Construction Business News ME - August 2019

August 2019

Preferred Bank Partner

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE REGION'S CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS

Feature FM Companies give us an insight into the latest innovation and tech being used

Delivering The results Alan James Gammon, General Manager of Samana Developers, tells us why buying with Samana is a sound investment choice

P64 - This month's unsung hero is Joanna Pollard

A MEMBERS OF EMIRATES TRANSPORT BUSINESS CENTERS:

CEO Wissam Younane wissam@bncpublishing.net

// contents August 2019 // Issue #54

Director Rabih Najm rabih@bncpublishing.net Group Publishing Director Joaquim D'Costa jo@bncpublishing.net +971 50 440 2706

Sales Manager Vishvanath Shetty vish@bncpublishing.net +971 52 119 3077

Business Development Director Rabih Naderi rabih.naderi@bncpublishing.net +966 50 328 9818

Deputy Editor Kasun Illankoon kasun@bncpublishing.net

12 20 26 28 30 32 34 36 42 44 52 54 58

News Cover Story Sustainability Partnership Viewpoint Innovation Opinion Saudi Projects Market Overview Feature Talking Point Preview Machinery & Equipment

64 Unsung Hero www.cbnme.com

Art Director Aaron Sutton aaron@bncpublishing.net Photography Dhananjay Shekar Poojari Marketing Executive Vince Celestial vince@bncpublishing.net

SUBSCRIBE subscriptions@bncpublishing.net PO Box 502511 Dubai, United Arab Emirates P +971 4 4200 506 | F +971 4 4200 196 For all commercial enquiries related to Construction Business News ME contact sales@bncpublishing.net T +971 50 440 2706 All rights reserved Š 2015.

Opinions expressed are solely those of the contributors.

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construction business news me // August 2019 //

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// Editor's note

editor’s note Resilient Cities Just a quick note on how the Middle East is fast becoming a resilient real estate industry.

Abu Dhabi has been named the most resilient city in the Middle East, according to research by global real estate advisor, Savills. The United Arab Emirates capital featured highest in the Savills Resilient Cities Index, launched as part of its Impacts research programme, which examines which cities will be able to withstand or embrace the technological, demographic, and leadership disruption facing global real estate today and in 10 years’ time.

Courageous investors looking for long-term returns should look to Middle Eastern, Indian and second tier Chinese cities, as the markets that are likely to grow in the face of global disruption in the coming decades, but today

remain relatively untapped, says Savills. These regions are home to the ‘challenger cities’ identified in Savills Resilient Cities Index. The report specifically identifies Riyadh and Jeddah as among the eight ‘challenger cities’ that will make the biggest leaps up the ranking in the next decade. New York, Tokyo, London and Los Angeles are the top four most resilient cities today, and will remain so in 2028 according to Savills.

‘Challenger cities’ are poised to compete with established cities by using disruption to their advantage as they are often able to respond faster and more flexibly to swift changes in technology and society, says Savills, and are therefore ones to watch by real estate investors ready to take a long-term view.

On the web Keep up to date with all the latest news, features and much more on our website. www.cbnme.com

8

// construction business news me // August 2019

Kasun Illankoon Deputy Editor kasun@bncpublishing.net

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// Update An update from around the region

For News, features and more, Visit www.CBNme.com Follow us on twitter for breaking news: @cbn_ME Follow us on Facebook for up-to-the-minute breaking news

Projects

Meraas appoints ASGC to build the region’s most advanced cruise terminal

ASGC has been appointed to construct the new Dubai Cruise Terminal at Dubai Harbour, the first ever dedicated cruise port in the region, which when complete, will be the most advanced of its kind in the region.

Located in the heart of Dubai, in the vibrant area between Bluewaters and Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Cruise Terminal will become the 12

main hub for international cruise ships visiting or deployed in the region. The Dubai Cruise Terminal is part of Dubai Harbour – the industry-defining maritime neighbourhood by Meraas.

Work conducted by ASGC on the project will include the construction of two main cruise terminal buildings strategically positioned on a quay of approximately 1 km, in addition to service build-

// construction business news me // August 2019

ings, a central unit building with all associated fitout works, external works, and all fixtures, fittings and equipment.

Mr. Bishoy Azmy, CEO of ASGC, stated that projects that contribute to the development of the country’s infrastructure and sectors are ones ASGC is proud to be in, and that his company is committed to deliver this project utilizing the latest

construction processes.

With a combined floor area of 300,000 square feet, Dubai Cruise Terminal will create a unique, iconic entry experience to all cruise ship passengers who arrive in the emirate, and will have the capacity of accommodating complete passenger turnaround of two mega cruise ships concurrently, accounting to over 15,000 guests.

Energy

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy, Industry & Mineral Resources signs a contract for World Energy Congress

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will have a large presence at the 24th World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi after signing a major contract with the Organizing Committee today.

More than 20 organisations from the energy sector in Saudi Arabia are set to showcase their services during the World Energy Congress, highlighting the strength of the country’s energy secwww.cbnme.com

tor and its efforts to move towards a more sustainable industry model.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the 24th World Energy Congress will offer a unique platform for global energy leaders to explore new energy futures, critical innovation areas and new strategies.

As part of the contract

Saudi Arabia will host a 1,400 square meter pavilion – the largest country pavilion at the 24th World Energy Congress 2019.The country has recently outlined ambitious plans to boost its economy and the energy sector is central to its success. The country has set a target of generating 9.5 Gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.

Speaking at the event, Dr Matar Al Neyadi, said: “Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are leading the way in this region with the development of a sustainable energy sector. The World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi provides an excellent platform to showcase our ambitious plans for the future with the rest of the world.

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// NEWS

Residential

DAMAC Welcomes the First Residents of AKOYA DAMAC Properties has commenced handovers at the ‘Claret’ cluster of its landmark 55 million squarefeet master development, AKOYA. Claret, which consists of 315 townhouses, is nestled amidst lush green surroundings and worldclass amenities. Following the handovers at Claret, DAMAC is committed to delivering over 1,300 homes across other clusters in the coming months.

Construction works at AKOYA, which is DAMAC’s largest community development project, is in full swing, spurred by a slew of contracts that the developer has awarded over the last two years. All internal roadways have been constructed, and the highlyanticipated community center is in the final stages of completion.

Ali Sajwani, General Manager of Operations at DAMAC Properties said, “AKOYA

is a very special project, and we are thrilled to welcome the first residents to their modern townhouses

in Claret. AKOYA offers a carefully designed master plan that will make residents feel one with nature

in more ways are confident residents will holistic living

than one. We that our new truly enjoy a experience.”

// In numbers Apartments - Residential Market rent and Quarterly change 0%

120,000

-4%

100,000

-6%

80,000 60,000

-8%

40,000

-10%

20,000 0

Studio

14

1BR

2BR

3BR

// construction business news me // August 2019

QoQ Change

a rA re oo ur M

BZ

rn i Ro che ad

Co

lid Kh a Al

M

iya

ty Ci al ifa Kh

Sa a Isl diya an t d

Al R isl eem an d

f Al

Re e

er de ha G Al

Be

ac Al R h ah ar a ea

-12%

*(Figures in AED per annum)

Percentage Change

AED Rental*

-2%

140,000

Source: Propertyfinder and Chestertons

180,000 160,000

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// NEWS

Quote

Events

11th IREIS kicks off in October The 11th edition of the International Real Estate and Investment Show (IREIS), a leading investment platform and the only real estate event in Abu Dhabi that targets investors and consumers rather than trade visitors, is all set to take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from October 30, 2019 until November 1, 2019.

Organized by Dome Exhibitions, the three-day event is expected to bring under one roof regional and international real estate investors, brokers, and developers from the Middle East, Europe, and Asia Pacific to showcase their wide spectrum of property develop-

ments alongside an array of immense investment options as well as consultation and financing opportunities.

IREIS is taking place as the much-awaited Expo 2020 Dubai draws nearer. Expo 2020 has boosted the economic activities in Dubai and the UAE, further driving key local industries such as the real estate sector. After the country won the right to host Expo 2020, local property developments have expanded exponentially in anticipation of the arrival of millions of international visitors and participants. The industry is also expected to sustain its upward trajectory post-Expo 2020.

Find us on youtube Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see things like site visits, interviews and much more

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// construction business news me // August 2019

This is a crucial time for the global green building movement as we look to drive action in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals within the built environment as well as roll out a new strategic plan for the WorldGBC.�

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC Agreements

DLD signs MoU with Tanami Properties to support Manzili initiative

Dubai Land Department (DLD) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tanami Properties (TP) through which DLD will support the Manzili initiative launched by TP. The MoU aims to strengthen the strategic partnership between the public and private sectors, achieving public interest to develop Dubai’s real estate market.

Under the MoU, the two parties agreed on the impor-

tance of encouraging real estate investment. DLD showed a willingness to sponsor the Manzili initiative to provide real estate opportunities for multinational people working in the UAE, enabling them to purchase suitable homes to match their needs. This initiative is based on the fact that everyone can buy the right home, enter into a payment plan to buy a home, or begin saving to buy a house.

Building the UAE’s highest road Jebel Jais is part of the Hajar Mountain Range in Ras Al Khaimah.

It is the highest peak in the UAE. And for centuries unreachable by most.

For 8 years, a fleet of Volvo FMX Trucks carried a total of more than 5.5 million cubic meters around the clock building a 36 km road that goes up more than 1910 meters. The rugged terrain, steep slopes and loose rock were not a challenge for Volvo FMX, which is built tough for such conditions. That is why more than 30 of our Volvo FMX trucks completed this ambitious road project without any major breakdown.

To watch the full video please visit www.volvotrucks.ae/jebeljais

www.volvotrucks.ae/jebeljais

// NEWS

Development

Deyaar Nears Completion of Two Districts at Midtown Development

Deyaar Development PJSC (“Deyaar”), one of Dubai’s leading property developers and real estate service providers, has reached nearcompletion of two districts within its Midtown community development. Afnan (seven buildings / 659 apartments) is now over 96 percent complete, while Dania (six buildings / 579 apartments) has hit 87 percent completion.

This family-friendly community has a construction area of more than 5 million 18

sq/ft and is located in Dubai Production City. It comprises 26 buildings across six districts, including the Afnan and Dania Districts. Both will be ready to be handed over later this year. In addition to providing easy access to local amenities, Midtown has excellent transport links to Dubai International Airport, and Al Maktoum International Airport, as well as the Dubai Expo 2020 site.

Saeed Al Qatami, CEO of Deyaar, said: “We have al-

// construction business news me // August 2019

ways been committed to providing high quality alongside competitive price points. As always, Deyaar is committed to delivering quality projects that meet our exacting standards, in terms of build, location, and return on investment. We are pleased with this continued progress.”

