaker and he was on hand to outline the role Intertek plays in providing certification for products.

“We look at ourselves as partners of our clients to aid them through their activities and processes,” he said. “Intertek provides certification by constantly ensuring products are manufactured as they were tested and looks to maintain the product’s credibility through its ongoing testing process.”

“Different regions have different requirements, and it is integral for companies to have certification that fits with that region’s demand”, he added,

touting the sector’s movement towards ASTM from BSI as a prevalent trend across the region.

Amer Bin Ahmed, the managing director Knauf GCC and India, says, “Knauf believes in shaping standards and creating a legacy with the work we do. ASTM is an integral ingredient in this goal, as are the architects, consultants, contractors and dealers in the industry.”

“The 2009 ‘boom’ changed the UAE’s construction industry, and it allowed for standards to be closely examined in all sectors of the economy.”

“The communication gap can often lead to failure in the execution of a project on-site or in terms of specifications and it becomes important to have a solid pool of employees who can drive the company forward. Knauf believes in being a multicultural company with international quality products and I’m proud that we have ASTM standards for our projects,” he added.

“IT IS INTEGRAL TO HAVE CERTIFICATION THAT FITS WITH THAT REGION’S DEMAND”

OCTOBER 2013

76 - 81 Diary/Knauf/Big-5.indd 79

MIDDLE EAST

ON THE 23 September 2013, Knauf, the German building material producer and construction system manufacturer, hosted a seminar in Dubai that highlighted the benefits of using standards based on the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM).

Attended by a number of local suppliers and various members of the construction sector, the event saw Deg Priest, the president of Priest & Associates Consulting, speak about the international standards organisation and its operations around the world.

“ASTM International is built to ensure that quality remains consistent at every stage of a project’s development. The system predates its European counterparts like BSI and is an international agency that encourages players from diverse sectors to participate in its decision-making process,” Priest said. “Its regulations are essentially like a building code and its sections outline measures that help structures cope with various climatic changes and accidents,” he added.

The seminar primarily focused on educating the industry about the need for ASTM in the region and was attended

79

10/2/13 6:09 PM

DIARY BIG-5 PREVIEW

BIGPROJECTME.COM

HAPPENING NOVEMBER...

THE BIG-5 GOVERNMENT BODY TO PROVIDE KEY INSIGHTS INTO NEW CODE BEFORE ITS 2014 LAUNCH

80

MIDDLE EAST

THE BIG 5 NEXT month will be the first opportunity for many contractors and construction companies to get a holistic idea of how the Green Building Code in Dubai will work in practice once it comes into effect in the New Year.

The new legislation will be mandatory for all new buildings across residential, commercial and industrial sectors. The code covers a range of construction features, including building vitality, ecology, as well as energy, water and waste efficiency and effectiveness.

The Dubai Municipality is using The Big 5 to examine the Dubai Green Building Code offering attendees the opportunity to understand more about the regulations and their impact on the industry for the future before they go-live in early 2014.

Information on the Dubai Green Building Project, of which the new regulations are derived, will be provided along with the rationale behind its implementation, and the role it will play in Dubai’s drive for sustainability.

There will be a full outline of the requirements for assessment and certification of green buildings together with a follow-up workshop that will provide more in-depth information on assessment procedures. There will be a comprehensive overview of the testing procedures of products within the new regulations and the certification process.

Engineer Abdulla Rafia, Assistant Director

General of Engineering at the Dubai Municipality, said: “The new Green Building Code will be implemented next year, and we are currently working to strengthen our efforts in educating the necessary audiences on the requirements they will have to meet.”

“We are ready, our testing and certification centres are ready; we want to ensure that the industry is also ready and has access to the relevant training and information they require in advance of the launch. The Big 5 provides an excellent platform for us to engage with a wide range of stakeholders and communicate this key information.”

These free-to-attend seminars will also provide key insight into the progress of Dubai’s construction market, and the key successes and challenges, including that of meeting the increased demand for power and water that comes with the ongoing growth and development.

“The new legislation from Dubai Municipality is an important step towards realising sustainable

construction processes with a longterm view,” comment Andy White, group event director, The Big 5. “The Dubai construction market is one of the most active in the region and presents significant opportunities for the future, it is vital that those looking to capitalise on these fully understand the new regulations and the positive impact they will have.”

