Emirates Projects Magazine Issue 97

MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS PIONEERS IN ADVANCING THE ECONOMY AND COMMUNITY P36

ARCHGROUP CONSULTANTS’ ASHOK KORGAONKAR COMPLETES 25 YEARS OF ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE IN DUBAI P58

NASSER LOOTAH REAL ESTATE

EXPERIENCED IN-HOUSE EXPERTS WORK AS ONE TEAM TO IDENTIFY THE RIGHT SOLOUTIONS P66

COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS AND URBAN HABITAT CTBUH 2018 - POLYCENTRIC CITIES THE FUTURE OF VERTICAL URBANISM P48

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KUWAIT: ALSHAYA ENTERPRISES™ Kuwait +965 2 224 2299 www.alshayaenterprises.com LEBANON: ETS. ABDULRAHIM DIAB S.A.L. Beirut-Unesco +961 0 186 8146/7 Beirut-Jdeideh +961 0 125 4294/5/6 www.abdulrahimdiab.com SALAMEH CERAMICA Beirut +961 1 852 285 / +961 1 851 385 www.salamehceramica.com

SAUDI: AL-GHAMDI CO. FOR SANITARY WARES Riyadh +966 11 4646279 Jeddah +966 12 6696263 Dammam +966 13 8340248 www.amghamdi.com BAHRAIN: MARMARA TRADING Co. Bahrain +973 1773 7735 www.marmaratrading.com

OMAN: MAIN DISTRIBUTOR BAHWAN BUILDING MATERIALS LLC Muscat +968 2 465 0000 www.suhailbahwangroup.com DISTRIBUTOR ALSHAYA ENTERPRISES™ Muscat +968 2 461 9681/3 www.alshayaenterprises.com

IDEAL STANDARD GULF FZCO Jebel Ali, Dubai, P.O. Box 261559, United Arab Emirates, Tel. +971 4 804 2400, www.idealstandardgulf.com IDEAL STANDARD DESIGN BATHROOM CENTRE Flash Star Sanitary Ware Trading LLC, Jabal Ali Bldg., Al Quoz 3, Sheikh Zayed Rd., Dubai, P.O. Box 38430, United Arab Emirates, Tel. +971 4 309 6000

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UAE: SULTACO Dubai +971 4 338 5929 Abu Dhabi +971 2 633 4425 Al Ain +971 3 763 1609 Sharjah +971 6 575 9878 www.sultaco.com JORDAN: AL MUNA Co. Amman +962 6 554 8851 www.al-munaco.com

EDITOR’S PAGE 05

FOLLOW US ON

MANAGING DIRECTOR Eddie Rayner e.rayner@tpg-media.com

EDITOR

EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Rod Millington r.millington@tpg-media.com

ADVERTISING PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Laura Wojciechowski laura@tpg-media.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Jane Muff jane@tpg-media.com SALES MANAGER Laura Collinder l.collinder@tpg-media.com MEDIA CONSULTANTS Luke Joseph Fernandez luke@tpg-media.com Belinda Breeze belinda@tpg-media.com

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Dorothy Brigoli dorothy@tpg-media.com PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Vidushi Kewlani vidushi@tpg-media.com DESIGN MANAGER Daniel Murad dan@tpg-media.com DESIGNER Chalitha Fernando chalitha@tpg-media.com

ACCOUNTS accounts@tpg-media.com

SWITCHBOARD: +971 4 349 4925 www.tpg-media.com www.emiratesprojectsmagazine.com This magazine is published by TPG Publishing LLC. All material is the copyright of TPG Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. This magazine is the property of TPG Publishing LLC. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form whole or part without written permission of the Managing Director of TPG Publishing LLC. While every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any consequence arising from it. In the case of company or product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the Editor at the time of going to press.

A JUSTIFICATION FOR OUR EXISTENCE As a lover of art and a frequent visitor to art galleries, I was delighted to see that the Louvre Abu Dhabi will finally open its doors to the public on November 11th. Under an agreement costing more than €1 billion, Abu Dhabi will be able to use the Louvre’s name for the next 30 years, and will receive 300 works of art on loan for a decade.

Despite architect Jean Nouvel claiming that the new building is “like a cathedral”, to me, at least from a distance, it looks more like a UFO floating over the crystal clear waters of the Arabian Gulf.

Whatever it reminds you of, it’s certainly impressive. But personally, and with apologies to the architectural team (and the building is amazing), I’m not overly bothered what the structure looks like, I’m more concerned with the art inside. And I can’t wait to see what’s going to be unveiled.

The true value of art to society is immeasurable. Without the civilising influence of the arts, most of what makes life pleasurable, and much that is educationally vital, would disappear. There’s a strong relationship between art and cultural engagement and educational attainment.

Within the framework of formal education, art supports personal, social, moral, spiritual, cultural and creative development, and encourages participants to recognise and communicate ideas and meanings. In turn, this enables them to work with both traditional and new media so that they develop self-belief, imagination and creativity.

It is the arts in all of their forms that make us human. If, for instance, an alien race arrived on Earth and announced that they were going to eliminate mankind unless we could offer a justification for our existence, the arts would be that justification.

Hand them a Modigliani painting, a Beethoven symphony, or a Shakespeare play and they shake our hands and congratulate us.

Painters, composers, writers, film-makers, sculptors, architects and musicians play a major role in the pride of a nation, and are fundamental to the forming of national traditions and civic unity.

George Washington, the first President of the United States, wrote: ‘The arts and sciences are essential to the prosperity of the State and to the ornament and happiness of human life have a primary claim to the encouragement of every lover of his country and mankind.’’ The arts serve us well, and are surely as worthy as banks and corporations. I can imagine a world with no corporate bodies; I can’t imagine one without Goethe or Goya.

So as the Louvre Abu Dhabi opens its doors for the first time, I wish it well. For despite all of the incredible construction work that has been going on throughout the UAE for the past few decades, it is now my favourite building bar none.

Rod Millington Editor

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06 CONTENTS

COVER STORY COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS AND URBAN HABITAT

P48

CTBUH 2018 - POLYCENTRIC CITIES THE FUTURE OF VERTICAL URBANISM

FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE

A highly respected and successful conglomerate headquartered in Saudi Arabia with operations throughout the GCC and the Middle East, the Al Fozan Group is a leading player in the retail, manufacturing, real estate and trading sectors. One of its most dynamic companies is Madar Holding which, established in 2004, has two firms in the UAE, Madar Emirates for Building Materials and Madar Steel Industries. Madar Holding was launched in order to allow the Al Fozan Group to more successfully penetrate the Gulf region. The company began with a vision to lead the market, and was quickly established as one of the top three operations of its

MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS

COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS P48 The Council onTall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is a global non-profit organisation that serves all of the disciplines that make skyscrapers a reality. It achieves this through disseminating information, providing networking opportunities, promoting best practices, and steering research.

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kind in the UAE. Of course, just four years after it was founded,

P36

ARCHGROUP CONSULTANTS P58 Established by Issam Galadari and A. Korgaonkar, the firm has grown over the years into a closely knit, efficiently managed team of professionals lead by Ashok Korgaonkar and sharing a common vision combined with a pragmatic and practical approach. Moreover, with extensive in-house capabilities, allowing it to handle all aspects of design.

the 2008 global crash occurred, which saw many companies struggle badly or even go out of business.

NASSER LOOTAH REAL ESTATE P66 Delivering extraordinary value, whilst ensuring that its clientele find the right property for their investment, Nasser Lootah Real Estate (NLRE) is an integrated company that can handle complicated land transactions and overcome design and construction challenges. Highly skilled and experienced in-house experts work as one team.

CONTENTS 07

FOLLOW US ON

CONTENTS

GET TO KNOW P08

PROJECT FOCUS P10

Founding Partner and Managing Director of EDGE, Martin Baerschmidt tells us about the future of the firm, its biggest challenge, and what the team wants to be remembered for. It is not enough to just get by, you need to excel everyday and exceed your clients’ expectations in this current climate of development targets and Return on Investment (ROI).

BUSINESS & FINANCE P12

SUSTAINABILITY P14

A new report by BNC Network, the project research and intelligence provider, claims that Expo Dubai 2020 will create 500,000 new jobs. It also states that more than 2000 civil structures are being built in Dubai South at a value of around $33 billion. This includes transport infrastructure, as well as mixed-use projects, residential, commercial, hospitality.

WORLDWIDE NEWS P16 Dartford Borough Council has appointed real estate developer Morgan Sindall’s Muse Developments as its development partner to manage the £75m regeneration of the Dartford’s Westgate area. The mixed-use development, under which a new ‘social neighbourhood’ will be created in the town, will feature a six-screen cinema.

Jumeirah Golf Estates (JGE), the world-class residential golf destination offering luxury homes and leisure facilities among two internationally-acclaimed championship golf courses, has awarded Al Qabdah Building Contracting (“Al Qabdah”) a contract worth AED 400 million for its mid-market luxury residential community, Alandalus.

Happy and efficient cities with a focus on urban energy management were highlighted of the sixth Annual EmiratesGBC Congress at Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre hotel. Organised

by Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices.

REGIONAL NEWS P18 The hydrocarbon division of Indian engineering conglomerate Larsen &Toubro (L&T) has won an EPC contract worth INR17bn ($264m) for the construction of an oil pipeline in Kuwait. Under the contract, awarded by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), the firm will be responsible for provision of EPC services for new 48” Crude Transit Line (TL-5) from North Kuwait to Ahmadi.

LOCAL NEWS P20 Organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai under the theme of “Innovative Solutions for Clean Energy”, The Emirates Energy Award (EEA) aims to encourage the rationalised use of energy and resources.

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08 GET TO KNOW THE FOUNDING PARTNERS OF EDGE

GETTING TO KNOW...

MARTIN BAERSCHMIDT MARTIN BAERSCHMIDT, FOUNDING PARTNER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF EDGE

FOUNDING PARTNER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF EDGE, MARTIN BAERSCHMIDT TELLS US ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE FIRM, ITS BIGGEST CHALLENGE, AND WHAT THE TEAM WANTS TO BE REMEMBERED FOR.

Emirates Projects: What is the overriding business philosophy of EDGE? Martin Baerschmidt: It is not enough to just get by, you need to excel everyday and exceed your clients’ expectations in this current climate of development targets and Return on Investment (ROI). We push the staff to be pro-active, and Ivar and I give them our 20+ years of experience at meetings and when back in the office.

We had four company mantras : Agile, Efficient, Accurate, Elegant. We later added Quality since it seems to EDGE that this is the missing element from most of the developments we see, which are more about building, as opposed to architecture. We wish to be remembered for our buildings and their quality, be it design related, such as ethereal and spatial, or material selections and construction.

Emirates Projects: Which territories does EDGE operate in?

Martin Baerschmidt: As a firm we have no boundaries, and we were the only firm from Dubai that exhibited at MIPIM in Cannes,

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on the French Riviera, earlier this year. It takes a lot of effort and follow-up, but we are sure that we will soon open international offices in Asia and Eastern Europe.

Emirates Projects: What do you consider to be the firm’s biggest challenge over the next five years?

Martin Baerschmidt: Finding the right people to give outstanding service to the firm and to our clients. In other countries you have staff that stay with a firm for decades. Before moving to the UAE, Ivar was with HOK Sport in their Kansas City office for 14 years. I would love to find those people, and give them the chance to grow the firm through their daily efforts over the next decade.

Emirates Projects: How do you feel EDGE stands out in what is a fiercely competitive marketplace?

Martin Baerschmidt: Design is the first and foremost in a client’s decisionmaking process. The client also needs to feel comfortable with the partners and the team leader. They need to get service

commensurate with the fees being paid. We hire talented and client-focussed human beings. They are our asset. We will not hire or retain somone that does not deliver as it can damage our reputation. Everything we do is based on constant and continual improvement. If you are standing still and doing what you were doing a year ago, you are going backwards in the profession.

Emirates Projects: How do you see the firm progressing over next 10 years?

Martin Baerschmidt: As suggested earlier, over the next 10 years EDGE is going to be opening further offices in Asia and Eastern Europe, and possibly even Australia and the UK. This will take the firm into the international realm even more than we are currently, where Dubai is our HQ and we travel to each international project and return to a single, central hub. Our aspiration is to be amongst the world’s best.

To be considered by the best clients for their projects. The next 10 years is going to be very special as we grow a little every day.

GETTING TO KNOW...

IVAR KRASINSKI IVAR KRASINSKI, FOUNDING PARTNER AND DESIGN DIRECTOR OF EDGE

WE TALK TO EDGE FOUNDING PARTNER AND DESIGN DIRECTOR IVAR KRASINSKI, THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND WHAT IS TODAY ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS.

Emirates Projects: What was your first job?

Ivar Krasinski: My first job was at HOK where I designed several stadiums. This taught me to deal with large complex projects effortlessly.

Emirates Projects: When was EDGE established, and what was the firm’s vision in the beginning? Has this vision changed?

Ivar Krasinski: EDGE was established as a design-focused firm serving top clients, and that has continued to this day.

Emirates Projects: Which projects are you most proud of?

Ivar Krasinski: 1/JBR is the most prestigious project currently under construction. Its minimal simplicity and luxury make it an outstanding building.

The New Yankee stadium carries with it both prestige and the rigour of the NYC planning process.

Emirates Projects: What was your first project in the Middle East?

Ivar Krasinski: Dubai Autodrome. A racetrack in the desert, with the racetrack adjacent to prime land. The racetrack creates a level of interest which is unknown in the area. Phase 2, known as Motor City, created cozy neighbourhoods despite the harshness of the site.

Emirates Projects: What specific differences do you find in working in the Middle East; particularly on similar projects such as Bahrain National Stadium and Yankees Stadium?

Ivar Krasinski: In the US all sports teams are driven by financial profit. This led to an evolution of the stadium typology to become a money making machine for the owners. In the GCC, sports teams are generally backed by their local governments and no-one expects them to make a profit.

As a result GCC stadia are missing many of the amenities required to make a truly modern stadium.

Emirates Projects: How would you describe your design philosophy?

Ivar Krasinski: Simplify, simplify, simplify

to achieve a clarity which benefits the end users.

Emirates Projects: What are you working on at the present time?

Ivar Krasinski: We are currently working on Coastal Towers in KAEC, a Fujairah resort masterplan, and a few hotels. In addition to this, there is the construction supervision of 1/JBR, and JBR hotel.

Emirates Projects: Name a favourite building that you did not design? Why? Ivar Krasinski: Norman Foster’s Index Tower in DIFC. It stands out from the rest of Norman’s other projects due to its clarity and simplicity. This design approach led to the most efficient and user-friendly apartments in the market.

Emirates Projects: What are your interests outside of work and how do you relax?

Ivar Krasinski: I relax in the gym, practicing MMA, Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Besides this I lift weights , and paint graffiti at Dubai’s street festivals.

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10 PROJECT FOCUS - JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES

JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES AWARDS AED 400 MILLION CONTRACT TO BUILD ALANDALUS APARTMENTS ALANDALUS CLUBHOUSE

JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES (JGE), THE WORLD-CLASS RESIDENTIAL GOLF DESTINATION OFFERING LUXURY HOMES AND LEISURE FACILITIES AMONG TWO INTERNATIONALLYACCLAIMED CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF COURSES, HAS AWARDED AL QABDAH BUILDING CONTRACTING (“AL QABDAH”) A CONTRACT WORTH AED 400 MILLION FOR ITS MID-MARKET LUXURY RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY, ALANDALUS.

PROJECT NAME: ALANDALUS APARTMENTS PROJECT OWNER: JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES COMPLETION OF ALANDALUS COMMUNITY: PRIOR TO EXPO 2020

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Al Qabdah, who starts with immediate effect, is a key player in the Gulf region’s construction industry. It has been appointed to construct six apartment buildings (towers C-H), while the construction of two other buildings (A-B) is on going. The entire development, including 715 apartments, 95 townhouses as well as the retail centre, is on track to be completed prior to Expo 2020.