Bella Rose, Deyaar’s 18-story residential building, includes 478 units featuring studios, one and two bedroom apartments located in Dubai Science Park.

The residential buildings are currently at 28 percent completion. This Al Barsha South residence combines elegant living spaces with an ideal location. GEMS World Academy, JSS International School, Mediclinic Parkview Hospital and Neuro Spinal Hospital are all nearby.

Over the years, Deyaar has delivered an extensive portfolio of commercial and residential properties, all offering the highest levels of service and quality.

Agreements

Signify and Diamond Developers sign an MoU for collaboration on sustainable lighting innovations Signify, the world leader in lighting, and Diamond Developers, the real estate developers of one of the worlds’ first fully sustainable communities, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as part of their mutual commitment to utilize creative and innovative technologies and solutions designed to promote sustainability.

The partnership is in line with Signify’s strategy and purpose to unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world and its commitment for sustainable revenues and operations across www.cbnme.com

the globe. During the signing ceremony of the MoU, Goktug Gur, President and CEO of Signify, Middle East, Turkey and Pakistan, said: “Our mission at Signify is to improve people’s lives with meaningful innovations. In collaboration with Diamond Developers, our technologies will support the UAE in its transformation towards a smart city that is sustainable, livable, and connected. We are proud to have Diamond Developers as our key partner and we are looking forward to creating a positive socio-economic impact together.’’

Faris Saeed, CEO of Diamond Developers – The company behind The Sustainable City – added: ‘’we are committed to transforming the UAE into the most sustainable country in the world through adopting innovative solutions and technologies. Through our valued partnership with Signify we will be incorporating a wide range of advancements to the city’s lighting infrastructure to deliver a substantial improvement in the overall quality of life in our cities.”

The agreement is built on two pillars of collaboration;

the first pillar is centered on providing the latest advanced lighting solutions and innovations that contribute to the city’s green branding and drive its overall sustainability.

The second pillar focuses on horticulture solutions, in which Signify distinguishes itself through a customercentric approach, where a plant specialist and application engineer work together to offer the grower a business case, financial services, plant growth expertise, installation expertise, LED systems and community networking.

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// Cover Story

DELIVERING THE RESULTS Alan James Gammon, General Manager of Samana Developers, tells us why buying with Samana is a sound investment choice and why this is the right time for Samana Developers to build properties in Dubai.

S

amana Developers, a boutique developer in Dubai, appointed Alan James Gammon as General Manager to execute three project launches in 1st Quarter of 2019, along with managing an ongoing Samana Greens residential project in Arjan-Dubailand district near Miracles Gardens, and to introduce them to the international investor hubs.

Alan would oversee activities including overall project/asset management of Samana Developers, new business, joint-venture partnerships, expansion, operations, marketing and end to end customer management.

According to a statement on the company website, Imran Farooq, Chief Executive Officer of Samana Developers, said: “The appointment of industry expert Mr. Alan is a reflection of our commitment to completing

20

our projects well on time with high quality, healthy living environment and developing potentially high yield properties. Alan’s extensive expertise in real estate, customer service and hospitality will help firmly position Samana Developers in the real estate market of Dubai.”

Alan said, “I thank Samana Developers for their trust in me and I am excited to work with a boutique high caliber developer who has a reputation of commitment to their investors and end-users. I am sure our synergy will be a win-win scenario for the developer and investors alike.”

Samana Developers’ maiden project Samana Greens will be Alan’s first and foremost assignment to oversee the construction progress of 140,000 square-feet property and ensuring ontime completion and delivery. Samana

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“Being in the company for such a short amount of time, we have already launched one project, which is Samana Greens back in 2018 where we broke ground in April. We have taken the project from a limited amount of sales to the project being sold out in the short period of time,� www.cbnme.com

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// Cover Story

Greens is located in Dubai’s tourist hot-spot of Arjan-Dubailand, which is home to Miracle Garden, the world’s largest natural flower garden.

“Being in the company for such a short amount of time, we have already launched one project, which is Samana Greens back in 2018 where we broke ground in April. We have taken the project from a limited amount of sales to the project being sold out in the short period of time,” said Alan.

Samana Greens is being developed as per the green building best practices utilising the green technology.

The residential units are loaded with smart home technology to enable them energy-efficient making residents’ stay 22

more comfortable and luxurious.

Pushing for sustainable practices is something that Alan is proud of, “Every opportunity we get to use ecotechnology to be more sustainable we would use it. So, if we do have the capacity to use solar energy, if we can recycle water, we would completely embrace and utilise it in any project to ensure the property is sustainable.”

The Dh75 million Samana Greens residential project – a freehold property – will deliver 131 residential units comprising of studio, One & two-bedroom apartments.

“The styling is somewhat different as it has a slightly bigger version of a normal 1 bedroom apartment and will

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all have their own private pools and a very large leisure deck featuring a very large indoor and outdoor gymnasium,” Alan explains.

Dubai’s mature and well-regulated real estate market and its inclination to high-quality living have given the confidence to start their journey in the real estate market.

As a new developer, Samana sees enormous possibilities for their projects to be well-received.

“We have been buying and managing properties for some time before we started our first project. We’ve had these plots for a number of years now and we believe now is the right time to launch these projects especially with

Expo 2020 Dubai nearby,” said Alan.

Alan emphasises on why buying a property with Samana Developers is a sound investment choice for the buyers. “It allows people to put their foot in the actual property market, which you would not be able to do before due to high prices. But, by buying from the developer and paying the 10% down payment and then taking the payment plan you actually cover the price of the property by the time you would want to move out or make changes or upgrade from a studio to a one-bedroom,” said Alan.

“It is becoming a growing trend for people to go for the payment plan and it incentivises people to invest www.cbnme.com

and even the possibility of retiring here as well. Whereas, people before tended to leave after 20 to 25 years and go home when Dubai has been there home for such a long time and now people have the opportunity to stay here and live here and enjoy their retirement,” further added.

Alan’s past work with DAMAC Properties as Vice-President of Customer Service; Majid Al Futtaim in the similar position; Funsho International as Director Business Development; Royal Group as Chief Operating Officer and with Shaikhani Group in a similar role shows his in-depth experience this industry and particularly on how customer-focused they are.

“When customers buy from Samana, you become a part of the Samana family. It is not just a one-off transaction and that has already been seen with our second project which is Samana Hills and the customers who gave purchased in Samana Greens are already keen to buy in Samana Hills,” remarked Alan.

As a developer, Alan points out the importance of finishing their projects on time and making sure the handover goes smoothly.

“We have our own project team in-house who work very closely with the consultants and sub-contractors.

We also have agreements where we would pay the subcontractors through

construction business news me // August 2019 //

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// Cover Story

the escrow accounts and also the main contractor,” said Alan.

“Our message is clear: Do the work and we will pay you the money on time. No contractor has any outstanding invoice with us for more than fourteen days as every invoice has been settled on time. It is the key to the way the company is running. We value our people, we value our customers, and as a supplier to us we will work hand in hand with you to ensure that relationship is developed,” Alan further elaborated.

Alan further elaborated: “We don’t want to start projects that we say we are going to build but it takes 6 to 12 months to break ground. When we say we are actually launching it means we are breaking ground and are constructing it already. We don’t use the customer’s money to start building, we are self-funding the project so that puts us apart from the rest because we self-fund the projects.”

With Samana Greens and Samana Hills being a success the company is now moving onto their third project, Samana Golf which is expected to break ground this year.

“We are at the design stages of the third project, which is Samana Golf Avenue which we would be launching

by October and we’ll be completing Samana Hills by 2021.”

Alan is also aware of the possible challenges that Samana Developers would face in the future.

“Challenge to deliver a quality product and on time as well. We need to have a back-up plan just in case something goes awry. Also, as the laws governing the real estate sector changes we must make sure we are flexible and can adapt to those changes that meet the regulatory requirements as well,” said Alan.

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// construction business news me // August 2019

// Talking point

BEA Project Building Efficiency Accelerator Project (BEA) is aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices. We talked to Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman, EmiratesGBC, on his thoughts about the project.

Tell us the challenges faced when doing the BEA project?

The data collection phase of the BEA Benchmarking project was the lengthiest phase as a result of the number of buildings and the types of data being collected. Each building typology had its own unique challenges. For example, not all schools have onsite facility management or additional human resources to assign the task of gathering the required data, and often times schools do not track water and energy consumption separately but instead look at the overall cost on consumption. While 26

this is useful from a financial perspective, it does not allow proper evaluation of the operational energy and water efficiency making it difficult to benchmark their consumption against their peers.

Data collection from malls required a significant amount of time understanding the energy flows within the malls before any data gathering and analysis could be conducted. The prime challenge was that some malls do not sub-meter the cooling consumption of their tenants, making it difficult to isolate the tenants’ contribution from the

// construction business news me // August 2019

common space consumption.

The various mall owners and operators calculate performance metrics differently, and after compiling the data from the participating properties, we would recommend that they use the performance metrics indicated in the report to provide them with an industry baseline in order to harmonize future benchmarks.

Do the results reflect a positive trend in the region/country?

The BEA Benchmarking project demonstrates that some of the participating schools, malls and hotels, were

to be higher consumers of energy and water. Among malls, the the lowest consumer uses 35% less energy and 58% less water per area compared to the highest consumer.

The results show that there is still a lot of room for improvement which invites the need for deep building retrofits. We are confident that the benchmarking results are a great first step for underperforming properties to explore viable opportunities to enhance their environmental footprint.

already ahead in achieving high levels of energy and water use efficiency, reflecting a positive trend of the UAE’s move toward improved energy performance in buildings.

However, the BEA findings demonstrate performance disparity in all three groups. The study revealed that the best hotel and hotel apartment performers consume 58% less energy and 65% less water per unit area than the worst performers in the category.

The best performers among schools consume 61% less energy and 84% less water per unit area compared to the worst with newer schools likely www.cbnme.com

What steps can be taken to rectify issues with buildings which are consuming too much energy?

The report’s findings reveal that there is a strong potential for savings and operational efficiencies that can be achieved through remedial actions such as audits, retrofits, energy management and the use of awareness campaigns or trainings to drive changes in behaviour. For instance, the worst performing properties are advised to explore the reasons behind their underperformance and consider deep retrofits as a substantial measure in improving their buildings overall performance.

As a next step, EmiratesGBC will provide the participating hotels, schools and malls with tailored scorecards to highlight the performance of the properties and to support them in deciding where urgent action is

needed to increase efficiency and building performance.

Tell us about your experience at WFES and what were the positive developments you saw at the event?

This year we supported WFES 2019 as a knowledge partner under the Green Buildings Forum and Exhibition. During the Forum I delivered a key note address to provide an overview of the green building market, global trends and challenges currently faced by the industry. EmiratesGBC also had the opportunity to present the key findings of the BEA Benchmarking project.

