NE WS IN BRI EF
Bahwan Contracting gets OAB’s new HO building contract Oman Arab Bank signed an agreement with Bahwan Contracting Company for the construction of the bank’s new head office building in Al Ghubra North. On behalf of Oman Arab Bank, the agreement was singed by Mr. Rashad Al Zubair – Chairman of OAB and by Mr. S.K. Virmani - Managing Director of Bahwan Contracting Co, on behalf of his company. According to a company release, the new building will be constructed using the latest in technologies and office ergonomics. The new Head Office building will cater to OAB's current and future requirements and will consolidate all of its departments in one convenient location with ample car parking spaces.
The project will be completed within a period of 18 months. Abdul Kader Askalan, CEO of Oman Arab Bank said: "This prestigious project of our future Head Office building will not only be a work of art in terms of architecture, but also a means of convenience that will enable our customers to transact their business with ease and efficiency as the design approach is very customer centric." The engineering and design consultancy for the building has been entrusted to Khatib & Alami and Partners, one
of the leading and renounced engineering consultancy offices in Oman. The HO building comprises basement, ground, and nine floors with a built-up area of 22,000 sq m. The development is on a plot area of 3200 sq m which is in a prime location off the Sultan Qaboos Highway in North Al Ghubra.
L&T Oman bags new contracts L&T Oman LLC has further strengthened its standing as one of the leading EPC contractors in the power transmission and distribution segment. Dhofar Power Company (DPC) awarded two contracts with a combined value of $75 million for the expansion of the Salalah power system, notably through the interconnection of the existing power transmission system with
the new Independent Water and Power Project (IWPP) under construction at Mirbat. The contractor will also build major substation facilities at North Awqad. “These projects are prestigious in nature and have great importance in developing the power transmission networks in Salalah. L&T has been associated with DPC for the past 10 years, executing various projects
– ranging from the Salalah power plant to the Turkey Annual Plan (TCAP) projects completed recently,” the contractor said in a statement. L&T’s expertise encompasses the spectrum of power transmission and distribution related activities, including the construction of substations, transmission lines, EHV cabling from 33 kV to 220 kV voltage levels.
First Apartment owners moves in at The Wave, Muscat The Wave, Muscat, has announced that the first apartment owners in Al Marsa Village have now moved in. The moving of the first residents marks a number of new developments taking place at The Wave, Muscat as the project advances, according to a press statement issued by the company. Two apartment owners have already settled in their new residences to date, and a constant flow of residents are expected to follow suit in the coming months. Michael Lenarduzzi, CEO, The Wave, Muscat said, “As we expand our portfolio of properties with focus on attractive investment opportunities, we continue to rely on up-to-date market 10 OER DOSSIER March 2010
trends, constant innovation and our in-depth understanding of the needs of the local and regional market.” He added, “With the handover of the first apartments and a number of construction efforts currently underway including Al Marsa Village and Greg Norman Links golf course, we are not only witnessing the residential community come to life but the birth of a new era for integrated tourism complexes in the Sultanate.” Hans Erlings, one of The Wave, Muscat’s
first apartment residents expressed, “A number of factors have drawn us to The Wave, Muscat ranging from its strategic urban location and marina to free hold property ownership and residency visas. I am also looking forward to future hotels and shops which will add more vibrancy to Al Marsa Village.”