The Alandalus apartments have been met with a very positive response, reflecting the strong demand for this type of development. The awarding of this contract sees Jumeirah Golf Estates on track to commence phased handovers from Q3 2019, beginning with Tower C. Meanwhile, towers A and B are on track to be handed over in Q2 2018.

Yousuf Kazim, CEO of Jumeirah Golf Estates, said: Al Qabdah’s appointment is a sign of the rapid progress we are making on Alandalus, a community that introduced a new home concept to Dubai, combining

luxury living with affordable prices in a highly desirable destination.

“We have sold out both of the launched apartment towers - a positive response that is testament to the success of Jumeirah Golf Estates’ approach to bringing the right type of product to the market at the right price. The unique property, which is available

with a flexible payment plan, is located on two Championship golf courses and has top quality finishing, with each apartment presenting a seamless design and layout. With Al Qabdah’s trusted reputation for executing projects on schedule and to the highest quality, we are confident this development will further support our focus on quality.”

live it to believe it

ALANDALUS - MASTERPLAN P

Al Fa

9

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d

C 3

5 10

4

B

7

P

6

D

2

8

W

A

D 1

KEY AREAS A Tower - A

D Community Entrance &Exit

1 Mosque

4 Clubhouse

7 Townhouses

B Tower - B

P Covered Parking

2 Costa del Sol

5 Generalife’s Gardens

8 Townhouse Clubhouse

C Tower - C

W Water features

3 Alhambra

6 Retail and Community Center

- Plunge pool - Splash pad

Amenities - Swimming Pool - Kids Pool - Terrace Deck

9 Tennis courts 10 Playground

AA MASTER PLAN

PROJECT FOCUS - JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES 11 Samer Abdo El Achkar, CEO of Al Qabdah, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the contract to build the Alandalus apartment towers. Al Qabdah has delivered each of its contracted projects to the highest standard and we are excited to work on this prestigious development. Delivering this project also reinforces our reputation as a trusted

partner for the UAE’s leading residential destinations, such as Jumeirah Golf Estates.”

Featuring 715 one to four-bedroom apartments, Alandalus has set a new benchmark for the mid-market sector in Dubai. The homes have been designed to reflect a growing demand for outdoor living with Andalucian-inspired

architecture and contemporary features.

The community also boasts 95 townhouses, and offers a holistic lifestyle experience, with retail, plans for a hotel development, and JGE’s second Clubhouse, and all in the heart of new Dubai.

Alandalus is situated on the awardwinning residential golf development with two Championship golf courses, Jumeirah

Golf Estates. Set across 375 hectares, 75 per cent of the property is made up of lush green landscaping, with lakes and nature strips throughout. Residential properties take up the remainder of the development, and considering that three-quarters of homes enjoy views of the Championship golf courses, residents are promised an exceptional outdoor lifestyle experience.

ALANDALUS SPANISH STEPS

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THE NEW DUBAI

A

new report by BNC Network, the project research and intelligence provider, claims that Expo Dubai 2020 will create 500,000 new jobs. It also states that more than 2000 civil structures are being built in Dubai South at a value of around USD 33 billion. This includes transport infrastructure, as well as mixed-use projects, residential, commercial,

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hospitality, and a golf course.

Avin Gidwani, CEO of BNC Network, explained: “As it stands, Dubai is getting ready to host the Expo 2020 and the emirate is way ahead in terms of its readiness to host the mega event – taking place in the Middle East for the first time in the event’s history of more than 150 years.

“While driving past the major highways, one can notice the hectic construction activities on the highways and on both sides of these highways, which reflect the pace of development work in the emirate.

Most of the projects are on a fast-track basis, intended to expand the hotel inventory.

“Both the public and private sectors have

mobilised their best resources to complete these projects on time.”

Dubai South has been divided into distinct districts, such as the Logistics District; the Residential District, which is expected to have capacity for 250,000 residents; the Commercial District, to provide job opportunities for an estimated 150,000 people; the Exhibition District, which will

host the World Expo 2020 site; and the Aviation District.

Recently, Expo 2020 Dubai launched its search of in excess of 30,000 volunteers, who will be the ‘face’ of the largest global gathering ever to be staged in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Organisers said the volunteers will play a critical role in Expo, which will build on the UAE’s global

tradition of hospitality by welcoming up to 25 million visitors during the six-month event. Of these, 70% are expected to come from outside the UAE, an unprecedented number in the 166-year history of World Expos.

Mohanad Alwadiya, CEO of Harbor Real Estate, has said that Dubai South will become the ‘New Dubai’, offering

immense opportunities to investors, as well as end-users. With the population in Dubai South likely to swell significantly over the next few years due to Expo 2020 and the expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, he suggested that prices in the area are currently low and for this reason will offer good yields in coming years. He added that Dubai South would cater to the

soaring demand for reasonably priced housing in the emirate.

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SUSTAINABILITY EmiratesGBC EXPERTS PRESENT COMPELLING INSIGHTS ON ‘POWERING SMART, HAPPY & EFFICIENT CITIES’ AT 6TH ANNUAL EMIRATESGBC CONGRESS The newest trends in powering smart, happy and efficient cities with a focus on urban energy management were highlighted in the sixth Annual EmiratesGBC Congress at Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre hotel.

Organised by Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, and held under the patronage of the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment, the Congress hosted international experts in the field of sustainable built environments.

Welcoming delegates, Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “Now in its sixth year, the Annual EmiratesGBC Congress has evolved as a definitive voice that presents actionable and real-world studies on how urban environments can be made more energy-efficient.

This year, with a larger remit, we have focused on smart cities, complementing the vision of our leadership in promoting intelligent and energyefficient environments.The deliberations of the Congress serve as guidelines on how various stakeholders across the construction industry and the community can come together to develop sustainable built environments that promote human well-being. The transformational steps that we take today is our investment in a greener future for our coming generations.”

A highlight of the Congress was the keynote presentation via video link on well-being and cities by John Alker, Campaign and Policy Director; Steering Committee Better Places for People, UK Green Building Council; World Green Building Council. He provided the learnings from the first-of-a-kind ‘Wellbeing Lab’ launched by UKGBC last year.

Holley Chant, Executive Director of Corporate Sustainability, KEO International Consultants, and the Congress Moderator, introduced the event. The opening day witnessed insightful keynote presentations by Shaima Alaydarous, Head of International Climate Change Policy, Ministry of Climate Change & Environment; Rajiv Rajgopal, Regional Director, AkzoNobel Middle East & Africa, and Samira Al Rais, Director of Policy and Strategy Sustainable Development, The General Secretariat of the Executive Council.

The Congress hosted discussions under three themes: Powering Efficient Cities, Powering Smart Cities and Powering Happy Cities. Opening the ‘Powering Efficient Cities’ sessions, Karim Elgendy, Founder & Coordinator; Senior Sustainability Architect, Carbon Initiative, made a keynote presentation on ‘Emissions in the Middle East,’ examining local, regional and international clean energy strategies, as well as the role of retrofitting the existing building stock to achieve the necessary targets.

This was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Clean Energy Strategies’ moderated

by Elgendy, and attended by Meshayel Omran Essa Lehsooni, Director of Clean Energy, Clean Energy Department, UAE Ministry of Energy, and Faisal Ali Hassan Rashid, Director, Demand Side Management, Supreme Council of Energy.

Shaikha Ahmad Al Falasi, Engineer - Sustainable Energy Programs, Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, made a presentation on The Autonomous House followed by visual presentations on ‘Powering Smart Cities’ by a senior executive from Ernst & Young.

Saeed Al Abbar opened the ‘Powering Efficient Cities’ session with a keynote presentation on ‘Accelerating Building Efficiency.’ A panel discussion followed with Christos Mimikopoulous, Executive Director Solar, Etihad ESCO; Michel Abi Saab, Manager of Sustainability, Masdar; Charles Blashke, Founder and Managing Director, Taka Solutions; and Maria Malo, Business Development Manager MEA, AkzoNobel.

A WELL certified office case study on ‘Powering Happy Cities’ was made by Sreya Vempatti, Environmental Coordinator, AESG. This was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Wellbeing in Buildings’ moderated by Holley Chant with Richard Fenne, Principal & Studio Chair, Woods Bagot; Sreya Vempatti; and Hrvoje Cindri , Associate, Middle East Urbanism Leader, Arup Associates.

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The second day was dedicated to a field visit to City Centre Me’aisem where a workshop and a Green Building Tour of the LEED Platinum Core and Shell Property took place. The Majid Al Futtaim team presented the history, highlights and challenges relating to the project.

AkzoNobel was the Principal Sponsor of the Congress, Majid Al Futtaim was the Venue Sponsor and Clean Energy Business Council, Emirates Environmental Group, EWSWWF and Middle East Facility Management Association are supporting Associations.

Rajiv Rajgopal, Regional Director, AkzoNobel Middle East & Africa, said: “The sixth Annual EmiratesGBC Congress served as an important platform to discuss built environment sustainability, covering all aspects

FAISAL ALI HASSAN RASHID & MESHAYEL OMRAN ESSA panel discussion EmiratesGBC World Congress 2017

SAEED AL ABBAR Chairman, EmiratesGBC at the Annual Congress 2017

that drive energy efficiency. Through our support to the event, we are highlighted our three equity drivers – Sustainability, Innovation and Human Cities. Through our innovative range of environment-friendly and aesthetic coating solutions, we are partnering in the concerted efforts to secure a greener and more energyefficient built environment.�

The sixth Annual EmiratesGBC Congress was a carbon-neutral event. All the emissions from power consumption, heat energy and refrigeration, among other infrastructure; the journeys of participants to the event; catering and lodging for the participants, and event-specific materials and waste was being calculated and was an offset against a clean energy project.

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16 WORLDWIDE NEWS

MUSE DEVELOPMENTS TO DELIVER £75MILLION DARTFORD MIXED-USE REGENERATION PROJECT Dartford Borough Council has appointed real estate developer Morgan Sindall’s Muse Developments as its development partner to manage the £75million regeneration of the Dartford’s Westgate area.

The mixed-use development, under which a new ‘social neighbourhood’ will be created in the town, will feature a six-screen cinema as well as approximately 37,250sq.ft. of restaurant and bar space.

Designed by architect and urban designer TP Bennett, the scheme will feature a new public square, 109-bed hotel, multi-storey car park and 140 new homes - in a combination of one to three-bedroom apartments above retail uses – will be spread among four new buildings.

The council is engaged in negotiation with the local Clinical Commissioning Group to create a new health facility providing space for GPs, family healthcare, social care providers and mental-health services.

Dartford Borough Council leader Jeremy Kite said: “We are delighted to be working with Muse. So much of what happens in Dartford is developer-driven and the Council

rarely has sufficient ownership to shape the use of land for the benefit of local people.

“Westgate is different and Muse has an amazing track record of creating spaces that are not only commercially successful ,but also hugely popular with people.The Council has an ambition to create modern spaces and facilities, which enjoy a direct lineage back to our town’s strong sense of family and community.”

Muse Developments development director John Robinson said: “It is an honour to have been chosen by Dartford Borough Council to lead on a project, which will have such a positive impact on the town. The site is very well-connected, being close to both the high street and train station, making it the ideal location for a lively and vibrant new community and cultural quarter.

“Dartford is a forward-thinking Council that wants to bring real change to the town centre. We look forward to working with them.” Muse is gearing up to submit a planning application in summer 2018 and start on site by spring 2019.

JDS DEVELOPMENT SECURES CONSTRUCTION LOAN FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTIAL PROJECT Real estate developer JDS Development has secured $62.5million in construction financing for Monad Terrace, its residential project in Miami Beach, Florida.

The construction financing includes a $20m senior loan from the Bank of the Ozarks, and $42.5million of mezzanine financing from Vanbarton.

Located on West Avenue in the South Beach neighbourhood, the project includes climate resilience features that exceeds Miami Beach Building Codes and establish a new standard of excellence for the city.

Designed by architect Jean Nouvel in collaboration with Miami-based Kobi Karp Architecture and Interior Design, the Monad Terrace will include 59 individually-designed waterfront residences including four penthouses.

Residences range from two to fivebedrooms and provide 2,027 to 13,922 sqft of space. Amenities at the building include an in-house concierge, a sun deck with a 116ft swimming pool and hot tub overlooking Biscayne Bay, valet parking, a café and juice bar, a wellness centre, and a bicycle and water sports storage room.

Construction is currently under progress,

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with the foundation soil mixing over 50% complete. The project is expected to start

by March 2018, with estimated completion in third quarter of 2019.

JDS Development founder Michael Stern said: “Monad Terrace innovates while integrating seamlessly into the context of Miami Beach.

“Its thoughtful design serves as an

exemplar for how we should be building and developing coastal cities. Without compromising aesthetics, this project brings the ingenuity and design that is entirely appropriate to this environment. This is an important project for Miami Beach, and I am proud that JDS is leading the way.”

JDS Development principal Simon Koster said: “With Monad Terrace, JDS

Development Group set out to prove that raising standards to address the climate realities of coastal cities can yield better, beautiful, and more liveable spaces. “JDS took these steps because it is good practice, better construction, and owners are savvy enough to appreciate resilient design.”

WORLDWIDE NEWS 17

PROBUILD BAGS FAR EAST CONSORTIUM’S WEST SIDE PLACE CONTRACT IN AUSTRALIA

COMMITTED TO A GREEN UAE Construction contractor Probuild has been awarded a contract by the property developer Far East Consortium to design and build

the first stage for Melbourne’s AUD2billion ($1.55billion) West Side Place apartment project and Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Far East Consortium has decided to develop the former Age newspaper site at 250 Spencer Street, West Side Place, into

largest residential development in Victoria.

The first stage of the development will include 1376 flats over two towers, and a Melbourne’s first Ritz-Carlton hotel at 270m high.

Probuild Victorian Managing Director Luke Stambolis said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Far East Consortium to deliver West Side Place. This contract is the largest secured by Probuild in our 30year history and we can’t wait to bring this iconic project to life.

“Our team in WA is currently delivering one of Perth’s most significant developments with the Ritz Carlton at Elizabeth Quay, and Far East’s willingness to enter another major project together is a testament to the relationship that’s been built between Probuild and Far East Consortium.

“We’ve worked really hard to ensure the service a client receives in one state mirrors another. Our skills and expertise are mobile, and our Victorian team has been providing significant support to The Elizabeth Quay redevelopment.

“This Victorian project is one of unprecedented scale and ambition, not just for Probuild but for Melbourne. West Side Place will be an exemplary project for generations to come.”

INDIA LAUNCHES FIRST HIGH SPEED TRAIN PROJECT The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe have laid the foundation stone for India’s first high speed train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. The 508 km project, popularly known as Bullet Train project, will entail an investment of INR 1.08 trillion (USD17 billion).

Of the total stretch, 92% (468 km) of the route will be elevated, 6% (27 km) in tunnels and the remaining two 2% (13 km) will be on the ground. The bullet train would pass through the country’s longest tunnel of 21km, of which 7 km will be under the sea.

The train passes through 12 stations that have been proposed, including Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati. The project has a maximum design speed of 350 kmph and maximum operating speed of 320 kmph.

The high-speed train will complete the journey within two hours and 58 minutes with 12 stops and it can further reduce the travel time to two hours and seven minutes while stopping at four stations. The 10-coach bullet train will be able to seat as many as 750 passengers.

Of the total project cost, the Japanese government is providing a loan of INR 880 billion (USD 13.7billion) at an interest rate of 0.1% per annum with repayment period 50 years, including grace period of 15 years.