The Forum was an opportunity for industry experts to discuss important issues faced by the UAE green building industry and provide insights into topics such as retrofitting, net zero buildings, government targets, health and wellbeing, amongst other topics important for the industry’s development.

This overall dialogue was also conducive in inviting the industry to sign the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, which encourages businesses and organisations across the world to take advanced climate action by setting ambitious targets to eliminate operational carbon emissions from their building portfolios by 2030, and to advocate for all buildings to be Net Zero in operation by 2050.

construction business news me // August 2019 //

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// Partnership

CCS partners with global technology giant, RIB Software RIB Software SE announced the successful signing of the 70% acquisition of CCS in South Africa.

RIB Software SE, the world’s leading provider of iTWO 4.0 Cloud Enterprise Platform Technology for the construction and real estate industries, announced the successful signing of the 70% acquisition of CCS in South Africa. The purchase price amounts to 31.5 Million USD, based on an 8.5 EBIT/DA multiple.

CCS was founded in 1982 and is generating 13.6 Million+ USD ARR revenue (more than 18 Million USD revenue in total forecasted for 2019) with high profitable EBIT/DA margin of ~30% in a high potential and fastgrowing market. 160 highly professional vertical construction software experts are working mainly out of the Group HQs in Johannesburg and Cape Town. 50% of the company’s revenue comes out of Africa and around 30% out of Middle East.

Other important markets include the U.K., Portugal, India, Australia and New Zealand. Africa is undertaking an economic, socio-political and technology transformation and will grow to a 2.5 Billion population or will reach 25% of the world’s population in 25 years. The Generation Z (Gen Z) stands today (people under 20 years) for 50% of the African population.

This Gen Z will be around 30-35 years old in average at this time. Africa is the future and one of the top future markets like India, China and has the potential to even surpass markets like EU. RIB wants to support Africa to develop cities and infrastructure for the Gen Z. With the investment in CCS and through the partnership with the leading IT-Services provider in Africa, 28

the EOH Group, we will provide comprehensive solutions to our clients in Africa like we do in Australia and other markets like German speaking or Spanish speaking markets.

CCS’s cost estimation and project control software, Candy, is today already the No.1 in Africa, and with BuildSmart, CCS has developed a complete construction solution similar to an iTWO 4.0 concept for the African, Middle East and other select markets.

We believe that the 40,000+ CCS USER community can readily be converted

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onto the MTWO Cloud. Together with CCS we also plan to develop the MSP Business in Africa.

“We are very proud to be partnering with an industry leader like RIB, which will bring a wealth of opportunity to CCS, our Clients and our team. We are particularly excited by RIB’s ambitious growth strategy and leadership in building the first construction industry cloud platform that we believe will provide significant value to our Clients.

The investment by RIB in CCS affirms our leading market position as a provider of cost and enterprise management solutions to the construction & engineering industry. We look forward to the exciting journey of “Running Together” with RIB, as we continue to develop and scale CCS.” Andrew Skudder, CCS CEO. “The investment in CCS can be seen as one of the most important milestones in the globalization process of RIB Software SE and to defend the global market leadership for our iTWO 4.0 and MTWO platform technology.

RIB’s target is to be the international market leader for BIM digital transformation in the building and infrastructure (AEC) vertical in America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia.” Tom Wolf, CEO of RIB Group.

Take a break from your project stress with CCS state-of-the-art software.

For over 35 years, our software solutions have been developed for contractors by contractors. At the leading edge of industry trends, Candy and BuildSmart put you in complete control of your project: from check-in to check-out, a 7-star experience.

CCS proudly partnered with contractors involved in landmark hotel and hospitality projects including Burj Al Arab, Emirates Palace, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, Madinat Jumeriah and Atlantis the Palm.

Let us help you find your piece of paradise today.

“CCS is the best construction estimating and project control software I have come across. Saving half the time coupled with the accuracy and efficiency it provides, easily surpasses similar software applications.�

David Baker, Estimating Manager, HLG, Qatar.

Set yourself free today and call on +971 4 346 6456 or check-in at info@ccsgulf.com or www.ccsgulf.com

// Digital

The Right Time to Buy in London – Now

by Hussain Sajwani, Founder & Chairman, DAMAC Properties

Over time, my relationship with London has evolved at many different levels. From a business, as well as a personal perspective, I have come to love this city; and I am not the only one. London is loved by millions of people all around the world, especially in the UAE and the Middle East. Its property has long been considered as a prestigious and worthy asset and has attracted global investors for decades. The city has been a top choice for real estate investors from the UAE; and 30

recently, it has become even more attractive and achievable. Recent arguments suggest that it is perhaps the best time to invest in London’s illustrious real estate market and I would have to agree.

In recent times, political uncertainty arising from the long-drawn Brexit situation has cast a shadow on the economic outlook of the country.

Moreover, stagnating property prices and taxes are adding to what some may see as reasons not to buy. However, for smart investors, these very

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uncertainties offer the right conditions to strike great property deals.

While the short-term uncertainty from Brexit may seem like a deterrent to many investors, those who invest now stand to benefit once the UK’s economy is back on track.

Industries that are expected to be affected the most will eventually adjust considering that historically, the UK has demonstrated the ability to be flexible and bounce back.

Additionally, London is facing a disparity between diminishing rental

supply and rising demand, a scenario that is favourable to both first time buyers and those looking at further diversifying their investment portfolios. With rents estimated to grow 15% by 2023*, long term rental returns for buy-to-let investors look very promising.

The fluctuations in the value of Sterling against the greenback, to which the UAE dirham is pegged, is another impetus for investors to buy in London. At the start of 2016, before the Brexit vote, one GBP stood at the USD1.4 mark. Today, the pound hovers around USD1.27.

The GBP’s relative weakness is a great opportunity for residents of the Middle East to buy property. Even in this case, as the pound recovers over time, investors will start raking in the gains. Owing to the strong dollar, UAE investors invested nearly USD132 million in London properties in 2018*. I suspect that many investors are playing the waiting game in anticipation of the pound further weakening depending on the eventual outcome of Brexit.

While the falling GBP and uncertainties around Brexit have certainly created a favourable environment for UAE investors looking to buy in London’s real estate, the city’s growth, its vision and efforts to reimagine itself are perhaps the most substantial reasons to invest.

As London grows, urban regeneration in and around the capital is at an all-time high. Areas such as Wood Wharf, Hackney Wick, Greenwich Peninsula, and Nine Elms are prime examples of a new wave of real estate developments in the city. Nine Elms, which is emerging as London’s newest district, is one of Europe’s largest regeneration projects covering an area of 227 hectares. Touted to be the final piece of the Central London Jigsaw, the project is designed as a response to the growing demand for co-living spaces featuring commercial and retail facilities, new schools, lush green parks, Thames river frontage www.cbnme.com

and over 20,000 residential units.

DAMAC Tower Nine Elms London is our landmark project in this upcoming neighbourhood. Rising 50 storeys, the ultra-modern tower is all set to stand out as the latest addition in London’s iconic skyline. For this project, we have signed an exclusive partnership with Versace Home to offer residents the ultimate in branded living experiences. More importantly, DAMAC Tower Nine Elms London symbolizes our faith in London as an evergreen destination for real estate investments.

Real estate investment decisions, which are primarily driven by price and promise of returns, are also about the investors’ level of comfort in a market. In my opinion, one of the

main reasons why investors in the UAE are so comfortable with investing in the UK is the uncanny similarity between the two countries and their markets. London, like Dubai, is a multicultural, diverse and tolerant city, encompassing more than 200 nationalities and 300 languages. Both the UK and the UAE share strong business fundamentals and encourage transparency when it comes to governance. I see 2019 as a year of opportunity in London. Soon, the Brexit dilemma will be over, and London’s appeal as a haven for global investors will burn brighter than ever before.

For investors who have been on the fence about making their decision, now may be the time.

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// Innovation

Innovation and New Technologies ALEC’s Strategic Project Manager, Severin Tenim, tells Construction Business News ME on how the company is using innovation and new technology to continuously improving the way we operate and consistently challenging the status quo

Innovation and New Technologies Our vision is to be the Leading Innovative Construction Group. We strive to be leaders in innovative practice through continuously improving the way we operate and consistently challenging the status quo. The use of new technologies will rapidly alter the landscape we currently operate in, and there will be significant benefit if leveraged correctly. Whilst the new technological landscape is exciting, its benefits cannot be fully realised without a culture of clear communication, transparency and collaboration across 32

the entire supply chain, which is a primary focus of ours at ALEC. Challenges and obstacles to innovation There are a few challenges and obstacles we face on our journey but the most significant of these is people’s resistance to change, which includes overcoming the “this is how we’ve always done it” mindset that invariably leads to slow & low user adoption. Other challenges include the level of maturity of stakeholders, low margins which lower risk appetite for R&D initiatives, and a large requirement

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to re-skill and upskill our workforce.

From a technological standpoint, many construction technologies are in their infancy and have rapid development cycles which make adoption on live projects challenging. Mature technologies from other industries are inflexible enough for construction projects (which are each unique) and adapting them to our changing environment are equally challenging.

Innovation within ALEC Innovation is a Core Value at ALEC and a key component in our Company Vision. We have a dedicated

Innovation Department who work closely with all our business units and departments on initiatives with a wellstructured innovation strategy. There is continuous support from company Leadership and Directors, with innovation KPI’s per department and projects in the pipeline.

Externally we are partnering and collaborating extensively with our Supply chain, numerous universities, government agencies, startups, consultancies, clients and even our competitors. The successes generated through these partnerships are testaments to the power of collaboration.

ALEC’s direction First and foremost, we are collaborative and open for business!

Whilst the general perception of innovation is that of mass-disruption or transformation, we view it as a combi-

nation of three key areas of focus and a “total innovation” approach. Striking the correct balance between initiatives in these areas (core, adjacent and transformational) is key in allowing us to consistently review and assess our progress, whilst fine-tuning our course to fulfilling our vision. Focus topics for these include Information Management and Digitalisation, Modular and Offsite construction, Robotics and Automation, and emerging technologies including 3D printing.

Viewing construction from a macroperspective, we are acutely aware of the way the world is changing.

Key factors affecting our industry in the future will be linked to the rapid increase in population and urbanization, spurring a growth in demand for housing and resources. This in combination with many assets reaching the end of their design life mean

refurbishment will become a growing sector to re-invigorate and re-purpose living spaces to cater for this demand.

This should not only be viewed from a functional standpoint but requires heavy focus on sustainability, capacity of the current infrastructure networks, and long-term effects on the environment – a passion of ours.

Globally, innovation cycle times are decreasing through the acceleration of technological capability, ease of communication and ability to transfer information. To remain relevant, we realise we need to remain agile and adapt quickly – we cannot keep constructing the way we always have as this operating model is outdated.

