Gulf Construction articles from December 2009

Gulf Construction archives from December 2009

Sigma launches new decorative textures.
December 1, 2009... Leading Saudi-based paint manufacturer Sigma Paints has launched two new ranges of decorative textures one for exteriors and the other for interiors Sigma Guardian Shell, which is designed for exteriors, comprises decorative textures that...

UPDATE.
December 1, 2009... Danieli to build Hadeed plant Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) affiliate Saudi Iron and Steel Company (Hadeed) has signed an agreement with Italys Danieli for the construction of a steel plant and a production line for galvanising long...

Bouygues builds $1.3bn Qatar finance hub.
December 1, 2009... Bouygues Batiment International, a subsidiary of the French Bouygues Construction group, has won a contract to build a vast real estate project in Doha, Qatar. The project, totalling QR4.75 billion ($1.3 billion), was awarded by Barwa Financial...

One-stop building shop wins award.
December 1, 2009... Akwaan Properties Bilda Building and Design City was awarded Project of the Year 2009 at the Kingdom Excellence Awards, which were held alongside the Kingdom Project Expansion and Investment Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last month The...

Riyadh metro work gets under way.
December 1, 2009... Saudi Arabia has started work on an ambitious light-rail project exclusively for its capital Riyadh, where 36 stations will be built in the first phase. This project is aimed at reducing congestion in a city where 87 per cent of the population...

GE opens Dammam ndt centre.
December 1, 2009... In conjunction with its local partner Abdulla Fouad Holding Company, GE Sensing and Inspection Technologies opened a $1-million non-destructive testing (NDT)?application centre in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Serving the kingdom and its neighbouring...

Hempel opens R&D centre in Bahrain.
December 1, 2009... HEMPEL Paints, a leading global decorative and protective paints company, has chosen Bahrain for inaugurating its first regional research and development (R&D) centre focused on the decorative segment The $500,000 state-of-the-art...

GCS builds Saudi embassy in Jordan.
December 1, 2009... The Gulf Co-operation Symbols Contracting Company (GCS)?is currently busy constructing an embassy for Saudi Arabias Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman, Jordan The turnkey project, which includes an employee camp, is to be built over an area...

Qatar presses ahead with $25bn rail plan.
December 1, 2009... Qatar has signed a deal worth QR91 billion ($25 billion) for an integrated railway project with German rail and logistics giant Deutsche Bahn Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company signed the venture with Deutsche Bahn (DB) to create the...

Causeway work in first quarter.
December 1, 2009... Construction of the worlds longest marine causeway that will link Bahrain and Qatar will begin in the first quarter next year, with completion due by 2015 Jaber Ali Al Mohannadi, general manager of the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway Foundation, said...

MTSG positioned for strong 2010.
December 1, 2009... Saudi Arabias Al Muhaidib Technical Supplies Group (MTSG) took advantage of a weak market in 2009 to consolidate its operations following recent acquisitions and position itself for a strong 2010. In a further show of confidence, the company is...

Pultron gearing to launch Dubai factory.
December 1, 2009... NEW Zealand-based Pultron Composites is opening a facility in Dubai to cater to the Middle East and North Africa (Mena)?region and Europe Construction work on the facility has been completed, says Dr Salwan Al Assafi, general manager, Pultron...

Ducab to launch $136m factory.
December 1, 2009... DUCAB has broken ground last month for a Dh500-million ($136-million) high-voltage factory at its head office in Jebel Ali, marking 30 years of operations in the UAE. The new factory will be the companys sixth plant, catering to high-voltage and...

Hyder wins double honour.
December 1, 2009... HYDER Consulting, the multi-national advisory and design consultancy, has won two BEIA awards one for its work on Burj Dubai and the other in recognition of the outstanding contribution to the civil engineering industry by a young Hyder...

Burj Dubai set for launch.
December 1, 2009... THE Burj Dubai tower, the worlds tallest building whose needle-shaped upper section is visible from 15 km away, will be launched in January marking a milestone for the construction industry in the emirate The 2,700-ft-tall skyscraper is the...

Hormann opens mideast base in Dubai.
December 1, 2009... HORMANN has established its own foreign subsidiary in the Middle East and will provide complete solutions for doors and loading sites as well as a comprehensive range of related services Europes leading manufacturer of doors for private and...

Interiors specialist scores a Leed first.
December 1, 2009... SUMMERTOWN Interiors says it has become the first company of its kind in the region to be awarded Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification from the US?Green Building Council (USGBC) for its headquarters in Dubai ...