The high-speed train project is scheduled

to complete by August 2022. It will create 20,000 construction jobs, 4,000 direct employment for operations and 20,000 indirect jobs.

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18 REGIONAL NEWS

L&T UNIT WINS USD264 MILLION EPC CONTRACT IN KUWAIT The hydrocarbon division of Indian engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has won an EPC contract worth INR17billion (USD 264 million) for the construction of an oil pipeline in Kuwait.

Under the contract, awarded by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), the firm will be responsible for provision of EPC services for new 48” Crude Transit Line (TL-5) from North Kuwait to Ahmadi.

“The order was won against stiff international competitive bidding, which reinforces L&T’s unique capability to deliver ‘design to build’ engineering and construction solutions across the hydrocarbon spectrum,” L&T said in a statement.Work on the project is set to be finished in the third quarter of 2020.

At present, L&T is delivering Gathering Centre - 30 (GC - 30) project for Kuwait Oil Company. L&T is engaged in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing, and financial operations across the globe.

The firm’s hydrocarbon unit provides EPC solutions for the oil and gas industry from front-end design through detailed engineering, modular fabrication, procurement, project management, construction, installation, and commissioning services.

CB&I BAGS ORDER TO SUPPLY STORAGE TANKS FOR GREENFIELD REFINERY IN OMAN

A consortium of CB&I and Saipem has bagged an EPC contract to construct storage tanks for Greenfield Refinery in Oman. The contract, awarded by Duqm

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Refinery and Petrochemicals Industries Company (DRPIC), is for EPC Package 3 for the Duqm Refinery Project.

DRPIC operates as a joint venture (JV)

between Oman Oil Company and Kuwait Petroleum International.

The consortium partners will be responsible for Package 3, which includes

the engineering, procurement and construction of a product export terminal at Duqm Port, a crude tank farm at Ras Markaz and an 80km crude oil pipeline.

Under the agreement, CB&I will carry out all of the EPC works for storage tanks at the export terminal and crude tank farm.

CB&I’s share in the contract is estimated at USD140 million. Saipem, which is the leader of Package 3, will complete remaining works of the contract.

CB&I executive vice president of fabrication services operating group Luke Scorsone said: “CB&I has decades of experience in Oman, including the supply of tanks and pressure spheres for Oman Oil Company at their refineries in Sohar and Muscat. “This award provides our customer with certainty in price, schedule and quality, and also creates more work opportunities for Omanis, which is one of the goals of the Duqm project.”

REGIONAL NEWS 19

DRAKE & SCULL CONSORTIUM TO BUILD SAUDI WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

COMMITTED TO A GREEN UAE A consortium of Passavant Energy & Environment (PE&E), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Drake & Scull International (DSI), and Aziz Company for Contracting

and Industrial Investment (ACCII) has won a SAR 268 million (USD 71.5 million) contract to build South Dhahran Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Saudi Arabia.

Awarded by the National Water Company (NWC), the three-year contract includes two years for design and build and one year for operation and maintenance.

Under the contract, PE&E’s scope of the work includes design, procurement and supply of equipment, installation, supervision, and commissioning of the plant process and related electro-mechanical works.

Once completed, the plant located in Al Khobar will be capable of treating approximately 70,000 cubic metres of water per day, coming from different areas within Dhahran Municipality.

DSI CEO, Wael Allan, said: “This is a significant win for the company and a testimony to our exceptional ability in water and energy.

“Our core technical competency as a leading MEP provider combined with our sector knowledge and expertise in water makes this project a perfect match for our strengths, where we plan to exceed expectations in the delivery of this project.”

Passavant Energy & Environment managing director Fares Khatib said: “PE&E is very pleased to collaborate with ACCII to undertake the execution of this important WWTP Project.

“This plant will be amongst the few in Saudi Arabia that harnesses bio-gas from the treated sludge to generate electricity to cover a major part of the plant’s power needs.”

KHALAF AHMAD AL HABTOOR MEETS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF TUZLA CANTON Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Founding Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group welcomed Bego Guti , Prime Minister of Tuzla Canto into office. Also present was Enver Hogic, the Prime Minister’s Legal Advisor, and Rifet Karasalihovic, Chief Executive Officer of Bosnia’s Tuzla International Airport.

The meeting, which took place at the Al Habtoor Group head office, was also attended

by Mohammed Al Habtoor, Vice-Chairman & CEO, Al Habtoor Group; Mohammed Fadhel Al Mazrooei, Executive Director, Al Habtoor Group; Sanjeev Agarwala, Chief Operating Officer – Hospitality, Investments and Real Estate, and Abdul Salam Marzooqi, Director of UAE affairs and Community relation.

Prime Minister Guti discussed potential investment opportunities in Tuzla Canto, one of 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Al Habtoor Group

Chairman expressed his interest in hospitality and agricultural industries. He said,“In recent years we have expanded our hospitality division further afield. We now have four

hotels in Europe, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe where valuations are more favourable than in the mature European markets.” He added, “Agricultural investment

is also a top priority. We need to ensure that we invest enough in food security to protect our country for generations to come.”

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20 LOCAL NEWS

EEA ATTRACTED WIDE PARTICIPATION FROM MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA IN ADDITION TO EUROPEAN, AMERICAN AND SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES Dubai Supreme Council of Energy announced the 3rd Emirates Energy Award 2017. The event, organised concurrently with the fourth edition of The World Green Economy Summit (WGES), saw the attendance of the industry’s elite and leading energy professionals, who came together under one roof to recognise and celebrate the achievements of 33 winners in this ever evolving industry. The prestigious ceremony was also graced by the patronage and presence of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.

Organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai under the theme of “Innovative Solutions for Clean Energy”, The Emirates Energy Award (EEA) aims to encourage the rationalised use of energy and resources.

The award also targets to highlight the best practices and pioneering work in energy efficiency, alternative energy, sustainability and protecting the environment.

“This year’s edition has attracted wide participation from countries across the Middle East and North Africa, including the European, American and Scandinavian countries, which exceeded expectations after doubling the number of entries, which stood

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at 210 compared to 112 in the previous cycle,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, President of Emirates Energy Award.

Emirates Energy Award recognises brilliant ideas, innovative minds and creative projects which support sustainable development efforts and renewable energy technologies that preserve environment and natural resources for generations to come.

“Following the directives and wise vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, we celebrate today all categories of Emirates Energy Award.This wise vision was reflected in many strategies and innovative initiatives that supported the UAE’s efforts to achieve sustainable development and green economy, thus making the country a global hub for green technology, conservative consumption techniques and renewable energy,” added HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer.

Standout winners from this year’s Emirates Energy Awards included Abu Dhabi Carbon Capture Company (UAE), Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (UAE), Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency (AMEE – Morocco), Emirates District Cooling (EMICOOL) LLC (UAE), Diamond Developers Co ltd. (UAE) and The

Hashemite University (Jordan), Dr. Rebhi A. Damseh from Al-Balqa Applied University (Jordan), Bethel Business and Community Development Centre (LESOTHO), ORBITAL SYSTEMS (Sweden), Soner Hacıhaliloglu (Turkey), Dr. Elie Azar from Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (UAE) and Marj Elhamam from Rosary School (Jordan) among many others.

“Emirates Energy Award is an important platform that not only shapes the future of the energy sector in the UAE, but also focuses on best practices and key trends which serve as a benchmark for countries across the world to follow. On this important occasion, I’d like to extend warm wishes to all the winners and encourage more companies operating in the industry to participate in the coming editions. Let’s all pledge to innovate, build and find solutions that will meet the challenges of climate change, energy security and the environment for the present and future generations to come,” said His Excellency Ahmad Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), and Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Emirates Energy Award (EEA).

The winners were awarded the honours in categories as Large Energy Project, Small Energy Project, Energy Efficiency – Public Sector, Energy Efficiency – Private Sector,

Distributed Solar Generation Large Scale 500kW, Distributed Solar Generation Small Scale 500kW, Education & Capacity Building, Research & Development, Young Professional and Special Recognitions.

“Emirates Energy Award reflects the UAE’s strategy to promote innovation that helps the country achieve the UAE Centennial 2017 and reinforce the country’s leadership in all fields. The award meets the futuristic vision of the wise leadership which leads to sustainable prosperity in the post oil future of the UAE. Taking this as an opportunity, I’d like to congratulate all the winners for their outstanding contributions to energy efficiency. Their remarkable work has not only guided us to unlimited innovation and progress, but has also driven us closer to our goals of protecting our planet and ensuring sustainable development for generations to come,” concluded HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer.

The Emirates Energy Award provides a global platform for all energy companies and professionals to showcase their achievements in energy management and conservation and highlight their efforts throughout the energy sector, providing the recognition that is due to them. The award is managed

by The Supreme Council of Energy, which reviews and conducts the award assessment and selection based on specific criteria.

22 LOCAL NEWS

CONSTRUCTION SECTOR GEARS TOWARDS ENERGY CONSERVATION WITH THERMAL INSULATION SYSTEMS According to the Global Market Insights, Inc., the building thermal insulation market is slated to surpass USD 34.9 billion by 2024, of which USD320 million is anticipated to come from the Middle East-Africa region particularly Saudi Arabia and UAE, due to its environmental benefits, costeffectiveness and product availability.

With UAE becoming one of the most attractive hubs for infrastructure spending, increased technology advancement for improved business conditions will pave the way to increased product demand.

Energy-Saver The new thermal technology prevents heat gain and loss through the building envelope. Buildings are responsible for 28% of the world’s energy consumption.

According to the studies by German Environmental Agency, up to 90% of primary energy demands of a building

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can be reduced with a proper energyretrofit programme.

Reduces Heat Transfer The insulation material effectively limits thermal conductivity and heat transfer. Thus, the insulation panel not only prevents the interior from cooling during the winter, but it also keeps it from heating up in the summer.

Reduces Electricity Bills A typical house in the Emirates gains around 60% of heat through its roof and walls. Providing thermal insulation will protect the building from the heat and retain its mechanical or natural conditioning. Therefore, less energy will be used which consequently affects the electricity bill. There is a minimal maintenance expense as it is applied permanently on to the building.

A single product is not always able to reach the performance levels required, even when specifically formulated.

For example, there are no materials or products which, when used alone, are able to efficiently solve the problem of thermal insulation of buildings. For this type of application, global producer of adhesives and chemical products for the building industry MAPEI has developed MAPETHERM, a thermal insulation system made up of different types of material applied in various thicknesses, which work together to guarantee excellent, long-lasting results.

MAPETHERM thermal insulation system comprises: MAPETHERM AR1, one-component cementitious mortar for bonding and levelling insulation panels and for thermal insulation systems; MAPETHERM BA, aluminium starting profiles with drip channel; MAPETHERM FIX: Stud for fixing insulating panels and composite insulating systems in place, with a plug with a metal/nylon pin and

polypropylene body; MAPETHERM NET: alkali-resistant glass fibre mesh suitable for reinforced skimming layers when repairing façades, or for the execution of thermal insulation systems; MAPETHERM PROFIL: pre-mounted aluminium angle iron incorporated with alkali-resistant glass fibre mesh; MAPETHERM MW: mineral wool insulating panels for thermal insulation systems.

The progress of the construction industry towards a sustainable future is tightly connected to innovations from the chemicals sector. Not only must the development of sustainable technology in this sector proceed step by step, by improving existing products and making them increasingly healthy. It must also develop by focusing on radical innovation based on scientific research and in-depth knowledge of emerging technology.

24 LOCAL NEWS

UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE MINISTRY OF PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS AND UNDER THE TITLE ‘TOGETHER ... FOREVER’

Under the slogan ‘Together … Forever,’ the UAE-Saudi Business Forum in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of His Excellency H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy and H.E. Dr. Majid Al Qasabi, Minister of Commerce and Investment in KSA. The event saw the participation of more than 1,000 officials, investors and entrepreneurs coming from the two countries.

The forum, which was held at the Emirates Palace Hotel, included three sessions that covered key discussions on the national transformation plans under UAE Vision 2021 and KSA Vision 2030; industrial integration and the role of women in the economy. The forum also discussed key ways on how to enhance cooperation across eight main sectors, including industry, tourism, oil, aviation, construction, financial services, food stuff,

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gold, jewelry, medicines and medical equipment.

The forum was attended by H.E. Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development; H.E. Mohammed Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Economic Affairs; H.E. Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade and Industry; H.E. Khalifa Salem Al Mansouri, Undersecretary of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, along with a number of UAE senior officials and a Saudi delegation composed of more than 160 officials from several government agencies and the private sector.

The forum is part of the joint retreat called ‘Khalwat Al Azm’. The outcomes of the event are aimed at enhancing trade,

economic and investment cooperation, strengthening ties and opening new investment channels to promote diversification of sources of income, attracting value added investments and increasing the volume of non-oil exports.

The forum was organised by the Ministry of Economy, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Developmentand Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with the Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones (ZonesCorp).

The UAE-Saudi Business Forum was opened with a welcoming speech given by H.E. Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, emphasising that the forum is part of the distinguished relations between the two countries.

In his speech, he lauded the efforts of the Saudi-UAE Coordination Council, which represents an exceptional example

of the serious cooperation between both countries.

Al Hajeri also announced that Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development has taken a number of measures and procedures that are focused on further enabling Saudi investors in Abu Dhabi including the provision for all facilities and exemptions covered in the ‘Tajer Abu Dhabi’ and ‘Industry Pioneers’ initiatives.

H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy, delivered the opening speech wherein he expressed his pride of the sincere brotherhood between the UAE and KSA, which represents a unique example of cooperation at the Gulf and Arab levels, openly demonstrated by the continuing efforts to enhance stability and growth of the region.

LOCAL NEWS 25 H.E. Al Mansoori pointed out that the bilateral relations between UAE and KSA are still witnessing continuous development and growth, driven by the firm will and sincere determination of the leaderships of the two countries led by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, H.H. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to advance cooperation and synergy between the two countries across various fields of development.

H.E. said: “The UAE–Saudi Business Forum is a vital platform for further achieving greater economic, trade and investment cooperation, based on a joint strategy that focuses on investing in the development prospects and capabilities of the UAE and KSA, which are the two largest Arab economies, as well as benefiting from their huge commercial and investment potentials.”

H.E. pointed out that the trade and investment figures and indicators reflect the depth of the strong ties between the UAE and KSA. He also noted that the KSA is the fourth largest trading partner of the UAE and its first largest Arab partner in 2016. The non-oil trade between the two nations witnessed a significant jump of 30 percent over the past six years, from around AED 55 billion in 2011 to more than AED 71.5 billion in 2016.

H.E. added: “The political and economic challenges that we face require greater coordination to develop new approaches towards cooperation in the coming period with a wide participation of the private sector from both sides.

The forum contributes to strengthening economic integration and exploring promising development opportunities and projects, as well as exchanging experiences and building new partnerships between the business communities in the UAE and KSA.” Al Mansoori highlighted the UAE’s efforts to develop a flexible, open and highly productive economic model and to diversify its economic base, noting that today, the non-oil sectors contribute more than 70 percent to the UAE’s GDP. This further strengthens the foundation of the country’s transition to the post-oil era in line with Vision 2021 that aims to build a diversified, sustainable and competitive economy based on knowledge and technology.

“The UAE has focused its attention on strengthening the role of innovation in the development process and has worked through the National Innovation Strategy to catalyse innovative investments in seven key sectors namely renewable energy, transportation, health, education, technology, water and space,” H.E. Al Mansoori added.

The Minister also highlighted the UAE’s top priority sectors in the UAE including industries, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), tourism, foreign trade, real estate, financial and logistic services, as well as emerging sectors such as the Islamic economy - all of which are of common interest with KSA, and thus, considered as key areas for future cooperation.