Our inefficiency renders us susceptibly to disruption from external industries, and all stakeholders in the construction supply chain need to look inward and identify how we turn the industry from one of the most inefficient and wasteful, into one that is ultra-lean, sustainable and generates value at every stage in the process. We need to find ways to attract the best and brightest talent to our industry to assist us in driving and innovating these changes. It is essential we manage information more effectively and improve the overall quality, timing, accessibility and communication thereof.

Highlights and Successes Internally we have great buy-in and engagement company-wide. Innovation is core to what we do and a key contributor to its success is regular communication and engagement with our people. We are realizing increased user adoption with the number of ideas, implemented initiatives and user awareness all increasing exponentially.

Our collaborative network is large and has a growing number of Innovations, POCs and research Initiatives both locally and internationally on multiple fronts. Some key highlights include increasing BIM-to-Field and Field-toBIM projects, robotics adoption and winning the 2018 MRM Business Innovation Award.

www.cbnme.com

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33

// Digital

Going Digital Chintana Herrin, Manager, Product Marketing, Bentley Systems, tells us how Artificial Intelligence Is Helping the Infrastructure Industry in Going Digital

Seeing Structural Defects Today, reality modeling applications use deep learning to overcome many industry challenges. Machine and deep learning make it possible for computer vision and image recognition to identify problems with projects or individual pieces of equipment before they happen. By implementing computer vision, researchers are teaching computers to see like humans. The computer can classify objects, meaning it can say if a single image is a tree or if it is a car. The next step is teaching the computer to detect objects, asking the computer to identify trees and 34

cars in the same image. The computer should be able to tell the difference between the two objects. Lastly, the computer can segment the object.

This step involves drawing around the exact shape of an object, whether the image is in 2D or 3D. Recently, organisations have used this type of computer vision to detect faults in concrete. Many others use the technology to identify cracks, including their shape and depth. By segmenting a crack, researchers can figure out the exact shape, size, and scale of the crack, along with other pieces of critical information for the engineers.

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Visualising Advantages in the Field One exciting feature about image recognition is the ability to train the multi-layered artificial neural network with thousands of images to recognise an object. Once the model is trained, it can be used to recognise the similar object in a new image. With this feature, researchers can build semantic 3D models. This model would be classified so engineers know the details of what they are seeing in the model, while maintaining the high-quality color and texture of a regular 3D model.

This feature is incredibly helpful for infrastructure inspections.

This type of model was featured during CH2M Fairhurst’s project in Europe. The project team wanted to design and create a 3D model for an upgraded road. To complete this project, the team needed a model without trees on either side of the road, as they were planning to widen the road to add more lanes. Team members also wanted to create a new surrounding landscape, so they needed to remove the trees to better visualise their options. Their team provided a dataset to the research team, who first classified the trees on both sides of the road and then removed them. Normally, users would have to go into the program and manually remove all the trees.

This time-consuming process was eliminated using reality modeling.

Skand Pty Ltd also recently used this type of model for its project at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the university wanted to integrate drone imagery and analysis into its award-winning forty-year asset lifecycle program. Starting with the university’s Brunswick campus, Skand used a done to capture images of the 65,000-meter site. The project team then used a web program to incorporate the information into RMIT’s existing building envelope project inspection brief, turning the 2D images into meaningful datasets mapped to a 3D reality model. The program also used computer vision and machine learning to identify and categorise defects, such as cracks, moss, algae, bird nests, and other forms of corrosion and building material degradation.

Skand not only wanted to provide a platform to integrate drone imagery into RMIT’s asset lifecycle program, but also deliver a superior quality of model and mapping of defects for better asset maintenance planning.

By combining machine learning and reality modeling applications with 3D visualisation and reporting into a single service, Skand created a costeffective integration of drone imagery and analysis with RMIT’s asset lifecycle www.cbnme.com

program. The final results were improved safety, as users could conduct roof and façade inspection without needing to leave the ground, and reduced time, as the works were carried out using computers. The solution also saved significant value, as the Skand solution is about 60 percent cheaper than traditional inspection methods.

The Endless Possibilities There are many ways that the infrastructure industry can apply computer vision, or AI in general, to keep the industry moving forward. One place is with reality modeling applications and their ability to classify images in reality meshes. The industry wants to eventually use neuro-networks that have already learned objects from other images. Researchers want to have a way for users to select objects in their images so that the reality modeling application will learn the objects and automatically detect them in the future.

Another way that AI can help the industry is by using it to advance reality modeling applications them-

selves. AI could then improve both the technology and the user’s experience.

Progress is also being made in how this technology can be leveraged to maximise the value of reality modeling and improve productivity. Recently, Bentley announced its Early Access Program for ContextCapture Insights, a reality modeling solution that automatically detects and locates objects using 3D machine-learning technology.

It provides automation to help reduce time and costs associated with the analysis of real-world conditions from reality data. By creating 3D models, users will have better visibility into their project’s progress and end-goals.

Using reality modeling applications to create the models will accelerate the design process while keeping everyone informed of changes.

Reality modeling using AI can be applied to many different areas of the infrastructure industry, and help with all stages of an asset’s lifecycle. As the technology continues to advance, it becomes clear that there is no limit to what reality modeling can do.

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// Projects

Construction Projects: Saudi Arabia Here is the latest round of up of the biggest projects taking place in Saudi Arabia. With Vision 2030 fast approaching and positive initiatives from the Saudi Arabian government there has been a strong boost in confidence in the construction industry.

2 3 4 6

7 1 Projects

5

1

Riyadh Metro Project

2

Neom

3

Amaala Project

4

Red Sea Project

5

Jabal Omar Project

6

Al Wadiyan Project

7

King Salman Energy Park (SPARK)

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1

Riyadh Metro Project

The Riyadh Metro is a rapid transit system under construction in the city of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

It will consist of six metro lines spanning a total length of 176 kilometers, with 85 stations. The project will cost an estimated $22.5 billion to build. It is scheduled for a light opening in 2019, and the full network is expected to be fully operational in 2021.

It is hoped that the project will help to alleviate the urban transit problems in this rapidly increasing city. Fuelled by strong economic growth, Riyadh’s population is set to rise from current 6.5 million people to 8.3 million people by 2030, creating new demands for

2

transport links.

More than 1,500km of new roads are planned by 2030, but that in itself will not be sufficient to meet the challenge of a rising population. The kingdom therefore decided to build a new,

world-class public transport network, at a cost of nearly $23 billion.

According to ProTenders, Phase 2 was 86% complete as of 16 February, 2019, while Riyadh Metro’s overall completion rate was 64% at the time.

Neom

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister has announced a new $500bn project Neom, aimed at turning the Kingdom into a leading global hub that exemplifies the future of human civilisation by offering its inhabitants an idyllic lifestyle combined with exceptional economic prospects.

Unveiling the mega masterplan, Prince Mohammed said: “Neom was born from Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which aims to see the country develop into a pioneering and thriving model of excellence in various and important areas of life. It stretches over 26,500sqkm of land and extends across the Egyptian and Jordanian borders, rendering Neom the first special economic zone to span three countries.”

Earlier this year the country starterd developing the first area of NEOM in the first quarter of 2019. www.cbnme.com

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// Projects

3

Amaala Project

In September 2018, Saudi Arabia’s PIF unveiled Amaala, a 3,800km2 gigaproject that will serve as an “uber-luxury” wellness tourism destination. Located on Saudi Arabia’s northwestern coast, Amaala will “sit alongside Neom and The Red Sea Project as part of the gigaprojects investment portfolio” that PIF is rolling out to meet the goals of Vision 2030.

At the time of the project’s launch, PIF said that Amaala’s groundbreakingwould be held in Q1 2019, with Phase 1 to open in Q4 2020. Amaala’s completion is set for 2028, and PIF said the gigaproject would generate 22,000 jobs across the hospitality, tourism, leisure, and retail sectors, as well as support opportunities in the “construction and ancillary industries”.

A dedicated airport, 2,500 luxury hotel rooms, 200 retail establishments, art galleries, marinas, and 700 vil-

4

In September 2018, PIF said that it would offer “attractive partnership and investment packages” for investors to participate in Amaala, described as “a natural extension” of the Mediterranean Sea. Nicholas Naples was named chief executive officer of Amaala by PIF.

Red Sea Project

The Red Sea Project (TRSP) is the world’s most ambitious luxury tourism development, offering an exclusive experience of unparalleled diversity for discerning global travellers. The site encompasses an archipelago of more than 90 pristine islands, miles of sweeping desert and dramatic mountain landscapes.

The masterplan has been developed in partnership with WATG and Buro Happold, and includes unique design concepts from some of the world’s most prominent architecture firms.

Essential enabling infrastructure is already underway at the destination, with 38

las will be developed within Amaala.

PIF – which is led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud – will provide initial funding for the project, and spearhead its development within the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Natural Reserve.

the opening of a base camp that will oversee the installation of temporary roads, jetties and a bridge connecting the hub island to the shore. Also under development is a residential complex for the construction labour force and a management village to coordinate the development work.

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The Mega Saudi Red Sea Project, with its ambitious agenda, looks poised to sizably contribute to the economic diversification plans of the region under the Vision 2030 agenda.

With the well thought out plan in place, this project carries with it tremendous hope in terms of growing the GDP of the kingdom by about SAR 22bn and providing meaningful employment opportunities to over 70,000 Saudi citizens.

If all goes as intended and in keeping with the recent announcements, the first phase of this project should be complete by 2022.

5

Jabal Omar Project

Jabal Omar Development Company, arguably one of the largest real estate developer in the region and one of the largest listed companies in the Saudi Tadawul Stock Exchange. Its flagship project, Jabal Omar, is a multi-use real estate mega development project within a walking distance of The Grand Mosque of Makkah.

The project is a blend of tradition and innovation which is achieved through preserving the Islamic -particularly Makkah’s- architectural style and infusing it with a touch of modernity. The project will offer a distinctive design, luxurious atmosphere, and a superb service that lives up to the holiness of the place. Jabal Omar seeks to offer our guests the comfort, tranquility and peace of mind that is worthy of Makkah while achieving the goal of developing the land and

6

units, and malls. Upon completion, Jabal Omar project will include a variety of five and four star hotels with the capacity to host up to 36,000 guests annually and in excess of 100,000 visitor during Hajj season.

Al Wadiyan Project

Al Wadiyan is a mixed use residential, commercial, cultural and recreational project to create a modern destination that offers its residents a unique lifestyle that meets the highest international standards. As a new model of community life in the Kingdom, the Wadiyan project reflects the aspirations of the national transformation that the Kingdom seeks to achieve, and the ambition of talented Saudi youth.

