Emirates Green Building Council - December 2014

Association

Profile Representing 10 Al Yousuf GreenTech 20 Ramboll 32 Unibeton Ready Mix 44 Cemex Middle East 52 JLL

Emirates Gre Council is at th in driving a cultu environment su

Written by: EmiratesGBC Produced by: Ric

een Building he forefront ure of built ustainability

chard Durrant

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EMIRATES GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

“The strong participation of regional green innovators and the strong impact of their ideas is a true testament of the tremendous strides that EmiratesGBC has made in a short span of eight years” – Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman

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stablished in 2006 as an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has today evolved as the voice of the green building movement in the UAE. It has rallied together stakeholders across the building industry supply chain for a cause that also reflects the government vision.

“The various activities undertaken by EmiratesGBC complement the ‘green economy for sustainable development’ vision announced

by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai,” said Chairman, Saeed Al Abbar. “We are at the forefront in fostering dialogue and tangible action to promote sustainable built environments.”

The success of EmiratesGBC’s activities was evident at the recent Emirates Green Building Council Awards (EGBC 2014), held in June.

Presenting a unique perspective of the advances made by the country in promoting sustainable building practices, the event underlined the increasing focus on localised innovation, whereby green building materials and products are increasingly being introduced and developed within the country.

“The strong participation of regional green innovators and the strong impact of their ideas is a true testament of the tremendous strides that EmiratesGBC has made in a short span of eight

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years,” explained Mr Al Abbar.

Today, with nearly 200 corporate and individual members from the building industry, EmiratesGBC’s mandate is clear: create awareness, promote dialogue and initiate action in built environment sustainability, given the fact that the construction sector and buildings contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

The Focus Days, training sessions, workshops and networking events organised thus promote awareness on green building standards through a multidisciplinary approach that covers the use of building materials, the importance of green building regulations and energy management measures.

“We are at the forefront in fostering dialogue and tangible action to promote sustainable built environments” – Saeed Al Abbar

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EMIRATES GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL (EMIRATESGBC)

Itaque consed quam a sp ero et modite volu 2014 Green Abor eptiaBuilding del mostof the Year Award Winners – The Change Initiative (Dubai)

EGBC team photo from Annual Awards 2014

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Meanwhile, the UAE was also making significant strides in its commitment to promoting sustainable development, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai Municipal authorities outlining their guidelines for green buildings, and the UAE achieving tremendous thought leadership globally with the establishment of Masdar City, and by housing the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency.

All this has further energised EmiratesGBC’s role as “an advisor, a facilitator and a subject thought-leader”.

Setting an example, EmiratesGBC also moved to a new ‘green’ corporate office, and launched the EGBC Awards to honour outstanding work in the area of built environment sustainability.

Another significant initiative by EmiratesGBC is its focus on promoting the retrofitting of existing buildings, an area that can make a significant impact on sustainable development.

The Council continues to focus on partnering with governmental and non-governmental authorities as well as academic institutions to influence the implementation of sustainable built environments across the whole supply chain.

The Council also serves as the link between the international green building movement and the local industry.

It also facilitates a variety of formal education opportunities as well as being at the vanguard in promoting green building financing by encouraging the different stakeholders to support

Key Personnel

Saeed Al Abbar Chairman of EBGC As well as his professional role as Director of AESG, Saeed is currently the Chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council and is the Vice Chairman of the World Green Building Council MENA Network. In this role, Saeed actively works in promoting the advancement of sustainable building in the UAE and MENA region by working with industry, academia and government departments to develop collaborative solutions to some of the regions greatest challenges.

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EMIRATES GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

2014 EGBC Awards winners

“We have been able to bring together different stakeholders across the supply chain, inspiring them to take tangible action to promote green building practices” – Saeed Al Abbar

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sustainable projects.

“We have been able to bring together different stakeholders across the supply chain, inspiring them to take tangible action to promote green building practices,” said Mr Al Abbar. “We serve as a platform for dialogue across the region by promoting the World GBC Middle East & North Africa Network – a co-operation between the regional GBCs.” The positive impact of the Council’s activities are clearly felt today as building industry stakeholders are more open to implementing green building practices – not as an afterthought – but right from planning and design stage. Steps are being taken to incorporate ‘green design’

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Association Information A S S O C I AT I O N TYPE

Independent forum L O C AT I O N

Dubai FOUNDED

2006 KE Y P E OP LE :

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman

principles right from site selection and planning to design, development, the materials used and operational stage.