In the framework of (Khlwat Al Azm), H.E. the Minister also emphasised the importance of cooperation in civil aviation,

lauding the deliverables of the sessions related to air transport that was held recently in Dubai and concluded with the development of a framework establishing a Common Aviation Market between both countries to address challenges and increase investment opportunities, as well as build partnership agreements in the logistics, airline and airports segment.

He also urged Saudi investors to explore the huge development opportunities within the UAE business environment and capitalise on its promising facilities, highlighting the UAE’s commitment to put in place these platforms and incentives that would help them achieve success and sustainability which is of mutual interests.

He stated that the common denominators between the UAE Vision 2021 and KSA Vision 2030 provide an inspiring platform for an effective and fruitful cooperation between both countries.

H.E. Dr. Majid Al Qasabi, Saudi Minister of Commerce and Investment, also underscored that the forum is a step towards cementing the bilateral relations and strong cooperation between the two close allies in key sectors, particularly in economy, trade and investments. He further noted that both countries have agreed to hold the forum every two years after the mechanics and agenda are set, consistent with economic, commercial and investment interests and with the business sector as vital partner in economic growth and development in line with the visions of both countries.

H.E Dr. Majid also proposed that efforts should be made to institutionalise the forum’s agenda in support of its envisioned

contribution to improve bilateral relations and collaboration between the business leaders of both countries, as well as seek solutions needed to overcome challenges that could hinder the effectiveness of the Saudi-Emirati trade and investment links.

H.E. Mohammed Thani Murshed Ghannam Al Rumaithi, Chairman of the UAE Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI), said in a statement that the forum represents an outstanding opportunity for UAE and Saudi businessmen and investors to explore the national and economic transformation initiative of both countries. He also said that industries, construction, oil and gas, financial services, food products, medical supplies, and renewable energy come at the top of the most promising areas of cooperation between both countries.

On the sidelines of the opening session, three agreements and MOUs were also signed to enhance cooperation between the two countries. The first MOU was signed by both the UAE Minister of Economy and the Saudi Minister of Commerce and Investment regarding strengthening cooperation and partnership in the field of entrepreneurship. The second MOU was signed by both the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIK) and Al Dahra Holding to promote cooperation in agricultural investments, while the third MOU was signed between Hawkamah - the Institute for Corporate Governance and the Saudi Governance Center.

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26 LOCAL NEWS

FALCONCITY OF WONDERS REPORTS FRUITFUL PARTICIPATION AT DUBAI PROPERTY SHOW INDIA 2017 Falconcity of Wonders LLC, the developer of the Falconcity of Wonders (FCW) multipurpose mega project being built in Dubai, concluded its participation at Dubai Property Show India 2017 in Mumbai on a high note, reporting high footfall to its exhibition stand anew during the prestigious three-day trade show.

A number of Indian investors and highprofile personalities flocked to FCW’s

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stand to inquire about its eponymous 41 million sq-ft mega property project. The large-scale development is renowned for its internationally themed villas, luxury hotel apartments, intricately designed residential units, signature theme park, family centers, sports facilities, and its own versions of the famous Wonders of the World.

H.E. Salem Almoosa, Chairman and General Manager of Falconcity of Wonders

LLC, said “Dubai offers property investors from India and around the world an opportunity to being a preferred real estate investment destination. During our participation in this year’s Indian edition of the Dubai Property Show, we highlighted why investing in a value-added property in the emirate is an excellent long-term strategy. We received a large number of visitors who expressed interest in our

project, and this, for us, is a strong indication of our project’s strong appeal to investors from India and beyond the region.”

Indians are among Dubai’s top property investors, with a large number expressing their intent to invest in FCW, widely being attracted by its international and unique themes.

LOCAL NEWS 27

AXOR TO MAKE STRONG RETURN TO DOWNTOWN DESIGN DUBAI After one year away to focus on operations in the region, AXOR is set to make a strong return to Downtown Design Dubai at Dubai Design District, which takes place from 1417 November 2017 as a key component of Dubai Design Week.

The renowned German bathroom and kitchen luxury design brand will welcome visitors to a magnificent 45 square metre stand boasting interactive experiences, as well as displaying a large range of highend AXOR products and accessories. The focus will be AXOR showers and AXOR FinishPlus, the special manufactured products of the renowned luxury brand.

Downtown Design provides a dynamic environment for buyers and brands to do business, and is the only platform in the Middle East for the region’s trade professionals to discover original, high quality design from all over the world.

Markus Singler, Managing Director at Hansgrohe Middle East (AXOR is the luxury brand of Hansgrohe Group) commented: “Establishing AXOR as a respected name in the Middle East has been achieved through a strategy of simultaneously building a solid

office structure, forming strong links with ecosystem partners, and creating a solid distribution network.” He added: “We took time away from Downtown Design last year to further cement our position in the market. Now we are pleased to come back to this leading event with lots of exciting new products and design concepts introduced for the first time in the Middle East.”

Alexandra Wormser, Marketing Specialist at Hansgrohe Middle East added: “We are delighted to be exhibiting once more at the prestigious Downtown Design in Dubai.

The past twelve months have been hugely successful for us and we have collaborated on several spectacular projects – including Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa, Bulgari Resort and Residences Dubai, and The Address Sky View Towers Dubai. It therefore seems fitting to end the year on a high note at this event.”

Rue Kothari, Fair Director at Downtown Design, commented: “At Downtown Design we always strive to ensure that we represent the best in product design and innovation throughout the show. AXOR, as one of the most iconic brands in its sector, continues

to lead the way in developing products for the domestic space that not only excel in design and aesthetic, but are sustainable and resource conscious. AXOR will be part of a curation of brands at this year’s fair that

is double the size of the previous edition, and we’re extremely excited to be able to welcome them back, with an outstanding presentation that we know our visitors will love.”

A RELATIONSHIP BEYOND BUSINESS

SAGAR KULKARNI, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CONSISTENT ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS

The association between Archgroup and CEC has developed into a continuous partnership. My relationship with Ashok

has been ongoing for the past 15 years, commencing as my employer and now becoming a mentor. Our relationship was

always great; right from the time I was a member of his firm. I was always inspired by his decision-making skills as well as his

ability to take risks.

Ashok supported and motivated me to establish Consistent Engineering Consultants, and until now, he still tests my entrepreneurial skills. As time went on, his confidence in me grew as an employer and as a vendor, and we went on to work together on some remarkable projects including; Amity University, Kifaf Developments, Premier Hotels and a Villa township in UAE and India. The projects we worked on together are worth AED 3-4 billion (Approx).

Ashok and I bonded over a common vision, which is ensuring client satisfaction, and as entrepreneurs, we have to do whatever it takes to achieve this vision.

Ashok has been in this business for the past 25 years, and managed to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records, which I find very motivational to set a personal milestone like this. I wish that he continues scaling new heights and we get an opportunity to celebrate golden jubilee on a Global scale rather than the MENA region.

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28 LOCAL NEWS

DUBAI’S MARITIME SECTOR PROMOTING CONCERTED EFFORTS TO SUPPORT UAE’S CANDIDACY FOR IMO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP

H.E SULTAN AHMED BIN SULAYEM, CHAIRMAN OF DUBAI’S PORTS, CUSTOMS AND FREE ZONE CORPORATION AND CHAIRMAN OF THE DUBAI MARITIME CITY AUTHORITY (DMCA)

H.E Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai’s Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and Chairman of the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), called on all bodies and entities concerned with the UAE’s maritime sector to strengthen cooperation in supporting the country’s candidacy for Category B membership under the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council.

He emphasised the importance of a successful bid and the role of the UAE as a key player in the international maritime sector. He explained that the membership plays an active role in the development and improvement of the mechanisms of international trade, international maritime transport and maritime shipping. He added that members of the Council make valuable contributions to the development of legislations and regulations governing the work of IMO and its role at the global maritime level.

H.E. bin Sulayem pointed out that membership under the IMO Executive

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Council will positively impact the UAE’s maritime sector and enhance its competitiveness at the regional and global levels to make the country one of the most important and most developed marine centres in the world. He noted that the UAE upholds high maritime standards and that it occupies the top position at the regional and Arab levels and third in the world in quality of port infrastructure, being home to 20 of the world’s most important ports. H.E. bin Sulayem further stated that the UAE’s strategic geographical location links East to the West and that the country – which has one of the largest shipyards in the world – has a strong track record in the development of international shipping and transport.

H.E. bin Sulayem said: “The UAE has unique capabilities in terms of maritime infrastructure. It ranks highly in terms of port infrastructure, backed by world-class ports such as Khalifa Port which ranked third in the world in terms of productivity in 2015; Jebel Ali Port, which was ranked the ninth largest container port worldwide;

and Fujairah Port, one of the world’s top three ports for ship fuel supply. The UAE is among the top 10 in the world in terms of port container traffic as well. Dubai’s maritime sector has become one of the five main contributors to the emirate’s economic diversification policy, with its share of the local GDP currently standing at AED 26.9 billion. It has been growing by over 25 per cent since 2011, helping boost the UAE’s share of the region’s overall maritime activities. The local sector hosts over 5,500 companies and supports at least 13,000 maritime and investment activities, all of which generate 76,000 jobs.”

“The UAE also operates and manages 77 ports worldwide, including those based in the US and Europe. It places sixth worldwide in quality of seaport infrastructure according to the 2016 Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum. All these advantages reflect the UAE’s great ability to play an important role in the global maritime sector, supported by capabilities that will make it one of the most prominent

Category B members of the IMO Executive Council. It is a strong competitor among the countries nominated in this category,” H.E. Bin Sulayem concluded.

The UAE continues to develop its maritime environment to attract the world’s leading maritime players. It provides strong legislative structure and infrastructure for enhancing the components of the local maritime cluster, in line with the significant progress achieved in the fields of shipping, ports, engineering operations and maritime support. The DMCA is committed to achieving its vision of building a safe, revitalised and sustainable maritime sector that contributes to the economic diversification of the UAE. The Category B election of the IMO Executive Council is scheduled for the organisation’s 30th General Assembly which will be held from November 24 to December 5, 2017.

LOCAL NEWS 29

ENERGY MATTERS: BOOSTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN DUBAI HOMES THROUGH PERSONALISED ADVICE

Building on the momentum to improve energy efficiency in Dubai, TAQATI Dubai Energy Efficiency Program announced the successful completion of the pilot ‘Home Energy Advice Program’. The program was run across 60 homes in Dubai as part of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) ‘Ideal Home Initiative’ and supports DEWA’s efforts to achieve the Smart Dubai initiative launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world.

The ‘Home Energy Advice Program’ was created to support TAQATI’s efforts in raising awareness on energy efficiency amongst Dubai residents, as part of Dubai’s Demand Side Management (DSM) Strategy, which aims to reduce energy consumption by 30% by 2030. The program provides

personalised advice to homeowners to help reduce their energy consumption. As part of the pilot program, teams made up of representatives from TAQATI, DEWA and AESG advisors visited 60 homes in Dubai to collect information on electricity and water consuming appliances and on behavioural elements, and to conduct basic technical tests, including water flow testing.

“The Home Energy Advice Program is one of the enabling mechanisms to improve awareness amongst Dubai residents to achieve energy savings in the residential sector as part of the Demand Side Management strategy”, as stated by H.E. Ahmad Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.

“TAQATI works in line with the strategies and goals set by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and contributes to promoting sustainable development. The Home Energy

Advice program not only provided the residents with advice and information on methods to minimise home energy use, but also helped them reduce energy bills without compromising on comfort,” said Ali Al Jassim, CEO of Etihad ESCO. Following the visits, a personalised home energy conservation report (in English and Arabic) was shared with each home to highlight potential water and electricity savings through customised energy conservation measures and tips.

The ‘Home Energy Advice Program’, is the first-of-its-kind in the UAE, and has received positive feedback from the home owners, displaying their interest in learning more about their home energy efficiency and willingness to conserve energy and generate savings on their utility bills.

“Utilising personalised assessments and expert advice, the ‘Home Energy Advice

Program’ is designed to make beneficial long-term changes for Dubai consumers.

While the pilot project has been successful and received positive feedback, TAQATI will assess the results of the pilot program in achieving water and electricity savings in Dubai homes. Once we have achieved positive results, the program will be rolled out on a larger scale across Dubai to enhance energy efficiency in Dubai homes” said Aref Abou Zahr, Executive Director of TAQATI. TAQATI is a dedicated Program Management Office for Dubai’s DSM Strategy which targets a reduction in energy consumption by 30 per cent by 2030. It was established by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) under Etihad Energy Services Company to provide implementation support and guidance to all relevant stakeholders for the DSM Strategy.

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30 LOCAL NEWS

ABDULLAH BELHAIF AL NUAIMI DISCUSSES IMPORTANCE OF UTILISING INNOVATION IN EXPLORING THE FUTURE OF THE UAE MARITIME SECTOR IN MEETING WITH LOCAL PORT MANAGERS His Excellency (H.E.) Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport (FTA), stressed on the importance of utilising innovation in the move to explore the future of the UAE’s maritime sector, during a meeting he conducted with the country’s top port officials. He encouraged the port managers to play a lead role in the move to discover opportunities and challenges—tapping onto creativity and innovation for the development and implementation of proactive plans in the efforts towards achieving the sustainable development of the local maritime sector.

He explained that the positive results of these efforts further reinforce the maritime sector’s commitment to become a major contributor in the continuing efforts to accelerate economic growth and support economic diversification in preparation for a post-oil phase.

The move also follows the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who stated that, ‘Innovation today is not an option but a necessity; not a public culture but a working method.

Governments and companies that do not renew or innovate themselves will lose

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their competitiveness and rule itself by retreating.’

The meeting also focused on developing standards and guidelines that can help the UAE reinforce its position among the world’s top maritime economies and help enhance the international competitiveness of the local maritime sector. H.E. emphasised on the significance of these efforts, especially taking note that the UAE is an incubator for 20 of the world’s leading ports with some being among the top 10 ports in terms of advanced infrastructure in the field of transport and shipping. It also operates more than 77 ports outside of the UAE. Minister Al Nuaimi shared that the UAE occupies a prominent international position and is widely acknowledged as an influential player in the global maritime segment, which is supported by its competitive advantages and qualified competencies to keep abreast of technological developments, lead the march of excellence and innovation and contribute to the development of international maritime standards. He also explained the significance of investing in human resources and education for the maritime segment in order to be ahead having the ability to look towards the future and develop solutions to address future challenges of the maritime segment.

The meeting discussed several main topics, including the UAE bid for Category B membership of IMO and how to gain the support of the countries during the coming voting phase. Winning membership will allow the UAE to continue its influential role in strengthening the international maritime sector; driving the growth of global maritime trade and to participate in the development and implementation of laws of the international maritime sector.

The meeting also discussed ways on how to further develop and modernise the maritime sector and achieve the national agenda indicators set forth in UAE Vision 2021, which is aimed towards creating integrated infrastructure and guaranteeing the continuity of sustainable development.

The meeting also covered the move to utilise environmentally friendly ports for the provision of clean environmental energy supplies to beaches, reduction of greenhouse gases emitted from ports and ways to achieve the permissible percentage of sulfur in marine fuels by 2020 which falls in line with the decision of the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the IMO. Also discussed was the importance of innovation in the future of ports to facilitate the movement of international maritime trade and the automation of marine terminals in accordance with the requirements of the

21st century. The Minister also shared developments in the move to implement an e-Marine trading system and adoption of international best practices to transform ports into developed logistics centres the future of ports under the next generation of self-driving ships; the use of satellites to manage fleets; further development of the maritime system, and the development of a marine integrated, safe and sustainable environment.