The seminars will take place on the 25 and 26 of November during The Big 5 2013 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

For further information and to register for a place, please visit www.thebig5.ae/education.

The Big 5 will is hosting a number of educational platforms, with seminars and workshops focusing on key challenges and trends within the industry. In addition, the two-day Sustainability Design & Construction Conference will run in parallel and host a series of regional and international experts to discuss urban development, iconic architecture and present case studies of several local sustainable buildings. n

“WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR EFFORTS IN EDUCATING THE NECESSARY AUDIENCES ON THE REQUIREMENTS THEY WILL HAVE TO MEET”

OCTOBER 2013

76 - 81 Diary/Knauf/Big-5.indd 80

10/2/13 6:10 PM

3rd SESSION

EXHIBITORS IncludeAttachments, Components, Accessories & Spare Parts Building Material Production Building & Construction Machinery Concrete, Concrete Production & Concrete Products Construction Materials Construction Services Health & Safety

BLOG

#intermatme

www.intermatme.com

Your Contacts

Organised by

France Office

UAE Office

Asmaa CHERRAF +33 (0)1 76 77 12 08 asmaa.cherraf@comexposium.com

Matthew ROBARTS +971 4 4356101 matthew.robarts@clarioneventsme.com

76 - 81 Diary/Knauf/Big-5.indd 81

Heavy Machinery & Equipment Lifting & Elevation Machinery Quarrying, Mining & Aggregates Rental Companies Roads & Transport Infrastructure Machinery Scaffolding & Formwork Site Equipment & Products Technology

10/2/13 1:34 PM

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

BIGPROJECTME.COM

GAVIN DAVIDS

Flights of Fancy Gavin Davids wonders if the rest of the GCC will look to emulate the relationship between Emirates and Dubai as they step up their own aviation development plans

82

MIDDLE EAST

BY THE END of October, Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport will be certified for passenger operations by the General Civil Aviation Authority. Once completed, DWC will be the largest airport in the world, with five runways and the capacity for 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo.

Like millions of people, I arrived in Dubai on an Emirates Airlines flight, and it’s staggering to think of the role the airline has played in Dubai’s growth story.

Far from being a mere national carrier, Emirates has carried Dubai’s name to all corners of the globe.

Indeed, an argument could be made that Dubai wouldn’t be the city it was if Emirates hadn’t played such a pivotal role in the early stages.

So the obvious question to ask is if Qatar Airways and Etihad have taken heed of what Emirates has done, and apply the same lessons to their own parent cities. I think the answer is a resounding yes, if the work being done on the airports in Doha and Abu Dhabi are any indication.

It’s all about spreading the message: ‘We’re here and we’re open for business.’

Dubai and Emirates have shown just how successful a partnership between an

airline and a city can be, now it’s up to the rest of the GCC to catch up.

While we’re speaking of opening borders and bringing people into the Middle East, it would be remiss of me not to mention the recent shocking international media reports about the conditions of labourers in Qatar.

According to the Guardian newspaper, construction workers building the stadiums have been subjected to horrendous abuse by unscrupulous contractors operating in the country, often in flagrant violation of the laws set out by the government.

Local laws state that companies are to house no more than four workers to a room, while the use of bunk beds are banned. Furthermore, employers are to ensure that potable water, air conditioning and proper ventilation are present in all worker accommodations.

Clearly this isn’t being done, and it behoves the Qatari government and the regional construction industry to follow up these allegations and prosecute offenders. These men have quite literally built the countries we live and succeed in, the very least we can do is treat them with some basic human dignity. n

1

OCTOBER 2013

82 - 84 Constructive crit.indd 82

10/2/13 6:11 PM

TIME & MONEY XXXXX

1

MIDDLE EAST

Carole McCarthy | 04 375 5498

bigprojectMe.com

Stephen White | 04 375 5477

Michael Stansfield | 04 375 5497

MARCH 2013

82 - 84 Constructive crit.indd 83

10/2/13 1:55 PM

Intelligent Modelling Unleash the power of BIM and add value to the entire lifecycle of your building and infrastructure projects.

www.autodesk.com/bim 54 - 59 S. Features.indd 52

10/2/13 12:26 PM