“One of the key challenges before us in the initial days was to strengthen awareness among building owners and developers on the long-term value of sustainable projects,” concluded Mr Al Abbar. “It has taken time but I believe that through the work of the EmiratesGBC, the majority of the industry now sees the significant value in building green.

“We can now confidently say that the UAE is leading by example in the field of sustainable buildings.”

NO. OF M E M BE RS

200

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Al Yousuf GreenTech

Sets the Standard for Regional Energy Transition The Middle Eastern-based Al Yousuf Group has been a key player across numerous industry sectors for more than 60 years and is now leveraging that expertise to align with new eco regulations Written by: Matthew Staff Produced by: Richard Durrant

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AL YOUSUF GREENTECH

“We test every single product we receive from our partners ourselves before launching to the market” – Mohamed Al Rashed, General Manager, Al Yousuf GreenTech

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l Yousuf GreenTech (AGT) is optimising its motto, ‘Energy Saving Without Compromise’ to become a pivotal cog in the overall transition towards heightened efficiencies in the Middle East.

With numerous regulations already in place or on the horizon, the need for all manufacturers and suppliers to adapt their offering is well documented, but this has set the scene for a battle to produce the most refined and forward-thinking offering to that end; a battle which the Al Yousuf Group subsidiary is more than rising to.

General Manager, Mohamed Rashed Al Rashed said: “There’s a huge transition happening within the UAE with regards to the change of lighting within all facilities, streets, governmental departments and the private sector, to become more

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efficient by using less energy. “The President of Al Yousuf Group, Eqbal Al Yousuf had the foresight to see the change coming and created a vision for the GreenTech division which he formed six years ago in anticipation of the regulations.�

The global recession at the time of inception meant that initial movements were slow, but with the market now ready to embrace the concepts on offer from AGT, the company has spent the past year aggressively expanding its influence in line with the introduced regulations.

Setting the standards AGT now consists of a tech department which covers aspects such as installation, technical evaluation, aftersales and estimation, a sales department spread across two offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and a newly formed lighting

Abu Dhabi September 26th, 2012.

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Energy efficient LED lighting

AL YOUSUF GREENTECH

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design department to ensure the internal expertise within the group is not going to waste.

“The Emirates Standardisation and Metrology Authority (ESMA) have started placing standards and regulations for everything,” Al Rashed explained. “Air conditioners, for example, are now rated on a five-star system depending on how efficient they are, and the same applies for lighting from July with a switch towards LED lighting and energy saving lamps.

“This is where we are most focusing at AGT and we plan to include other appliances under the regulations too, but only with a five-star rating.”

AGT’s advantage in the sector largely stems from the world-renowned businesses it has partnered with over the years, many of which have encountered similar regulation changes in Europe already.

“The work involved does not just come down to us but also requires us going back to the partners and manufacturers as well,” Al Rashed added.

Meeting global demands The current set of services being offered by AGT all revolve around the common, global target of energy saving and sustainability, so the push into the green market has been focused into three key areas; lighting, climate control and solar applications.

Solar lamppost

“The current set of services being offered by AGT all revolve around the common, global target of energy saving and sustainability” – Mohamed Al Rashed

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AL YOUSUF GREENTECH

AGT test every single product before launching to the market

LED comprises the major part of the company’s lighting developments, driving the adoption of reduced prices and improved quality of the light emitting diode.

Revenue from LED lamp sales are projected to rise to $8.7 billion by 2021, contributing to the 50-70 percent energy savings that come from using the more modern lighting technology.

“In the coming years, LED prices are expected to fall to a point where savings from electricity consumption will provide a short payback period that will encourage consumer adoption en masse, according to a recent report by Navigant Research,”

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Al Rashed explained. “This shift will be most dramatic in the share of lamps sold for retrofit projects, where older lighting is often replaced specifically to improve efficiency.

“Although Navigant Research forecasts that only five percent of lamps sold to retrofit projects worldwide in 2013 will be LEDbased, that share is expected to grow to 40 percent by 2017 and 63 percent by 2021.”

Technological Innovation Lighting is currently responsible for 19 percent of global electricity use and around six percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making AGT’s commitment to the global trend all the more vital in the Middle East. However, in everything AGT does, the testing prior to market release is stringent and specific to the necessary environment in regional conditions.

“We test every single product we receive from our partners ourselves before launching to the market.” Al Rashed said. “Our testing facility is in our own corporate offices where we carry out live, actual scenarios.

“In the future we may introduce a laboratory or specific testing facility, but I think the method we are using right now is a more realistic approach and is working very well for us.”