The UAE has been ranked in top positions across international ports and marine infrastructure indices. The country has 20 of the world’s leading ports, some of them are among the top 10 ports in terms of advanced transport and shipping infrastructure. The country also operates 77 ports around the world, reflecting its apparent impact on the international maritime sector. The UAE attaches great importance to investing in the maritime sector as one of the main engines of the national economy. The marine sector accounts for five percent of the UAE economy with a total value of AED 200 billion and is expected to rise to 25 per cent in the coming years. It is expected that the value of investments in projects to develop and expand the ports of the UAE in the coming years will increase to about AED 157 billion.

LOCAL NEWS 31

DAFZA TO BECOME THE FIRST FREEZONE IN THE WORLD TO TRANSFORM ITS INFRASTRUCTURE INTO CLOUD

BUTHAINA BIN FAHAD, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AT DAFZA

The Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) is partnering with Dell EMC to initiate a landmark project titled “DAFZA Cloud”. This collaboration aims to power the ambitious vision to provide transformative ICT services to all stakeholders.

In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DAFZA’s strategy is geared towards leveraging frontline ICT solutions to develop and deliver innovative accelerated digital services and achieve unparalleled customer happiness.

Expanding on these smart transformation efforts, DAFZA will adopt Dell EMC’s

industry-leading Enterprise Hybrid Cloud, Data Protection and Backup solutions to offer unique services. This innovative solution will further strengthen DAFZA’s position as a powerful ICT enabler.

Helping organisations to succeed in a multi-cloud era, “DAFZA Cloud” will function as an enabling platform extending the necessary ICT infrastructure, from end-to-end client solutions to highperformance computing and storage.

With a mandate to support DAFZA strategy that is in line with the Smart Dubai Strategy, the National Innovation Strategy, and 10x initiatives, DAFZA designed a roadmap spanning five years. This involves automating its internal processes and launching a new and integrated cloud

infrastructure to introduce and improve a range of smart cloud services.

“As an entity known for innovationbased initiatives, we required an integrated platform that successfully meets our objective of accelerating growth, continually innovating and delivering services that cater to the rapidly evolving digital economy. In our journey to evolve to a digital-ready organisation, in line with the broader vision of the leadership, we believe Dell EMC is the right partner to help us enhance our ICT capabilities and make Dubai the happiest and smartest city in the world.” said Buthaina bin Fahad, Senior Director of Information & Communication Technology at DAFZA. Fady Richmany, Senior Director &

General Manager, at Dell EMC said, “We are proud to stand alongside DAFZA as a trusted partner and play a role in their digital transformation and success. Given their pace of ensuring digital-readiness, our work with them is to enable delivery of cloud infrastructure and services to provide complete access to smart services and empower innovation. With this partnership, we are committed to supporting DAFZA in their mission to achieve the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of creating a smart and sustainable future for Dubai.”

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32 ISUZU MOTORS INTERNATIONAL FZE (IFF)

ISUZU OPENS THE BIGGEST REGIONAL DISTRIBUTOR OUTSIDE OF JAPAN ISUZU IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PLAYER IN THE PICKUP AND TRUCK MARKET IN THE UAE, WITH THE COMPANY’S HEAVY DUTY TRUCK RANGE AVAILABLE IN 6×4 AND 8×4 CONFIGURATIONS FOR RIGID CHASSIS AND 4×2 AND 6×4 FOR TRACTOR HEADS.

ISUZU MOTORS INTERNATIONAL FZE (IFF) P.O. BOX 263188 DUBAI UAE T: +971 4 8809192 E: INFO@ISUZU-INTL.COM W: WWW.ISUZU.CO.JP

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A growing number of big fleet customers are today using Isuzu vehicles, and with the opening of its new state-of-the-art facility in Jebel Ali Free-Zone (Jafza), Isuzu Motors International FZE (IIF) has clearly announced its intention to continue to evolve and expand throughout the Middle East, broadening its business activities and moving its customer service up to the next level.

Indeed, with the opening of the new facility, what was already recognised as incomparable customer service will bring countless new benefits to the company’s clients throughout not only the UAE, but also the wider Middle East region.

“We chose Dubai because the Government and Jafza make it so easy to do business here,” explains IIF Vice President Waleed Noubani. “It’s the ideal location for what is now Isuzu’s biggest facility outside of Japan in terms of the number of countries we service including Middle East, Africa Central and Southern West Asia.

We looked at a number of free zones in the region, but Jafza offered the best deal of all with a business-friendly environment that will promote growth and success for Isuzu.”

JAFZA offers 50-year tax-free period of

operation, which is renewable.“With Dubai now considered to be one of the world’s most important hubs for trade and industry, being in Jafza will undoubtedly help Isuzu to achieve even more prominence in the Middle East, allowing us to provide full service support for all of our commercial and light commercial vehicles.”

Mr. Noubani is a man always looking for fresh solutions in order to create efficiency and make the whole operation more streamlined, and in doing so constantly

improve financial feasibility. He has a natural affinity for the Middle East, too, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone who understands the local automotive market better. “We are growing as an entity in the Middle East region particularly Gulf region,” he says, “and while others are cutting staff we are proud to be hiring.

“There are numerous reasons for this.

Some companies operating in the Middle East are unsuccessful because they don’t know how to do business in this region.

ISUZU MOTORS INTERNATIONAL FZE (IFF) 33 People in the MENA region are traders by nature; they’ve been doing it for thousands of years. So you can’t do the ‘multinational approach’ when doing business here.You can’t play games. You need to build a relationship, be direct, and ensure that you understand each other. It’s a good place to do business, but you have to be respectful of local customs and traditions and be honest and direct with your partners and customers alike.”

IIF is currently serving 10 countries throughout the region, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman,

Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, and is currently expanding its reach into Africa and Central and Southern West Asia, where it sees big market potential.

Unmatched Reliability and Versatility In the UAE, Isuzu is hugely admired because of its unmatched reliability and versatility. Offering a wide selection of commercial vehicles, including the everpopular range of D-Max pick-ups and trucks, all models are extremely adaptable and are

being used in a wide array of applications to suit individual customer requirements, including in tough operating conditions.

Isuzu is constantly looking to innovate, too, seeking ever-new ways to provide the ultimate driving experience for a wide array of applications across the commercial vehicle sector.

As a dealer for Isuzu in the UAE, Genavco sells D-Max, N-Series, F-Series, C&E Series models, spare parts and after sales services through its wide distribution channels.

Achieving Better Fuel Economy But whatever the vehicle, in order to retain the highest levels of performance and safety, IIF recommends that all service and maintenance is undertaken at Genavco, with Isuzu trained technicians ensuring that the customer’s exact needs are met every single time.

IIF is also committed to helping drivers achieve better fuel economy, and with this in mind, IIF will be visiting dealers and fleet managers to explain how to save fuel ... and therefore money.

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34 ISUZU MOTORS INTERNATIONAL FZE (IFF) Up-to-the-minute commercial vehicles across diverse segments are all engineered for performance, efficiency and safety. Nevertheless, these capabilities are optimised only when the driver fully understands how his actions have an effect on the vehicle. When it comes to fuel consumption, for example, a lot of the drivers in the UAE come from countries that are using what are known as high-rev engines in trucks.

And because drivers are so used to hearing the engines rev, they drop gears so that they can hear the engine. However, with an Isuzu you don’t need to drop gears because you’re not getting any more power out of the engine. Instead, increasing the RPM is wasting fuel. That’s why when fleets invest in sufficiently training their drivers’ savings are potentially enormous.

Isuzu’s renowned ‘eco-driving’ techniques include minimising speed, accelerating slowly, upshifting at low RPMs, maximising time in top gear, keeping a steady foot on the accelerator, and avoiding overuse of engine braking.

Taking on-board these simple suggestions can provide a massive benefit to customers.

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The Most Trusted Supplier in the Middle East Headquartered with its production facility in Tokyo, Isuzu is the world’s largest manufacturer of light duty commercial vehicles, with the first truck rolling off the factory assembly line more than 80 years ago.Today, the company is considered a pioneer and an innovative truck manufacturer, leading the automotive industry in the 21st century. It is also a company that leads the field in customer service.

“When customers rely on Isuzu, they have to be confident that our vehicles will get the job done, and that is why we provide a complete package. And with the opening of what will be a huge new warehouse in Jafza, we will now be able to service the dealer better, and in doing so greatly improve the service our customers receive. This will result in Isuzu retaining its reputation for being the most trusted commercial vehicle supplier in the Middle East,” concludes Mr. Noubani.

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36 MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS

A BUSINESS PARTNER YOU CAN COUNT ON A HIGHLY RESPECTED AND SUCCESSFUL CONGLOMERATE HEADQUARTERED IN SAUDI ARABIA WITH OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT THE GCC AND THE MIDDLE EAST, THE AL FOZAN GROUP IS A LEADING PLAYER IN THE RETAIL, MANUFACTURING, REAL ESTATE AND TRADING SECTORS.

MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS P.O. BOX 117354 DUBAI INVESTMENT PARK 2, DUBAI UAE T: +971 4 8125300 E: INFO@MADAR.COM W: WWW.MADAR.COM W: WWW.ALFOZAN.COM

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One of its most dynamic companies is Madar Holding, which, established in 2004, has two firms in the UAE, Madar Emirates for Building Materials and Madar Steel Industries.

Madar Holding was launched in order to allow the Al Fozan Group to more successfully penetrate the Gulf region. The company began with a vision to lead the market, and was quickly established as one of the top three operations of its kind in the UAE. Of course, just four years after it was founded, the 2008 global crash occurred, which saw many companies struggle badly or even go out of business. However, with its extremely strong financial track record, Madar Holding recovered well and has moved on to become one of the most sought after and esteemed companies in the industry. Actually, it is back into the top two or three traders for rebar in the UAE. The company’s growth strategy has been one of steady expansion across diverse market sectors.This began with steel, before moving into timber, and eventually into wire mesh and Cut & bend factories. In due course, the company further developed and diversified into a number of varied sectors

MADAR HOLDING HEADQUARTER - DUBAI, UAE

in the materials industry, particularly with regard to building materials.

Madar Holding has long been known as a steel trader and factory, but it has now begun to supply various timbers, including plywood and softwoods, as well as having

the ability to engineer all kinds of wood products. In 2016, the company also moved into cement. In fact, every one or two years, the company is adding one more major product to its portfolio, dictating that it is continuously expanding.

MR. RAJESH NAIR, GENERAL MANAGER OF MADAR

MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS 37 A Diverse Portfolio

Wire Mesh

Cut & Bend

With somewhere in the region of 2000 clients, primarily consisting of construction companies, Madar Holding sources a wide range of building materials both locally and internationally. Madar Holding is one of the major players in the Rebar industry.

Furthermore, its fair pricing policy and its commitment to quality has seen it supply materials for some important and prestigious projects, including those for Dubai Metro and Dubai Canal. The company has also supplied materials for several buildings in the UAE. At the present time, Madar Holding is working on a number of projects with Emirates-based engineering contracting companies. It has, for instance, just finished Dubai canal projects. Although not a construction company, Madar Holding acts as a ‘supporting player’ for these projects.

This does not mean that an entire project will be supplied by the company, as often construction firms take different types of materials from different sources.

Moreover, Madar Holding is working on the One JBR Tower, which consists of 45 floors.The company is supplying the entire Cut & Bend and steel for this project.

Madar Wire Mesh Plant is a specialised world standard manufacturer of wire mesh products; offers high quality Square, Structural and Long Meshes, all produced through fully computerised machine. Austrian origin production line with a speed of 180 shots/min. Additionally, Madar offers Cold Rolled wires in coils & special lengths cold drawn wires.

Madar Steel Industries is fully equipped with the most advanced machinery for cutting and bending of steel.

Coupling and Splicing Madar offers parallel thread rebar splice with cold upsetting jointly with high quality couplers. The product fully satisfies the requirements of major international standards.

Wood Madar is one of the largest importer of wood to the world market since 2004. They import wood from Canada, Romania, Austria, Sweden, America, Europe, Africa, China and other countries. Madar supply a wide range of wood such as Hardwood, Softwood and Engineered Wood.

Steel Madar supply a wide range of reinforcement steel with different sizes and sources including and not limited to UAE, Ukraine, Turkey, China and other countries.

Over its years of serving United Arab Emirates market; Madar Emirates for Building Materials had established and is still growing partnerships with major manufacturers. Madar Emirates for Building Materials is a major distributor for Hamriyah Steel, Emirates Steel, Ukrain Slee and Jindal Steel.

Cement As a part of its continuous expansion, Madar has partnered with Lafarge Cement and national Cement as a major distributor of their cement products.

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38 MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS

Modern Factory, Skilled Personnel Madar Holding is a business that stands out in a fiercely competitive industry. Its factories, for example, is one of the finest you will find anywhere in the world, featuring superior quality imported machinery and highly qualified and skilled engineers.

As with any successful business, the company’s most valuable asset is its people, with many of its engineers, operations staff, and retailers having been with it for more than 10 years. Madar Holding’s personnel are recognised as being some of the most experienced in the industry, and they are undoubtedly the biggest reason for its ongoing growth and success.

Expo to Fuel Growth Madar Holding continues to invest in new machinery and will continue to do so over the next three years as part of its expansion plan leading up to Expo 2020. The company is hugely excited about the Expo, and believes that although the north of Dubai has already been developed, the south of Dubai, where the Expo will be located,

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will be equally developed over the next few years, if not more so.

Up-and-coming projects can be seen everywhere, and the expectation of steel turnover in the UAE is around 280,000 tonnes monthly. Madar Holding is committed to winning at least 20% of this volume; that is its target for 2018.

Nevertheless, keeping in mind the credit situation in the marketplace, the company is being extremely cautious.The reason for this is simple, in the UAE market, up to 85% of companies are owned by expatriates, and it is easier for them to wind up and leave when things go wrong. Steel companies are huge victims of such fraudulent actions because of the massive volumes involved.

With the huge demand for steel in the marketplace, particularly in regard to Expo projects, Madar Holding is committed to remaining one of the key players in this sector, with excellent relationships with blue-chip companies such as Emirates Steel Industries and Hamriyah Steel.The company is taking large quantities of steel from them in order to supply market demand.

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40 MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS

MADAR STEEL INDUSTRIES, A MODERN FACTORY WITH ADVANCE EQUIPMENTS AND SKILLED PERSONNEL

Madar Steel, a subsidiary of Madar Holding was established in September 2005 with the objective of serving the contracting and construction industry in the UAE. The company is focused on offering wire-mesh products and the service for cutting & bending of steel rebar. The Rebar processing

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plant, located over 700,000 sq. ft. It has a capacity of around 150,000 tons of steel annually and sources its reinforcements steel from UAE, Turkey, Ukraine and other countries.

The facility offers its clients numerous services, including straight steel bars, cut to

length, Rebar coil straightening and cut and bend steel. The steel mesh facility, which is mainly used for concrete reinforcement, includes standard wire mesh and tailor maid wire mesh, in addition to cold drawn compact coils production for concrete precast factories.

Madar Steel Industries is fully equipped with the most advanced machinery for cutting and bending of steel such as; Shear Lines, Double Benders, Single Benders, Spiral Machines, Mechanical Splicing for Rebar, Stirup Machines, Straightening Machines, Manual Shears, etc.

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42 MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS

LEFT TO RIGHT: MR. KHALED MOUSTAFA - FINANCE MANAGER, MR. AHMED ELAMIR – FACTORY MANAGER, MR. SAED BENDARY – GENERAL CONTROL MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, MR. RAJESH NAIR – GENERAL MANAGER, MR. AHMED NASR – SALES MANAGER

The Numbers Add Up When looking at Madar Holding, the facts and figures are impressive, with the company looking to reach a turnover of approximately AED 500 million by 2018 and, if things go as planned, AED 800 million to AED 1 billion by 2020. And the company’s facility is more than up to the job of meeting these proposed figures, with a 28,000m² state-of-the-art factory, which when the offices and storage

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area are brought into the equation, add up to 67,000m² of space.