Contractor to hire european professionals.
December 1, 2009... A JOINT venture between two leading companies will aim to execute world-class projects in the Gulf by importing manpower from Europe Hadeed Emirates Contracting (HEC), a UAE-based turnkey contracting company and Litana, a European...

$27m glass factory up and running.
December 1, 2009... A NEW glass processing facility has been launched in Ras Al Khaimah by Global Glass Solutions (GGS), a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of a diverse range of glass products in the region Built at a cost of Dh100 million ($27...

ACC to build $236m Abu Dhabi hotel.
December 1, 2009... ARABIAN Construction Company (ACC) has been awarded a contract worth Dh870 million ($236 million) to build the Regent Emirates Pearl Hotel in Abu Dhabi The contract was awarded by the Atlas Group in a joint venture with Tourism Development...

Chemicals giant Sika has winning formula.
December 1, 2009... The expertise of Swiss construction chemicals giant Sika was recently put to good use at the new Formula 1 racetrack at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE At Aldars multi-billion-dollar Formula 1 circuit, several of Sikas high-tech systems were...

Tekla takes centre stage at conference.
December 1, 2009... Tekla played a key role at a conference on building smart in the Middle East, which was held last month at The Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE At the two-day inaugural buildingSmart ME event, Tekla experts highlighted the advantages of building...

Pearl hits pour milestone.
December 1, 2009... DUBAI Pearls developer Pearl Dubai announced the milestone completion of the fourth and final raft foundation pour, achieved within the timeline of four months The raft foundation on Tower 4 of the project consisted of 11,500 cu m of...

Remraam on target.
December 1, 2009... WORK on the 22.6-million-sq-ft Remraam residential community in Dubailand is on target, with substantial progress having been achieved across all segments of construction, including external finishes. As much as 30 per cent of superstructure...

Big 5 show rings in high-profile deals.
December 1, 2009... A RECORD participation of exhibitors culminated in the announcements of high-profile deals at The Big 5 exhibition in Dubai, UAE, which was hailed by many as the best ever in terms of doing business Held last month at the Dubai International...

Danube launches eco-friendly wood products.
December 1, 2009... DANUBE Building Materials, the leader in construction, building materials and shop-fitting industries, launched certified eco-friendly wood products at The Big 5. The company reiterated its support for Dubais green building codes with the...

Mapei boosting its Dubai operations.
December 1, 2009... MAPEI, a global leader in the production of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for buildings, emerged triumphant at The Big 5, when its Keraflex product beat more than 140 environment-friendly products to grab a Silver 2009 Gaia Awards...

Dow launches chemical business.
December 1, 2009... THE Dow Chemical Company, a leader in science and technology, launched its new Dow Construction Chemicals (DCS) business at the fourth Annual Middle East Drymix Mortar Association (Medma) Conference, which took place during this years Big 5 show...

UPDATE.
December 1, 2009... ABC of industrial tools on show Echo Byoun International (EBI) was looking to widen its reach in the region when it showcased an extensive range of ABC Tools at The Big 5. The Dubai-based firm, the exclusive distributor of these tools in the...

Gulf Industry Fair takes on global flavour.
December 1, 2009... THE third Gulf Industry Fair (GIF) 2010 will have a truly international flavour when it welcomes visitors to the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIEC) from January 12 to 14 next year Organiser Hilal Conferences &...

AHEC wins ifi09 approval.
December 1, 2009... AMERICAN hardwoods earned overwhelming signs of approval and confidence from the regions top interior designers and architects during the recently-concluded ifi09 Dubai, the 24th General Assembly of the International Federation of Interior...

Summit to focus on piling.
December 1, 2009... THE third annual Piling & Deep Foundations Middle East Summit will put the spotlight on the need for high-quality, sustainable engineering techniques Hosted jointly by the Dubai Technology & Media Free Zone Authority, Deep Foundations...

Spanish design guru to star at Hotel Show.
December 1, 2009... ONE of Spains most influential design icons is to take a starring role at The Hotel Show 2010, the Middle Easts leading dedicated event for the hospitality and leisure sector, in Dubai from May 18 to 20 next year Jose Antonio Gandia-Blasco,...

Bobcat to showcase latest range.
December 1, 2009... BOBCAT will be presenting new developments in its compact equipment range including the latest in grading products for use by concrete and flooring contractors at the World of Concrete 2010, to be held at Las Vegas, US, from February 2 to 5 ...

DIARY OF EVENTS.
December 1, 2009... DECEMBER 14-16: Skyline Libya, international architecture and real estate development exhibition, at the Tripoli International Fair, Tripoli, Libya 17-20: Urban Furnishing, Park and Landscaping Equipment Fair, urban furniture and urban...