The Wadi Al Wadiyan project is located on a strategic area of 7 million square meters in the north-west of Riyadh City. The construction of Al Wadiyan City, which will be the first www.cbnme.com

improving human lives. The project is composed of 40 towers situated on top of 16 structural bases with a total builtup area of approximately two million square meters. The project houses an array of hotels, apartments, residential

multi-use mixed-use project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, A joint stock company wholly owned by Saudi Real Estate Company, one of the largest real estate developers listed on the Saudi stock market. It will also be the first to integrate the principles of the 2030 vision and the healthy lifestyle concept.

The project will include a central garden with an area of nearly half a million square meters. It will be the heart of the project, surrounded by entertainment, shopping, healthcare, and educational and hotel facilities, as well as residences, offices and shopping centers. When the city of the valleys is completed, it will have 20,000 homes accommodating 120,000 residents, providing them with a high quality lifestyle and providing them the required balance between work and life, and providing 140,000 jobs. The valleys project will be launched in the second quarter of this year 2019.

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// Projects

7

King Salman Energy Park (SPARK)

King Salman Energy Park is a new megaproject being constructed and located between Dammam and Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. This project is being developed, operated and managed by Saudi Aramco in partnership with the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones.

Saudi Aramco is behind many of Saudi Arabia’s most high-profile projects, among which is King Salman Energy Park (Spark), launched on 10 December, 2018,

by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

40

By its estimated date of completion, SPARK is expected to support and increase the security of energy supplies that will be offered at competitive prices; lower the costs of the sector-related operational products and services; and enable rapid response from domestic product and service providers to Saudi Aramco’s urgent operational and developmental requirements.

SPARK’s long-term economic effect is expected to result in 100,000 direct and indirect jobs; increase annual GDP

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by SR 22.5 billion; localize more than 350 new industrial and service facilities; and establish an industrial base that facilitates innovation, development, and global competition.

In this context, SPARK will drive value creation in all of its activities and contribute to Saudi Aramco’s localcontent mission to develop a sector that covers 70% of local demand and can export 30% of its products by 2021, as well as create thousands of direct and indirect jobs by 2025.

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2019

// Market overview

Market Stability New reports suggest that the real estate market for the rest of 2019 is to be stable and more buyer-friendly

While most sectors across UAE’s real estate market remained challenged during the first half of 2019, the various government initiatives launched recently are expected to boost sentiment and drive demand over the coming months. In the year ahead, market performance will heavily depend on how quickly these initiatives have an impact, outlines JLL’s Q2 2019 UAE Market report.

The general economic environment has also shown a slight uplift, with UAE GDP growing by 2.2% in the first 42

quarter of 2019, supported by a robust government, according to the Central Bank of UAE. In Q2, the UAE government announced a number of initiatives, with the aim of driving economic diversification and stimulating weakened market demand. The long-awaited freehold law was finally enacted in Abu Dhabi, allowing foreigners to own land and property within the emirate’s investment areas on a freehold basis for the first time. The new law aims to encourage foreign investment and

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provide investors with more certainty.

Meanwhile, Dubai saw the launch of a new initiative for permanent residency called ‘Golden Card’, which aims to provide permanent residency for investors and exceptional workers in the fields of health, engineering, science and art.

“Overall market sentiment should improve in the long run with the announcement of stimuli such as the new visa regulations. While the benefits of these initiatives are not likely to have an immediate impact, we do

expect some sectors of the real estate industry to pick up in the run up to 2020,” said Dana Salbak, Research Associate at JLL MENA. “While the residential sector in, both, Abu Dhabi and Dubai witnessed subdued performance overall, new initiatives to drive expat home ownership will likely boost demand. The office sector, too, will witness potential upside from these new initiatives launched to stimulate the economy,” she continued.

In Q2, Abu Dhabi’s office sector continued to face downward pressure with further declines in rentals for both Grade A and Grade B space.

However, there is some demand for smaller sized units as global corporates are focusing on occupancy metrics to enhance employee productivity by eliminating wasted space. In addition to that, the government’s announcement of Hub71, as part of its economic stimulus package, to support technology start-ups, is also expected to boost the sector.

In Dubai the office market continued to soften, but there remains a demand for co-working space. While this sector currently accounts for less than 1% of all office space in Dubai, it is expected to grow rapidly over the coming years.

The UAE’s retail sector remains the most challenged due to ongoing increased supply and low consumer spending. In response, mall owners are investing in new technologies to find ways to increase retail sales and footfall. In recognition of the growth of e-commerce, the announcement of digitally-enabled malls like Dubai’s ‘Mall.Global’ are expected to drive the market in the months ahead.

Abu Dhabi’s hotel sector was the standout performer in Q2, recording a 12% increase in ADR’s in the year to May, in comparison to the same period last year. UAE government’s initiatives such as the exemption on visa fees for children, free sim cards for tourists on www.cbnme.com

Dana Salbak, Research Associate at JLL MENA

Nick Witty, Managing Director, Chestertons MENA

arrival, as well as a strong calendar of events, are expected to positively impact the tourism sector overall.

Meanwhile, Chesterton’s reports that Dubai’s tenants and end-users are continuing to benefit from reduced apartment and villa sales prices, as well as a softening rental market, a trend expected to continue for the remainder of the year, according to the latest Dubai Market Report Q2 2019 by Chesterton’s.

The declines are a result of continued oversupply to the Emirate’s residential real estate market, where an anticipated 47,502 apartments, villas and townhouses are set to be completed this year, almost double of that delivered in 2018.

Nick Witty, Managing Director, Chestertons MENA, said: “In the short term, oversupply will continue to dampen the value of Dubai’s residential real estate market. This is being compounded

by several developer incentives including five-year post-handover payment plans, registration fee rebates, freezing property service charges and guaranteed rental returns. Similarly, landlords are offering prospective tenants rentfree periods, multiple rent cheques, and even short term leases.”

In the apartment sales market The Greens, Dubailand and Dubai Motor City showed relative levels of resilience, only witnessing a 2% decrease from the previous quarter to AED907 per sqft in The Greens and AED706 per sqft in Dubailand and AED 700 per sqft in Dubai Motor City. The Views and Downtown Dubai witnessed the highest declines of 9% and 7% resulting in prices of AED1,090 per sqft and AED1,401 per sqft respectively, which is likely a result of oversupply. At the value end of the scale, International City witnessed no movement and prices remained at AED481 per sqft.

Dubai Silicon Oasis saw the largest decline with a typical two-bedroom apartment now 12% below the Q1 price at AED60,000 per annum.

Dubailand and Discovery Gardens saw average declines of 8% with a typical two-bedroom renting for AED51,000 and AED75,000 respectively. The Views, The Greens, Dubai Sports City and JLT recorded an average softening of between 1% and 3%, with prices of AED120,000, AED100,000, AED68,000 and AED89,000 respectively for a twobedroom apartment.

Established communities including Dubai Marina and Business Bay, which in the past have weathered price reduction to a certain extent, witnessed declines in Q2 of 5%, with a two-bedroom apartment in the Marina now available for AED110,000 and in Business Bay for AED100,000.

“As such, Jumeirah Village Circle, Business Bay, Dubailand and Mohammed Bin Rashid City is where the largest rent reductions are likely to be felt going forward due to the expected supply in these locations,” added Witty.

construction business news me // August 2019 //

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// Feature

Innovation in Facilities Management This special feature will showcase the current and future innovation in facilities management.

We ask the industry experts on how facilities management companies have innovated in terms of technology, man-management and how they are encouraging sustainable practices in buildings in which they manage.

Emrill The Middle East’s FM sector is maturing rapidly, and we are seeing an increased demand for services as well as the emergence of new trends, such as the increased adoption of new technology. Innovation is at the core of everything Emrill does, and our clients benefit from the latest technology and equipment.

Earlier this year, Emrill launched an efficiency-enhancing app, specifically designed to enhance and refine the delivery of soft FM services in both horizontal and high-rise communities. Via the app, staff are assigned optimised routes and task schedules.

As they move along the mapped-out route, tasks pop up on their mobile devices, determined by proximity to the scheduled tasks. As staff complete jobs, they upload photographs, which are automatically synced to the supervisor’s interface. This has increased transparency and visibility of supervision with improved quality assurance.

This technology-driven approach to soft FM services has enabled us to pass on this value-add to our clients.

The app is also having a positive effect on the environment. As machine operators are using digital checklists along optimised routes, this has resulted in reduced paper and fuel con44

Gopalakrishnan, Operations Director, Emrill, on how the company’s introduction of their new efficiency-enhancing app is helping them usher into a new age of innovation

sumption. Furthermore, it has also led to the development of a digital work permit system, which is geo-fenced, ensuring compliance to statutory and regulatory requirements.

We ensure sustainable practices are applied to all areas of the business and provide solutions that help clients work towards carbon neutrality and sustainability. In 2018, we launched an organic vegetable garden, accessible to 5,000 residents living in 1,500 apartments. We also developed a 700 sqm plot of sand into a sustainability park.

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The newly laid grass and shrubs were fertilised with recycled food waste.

Further to providing a communal space in which residents can interact with nature and each other, these initiatives have a low carbon footprint, as the need to transport produce is eliminated. The garden also meets other sustainable objectives using organic fertiliser made from food waste, thereby minimising the project’s impact on the environment, increasing green spaces and reducing the community’s contribution to global warming.

We are innovating across multiple developments to reduce water use and wastage. We launched an initiative to use condensation water to clean carparks. This has enabled us to save 35,000 litres of water per month on various sites – that’s the equivalent of 1,000 showers every month per site.

We also mobilised the first and only CMAR street cleaner in the UAE. This machine significantly reduces the water required.

Technology has always played a big role in shaping the facilities management sector. New technology enables FM services providers the opportunity to offer innovative and sustainable solutions that add value and differentiate from the competition.

EFS Facilities Services Group EFS has over the past two decades, continuously invested in innovative, cutting-edge technological initiatives culminating in the emergence of our self-developed Smart Facilities Management Automation solution FMPro. This solution is enabled with the Internet of Things (IoT) technology to provide asset lifecycle and facilities management and is equipped with functionalities including (but not limited to) a mobility solution (EFSGO), wearable technology (smartwatches) and smart washrooms solution.

At EFS, we strongly believe in technology as an enabler for the attainment of the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, economic & social sustainability). This has led to the emergence of EFS as a regional leader in Sustainable Facilities Management services.

All assets and facilities under our care can be visualised in real-time basis using a set of custom dashboard reports including (but not limited to) asset criticality analytic graphs, realtime asset location monitoring and optimisation, asset health and energy consumption reports, warranties management and among other custom reports, to assure our clients of value for money by attaining cost & operational efficiency.

Our internal departments and functions are enabled through technology to make critical business decisions through real-time analysis with full visibility of the field operations across all the facilities we manage locally and internationally. We use video wall technology to project analytical dashboards for compliance monitoring, and our command & support centre can maintain 360-degree operational visibility and customer service interface www.cbnme.com

Samar Salih, Manager Command & Support Centre at EFS Facilities Services Group, tells us how EFS is innovating in Technology ManManagement

on a 24/7 basis.