However, although it is easy to sell, it is often difficult to collect money. That is why the company is very picky about the clients it chooses to deal with, preferring trusted and ethical organisations such as Arabtec, ECC, Al Habtoor, Beijing Emirates, CCC, Al Serh Al Kabeer and Al Qabdha.

Rising Sales, New Outlets Dubai Municipality has become very strict when it comes to awarding projects, with approval only given to those with credibility.

As a company, Madar Holding welcomes this stringent approach and expects its business to move forward confidently over the next couple of years, especially within the construction sector.

Indeed, the last three months have been

very productive, with sales rising by up to 30%. This underlines the fact that the company has an excellent sales team and this will fuel expansion in both the short and medium term.

Madar Holding is planning to expand into retail shops all over the Emirates, in Ajman, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. Around 25% of the company’s customers are also traders who buy in bulk,

MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS 43 and as a result it intends to open retail outlets in the timber and hardware sectors. It already has warehouses across the UAE, but these are not direct selling points, simply delivery destinations. Now, in addition to the retail outlets, Madar Holding is committed to opening a showroom in Ajman or Ras Al Khaimah, too. There is also a plan to open a cut & bend factory during 2018 or at the beginning of 2019.

Moving to the Next Level The future looks genuinely bright for Madar Holding, with the company looking to win at least 20 to 25% of the market share. There are several smaller traders in the marketplace, but

with the financial strength of the company and the financial security of the clients it chooses to work with it can continue to evolve up to the next level.

Madar Holding has the capability and capacity to sell 70,000 tons a month, a figure that it almost reached in both April and May of 2016. This was attempted for two months; in the first month it was all about trying and testing to see how the market would react, but because of the creditability issues in the marketplace the company decided to reduce the figure once again in order to protect itself. However, in 2018 it has been suggested that it may well try again, particularly as there should be a huge demand in the market with all of the

projects leading up to Expo 2020.

There is still tremendous potential across the UAE. In Dubai, for instance, only 25% of the land is covered, which means that something like three quarters of the Emirate is still left to be explored and developed. Dubai is promising 100% growth and Madar Holding is determined to be one of its key players, supplying the very best materials in tandem with unrivalled customer service and competitive pricing. It’s a potent mix and will ensure that the company retains its leading position in the industry for many more years to come.

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44 MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS

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MADAR EMIRATES FOR BUILDING MATERIALS 45

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Delivery Unlimited First opening its doors for business in Dubai in June 2006, Kang General Cargo Transport was launched with one simple aim in mind, to provide high quality transport services that give customers a genuine competitive advantage.

Committed to maximising service levels and ensuring customer satisfaction every single time, the company offers a broad portfolio of transporation solutions, taking in light truck transportation; heavy duty transportation; the transportation of containers (dry, reefer and temperature controlled); and cross border transportation for the Middle East.

Kang’s client-base reads like a Who’s Who of industry, including such blue-chip names as Madar Emirates For Building Materials LLC, Al Naboodha Laing O›Rourke, Technical Supplies & Services LLC, Emirates Precast Construction LLC, FTV Proclad LLC (SPD), Dutco McConnell Dowell LLC, Thermo LLC, Al Nasr Contraction Company LLC, and M/S Terroazo Co LLC. One of the company’s most recent successfully completed projects was for Laing O’Rourke, moving 20,000 tonnes of steel from Abu Dhabi Meena Port to Dubai in just 15 days. With such extensive expertise and experience, it is no surprise that business is good for Kang at the present time, with the company attracting additional business through its unrivalled service, ability to develop longWHUP PXWDOO\ EHQH¿FLDO UHODWLRQVKLSV DQG FRVW HIIHFWLYH pricing. With all of this in mind, Kang fully expects to be in the top 50 transport companies in the UAE within the QH[W ¿YH \HDUV

HAMRIYAH STEEL Hamriyah Free Zone, Phase II P.O. Box 42142, Sharjah, UAE

sales@hamriyahsteel.ae

WE ARE A STEEL MANUFACTURER In 2006 the leading global producer and supplier of HBI, iron ore products, and high quality steel Metalloinvest Holding from Russia and His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan decided to establish a JV. Under this project a rolling mill was constructed in Hamriyah Free Zone (Sharjah, UAE) in order to supply 1M tpy of steel rebars for the Gulf market and surrounding countries.

The equipment supply contract for the Hamriyah Steel was awarded to SMS Meer S.p.A., the Italian subsidiary of German SMS Group. In order to satisfy customers’ high level demands, the modern technology of thermoprocessing have been implemented at Hamriyah Steel FZC. At the present time Hamriyah Steel is one of the most competitive rebar producers in the UAE and have expanded our position on fast growing GCC construction market with comprehensive advantages in technologies, facilities, sustained cost competitiveness, and highly competent staff, etc.

The purpose is to improve technical characteristics of low carbon steel by the effect of surface quenching and self tempering. Hamriyah Steel is located on 112,000 square meters of land, 4 km from the Hamriyah Free Zone Port.

Rebars are produced across a range of sizes; 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, 32, 36 and 40mm, and according to the standards such as BS4449-2005, ISO 6935-2:2007 and regional standards as well.

Quality Assurance activities at Hamriyah steel starts with understanding the customer’s requirement and continues till the customer is completely satisfied with the delivery of product and services. Hamriyah Steel has been certified with leading national and international certification authorities. Quality Management system complying with requirement of ISO 9001:2008.

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48 COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS AND URBAN HABITAT

LIFE ON A NEW HIGH DR. ANTONY WOOD - CTBUH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR; ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH PROFESSOR; TONGJI UNIVERSITY VISITING PROFESSOR

THE COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS AND URBAN HABITAT (CTBUH) IS A GLOBAL NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION THAT SERVES ALL OF THE DISCIPLINES THAT MAKE SKYSCRAPERS A REALITY.

COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS AND URBAN HABITAT CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603 USA T: +1 (312) 2835631 W: WWW.CTBUH.ORG W: WWW.REGIONS.CTBUH.ORG

48 WWW.TPG-MEDIA.COM

It achieves this through disseminating information, providing networking opportunities, promoting best practices, and steering research. In its capacity as an industry-focused, membership-based body, the CTBUH actively encourages its members to further their knowledge in all aspects of tall building development and use. The Council is also the official arbiter on tall building height, responsible for bestowing such designations as ‘The World’s Tallest Building’.

Today, the CTBUH organisational member network includes more than one million individuals working in more than 7,000 offices in 53 countries across the world, a number that has increased by 539% since 2006 when Executive Director, Dr. Anthony Wood, joined the Council. In the same timespan, the annual budget has grown from $225,000 to more than $5 million. “I was the sole full-time CTBUH employee when I moved to Chicago over a decade ago, and we now have the equivalent of 31 full-time staff. And even

after all of this, I’d say we’re really just getting started,” says Dr. Wood.

The Future of Vertical Urbanism Dubai, of course, has grown rapidly in a relatively short period of time, a fact not lost on Dr. Wood, who explains: “The growth of Dubai ties in with the theme of our 2018 Middle East Conference, and the very reason Dubai was chosen to embody the conference theme, Polycentric Cities: The Future of Vertical Urbanism.

“Dubai has largely risen from the desert in just three short decades as an extreme example of the de-centralised urban approach with multiple central business districts. When focused around transit nodes and well-planned infrastructure, embracing high density, public space and civic functions, this amalgamation of ‘several cities within a city’ perhaps offers the best opportunity for a sustainable future for the many millions of people who will move into cities over the coming decades.

Dubai, however, lacks the connective

urban fabric between its various business districts that make cities like New York and Hong Kong ideal examples of sustainable polycentric cities. So far, it’s been mostly dispersed, auto-based growth, but given the pace of change there, it’s not hard to imagine that trend shifting rapidly in the coming years.”

MARINA 101

COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS AND URBAN HABITAT 49 As a result, although both a regional and global success story, it is clear that Dubai, along with every other major city in the world, still has some challenges to meet.

“Dubai, and all cities across the globe, must promote a future-oriented urban response to the greatest challenges of our time: unprecedented population growth; mass urbanisation; climate change; environmental degredation; social, political and economic change; and the rapid advance of myriad technological innovations. With nearly 180,000 people urbanising on the planet each day, cities will be the laboratory in which we explore and perfect our responses to these challenges over the next decade.

Humanity’s collective success or failure will depend on these outcomes,” Dr. Wood says.

The Threat of Fire in Tall Buildings Another, and rather deadly, challenge is the threat of fire in tall buildings, with Dubai experiencing several fires over the last few years. “I think that Dubai, like many other places around the world, has been caught out with building technology in some

ways overtaking the ability to properly understand and address the risks. I worry sometimes that there is all too often a focus on new technologies and ideas, rather than concentrating on the basics of fire safety design and management,” explains Simon Lay, a Director at Olsson Fire & Risk and a CTBUH Fellow.

There are now more than 6,400 buildings higher than 100 metres in cities around the world, and there are a great many aspects of fire safety that are keeping pace with the increasing height of buildings. However, there is a concern that such buildings are starting to be viewed as ‘common’, looked upon as a problem solved so that designers might wrongly think that the solutions are fully understood and can be applied from one project to the next. “Tall buildings are difficult to design, complex machines and each is indiviudal in its design and its fire safety solution, so it is vital that we respect the need for proper consideration of every project,” says Mr. Lay. So how does a tall building ensure that it has the greatest protection against fire? The key remains limiting rapid vertical fire spread and

providing properly protected escape routes.

How these goals are achieved comes down to a proper and thorough consideration of the fire safety risks by professional engineers.

However, any fire safety provisions will also rely on proper fire safety management in the operation of the building. At the same time, designers need to design on the basis that management can fail, that systems can fail, and demonstrate that safety is achieved, not presume it is achieved by following prescriptive design codes.

With this in mind, does the bar need to be raised with regards to the standard of materials used in high-rise buildings? Mr. Lay believes that the wrong question is being asked, and that there needs to be a better understanding of the materials used in highrise buildings and a better appreciation of fire safety when new materials or construction methods are proposed. “We often find that if you try to ban something, a new version, which somehow eludes that ban, will all too quickly emerge. It is far better to set the bar by defining how materials need to perform and require safety to be demonstrated than

to seek to prohibit specific materials.”

Mr. Lay also considers there to be plenty of famous buildings that demonstrate good aspects of safety, commenting: “I truly believe that the buildings that our business is helping to design can achieve the highest credible standards of safety. What bothers me more is not the successes achieved in famous buildings, but the poor levels of safety in the truly common buildings. The thousands of high-rise buildings that so many people live in within the suburbs of our major cities have not received the same level of attention to fire safety design as the totem poles that form the iconic skylines. Those buildings had no suitably competent fire safety specialist engaged in the design process.

What really worries me is that as we start to make 500m+ buildings common, we will think that 100m+ buildings are no longer a challenge to design safely. That would be a gross mistake.”

MR. SIMON LAY - OLSSON FIRE & RISK DIRECTOR; CTBUH

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The Panels come insulated with core class-A Non-combustible Mineral Wool which sets the industry standard in terms of Fire rating, environmental - friendliness & near-zero smoke toxicity levels. At the same time the harsh and extreme climate in the region demands a product with good thermal capabilities that provides energy efficiency.

In comparison with foam based sandwich panels, which is a traditional solution, Trimo® Panels offer the option of reusability due to its sturdy structure and high insulation density.

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installation and cost effective, requiring considerably lesser steel supports during installation.

Being a company whose core values include social & environmental responsibility, NAFFCO takes pride in providing a product that meets UAE’s Green Building Code.

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The company was founded in May 2010

by Sultan S. Al Maskri, seizing upon a gap in the market in Muscat due to the increasing number of complex projects taking place in the Omani capital. These projects include Muscat International Airport, Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, and other large public assembly buildings.

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As the first specialised fire engineering consultancy in Oman, Tenable benefited from the growth of the construction industry and grew at a phenomenal rate.

Indeed, it quickly established a satellite office in London in 2011 to serve international architects working with iconic developments in the Middle East.

This was followed up, in 2012, with the opening of an office in Dubai as a hub to serve the MENA region. Tenable now employs 45 professionals and is continuously growing, as well as becoming one of the leading fire engineering consultancies in the Middle East.

Tenable’s portfolio of fire engineering services is broad, with its mainstream services taking in Fire and Life Safety Strategy Development; Fire Protection

Design and Engineering; Fire and Evacuation Modelling; Fire Protection Installation Inspections; and Fire Protection Testing and Commissioning.These services are offered to many different sectors within the built environment and petrochemical industries, including Healthcare, Residential Complexes, Hotels, Assembly Buildings, Shopping Malls, Schools, HighRise Buildings, Factories, and Warehouses.

Tenable also specialises in fire engineering design of Fuel Farm facilities, Refineries, and large Petrochemical developments.

The company’s client-list reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of industry and commerce, featuring such blue-chip names as WS Atkins International, Oman Refineries and Petrochemical Industries, Hill International, Bechtel Group, DSA Architects, National Engineering Bureau, Godwin Austen Johnson, Al Hashemi, John R Harris and Partners, Kieferle and Partner and the ZAS Group. In fact, it could be said that Tenable’s biggest achievement to date is having its brand listed next to major engineering firms, and gaining the trust of high profile architects.

A Holistic View The company looks upon its business as

a vocation, and feels privileged when any of its clients call for general advice or to look into a specific task, even if it is not involved in that particular project, because Tenable is always delighted to share its expertise in such important matters. This enlightened business philosophy also led it to be involved in the recent development of the new UAE Fire and Life Safety Code.

With unique methodologies in place and certification to leading accreditations such as ISO 9001:2015, Tenable is renowned for its fast, friendly customer service and long-term relationships. It is no surprise, therefore, that the company continues to grow, with future plans including the setting up of an office in Baku, Azerbaijan, where as it has been engaged in many projects. Tenable is also planning to set up other offices in the GCC, including Riyadh, Abu-Dhabi, and Sohar.

Tenable provides a holistic view of fire and life safety for both new and existing buildings, while keeping sustainability, economics and regulatory considerations in mind. It only takes one mistake to burn it all down; don’t let it be yours – call Tenable Fire Engineering Consultancy today!

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54 COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS AND URBAN HABITAT

How High Can We Go? When we talk of high-rise buildings, the Burj Khalifa immediately comes to mind, with its 163 floors making it the tallest tower in the world. But will buildings continue to gain height, and if so will there a limit?

“There’s a consensus among tall building experts that a two-kilometer-tall high-rise is technically feasible with the technology we have today,” explains Dr. Wood. “However,

54 WWW.TPG-MEDIA.COM

there’s only one building currently under development even approaching half that height - the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, which will rise to 1,000 metres once completed.

“One of the biggest problems in building ever-taller has been the limitations of traditional steel rope elevators. Because ropehung elevators can only travel around 500 metres before the volume of the winding

rope makes it impractical, it means you’d have to get out and switch elevators at least once to reach the top of a 1,000-metre building, making the process time-consuming and inconvenient. But this could soon change dramatically, as new technologies allow elevators to move independently of each other in a shaft, without ropes, and to even go sideways or diagonally. At the CTBUH, we’re already working on a research project

to investigate the potential of buildings in a world of rope-less elevators.”

In spite of this, is there a limit to how high a tower can go before fire safety is put at risk?

Mr. Lay takes up the story: “As soon as you build over two storeys, people cannot jump out of the building and risks based on height start to escalate. Once you go over six storeys, fire fighting challenges change significantly and over 30 storeys consideration needs to

COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS AND URBAN HABITAT 55

be given to how we might evacuate persons not able to walk down stairs. As we go taller, we need to give serious consideration to people possibly staying in the building for the duration of the fire and conversely what happens if those plans to remain in the building go awry and evacuation becomes necessary. There is no limit at which we cannot achieve an adequately safe design, but to do that we have to properly consider the

risks and ask ourselves what ‘safe’ actually means.”

