Kleindienst Group paired with engineering contractor Foundation Construction Group Ltd (FCG) last month to start work on The World’s Germany Island in Dubai, which makes up part of the developers’ Heart of Europe project. The developer was the first to break ground on the Nakheel-owned development, having started the soil-improvement operation; … [Read more...]
Masdar City update
News broke at the end of February that two of Masdar’s senior executives had left the project, with CEO Sultan Al Jaber reportedly steering a comprehensive review of the development deemed the worlds first carbon-neutral, zero-waste city and headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Director of innovation and investments Ziad … [Read more...]
Better Bridges
A tendency of the competitive Middle East construction industry has been to think rather short term; looking at initial costs and leaving the maintenance burden to future generations — particularly in the construction of bridges. However, the ‘cross that bridge when you come to it’ attitude (excuse the pun) is becoming a thing of … [Read more...]
Solar race
You would expect an aerial view of the sunny Middle East to reveal a blanket of power generating solar panels in designated clusters and lining the roofs of its many large buildings. However, the number of structures incorporating this technology is relatively small when you compare to some less-sunny European countries, such as Germany. The reason for … [Read more...]
BCDR to boost investor confidence
The Bahrain Centre of Dispute Resolution (BCDR), recently launched by the Ministry of Justice and delivered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA), will be governed by rules codified by Bahrain’s domestic legislation and is expected to increase investors’ confidence in the market. As such, the centre has been deemed an arbitration … [Read more...]
Saudi Arabia project update
While the economy in Saudi Arabia only entered a mild recession in 2009, construction was one of the hardest-hit industries, with projects worth US $39 billion cancelled last year, according to Euromonitor International. The country continues to face longterm economic challenges, including high levels of unemployment and one of the world’s fastest … [Read more...]
Construction industry urged to get serious about safety
It looks like 2010 is going to be an influential year in achieving best practice in the region’s construction industry, with recent government-led initiatives sending a clear message that safety is being taken seriously. In the UAE, Abu Dhabi is leading the way. Last month, Al Ain Municipality partnered with design and engineering company Atkins to … [Read more...]
Investors flock to Abu Dhabi
Liquidity concerns which triggered recent sell-off are unjustified, particularly in the case of Abu Dhabi given its strong fundamentals and government backing. The sector fundamentals in Abu Dhabi remain solid with exceptionally-high rental yields (circa (c) 10%) and an acute shortage in all segments, expected to persist until around 2013 (as stated in our … [Read more...]
10 Qatar projects forging ahead
Qatar has displayed resilience to the global economic downturn having posted one of the highest economic growth rates in the world in 2009 driven by its energy sector and liquid natural gas, according to Euromonitor International. The organisation reports that Qatar’s economy has been growing by more than 10% per year; boosted by growing world enery … [Read more...]
News feeds