Our wearable technology solutions have enabled us to attain high operational standards by optimising our workforce and facilitate accurate decisions through efficiency analysis without compromising the privacy rights over our workforce.

By using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, EFS has effectively moved on from traditional methods of maintenance (which are timeconsuming, labour-intensive & cost inefficient), to more efficient processes based on predictive, criticality based and reliability-centered maintenance.

This has resulted in the provision of value for money for our clients by increasing asset availability and reliability at optimised costs.

Our progression towards a paperless operation through technology among our 18,000 strong personnel bases, has enabled us to save hundreds of tons of paper annually and hence significantly contribute to environmental sustainability.

Attainment of higher operational efficiency levels through technology utilisation has led to overall enhanced performance efficiency for our Clients’ assets, hence resulting in a corresponding reduction in energy consumption. EFS energy management function is empowered with Internet of Things (IOT) technology to manage, monitor and optimise. Our energy efficiency initiatives contribute to the overall economic sustainability of our Clients’ facilities.

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// Feature

ENOVA

Rachid Hamida, Technical & Performance Director, Enova, tells us how Enova is innovating to stay above the competition

Across the Middle East, building owners and operators are increasingly transforming buildings into Smart Buildings – using embedded sensors, smart meters, and real-time Big Data analytics to enhance efficiency, reduce utilities consumption and therefore cost, and to optimize in-building experiences for the end-users. At the same time, smart buildings can also allow building managers to free up staff and optimize asset performance thanks to real-time data monitoring, automated alarms and predictive maintenance based on data analysis and forecasting.

Part of the Middle East’s push on smart buildings is government-led, such as UAE Vision 2021’s emphasis on sustainable environment and infrastructure, and part of this is driven by the private sector looking to reduce their carbon footprint and enhance utilities costs.

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Smart Buildings are no longer a futuristic concept, they can be both greenfield projects where energy efficiency is integrated from the design through build and management phases.

Enova is working on making buildings smarter and more efficient across a wide range of Middle East industry verticals – including the government and public sector, airports, malls, hospitality, healthcare, and industrial facilities.

As such, Enova supports Ras Al Khaimah Municipality in retrofitting four municipality buildings to cut energy and water usage by 31 percent.

Enova also retrofitted a series of buildings with Etihad ESCO, a DEWA venture to make Dubai’s built environment a leading example of energy efficiency, with 30 percent savings on electricity and water consumption: JAFZA Accommodation Build-

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ings and 7 DEWA Buildings.

In hospitality, the Pullman Hotel in Dubai is seeing annual savings of 19 percent on electricity and 9 percent on water. Mall of the Emirates has achieved 12 percent energy savings and City Centre Al Shindagha 14 percent energy savings. In one of the most challenging projects, the indoor ski resort Ski Dubai, Enova monitors 1,000 assets and guarantees a strong 20-minute response time to ensure a great experience for 1 million visitors every year.

The recently inaugurated Hubgrade 4.0 is at the core of Enova’s excellence guarantee and offers a wide range of complementary real-time information, allowing Enova to provide reliable predictive and reactive maintenance and also guarantee savings by using it as Measurement and Verification tool.

ServeU

It’s been a dynamic year for ServeU, one of the UAE’s leading facilities management company, with over 40 years of experience. In its pursuit of innovative excellence, the company firmly shifts its focus, while centering its business and operational strategy on adopting new technology, and reiterating its commitment to contributing to the Smart Dubai 2021 Plan. ServeU continues to provide services that optimize resources for maximum efficiency to deliver seamless, efficient, safe and personalized FM services to its clients across multiple industries.

In line with Smart Dubai 2021 plan and as part of ServeU’s digital roadmap to enhancing operational performances through integrating smart technologies and applications, the company www.cbnme.com

Gary Reader, General Manager of ServeU, describes to us on how the company is enhancing their digital road map to optimise their performance

upgraded CAFM to FSI Concept Evolution, in efforts to become one of the first FM service providers to utilize IoT, GIS, and BIM-enabled CAFM. As a reflection of the company’s digital adaptation, ServeU has proudly become the first company to implement NFC Tagging for the cleaning services it provides by enabling end-clients to monitor performance in real-time through FSI-GO – which, in turn, enhances customer services and satisfaction.

Today, the company boasts an 89 percent customer satisfaction rate by incorporating WhatsApp Business, social media platforms and a dedicated customer-friendly mobile application to enhance the customer service experience of their clients.

The company takes pride in their self-starter initiatives from within the organisation to optimize major services by effectively managing resources, increasing efficiency and offering tailored facility management solutions to clients across a wide range of industries.

Aside from providing services in ‘Smart Security Systems’ including parking management, CCTV installations, and maintenance, ServeU also takes great pride in its initiative to serve its clients 24/7.

The wholly-owned subsidiary by Union Properties, a UAE real estate developer with over a 30-year track record of delivering iconic residential developments, ServeU manages over 900 active projects with the help of around 5,000 highly trained staff.

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// Feature

Tafawuq Facilities Management The global explosion in digital, cloudbased technology in recent years has left its mark on the GCC facilities management (FM) industry. In adopting new digital tools and platforms in what is traditionally a labour intensive bluecollar industry, the FM industry has managed to achieve substantial growth throughout the sector, focusing on business process automation, mobility, robotic equipment, drones, and more.

Leading FM industry players are now looking forward to the next wave of tech adoption which will see benefits derived from complex algorithms, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and IOT. The common goal of the industry’s technology agendas is to be able to make data-driven decisions, achieve operational efficiency, and pass cost savings to asset owners & managers.

New technologies related to maintenance and operations are appearing at a never before seen rate, and it is important that FM entities monitor emerging tech trends in the months and years ahead in order to define their technology strategies, allocate necessary budgets and in most importantly protect their competitive advantage and not be left behind.

A prime example for the deployment of innovative technology in managing people and processes, encouraging sustainable practices and embracing the future is Tafawuq’s recent announcement of the launch of Tafawuq GO - a cutting edge maintenance mobility solution that has been 48

Michael Nicholas, General Manager, Tafawuq Facilities Management, tells us how facilities management companies are deploying innovative practices in their operations

co-developed with a UK based field service technology leader, designed to deliver a substantial reduction in paper and printing levels, in line with the company’s technology investment program, innovation agenda and environmental goals. Tafawuq GO has transformed all maintenance related processes to paperless, in accordance with local government sustainability goals, and already enhanced efficiency in our operations.

More and more, FM companies are being asked to demonstrate capabilities and focus on energy and water consumption reduction, which will likely be the next area for technol-

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ogy enablement in FM and by Property Managers.

Although unintentional, it is fitting the FM industry has universally realized the need for change and is actively seeking to develop practical sustainability goals within this rapidly evolving profession. Innovation is vital for continuation of the profession’s sustainability agenda, and facility managers are now at the forefront of strategic behavioral changes and in a position to influence the attitudes and work ethic of individuals working across business, government departments and public services within the facilities they direct.

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Creek/Al Jaddaf

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Dubai Festival City

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Dubai Creek

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Dubai Creek Harbour

AL RASHIDIYA

Abra and Ferry timings: Routes

Timings

Frequency/Fares/Features

Air-conditioned Abra Al Jaddaf Marine Station to Dubai Festival City (BM2)

Saturday – Thursday 7:00 am - 12:00 midnight Friday 9:00 am - 12:00 midnight

10 minutes (Peak Hours) 20 minutes (Off-peak Hours) AED 2 per person, per trip in one direction

Ferry Round Trip – DFC

Every day 4:00 pm

Min. of 8 passengers

For detailed timings and information, visit the respective customer service office inside the station.

Children under 5 years travel for free only for commuter trips.

// Feature

Transguard Group With the evolving needs of the markets that we operate in, specifically the facilities management market, it’s essential to continue to diversify and innovate to position ourselves as the most trusted support services partner in the region.

Innovation, in our eyes, does not necessarily mean technology. We’re constantly innovating and improving all parts and processes of our business, from our supply chain to rostering.

We’ve recently introduced a Lean Six Sigma programme – this methodology empowers our staff to make changes that eliminate waste and increase efficiency in their everyday work, which had a direct impact on our bottom line. The programme requires all headquarters-based employees to complete a ‘White Belt’ training, all managers 50

Stephen Beesley, Chief Operating Officer – Property & Facilities Management, on how their ‘Lean Six Sigma’ programme is driving them forward.

to complete a ‘Yellow Belt’ training and all senior managers and above to complete a ‘Green Belt’ training. Since its launch, 819 employees have been trained, which has led to AED 212 million in continuous improvement savings. The Facilities Management team has successfully completed several Lean Six Sigma projects, benefitting the business’s and clients’ bottom line.

These projects include smart cleaning implementation, which has been used in Mall washrooms to reduce the cleaner headcount, improve customer satisfaction by ensuring the dispenser is never empty, optimizing the cleaning staff with smart rostering, the installation of automatic dispensers in washrooms to reduce the amount of soap and hand towels that are “wast-

// construction business news me // August 2019

ed,” and delivering enough product to satisfy the requirement but reducing the overall spend on consumables.

We’ve also introduced a policy to source only sustainable consumables and materials, in addition to looking into getting larger containers for shipping so we can minimize deliveries and packaging, therefore minimizing impact on the environment.

In addition, we’re constantly looking for alternative cleaning solutions to provide more consistent, cost effective and sustainable approaches to cleaning. This includes chemical-less cleaning technologies like aqueous ozone, Zoono – an anti-microbial technology, and robotic cleaning systems like the Intelibot, which have been successfully implemented across several Transguard contracts.

// talking point

Concrete Milestone Kasun Illankoon spoke to Mr. Osama Hamad, General Manager of Emirates Beton, who gave an in-depth view about the company’s involvement in achieving their biggest raft casting at the Al Mizher School Project

Part of the concrete industries complex Affiliate of ASGC

Emirates Beton ReadyMix (EB) is a ready mix concrete company that leads the industry in the design, production, and supply of ready mix concrete.

The company was established in 2008 by a dynamic and highly qualified group of people with over 20 years of pioneering experience in the ready mix concrete industry. The fast-growing company is now a major industry player and boasts of a reputation for superb products and outstanding services.

Recently, Emirates Beton achieved a company milestone by being involved in the biggest raft casting project in the company’s history. The Al Mizher School project, which was contracted by Tornado Group, was indeed a challenge 52

but for Mr. Osama, General Manager of Emirates Beton, this new challenge is what drives the company forward.

“It was the first time working with Tornado Building Contracting as their supplier. We knew it was a new challenge as the previous record was 12,500 cubic metre for Mohammed Bin Rashid Library project and we were ready to achieve a new number,” said Osama, General Manager of Emirates Beton.