Onwards and Upwards Looking to the future, the CTBUH sees numerous opportunities and is confident that, although the Council has grown exponentially over the last decade, expansion can continue at a similar pace.

“Even considering the rapid success we

have enjoyed, there’s still a lot of untapped potential out there. For instance, it’s our goal to grow the Council’s presence in Africa and South America, where - especially in Africa’s case - a substantial part of the world’s population growth and urbanisation will be occuring.We’re going to continue expanding our research capabilities as well. Just this year, we completed a groundbreaking study on the sustainability of dense urban environments

against that of dispersed suburban living in the Chicago metropolitan region, and we plan to extrapolate that study on an international scale in the coming years,” concludes Dr. Wood.

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56 COUNCIL ON TALL BUILDINGS AND URBAN HABITAT

POLYCENTRIC CITIES The era of the traditional Metropolis, fanning out in waves of decreasing density from a single core central business district, may be coming to an end. As we approach the new normality of cities housing 10 million or more inhabitants, those best positioned for the future are evolving along polycentric, multi-nodal lines, with several central business districts, ideally all offering something slightly different to the urban inhabitant. When focused around transit nodes and well-planned infrastructure, embracing high density, public space and civic functions, this amalgamation of “several cities within a city” perhaps offers the best opportunity for a sustainable future for the many millions of people who will move into cities over the coming decades.

The concept of polycentric cities is not new. New York developed both its Downtown and Midtown in differing waves of development, and London was polycentric almost from its origin. However, even New York and London are seeing several new urban clusters shift the centres of gravity around the city whole, as other cities based on the core-CBD model – Hong Kong for example – shift density out beyond the established center. The physical manifestation of this is often an undulating skyline, with density rising to a series of apexes across the city. There is perhaps nowhere that demonstrates this concept better than our host city for the core of the 2018 conference, Dubai. Indeed, it could be argued that Dubai, a city that has largely risen in just three short decades, is a pure result of this decentralised urban approach, comprised as it is of evocative-sounding districts – Downtown Dubai; Business Bay; Dubai Marina; Festival City; Palm Jumeirah; and several others. New “centres” are still being added, including Midtown; Emirates Business Park; Meydan One; and Dubai Creek Harbour, anchored by the under-construction Dubai Creek Tower.

The same is true of many Middle Eastern cities, and most certainly our second host city for the conference, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the world’s next-tallest building, Jeddah Tower, is rising as the centrepiece of an entirely new district within this polycentric urbanism: Jeddah Economic City. In line with the Saudi Arabian government’s “Vision 2030”, Jeddah Economic City is planned as a sustainable, “smart” and walkable city, and a major source of job opportunities. It will encompass more than 5 million square meters of land, and 12 million square metres of builtup area, which will include a 1.2 million square-metre shopping mall and an internal monorail line linked to the Jeddah Metro this is all being built, from scratch, in the Saudi

56 WWW.TPG-MEDIA.COM

Arabian desert. Equally as important as the centres themselves is the infrastructure that connects them.To enable the creation of new urban centres that match the socioeconomic intensity of longstanding metropolitan

hubs, we must devise practical means of transportation that maximise geographical access and provide extensive city services, not just in the horizontal direction, but vertically.

Such systems will progress the concept of

transit-oriented development along a course of natural evolution, to polycentric citybuilding.

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EXCELLENCE AT ITS BEST JW MARRIOT MARQUIS HOTEL DUBAI

A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CONSULTING FIRM BASED IN DUBAI, ARCHGROUP CONSULTANTS OPERATES ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF MARKET SEGMENTS, SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING BUILDINGS IN THE LEISURE, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND RETAIL SECTORS.

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Employing an experienced and highly talented pool of architects, engineers and other professionals, it has a reputation for fast tracking projects and in doing so benefiting the client with more rapid turnaround periods from conception to realisation.

Established by Issam Galadari and A. Korgaonkar, the firm has grown over the years into a closely knit, efficiently managed team of professionals lead by Ashok Korgaonkar and sharing a common vision combined with a pragmatic and practical approach. Moreover, with extensive in-house capabilities, allowing it to handle all aspects of design, supervision and project management, Archgroup has continued to expand and evolve, and today is working on a broad portfolio of important and prestigious projects. These include several hotels in Dubai, a number of high-end residential developments, a 400+ unit apartment building, plus work for its regular clients such as Emirates Airlines and Emaar.

there is a 100-storey residential tower set to be built in the not-too-distant future.

Currently, Archgroup is also undertaking a project in Nairobi, which consists of a hotel, commercial space, and a shopping centre. These kinds of complex projects, with major issues of coordination and creativity, are very much an area of specialisation for the firm.

Setting Itself Apart Archgroup’s core values and business philosophy revolves around practicality,

with simple design solutions that are cost-effective and efficient. In today’s marketplace, clients are looking for efficiency in planning as it translates directly to the revenues and earnings.

That is why Archgroup tends to design its buildings more from the inside out rather than outside in. Of course, the exterior is important, but the firm realises that the interior is where people have to live and work and so both aspects should go handin-hand.

Specialising in Large-Scale Projects Although renowned for its work in the hospitality sector, Archgroup has also made a name for itself in other sectors and markets. At the present time, for instance,

ASHOK KORGAONKAR -FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER OF ARCHGROOUP CONSULTANTS

ARCHGROUP CONSULTANTS 59 The firm puts a lot of effort in coming up with the right concept for a project. Often, whatever concept it presents to clients, around 95% is accepted straightaway, leaving just 5% of changes to be made. In addition, because project management is in-house, it is a very real strength of the firm, allowing it to bring the pre-contract and post-contract teams together before the project goes on the site. This results in a smooth hand over from design to supervision team and benefits the project during construction phase.

This enlightened, practical approach to business is a point-of-difference that their clients really appreciate. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that its designs are aesthetically appealing, not simply functional.

It’s a balance that blue-chip companies and organisations such as Emirates Airlines, Nakheel, and Emaar Properties recognise as adding value to their projects. A further point-of-difference is that the firm only chooses to work with select clients, operating with full transparency and being completely accountable for everything it does. These ‘ingredients’, when put together, sets Archgroup apart from its competitors.

difficult to choose just one to illustrate its expertise. However, when push comes to shove, Grosvenor House 1 and 2 in Dubai Marina can be taken as excellent examples.

When this project was undertaken the tower culture had only just begun in Dubai, with most tall buildings being rather bland. But when Ashok was asked by the Client to

design this building he looked at it as an opportunity to create something really different.

The idea was not to produce something that looked like a fantasy from the outside and had rather functional, usable spaces inside. Instead, Ashok took a holistic approach and created a stepping design that

created lots of terraces for the hotel rooms that ultimately gave the whole building a dynamic profile. It is a building that looks different from numerous diverse angles and this helps it stand out. Once people see it, they never forget it.

Creating Something Different Ashok and his team have successfully completed many major projects, so it is

ASHOK KORGAONKAR WITH THE GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS CERTIFICATION FOR THE WORLD’S TALLEST DEDICATED HOTEL IN FRONT OF JW MARRIOTT

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ARCHGROUP CONSULTANTS 61 Taking it to the Next Level Naturally, it has not all been plain sailing for Archgroup. One of the main reasons is that the partners hail from the Indian subcontinent and when the firm was launched the Middle East was dominated

by Western companies, and to a degree it still is. There was no Indian architect in the region who could take it to the next level, moving away from mid-sized projects to work on large-scale complex projects.

However thanks to esteemed clients who had confidence in Ashok’s team, they steadily got prestigious projects such as Grosvenor

House, Westin and JW Marriott Marquis.

Today Archgroup has become one of the most respected and sought-after firms in the industry, proving itself time and time again on large and complex projects. One such project, the Emirates Airlines Headquarters, is the largest commercial building in the GCC, not to mention a one-of-a-kind project. Around half-a-dozen international companies tendered for this prestigious job, but it was Archgroup that was eventually triumphant thanks to a proposal that was very practical and met the exact requirements of the client.

Another challenge in Dubai is how to attract and retain the very best people. The general trend is that personnel constantly jump from job to job looking for a promotion or a new challenge. Approximately three or four years of working with one firm is usually the norm. This is despite the fact that a company may have trained them, investing considerably in both time and money to create a motivated and qualified professional.

Ashok who this year completes 25 years of professional practice in Dubai got around this problem by taking on young architects and engineers, training them in the way that

the firm thinks and works, and then retaining them by continually working towards the next big challenge.This in his opinion is vital for retaining good people; everyone should be challenged in their work and rewarded by both successful projects and monetary gain. This goes a long way to explain why the firm has several architects and engineers who have completed over 20 years each.

They no longer want to return to smaller projects and prefer Archgroup’s approach to design and business which offers professional challenge and growth.

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OFFICE BRANCHES DUBAI | CAIRO | RIYADH | DOHA

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ARCHGROUP CONSULTANTS 65

ROVE HOTEL

Committed to Dubai Predicting the future in Dubai over the next few years is not an easy task. Conditions are tough at the present time. Having said that, Archgroup has work in hand that will take it to 2021. And because it has work booked for the next three or four years, the firm can be selective in picking up new projects. It is possible to wait for good

opportunities rather than taking the first thing that comes along.

Archgroup is therefore cautiously optimistic in the near to medium term, particularly as so many projects have been announced that will require companies with creativity, resources and excellent track records. This places the firm in an excellent position, and there is no doubt that it will

pick up new jobs as we approach Expo 2020.

In fact, the firm is more than confident about the markets that it operates in, and has no intention of expanding outside of the territories in which it primarily works, India and the UAE. Even in the UAE Archgroup is committed to concentrating on Dubai as it still remains one of the fastest growing city in the world.

Whatever the future brings you can be assured of one thing, when Archgroup Consultants carries out a project it does it in the best possible way where the client & project comes first and the end result is not only practical and cost-effective, but also aesthetically pleasing.

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66 NASSER LOOTAH REAL ESTATE

THE ART OF BEING UNIQUE NASA BUILDING

DELIVERING EXTRAORDINARY VALUE, WHILST ENSURING THAT ITS CLIENTELE FIND THE RIGHT PROPERTY FOR THEIR INVESTMENT, NASSER LOOTAH REAL ESTATE (NLRE) IS AN INTEGRATED COMPANY THAT CAN HANDLE COMPLICATED LAND TRANSACTIONS AND OVERCOME DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES.

NASSER LOOTAH REAL ESTATE P.O. BOX 1520 DUBAI UAE T: +971 4 2231520 E: INFO@NALG.AE W: WWW.NALG.AE

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Highly skilled and experienced in-house experts work as one team to identify the right solutions so that each individual building achieves the desired vision and suits the requisite business needs of the client.

Named after its founder, Nasser Abdulla Hussain Lootah, NLRE has been developing high quality residential and commercial property since 1976, overseeing each project from the perspective of an owner and investor and conducting an in-depth market analysis of the risks and rewards and deployment of capital in order to meet or exceed investment objectives.

Offering real estate management, leasing and brokerage services, NLRE has built a reputation for integrity, trust and transparency, with a portfolio that encompasses everything from office buildings, labour camps and warehouses through to land lease, villas and apartments.

team; a well planned long-term business plan; commitment to excellence and customer service; a close relationship with strategic partners and local authorities; a consistent ability to add value; and most importantly a steadfast pursuit of visionary development.

This enlightened business philosophy has led NLRE to develop some of the UAE’s most sought after properties, not least Duja Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road, in the heart of Dubai’s business district.

Prominently located, opposite the World Trade Centre and between the Fairmont and Sheraton Grand Hotels, Duja Tower is a proud new addition to what is an increasingly dramatic skyline. Its superb location also ensures easy access to a number of popular recreational destinations within the city, including beautiful parks, pristine beaches, the world-class Dubai Mall, and Burj Khalifa. The World Trade Centre and Emirates Towers metro stations are also within easy reach.

Duja Tower The core principles that mark out NLRE are the stability, creativity and professional expertise of its management

MR. RIYADH DAVIDS, GENERAL MANAGER - NASSER LOOTAH REAL ESTATE

NASSER LOOTAH REAL ESTATE 67 The 53-storey residential tower, which also consists of high-end retail and one level of executive offices, is a modern and elegantly designed building where space is maximised and well laid to allow for an optimal amount of natural sunlight. One, two and three-bedroom units are efficient, bright with clean lines, and feature modern high quality finishing. The tower will have a large landscape and a leisure deck with swimming pool, gym, spa, and ample parking, the latter being provided in a separate, 10-storey above grade structure, providing spaces for approximately 750 vehicles. A further 273 parking slots will be available on three levels of basement parking in the main residential tower.

High ceiling and huge glass windows with balconies provide a light and refreshing environment, while offering breathtaking urban views. Unit rates and sizes start from: • One bedroom: 1060ft2 • Two bedrooms: 1361 - 1650ft2 • Three bedrooms: 2040 – 2090ft2 • Rental rates start from: • One bedroom: AED 90,000 - 110,000 • Two bedrooms: AED 125,000 - 160,000 • Three bedrooms: AED 170,000 215,000 Designed by leading architects, these magnificent homes are built with a level of expert craftsmanship and attention to detail

that makes them stand out in a fiercely competitive marketplace.

Fresh and Creative Developments NLRE strives to build developments that improve the built environment, by way of architecture, thoughtful design, and high quality construction. The company’s success story takes in some of the UAE’s most prominent residences and commercial properties.

the house. Every villa has a car porch to accommodate two cars, plus a small garden area around the villa.

The clubhouse has a very spacious swimming pool, gymnasium, squash court, steam and sauna rooms, and a party hall.

There is also a children’s play area in the compound.

The 48 villa complex is most sought after by expatriates because of its quality, layout,

location, and its proximity to nine excellent schools.

Jumeirah Villas A new contemporary, up-to-the-minute development will soon be seen in the heart of Jumeirah 1; new four bedroom, semidetached villas within walking distance of the popular Mercato Shopping Mall and Jumeirah Beach.

Nasa Villas in Al Gharoud Al Garhoud is a residential and commercial area situated opposite Dubai International Airport in Deira. The community has schools, hospitals, five-star hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, clinics, petrol service station, residential apartments, individual villas and villa complexes.

The Nasser A. H. Lootah Villa compound consists of 48 semi-detached spacious villas and a clubhouse. Each of the roomy villas consists of one master bedroom, one ensuite bedroom, three bedrooms with a common bath, living room, separate dining room, family room, pantry, maid’s room, and a laundry room. The flooring is of marble in the living, dining, stairwell, and the family area, whilst the remainder has ceramic flooring. Windows are double-glazed to reduce outside noise, as well as to insulate

SHAMAL BUILDING

WE DELIVER WHAT WE PROMISE, WHAT YOU PAY FOR Elbros Manufacturing LLC was established towards the end of 2011.

In this short span we have managed to execute sizeable projects in UAE and outside, based on our determination to reach our clients, needs with best quality, prices and aftersales services.

We provide ourselves in providing custom unique solutions at very competitive prices.

Elbros Manufacturing LLC P.O. Box 97113 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 887 7242 | Fax: +971 4 887 7243 E-mail: kabardina@hotmail.com

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68 NASSER LOOTAH REAL ESTATE Nasser Lootah Building Located on Al Maktoum Road, Deira, opposite Etisalat Tower, within walking distance of the traditional gold and spice souqs, and five minutes away from Union Metro Station, Nasser Lootah Building includes a variety of spacious and wellmaintained residential units, consisting of one, two and three bedrooms with balconies.

In addition, it incorporates office space, showrooms and basement parking with 24 hours security monitored by CCTV.