Region in for new form of contracts?
December 1, 2009... Is the Middle East ready for a new form of procurement? AMY WARD* believes that given the present scenario the time is ripe to consider new forms of contracts and outlines some of the options THE Fidic (Federation Internationale des...

Giving new form to Islamic architecture.
December 1, 2009... TONY KETTLE, international principal at the architectural practice RMJM, says the global downturn has revived interest in traditional Islamic forms of architecture across the Middle East, and sees the emergence of new sustainable designs that...

Waiting for take-off.
December 1, 2009... Despite a bad year for Kuwaits construction sector due to the global downturn coupled with a fall in oil prices, the country is now focused on springing back, with $8.7 billion worth of contracts to be awarded shortly WITHOUT mincing words,...

Pace keeps abreast of design trends.
December 1, 2009... From stunning towers that dominate the skyline such as the Kuwait Business Town (KBT) and Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), to sprawling educational and leisure facilities such as the College of Basic Education and the Kuwait International Tennis...

Ahmadiah projects scale new heights.
December 1, 2009... AL HAMRA tower, the stunning 77-storey office skyscraper will soon reach its full height with work currently under way on the 74th level of the building. On completion by the end of next year, the tower is expected to be the tallest sculpted...

Kirby steeled for growth in 2010.
December 1, 2009... A proactive approach characterises Kirby Building Systems strategy in the face of the global recession over the past year. The Kuwait-based manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings (PEB) and steel structures has been focusing on improving...

$7bn railway steams ahead.
December 1, 2009... Scheduled to be up and running by November 2012, the Haramain High Speed Rail project is being implemented on the fast-track, with prospective builders for Phase Two having been asked to submit their bids by next month, says Abdulaziz Khattak ...

$8bn KEC to kick off work in New Year.
December 1, 2009... WORK is expected to kick off at site on the Knowledge Economic City (KEC) when initial grading and plot demarcation activities start next year at the 4.8-million-sq-m high-tech knowledge-based economic city in Madinah. This apart, design work on...

Al Watania unveils gypsum plaster.
December 1, 2009... AL WATANIA Gypsum Company of Saudi Arabia has launched production of gypsum plaster, which is used in producing moulds for the manufacture of ceramic products The ceramic-mould plaster, which is the first of its kind to be produced in the...

Jabal Omar to ease pilgrims progress.
December 1, 2009... CONSTRUCTION work is well under way on the $3.2-billion Jabal Omar development project, which occupies a prime location ahead of the Grand Mosque in Makkah The 24-hectare (240,000 sq m) real estate project is primarily aimed at providing...

Tamimi wins Jamarat Bridge contract.
December 1, 2009... SAUDI-based Tamimi Membrane Structure has secured a contract to install a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) roof cover over the 950-m-long and 80-m-wide Jamarat bridge at Mina in Makkah The deal was awarded by Saudi Binladin Group (SBG), the...

Pipe conveyors score green point.
December 1, 2009... Greenbank Group has been investing heavily in environment-friendly pipe conveyor technology as a substitute for the still-in-use trough belt conveyors PIPE conveyors provide a suitable solution to address the operational difficulties faced...

Pipes in the groove with sustainability.
December 1, 2009... GROOVED joining technology has been providing a more efficient, cleaner and safer system compared with other pipe joining methods, such as welding, long before the evolution of green building, claims the US-based Victaulic, a leading producer of...

DSI acquires wastewater treatment ace.
December 1, 2009... DRAKE & Scull International (DSI) has acquired Passavant-Roediger, a global developer of wastewater, water and sludge treatment technologies with more than 5,000 installations and a presence in 13 countries across Europe, the Middle East,...

Masa uses safe pest control techniques.
December 1, 2009... The indiscriminate use of pesticides has caused much concern regarding their impact on the environment and health. NAIMUL HASAN, entomologist, R&D, at Masa Establishment, indicates the measures being taken by his company to minimise the...

Autodesk portfolio boosts efficiency.
December 1, 2009... AUTODESK has launched a software portfolio aimed at creating cost-effective and resource-efficient building designs that can be implemented easily and efficiently The 2010 Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Infrastructure Modelling (IM)...

Peri helps shape financial district.
December 1, 2009... Combining its ACS self-climbing and RCS rail climbing technologies, Peri has developed a new formwork solution that is playing a key role in an upcoming financial hub in Riyadh PERI is playing a key role at the core literally of a new...