The new record that was set was 16,000 cubic meter concrete raft foundation in Al Mizher School project Emirates Beton operates multiple batching plants, with 2 commercial plants strategically located in Dubai (Jebel Ali & Al Warsan). Each plant uses the latest German technology and

// construction business news me // August 2019

is fully computerized, manufactured

by Liebherr (Germany) and Lintec (Germany), with a combined capacity of 600m3 per hour.

The preparations that took place beforehand was immense as Mr. Osama explained: Emirates Beton accepted the challenge to supply the such big quantity of 16000 m3 single shot with professional steps to execute it successful starting from plant logistics, site logistics, method statement for pouring, sequence of casting ,rate of supply , rate of casting , quality control plan , HSE plan and quality assurance plant.

• The first move we made was to conduct site visit to have a proper view of the project location and requirements.

• Kick off meeting has been conducted at site to share all plans and responsibilities with Tornado Construction team.

• Preparing a logistic plan accordingly based on location and project requirements • Disrupting a clear tasks and responsibilities to Emirates Beton departments and its employees • Getting customer approval for method statement, logistic plan and sharing responsibilities.

• Conduct all technical trials to ensure compliance with project requirements.

• Ensure supplying the raw material to cover production rate with proper coordination between Emirates Beton Store department and all raw material suppliers.

Emirates Beton assures maintain the planned steps to assign the equipment, manpower, Trucks , pumps required to cover 16,000 m3 of concrete with zero tolerance , as we perform www.cbnme.com

the full pour with 95 Nos. truck mixers (capacity 9 – 12 m3 each) and 9 Nos . pumps length 42 m - 56 m boom or as per site requirement plus 3 Nos as standby.

Emirates Beton collaborate with Tornado Construction team in terms of proper execution of the raft plan, site access, safety requirements and back up plan during the big pour there were no major issues or accident happen. With the proper documentation, method statement and risk assessment submitted during the kickoff meeting were clearly showing all the details of the work task.

As stated by Mr. Osama that one thing learned in this industry , that the key of company success is adapting with its environment in order to survive specially with our market situation it demand constant change and adaptation to latest innovation. As one of the leader supplier of concrete ready-mix in UAE, Emirates Beton is actively adapting to the latest trend in

the terms of machineries and methods of applications and resources to be able to progress.

We are proud that our company has the best integrated managing system has the functions to monitor the sequence of all manufacturing processes from end to end and sharing with customer though the latest technology of Mobile application and GPS tracking system which help our customer get live access and tracking of his concrete order and delivery.

Emirates Beton continue supply during 40 hrs concerting with accurate consistency of rate and quality of concrete and reporting hourly between two parties (contactor and supplier) which lead to cover 12,000 m2 with Non- stop, No technical issues or joints or delivery rejection.

The inspire of our president Mr. Emad Azmy and our managing director Mr. Bashar primary vision was to become one of the leaders of concrete manufacturer and supplier as an IT synergy. Our Highly trained and qualified personnel strictly adhere to the quality management polices of the company are proud to serve industry with the best of services available.

(We are proud to be apart of the Concrete Industries Complex “CIC” affiliate of ASGC).

Our reputation and way we execute our work in our previous projects articulate why customer are willing to trust and choose us.

Emirates Beton is matching customer requirements with value, Sustainability, Stability and transparency product with high quality service perceived as high compared to other cost and offer stability on day to day operations, we put great value on veracity and excellent in all commitment, including with our unparalleled dedication to service, hence we meet our customer expectation always.

The raft casting couldn’t be completed successfully without proper planning, coordination, cooperation, in-charged and motivated team, optimal exploitation of technology.

construction business news me // August 2019 //

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// Event preview

Construction Innovation Awards 2019 The nominations for the Construction Innovation Awards 2019 are now open.

For the fourth year running, the Construction Innovation Awards is one of the leading events applauding the achievements of the region’s construction professionals. The awards strive to recognise individual excellence, corporate strengths, and project success.

Companies are invited to nominate the people, projects, and initiatives of which they are most proud.

The awards presentation will happen at a gala dinner in a five-star venue – a celebration which has become a great social occasion and essential networking opportunity. Winners will 54

receive a commemorative trophy, plus extensive print and online coverage of their success in Construction Business News ME. Nominate yourselves now, to stand a chance to win at the muchawaited construction industry awards event of 2019.

This year’s awards will have new categories for companies to nominate from.

The new categories include: FM Manager of the Year; Real Estate Consultant of the Year; Property Management Initiative of the Year; Best Cement Company for Technical

// construction business news me // August 2019

Excellence; Best Innovation in Construction; Formwork Company of the Year; Software Solutions Company of the Year; Property Management Company of the Year; Technology and Innovation in FM Award; Best International Properties Developers, and much more!

The awards will take place on October 15th, 2019 at Fairmont the Palm, Dubai.

To find out all the details of the award, visit out official awards website at: http://www.cbnme.com/construction-innovation-awards-me-2019/

THE FOURTH ANNUAL

PRESENTED BY

N O M I N AT I O N S N O W O P E N OCTOBER 15, 2019 - F A I R M O N T T H E PA L M , D U B A I -

FOR NOMINATIONS

FOR SPONSORSHIP

Kasun Illankoon kasun@bncpublishing.net +971 4 420 0506

Jo D’Costa jo@bncpublishing.net +971 50 440 2706

GOLD SPONSOR

@CBNME

C AT E G O R Y S P O N S O R

FAC E B O O K . C O M / C B N M E

Vishvanath Shetty vish@bncpublishing.net +971 52 119 3077

T R A N S P O R T A T I O N A L LY

CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS NEWS ME

// Event preview

The Future of BIM BIM Middle East 2019 Conference & Expo ‘Open BIM: The Key To Industry 4.0’ is set to take place on 23rd - 24th September 2019 BIM Middle East 2019 Conference & Expo is the region’s international, strategic level event on Building Information Modelling. BIM stakeholders from government, contractors, infrastructure, architecture, and civil engineering will meet in Dubai to discuss key issues of BIM design and asset management processes that’s driving the industry forward. The high-level program includes international presentations from UAE, Kuwait; UK, Europe, and Australia. Here’s why the event is an important landmark when it comes to the conversation of BIM: BIM Middle East 2019 Construction industry professionals have continuously searched for ways to make development of the built environment a faster, efficient, safer and more cost-effective process.

Developments and advancements in computer software have grown exponentially over the last few decades in the construction sector, perhaps none more so than Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM facilitates virtual visualisation of the complete physical and functional representation of a built asset and environment which includes information on design, construction, budget, logistics, materials, operation, schedules and maintenance.

Developments in the Middle East are playing a major role in this arena Comprehensive information included within a BIM model and the increase of information exchanged contained within BIM allows for an improved and increased analysis than previous 56

processes. BIM now gives greater ability to integrate information and data across multi disciplines throughout a project's lifecycle.

UAE's adoption of BIM UAE’s construction sector has been rapidly expanding following Dubai being announced as host of Expo 2020. With recent Dubai Municipality mandates, BIM is now increasingly being used on large scale projects in the UAE. Abu Dhabi also announced recently a decision to adopt BIM. Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently unveiled the Middle East and North Africa's first building information modelling (BIM) centre. This follows the launch in 2015 by the RTA of a BIM platform that deals with assets information in an all-inclusive method commencing from the design stage.

// construction business news me // August 2019

Expert Panelists Major contractors will be presenting their perspectives too! Arsen Safaryan, Head of BIM & Digital Construction at ALEC will review critical issues for BIM with a presentation on Challenges for BIM and future project requirements from a contractor’s perspective.

Denis McNelis, Engineering Manager, BAM International Middle East / Gulf States will present Utilisation of BIM for complex structures looking at the dynamic use of BIM with project overview of the Dubai Museum of the Future.

Architects perspective will be given by Andrew Milburn, Associate, Godwin Austen Johnson on utilising information rich BIM technologies and processes including unlocking more efficient and collaborative design, construction and long-term asset use.

// Machinery

Neal Manufacturing Offers High-Volume Vehicle For Maximum Efficiency on Large Projects

Neal Manufacturing, a division of Blastcrete Equipment LLC and a leader in asphalt pavement preservation equipment, offers its HighVolume Road Maintenance Vehicle for maximum efficiency and high-quality results on large road projects.

With innovative features and in-cab controls for key variables, the High-Volume Road Maintenance Vehicle allows for fast, precise sealcoat application, even with larger aggregate mixes.

“Department of transportation and contractors involved in road preservation are realizing the improved safety, durability and quality offered by sealcoat products with high friction coefficients,” said Tripp Farrell, Neal Man58

ufacturing president. “To take advantage of these innovative products, though, crews need equipment that can handle large aggregate mixes. Like many Neal Manufacturing products, our HighVolume Road Maintenance Vehicle started as a custom solution and developed into a product offering.”

The High-Volume Road Maintenance Vehicle features Neal Manufacturing’s Generation IV pump that delivers infinitely variable outputs from 0-150 gpm. The pump is capable of moving material with large aggregate without clogs, greatly increasing productivity on large road jobs.

The Generation IV pump further increases project effi-

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ciency by offering operators material transfer rates twice that of standard pumps.

In as few as 20 minutes, the Generation IV pump can transfer material from storage tanks to the truck mounted 3,000-gallon tank.

Heavy-duty construction and industrial-grade hydraulic cylinders provide extreme durability and longevity for minimal downtime and maximum productivity.

Operators can cover up to 13 feet in one pass at an industry-leading rate of 150 gpm with the High-Volume Road Maintenance Vehicle.

In-cab controls allow for onthe-go spray bar height adjustment, ensuring optimal distance between the nozzles and road surface is achieved

as the truck shifts weight and moves from full to empty. Individual nozzles can also be controlled from the truck cab, giving contractors the flexibility to adjust the spray area as needed, whether alternating tips or only using one side of the dual spray bar.

Individually or in combination with the DA350 Dual Sealcoat Applicator as part of Neal Manufacturing’s Asphalt Road Preservation Package, the High-Volume Road Maintenance Vehicle features innovative, productivity enhancing options for lasting sealcoat applications, backed by industry-leading customer support including free training seminars at Neal Manufacturing’s Anniston, Alabama location.

Braun Transporte acquires a Genie® SX™-105 XC™ boom lift Simmerath-based Braun Transporte is currently working on gutting the entire building. Seeking to invest in a machine adapted to the challenges, Braun Transport turned to BSI GmbH, Authorised Genie Distributors in Dortmund who recommended a Genie® SX™-105 XC™ telescopic boom lift. Combining a working height of 34 m (111 ft) with a dual lift capacity up to 450 kg (1,000 lb), the machine is proving its versatility on a challenging, long-term mission in spacerestricted jobsite conditions.