Pink Building Located in Al Muraqabat, Deira, opposite to Suba Hotel and five minutes from Al Rigga metro station, Pink Building is fully residential and for family occupation only. A completely secure residence with fingerprint access, 24-hour security and

CCTV, it is within walking distance to popular restaurants, Al Ghurair Shopping Mall, hospitals, and schools. It also has easy and quick access to banks and Dubai International Airport.

Al Qusais Block A & B To be found in the prime location of Al Twar 1, this development has spacious residential units with balcony and 24 hour security, including CCTV. The building has elevators and an array of retail units (medical clinics, supermarkets, restaurants, laundry etc.) servicing the residential community.

Direct access to a public park, and located within a two-minute, walk to Dubai Airport Free Zone metro station, this is a family friendly property is within easy reach of schools within the Al Qusais, Mirdif and Garhoud areas.

Afra Building Situated on the Al Rigga Road, in the prime location of Al Muraqabat, Deira, five minutes away from Union Metro Station, Afra Building offers direct access to Al Ghurair Mall, Banks and Dubai International Airport. The popular Juice World restaurant anchors the ground floor retail. A secure facility with 24 hour security and CCTV, it offers residents a convenient city lifestyle.

Al Shamal Building Positioned in the leading location of the gold souq, Deira, near the Gold Land Building and close to the Al Ras and Palm Deira metro stations, Al Shamal Building offers free maintenance and 24 hour security, including CCTV. The building is within walking distance to the fish market, gold souq, restaurants, and shopping outlets, with

easy access to banks and Dubai International Airport.

Fulfilling Dreams NLRE consistently generate value and offer a history of going beyond anticipated returns. It takes pride in its diverse portfolio of properties, creating significant value for tenants and investors.

The company has built its reputation on integrity, fairness and loyalty, and, priding itself on its time-tested and outstanding business strategy, taps into the wisdom of its management team to ensure every business move it makes is aligned with its values, partnerships, and long-term goals.

That’s what NLRE has been doing for over four decades, whilst creating real estate solutions where families and businesses can fulfill their dreams and live life to the fullest.

QUSAIS BUILDING

NASA VILLAS

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Advertorial

Schindler - Matteo Napoli

A:

At the global level, we have introduced Schindler Ahead, which embeds the concept of IoEE - Internet of Elevators and Escalators; over the coming years, our portfolio of elevators and escalators will become interconnected. This means that the elevator’s firmware can receive update data just like a computer or smartphone, so their performance will always be monitored, and continually improving.

SCHINDLER UAE IS THE EMIRATES BASED ARM OF THE SWISS SCHINDLER GROUP, AND FUNCTIONS AS ONE OF THE LEADING NAMES IN MOBILITY AND ELEVATOR TECHNOLOGIES IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST FASCINATING AND RAPIDLY GROWING ECONOMIES – THE UAE. WE SAT DOWN WITH MATTEO NAPOLI - MANAGING DIRECTOR UAE, FOR A QUICK Q&A SESSION TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PRODUCTS AND INNOVATIONS SCHINDLER CONTRIBUTED TO DUJA TOWER. EMIRATES PROJECTS REPORTS.

&

Q:

Can you give a quick introduction to Schindler, who you are and what you do?

A:

Schindler UAE represents the local interests of the 60,000+ personnel strong global Schindler Group; a Swiss company established in 1874 and specialised in the production, installation and maintenance of elevators, escalators and urban mobility systems.

Q:

So, lets get straight into it, what type of equipment has Schindler UAE used in Duja Tower, and why?

MATTEO NAPOLI

Managing Director UAE

Schindler Pars International Ltd.(Dubai Branch) Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Safa 2, Indigo Building 5 P.O. Box 117117, Dubai UAE T: +971 4 3760129 F: +971 4 3805502 E: info@eg.schindler.com W: www.schindler.com

A:

Duja Tower is the newest addition to the Shiekh Zayed Road ‘forest of skyscrapers’, at approx 195m tall the tower needed a reliable, quick, and efficient vertical trasportation solution. To meet this requirement we have deployed our Schindler 7000 elevators, these are our top of the line high-rise capable units, able to travel at tremendous speeds both safely and comfortably.

In addition to this we have installed Schindler PORT technology, a destination dispatch terminal, which in Duja Tower, allows occupants to call an elevator to their floor by use of an RFID chip card. This provides greater security for the building, and its occupants; a faster more efficient service for the users as the PORT system groups trips by floors; and lastly allows massive energy savings for building – PORT predicts traffic flow through a building, and where possible allows intelligent reduction of the elevators’ energy consumption without reducing the service provided to users. If current or forecasted waiting times fall below a defined acceptable value, an ECO mode switches the unrequired elevators into standby mode. Thanks to the reduced number of elevator trips and improved balancing of the elevators, a substantial amount of energy is saved.

Q:

It seems like Schindler puts great emphasis on R&D, are there any other innovations we can look forward to experiencing?

Similarly using the system, we can update advertising screens within elevators as and when needed. It can also be used intelligently - the system can, for example, be programmed to display food advertising when it is expected that the elevators will welcome lunchtime traffic at certain times of the day, all while allowing touchless interaction by the end user.

Schindler Ahead will also allow for predictive maintenance, meaning higher uptime for our entire portfolio, as well as allowing us to deliver a whole new level of service to our customers as well as pushing our ethos of safety and quality even further.

Q:

You mentioned quality being one of Schindler’s values – being a Swiss company, there is an assumption of quality – but can you share how you have translated that to the UAE market?

A:

Yes of course, but the first, and most important focal point is safety across Schindler globally – the safety of our end users, and our technicians. The second area of focus is responsiveness; how quickly our teams are capable of responding to clients’ needs, and also how quickly we, as an organisation, are able to adapt and move with the ever-changing market. Both safety and responsiveness then lead into our third area of focus – Quality. Quality of materials, of installation, of maintenance, of our people, of everything we do.

Schindler equipment is manufactured at our facilities around the world, and benefit from the Group’s 140+ years of experience in developing the highest quality products from the best quality materials.

Locally, Schindler UAE has invested heavily in establishing our own fully fledged training center of excellence; which is truly best in class. This outstanding facility allows us to bring our master trainers from Switzerland, to the UAE to then constantly train, refresh, and re-train our people – leading to an exceptionally talented and highly qualified workforce.

70 CENTRAL HOTELS

TRADITIONAL HOSPITALITY, UNTRADITIONAL PRICES MR ABDULLA ALABDULLA, VICE PRESIDENT - CENTRAL HOTELS

LAUNCHED IN 2015, CENTRAL HOTELS IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES IN THE UAE, WITH THE BUSINESS STARTING OUT AS DEVELOPERS, BUILDING VILLAS AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. IT THEN BEGAN TO INCLUDE HOTELS AND HOTEL APARTMENTS IN ITS PORTFOLIO, AND QUICKLY STARTED TO CREATE A BRAND THAT HAS SHOWN POTENTIAL AND SET A FIRM FOOTPRINT IN THE REGION.

CENTRAL HOTELS P.O. BOX 9970 DUBAI UAE T: +971 4 4544900 E: INFO@CENTRAL-HOTELS.COM W: WWW.CENTRAL-HOTELS.COM

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Offering everything from budget through luxury, Central Hotels is continually evolving and expanding, with two new Dubai-based hotels opening within the next few months; Royal Central The Palm and Bay Central both inspired

by Arabian hospitality. Introducing traditional culture to visitors from all around the world, these two hotels feature a wide array of local touches, from décor, and finishing. Avoiding the current stereotype of being ‘modern’, Royal Central The Palm and Bay Central are truly of their place, something that so many overseas visitors yearn for nowadays, but only few experience.This is just one of the many aspects of the Central Hotels philosophy which makes it stand out in a fiercely competitive marketplace.

Additionally, it offers the same quality as some of the finest five-star hotels, while still providing an attractive pricing policy.

Taking the upcoming property at The Palm (Palm Central) as an example, the hotel is interlaced with superior design, interiors, outlets, and facilities, which

reflects prices that are extremely competitive. A further attraction is it’s close proximity to the beach than any other hotel on the Palm Jumeirah, with exclusive beach access. Imagine stepping out from your hotel with the beach just a stone throw away.

Surrounded by five star hotels, Royal Central The Palm is the only four-star hotel in this area, so it is competing with some of the big players, attracting guests and vacationers that want to get the most out of their stay and a memorable experience, without breaking the bank on ultra-luxurious hotels.

It is the same with Bay Central in Business Bay, where business and leisure travelers can absorb the inspiring beauty of luxurious contemporary design and seamless detail, enhanced by genuine hospitality and personalised service. With spectacular views of the Dubai Canal and unobstructed sights of the Burj Khalifa, guests can enjoy a range of exceptional business and leisure options while staying in the hotel.

BAY CENTRAL - BUSINESS BAY

CENTRAL HOTELS 71 The company is not sitting back and resting on its laurels though, as it looks forward to ongoing growth in the years ahead. Aside from the two hotels mentioned, Central Hotels has a further property on the Palm Jumeirah, two upcoming projects in Business Bay, and one more hotel in Deira Islands.

Welcome Home

ROYAL CENTRAL - THE PALM

A Winning Strategy Of course, when launching a new venture there are always challenges, with Central Hotels being a high saturation from the existing competition. With this in mind, the company created a structure that offers a

value for money product while providing quality accommodations and experiences backed with competitive market rates.

It is a strategy that has reflected significant success, underlined by the fact that the company started with it’s flagship property,

First Central Hotel Suites in Barsha Heights, which is strategically located in New Dubai.

Just two years later, Central Hotels is opening two new properties at the same time in two prime locations after seeing the progress with First Central.

Mr. Abdulla Alabdulla, Vice President, Central Hotels said “With Expo 2020 very much on the horizon, new hotels will be opening regularly, with Central Hotels committed to retaining its competitive edge in the marketplace by continuing to offer unparalleled customer service, the finest facilities, competitive prices, convenience, and prime locations.” Guests are always greeted with a smile and made to feel as if they are staying in a home away from home.

Mr. Ammar Kanaan, General Manager, Central Hotels added, “Central Hotels is not a ‘robotic’ organisation. Its properties have a unique character and so does its staff – who understand that hospitality is about making guests feel welcome and comfortable the moment they walk through its doors; with the commitment of delivering the best service to make them feel that they are at home.”

ASSA ABLOY Hospitality

The world leader in hotel security.

Mobile Access

Your property security is no place to fall behind. That’s why ASSA ABLOY Hospitality has been leading the industry in security technology innovation for over 40 years, since introducing the world’s first electronic lock. Today, millions of guests around the globe are secured by our advanced solutions, including VingCard locks, Elsafe in-room safes, mobile access and integrated software platforms. With worldwide service and support in more than 166 countries, ASSA ABLOY Hospitality helps you put security out front and keep it out front.

VingCard Essence Lock

VingCard Allure Lock

Elsafe Safes

www.assaabloyhospitality.com mea.hospitality@assaabloy.com

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72 BW INTERIORS

THE HIGH PERFORMANCE CHOICE RICHEMONT OPERATIONS CENTRE, DAFZA DUBAI

BW INTERIORS GROUP OF COMPANIES IS PART OF THE BOWYER WICK GROUP, AND IS COMMITTED TO ENABLING ITS CLIENTS TO OPTIMISE THE VALUE AND RETURN ON THEIR PROPERTY ASSETS THROUGH THE DELIVERY OF INSPIRING AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE COMMERCIAL INTERIORS.

BW INTERIORS P.O. BOX 392871 DUBAI UAE T: +971 4 3392911 E: INFO@BWINTERIORS.AE W: WWW.BWINTERIORS.AE

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Widely considered the market leader and specialising in all types of interior fitout works, some of which are fully LEED certified, including hotels, restaurants, corporate offices, banks, airports, and retail, the group is always looking to develop and innovate, underlined by the expansion of its production facilities for export of bespoke joinery to Europe and the surrounding regions, as well as upgrading their facilities for MEP and Upholstery.

Included in the BW Group is the Visiontech Décor Division which has been set up as a streamlined operation which targets specific market segments which are sometimes overlooked by the bigger interior fit-out entities.

Renowned for its experience and expertise throughout the GCC region, with offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, BW Interiors is in the enviable position of having its own Electro-Mechanical, Joinery, Marble and Stone, Glass, Aluminium & Steel, and Upholstery divisions, all underpinned by the ability to produce its own drawings through its respective divisions’ AutoCAD departments. This allows BW Interiors to

maintain complete control over both programme execution and quality standards.

Electro-Mechanical BW Interiors’ MEP division feel strongly that any interior environment is only as good as the level of performance that the building services provide. It is therefore its key focus that all of its operatives pay particular attention to the technical requirements and benchmarks that all of its clients demand. Refusing to compromise on technical standards and applying the highest levels of selection when sourcing materials, the division offers a full range of MEP services, including design and installation of electrical, HVAC, firefighting, and plumbing services.

Glass, Aluminium and Steel Vision Tec LLC, a part of the BW Interiors group of companies, specialises in three disciplines: Structural Steel, Architectural Metals, and Glazing.Working out of a 10,000m2 state-of-the-art factory in Al Ghail Industrial Free Zone at Ras Al Khaimah, the firm has invested in a

comprehensive range of computerised numerically-controlled glass processing machines, steel fabrication and milling machinery, as well as a coating facility for steel.This allows for consistent high quality and accurate end products every single time.

Joinery BW Furniture Manufacturing is one of the leading producers of high quality furniture and joinery for the local region and international market. It has made a substantial investment in plant, equipment and manpower, leaving it in the enviable position of being able to maintain two highly automated factories staffed by highly trained supervision and tradesmen of all disciplines. The division’s ability and reputation for delivering the highest quality products to the market has seen its customer base expand dramatically over the past 10+ years ... and it continues to grow.

Marble and Stone AMBB Marble and Stone is located in Hamriyah Free Zone, Sharjah, and offers

BW INTERIORS 73 broad ranges of marble, granite, limestone and other natural stone material, as well as a range of technical support services. These include identification and supply of suitable materials, samples, and the production of workshop drawings developed from approved architectural plans. The division produce cutting sheets based on these drawings and offer practical advice related to optimum usage of materials and selection of suitable product. From its 13,000 m2 factory, its dedicated installation teams provide the highest level of workmanship and ensure that all works are installed to the best quality standards based on technical knowledge and qualifications.

Upholstery The upholstery division operates out of a well-equipped 10,000 ft2 facility in Dubai Investments Park, and has the capability to cater for all upholstery needs, including soft furnishings, drapery, cushions, fabric panelling, sofas and seating, and any other requirements its clients may have. Its philosophy is to ensure all work is of the highest quality, with particular emphasis on detail and longevity of materials.

Quality & Commitment

Passionate and Committed The group’s skilled and experienced managers and artisans allow its clients to complete their projects on time and to the highest standards, whilst competitive prices secure execution for a wide range of budgets.

This has allowed BW Interiors to win and successfully complete a broad portfolio of important and prestigious projects, including the award-winning Legatum Offices, Oracle New Office in Dubai Internet City, HSBC Offices in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the Dubai-based Provocateur Lounge & Club, H Hotel, Zuma, La Petite Maison, Nusr-Et, Coya Restaurant in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Gold on 27, plus Executive Offices at Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Also included, amongst many others is the recently completed Il Borro Tuscan Bistro, Tashas Café, and the newly opened Flamingo Room.

All projects have their own unique challenges and it’s the technical ability that enables the BW Team to professionally overcome these. Everyone within the group is immensely passionate about their work ... and it shows. That’s why, at all times, BW Interiors is challenging itself to look for new ways of adding value and improving efficiency; an approach that allows it to pass on numerous benefits to its valued clientbase.

RICHEMONT OPERATIONS CENTRE, DAFZA DUBAI

Technical and Decorative Products

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a MAKE REAL DIFFERENCE DAY NIGHT Y COMMUNITY FIGHT

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