RMD fast-tracks Dubai Parallel Roads project.
December 1, 2009... RMD Kwikform Middle East is supplying a complete formwork and falsework system for the construction of the bridges on Dubais Parallel Roads project. The new 10-km, six-lane road, incorporating five bridges is a much-needed bypass system running...

Next generation of formwork by Doka.
December 1, 2009... DOKAS latest generation of load-bearing towers the Staxo 40 is geared to meeting the challenges faced on todays construction sites, such as tight schedules and increasing costs, says its Austria-headquartered manufacturer The new system is...

Paschal speeds up work on Baghdad tanks.
December 1, 2009... PASCHAL formwork systems from Germany have recently been used in the construction of three large water reservoirs at Rassafa near Baghdad in Iraq. The three large tanks, each with a capacity of one million litres of freshly-treated water, will...

Meva makes pressure calculation easier.
December 1, 2009... GERMAN formwork manufacturer Meva says it has developed a new concrete pressure calculation method that not only takes new concrete types into account, but also enables the contractor to safely and accurately predict the setting behaviour of all...

Foam spray saves more energy.
December 1, 2009... Spray polyurethane foam is growing in popularity in the regions insulation market, says Amir Naqvi, commercial development manager, Honeywell Specialty Materials, Middle East RESIDENTIAL and commercial buildings have used closed-cell spray...

RWI buoyant with Yas Island order.
December 1, 2009... RUBBER World Industries (RWI), the leading manufacturer of closed-cell rubber insulation Gulf-O-flex in the Gulf and southeast Asia, has secured an insulation contract for Aldar Properties Yas Island a 25-sq-km world-class leisure and tourist...

Polyurethane panels preferred choice.
December 1, 2009... SET up a decade ago to meet the growing demand for polyurethane insulation panels in the local market, Jeddah-based Sandwich Panel Factory (SPF) has seen exponential growth over the years with its products now destined for markets as far apart...

IIC specialises in complex tasks.
December 1, 2009... SAUDI insulation contractor Industrial Insulation and Cladding Services (IIC) says it is the regional leader in its field of specialisation with the capacity to complete any size of insulation project no matter how large or complex in the...

New Whispers of quiet revolution.
December 1, 2009... Villeroy & Boch has launched the second-generation of its Whisper whirlpool system, which together with Invisible Jets, is set to add a new dimension to bathrooms and wellness VILLEROY & Boch has completely revised the design and...

Duravit designs tackle tight spaces.
December 1, 2009... BECAUSE of their inherent space limitations, many guest bathrooms and powder rooms face design challenges that leave them looking cramped or sparsely furnished, says Duravit which offers a wide range of products that aim to address these...

Dornbracht wins design award.
December 1, 2009... DORNBRACHTS Symetrics modular system has received the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany 2010 in the product design category. The product was among five gold and 18 silver award winners selected by the jury from over 1,200...

Cat mining truck packs more punch.
December 1, 2009... CATERPILLAR has unveiled its new 793F Cat mining truck the fifth generation of the 793, which promises higher standards of productivity, durability, operating ease, altitude capability, fuel efficiency and emissions control The 793F builds on...

Goldhofers system bridges the gap.
December 1, 2009... GOLDHOFER has developed a brand new vessel bridge system, becoming the only manufacturer to offer a technique to accommodate the eccentric centre of gravity of nacelles, according to a spokesman for the German company The global supplier of...

Faresin promotes handlers in the Gulf.
December 1, 2009... FARESIN Industries is eyeing the Gulf markets as one of the core business areas for its range of telescopic handlers particularly its telescopic elevators that are targeted at the construction sector. The Italian company has been constantly...

Camel forklift wows the crowds.
December 1, 2009... GULF Automobile Industry Corp (GAIC), which became the Gulfs first manufacturer of forklifts when it launched its Camel brand early this year, reports that interest in its new forklift was high at the Big 5 PMV in Dubai, UAE, last month The...

PROJECT WATCH.
December 1, 2009... BAHRAIN Diyar Al Muharraq Masterplan Owner: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) Budget: $2.2 billion Scope of work: The project calls for the design and construction of a 12-sq-km new island located north of Bahrain International Airport in Muharraq. It...

TENDERS.
December 1, 2009... Bahrain Tender No R/10/2009. Improvement of Wali Al Ahd Avenue Sheikh Daij bin Ahmed Avenue Municipality Avenue in Muharraq. Bid bond is BD4,000. Documents can be obtained from the Ministry of Works, tel: 17545555, by payment of BD50 (cheque)....