Director of BSI Sven Nielsen explains why the Genie SX105 XC boom lift was chosen for this challenging project: “Demolition sites require equipment that combines high lift capacity, smooth operation and maneouvrability

www.cbnme.com

in a compact footprint. Due to the nature and dimensions of the site, scaffolding was not suitable for the application. Even if it had been, it would have significantly increased the costs.”

Featuring the brand’s 2.49 m (8 ft 2 in) wide mini Genie XChassis™ axle system, which is relatively compact for machines in this size category, the Genie SX-105 XC boom lift allows for excellent manoeuvrability on jobs where space is tight. Nielsen continues, “This machine can be transported on the standard truck that Braun already owns and is agile enough to be driven on the congested demolition site around and inside the hotel.”

According to Frank Braun, owner of Braun Transporte: “On this particular job, the

compact dimensions of the Genie SX-105 XC boom lift are a key factor, without which we would not be able to access the confines of the hotel’s inner courtyard or the interior of the building. Working immediately in front of the cathedral that is busy with pedestrians and curious onlookers, we are working within a very limited fenced area on the façade of the hotel, which add to the constraints.”

Thanks to its dual lift capacity of 300 kg (660 lb) across the entire working range and 450 kg (1,000 lb) restricted, the Genie SX-105 XC boom lift provides the ability to carry the necessary tools — in this case cutting torches and angle grinders, as well as two operators.

Following the initial use of

a wrecking ball, the Genie SX-105 XC boom lift is helping a team of two operators to separate the different components of the building that will then be lowered and removed by an excavator. During the process, the hotel’s original façade is being reinforced with strong metal frames. On the gutted inside of the building, the machine is also helping with the suspension of foil sheeting used as protection against falling debris and water that is being sprayed to settle the dust. For this particular task, the machine’s maximum 24.4 m (80 ft) horizontal outreach offers the advantage of ensuring that the unit maintains a safe distance from demolition work happening at other areas within the building.

construction business news me // August 2019 //

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// Equipment

Basec

Interview with the Regional Technical Manager, Mr Akram Abdel Wahab at BASEC

BASEC, the British Approvals Service for Cables, is a leading provider of cable product certification, which is amongst the most rigorous in the industry. The certification approval includes a comprehensive factory audit, management systems approvals and cable product testing programme for electrical, mechanical, material, chemical, fire and smoke performance characteristics. Completing cable testing to ensure products are compliant with the relevant or required standards.

Mr Akram Abdel Wahab joined BASEC as Regional Technical Manager in May 2019 to support the Middle East and Africa region. We took the 60

opportunity to interview him to learn more about his background, why he joined BASEC, his responsibilities and the challenges and upcoming trends he sees within the industry.

What experience do you have in the cable industry?

I have been working in the cable industry since I graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University in Cairo as an Electrical Engineer in 2006. I began my career working as a Design Engineer for Elsewedy and have also worked for Alfanar and Nexans in various technical positions.

// construction business news me // August 2019

These past employments have provided me with opportunities to gain valuable experience across a range of projects and countries throughout the Middle East and Africa. I have also developed expertise in multiple sectors, including utilities, transportation, construction and Oil & Gas. Why did you join the BASEC team?

As my whole career has been in the cable industry, I have first-hand experience of the important role BASEC plays in helping the industry to adhere to industry standards and achieve the highest levels of quality and safety.

With a heavily technical background

I wanted to be able to add value through an independent provider to support a wide range of projects and industries. For me, BASEC was the best way I could achieve this.

Cable product testing and certification is important to everyone in the cable, construction and utilities industries, including manufacturers and specifiers, right through to the contractors, installers and end users. Cable products holding approvals from a well-known certification body offer the supply chain reassurance that the products have been tested to ensure that they meet the relevant industry standards.

Having been a direct customer of BASEC in my past, I am able to apply my knowledge from the customer perspective. The technical requirements of cable design can be misunderstood if an expert is not involved. My personal mission matches BASEC’s and I want to help verify and build confidence of manufacturers’ production processes, controls and management systems to ensure that they achieve quality outputs and meet all of the required and relevant regulations. BASEC’s laboratory is state-of-the-art and is equipped to comprehensively test and re-test cable products to ensure they are compliant with British, European, International and a range of customer-required local standards, as well as sector or industry-specific standards.

dards are most suitable and aligned with customer’s testing requirements.

I plan to collaborate with purchasers, specifiers and installers to upskill them on the importance of cable quality.

The quality of the cable is closely linked to safety, poor quality products or those that have not undertaken third party testing are more likely to pose serious hazards and risks to public safety.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for the cable industry?

The biggest challenge in the cable industry is for manufacturers: finding the right balance between cable cost and quality. As the market is competitive, this can lead to manufacturers taking measures to reduce costs, which can compromise the quality of the cable products manufactured and supplied into projects.

There is a knock-on effect to end users. Low cost cable products can be attractive, and therefore caution or technical understanding of the cable make-up and performance should be sought first, over attractive pricing.

By driving continuous improvement and setting high levels of compliance to industry standards specifically to cable products and their differing families, BASEC is enabling consistent levels of quality. Through this compliance, the full supply chain can be assured that the cable products holding the BASEC mark will be fit-for-purpose, compliant, safe and will operate as designed for many years.

How can manufacturers improve the quality of their cable products?

More and more manufacturers are

What activities will you be responsible for at BASEC? As a local in-country Regional Technical Manager for the Middle East and Africa, I will be focused on providing technical support to cable manufacturers, consultants and end users in the region, ensuring that the testing and certification services they receive or seek are suitable for their products and their applications.

My responsibilities include helping customers to understand the value that BASEC offers them, in recognising our mark of independent approval, and supporting the local Regional Commercial Manager by providing guidance on which stanwww.cbnme.com

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// Equipment

Contact the experts

Akram Abdel Wahab Regional Technical Manager akram.abdelwahab@basec.org.uk

Haroon Qteishat Regional Commercial Manager haroon.qteishat@basec.org.uk

Mathew Sharman Customer Account Executive mathew.sharman@basec.org.uk

62

seeking higher levels of compliance to known industry-recognised standards, this upward trend shows the industry’s desire to improve the quality of their cable products. For example, advances in material properties is one key driver which is used to improve cable quality.

I have seen first-hand, the use of poor-quality materials in both conductors and insulation systems, which are not fit-for-purpose and pose significant fire risk should they spark or set alight as a result of a secondary fire. When cables are being designed or developed, they will normally undertake a lengthy design and trial process, at this point some manufacturers will test their performance and feasibility as a product to ensure the product is robust.

Independent testing and certification are the perfect way to ensure consistent levels of quality through a 3-year

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testing and factory process auditing programme. Relying on a third party removes any bias and provides a credible solution to evidencing cable quality.

Where can people meet you?

As I am based in Dubai, I am positioned in the heart of the Middle East and Africa region. I am meeting with many companies right now including regulatory bodies, large consulting companies and of course, the cable manufacturers and supply chain. The question to meet is not where for me, but when – I am open to meeting with anyone who has a technical need related to cables and cable technologies.

I, therefore, welcome anyone who needs support or wants to learn more about cable products, how and why they must comply with recognised standards to make contact with me.

Akram.Abdelwahab@basec.org.uk +971 5050 66719

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Unsung Heroes

August 2019

Pollard We talked to Joanna Pollard, International Marketing Manager, about her role and how she is helping to contribute to Construction Computer Software (CCS) success Positioning CCS as Market Leaders Software isn’t tangible. You can’t touch it, wear it, eat it or smell it and this makes it quite a challenge to market and sell. What we have done in the last few years is appeal to the imagination – what you can create with it. The power on your side to build ICONIC structures and still be profitable at the end of the project.

Interacting with clients, prospects and employees is now an integral component for any successful business. At CCS, we have a many-pronged approach tailored to prospective clients as well as the enrichment and continuous up-skilling of our existing clients & staff.

What I enjoy most about this profession is that is allows for the opportunity to combine both creativity and business acumen which has led to some fantastic experiences during my tenure at CCS. I’ve rolled out a new Website and taken the company through a corporate brand refresh – one that is strong and memorable in our Clients’, Users’ and Partners’ minds. Both define clearly who we are, what we stand for, and what makes us different. We’ve focused on building brand loyalty though the introduction of CCS User Seminars throughout MENA, ensured our participation in a variety of Exhibitions & Construction related Events as speakers and sponsors, as well as the introduction of CCS Social Media pages and a variety of Digital & Print marketing, PR and CSR programs close to our hearts.

My team and I have worked hard, but we’ve had a lot of fun along the way.

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Goals and Objectives CCS has been a fantastic learning curve and every year has brought a new and exciting challenge. 2019 is no different with the introduction of new business partners, new technology and the everchanging nature of effective marketing and the Construction and Software Industries. MENA still holds immense potential for us to expand our existing and new User base. Many users underutilise our Solutions and one of our priorities is to enable them to realise the potential

// construction business news me // August 2019

and maximise on the capability of their investments – which is imperative in the current economic climate.

Importance of Teamwork “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

Collaboration within a group can help solve difficult problems and brainstorming is a good opportunity for our team to exchange ideas and come up with creative ways of doing things. By working together, we find the solutions that work best.

// Save the date

On th e w eb Keep up to date with all the latest events and much more on our website. www.cbnme.com

Save the date Mark your calendar

August

26

September

01

September

16-17

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BauMesse Kaufpark Eiche, Panketal, Germany BauMesse will display a wide variety of construction and insulation materials, marble stone carpets for interior and exterior, doors and windows, shutters, awnings, insect screens, patio roofs, door drives and gates, balcony railings, patio furniture and vacuum cleaner.

Arab Future Cities Summit Dubai, UAE This edition of the conference will analyse the rapid development this region has seen in order to evolve into one of the leading smart cities in the world. Smart cities channel urban development with its citizens at the heart of it, and the Emirate of Dubai has been leading the way in its various smart city developments and plans.

// construction business news me // August 2019

September

17-19

September

23-24

Facilities Management Expo Dubai, UAE The FM Expo is an interesting event that looks forward to the presence of property management services, property management solutions and supplies, facilities management product supplies, pest control products and services, maintenance systems and solutions, lighting systems and solutions, integrated facilities management software, landscaping products and services, energy management services and solutions, emergency evacuation solutions and services and much more to talk about. The visitors are benefitted as they get direct access to key suppliers across the Gulf region and beyond.

BIM Middle East 2019 Conference & Expo Dubai, UAE This September sees an important event for the region’s AEC and related sectors. Representatives from government, contractors, architects, consultants, and other stakeholders will meet in Dubai to discuss the latest and future developments for Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Stay connected to your business around the world with our new roaming pack.

Enjoy unlimited outgoing minutes and 5 GB data for 7 days for just AED 300. du.ae/vdroaming

www.cbnme.com

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