Technological innovation is another area where AGT is especially thriving at present, epitomised by its work in harnessing solar power.

Boulevard Tower, Lighting Control project

“LED is also evolving towards OLED which will be an entirely new experience to what people are used to at the moment, so we need to make sure we are setting the standards in this evolution” – Mohamed Al Rashed

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AL YOUSUF GREENTECH

Organic light-emitting diode (OLED)

Al Rashed added: “There is a lot of evolution going on across the board and solar power is now really reliable and being utilised in a proper way.

“LED is also evolving towards OLED which will be an entirely new experience to what people are used to at the moment, so we need to make sure we are setting the standards in this evolution.”

LED lighting in our homes 18

Market leader AGT not only sells its aforementioned energy

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saving products & solutions, but provides an entire service from design through to technical support, installation, aftersales and return on investment calculations.

To make sure that its offering reaches as many clients as possible though, the company has also established a green loan scheme to enable businesses to afford the transition immediately, via a customised loan.

“There is no excuse now for anyone not to opt for going green and to start energy saving. However, to help raise awareness even more, we have been participating in a lot of exhibitions and have recently designed a green stand which will be situated in malls across Dubai to educate and make people aware of the benefits that products like LED lighting can have on their businesses, compared to conventional lighting,” Rashed explained.

Integral partnerships such as the one shared with Verbatim, alongside a hugely beneficial relationship with German company, Theben AG regarding light & climate controls and automation will ensure AGT has state-ofthe-art products to exhibit to the masses over the coming months as the regulations continue to take hold, giving the company every reason to be positive about the future.

“If we look three years from now, our goal is not only to be successful in the market here in the UAE but to be a leader in energy saving solutions across the Middle East region.”

Company Information INDUSTRY

Energy usage HEADQUARTERS

Dubai, UAE FOUNDED

2008 (Al Yousuf Group – 1952) EMPLOYEES

16 (Al Yousuf Group – 3000) REVENUE

Not disclosed PRODUCTS/ SERVICES

Energy saving lighting

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Ramboll thriving in the Middle East Written by: Sam Jermy Produced by: Richard Durrant

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RAMBOLL

The Danish-owned multinational company, which is part of the Emirates Green Building Council, is continuing to grow in the Middle East region in the Buildings, Environment, Oil & Gas and Transportation markets.

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amboll is seeking to increase its Middle East workforce by up to 60 percent as a result of the renewed economic vibrancy in the region.

The company currently employs 550 people in its three main regional markets of the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with the aspiration to grow to nearly 900 employees as a result of achieving success in its building, transport, environmental planning and liveable cities projects.

Ramboll, a design and engineering consultant, was founded in Denmark in 1945 by two engineers who established the company in the wake of the Second World War. Very aware of the company’s role in the development of society, the founders promoted awareness of the human dimension and left behind a legacy that emphasises high ethical standards, quality rather than quantity, economic stability, responsibility towards society, and satisfied employees. These are still the governing principles in Ramboll’s approach to business.

Yaver Abidi the Managing Director of Ramboll New Markets (a business unit responsible for the main business lines and country units outside of Ramboll’s home markets), said: “Basically we are looking to build the company up to scale where it can take on the kind of large and complex projects we are doing but also so we have the depth of resources and expertise to do even more. Our growth plan is not necessarily driven by the market as such, there is plenty of scope.

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“Basically we are looking to build the company up to scale where it can take on large and complex projects.

We have the depth of resources and expertise to do even more�

Key Personnel

Yaver Abidi Managing Director

Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates w w w. r a m b o l l - m e a . c o m

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RAMBOLL

The Change Initiative building

2022 The FIFA World Cup in Qatar is leading to increased building activity 24

“There is plentiful work to do in Saudi Arabia, the UAE is going to go through significant construction activity leading up to the 2020 Expo in Dubai and of course Qatar we know has a lot of building activity to do leading up to the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The markets we are focused on are very much buoyant.

“Our challenge is to grow whilst retaining our values and continuing to focus on the right thing for our customers. We do want to grow, we want to get around 800-900 people to have a greater capability in all the sectors we serve. We are not setting out to be the biggest, our goal is continue to be Ramboll and what we stand for.”

Ramboll in the Middle East focuses on four

“Our challenge is to grow whilst retaining our values and continuing to focus on the right thing for our customers. We do want to grow, we want to get around 800-900 people to have a greater capability in all the sectors we serve” – Yaver Abidi

Ramboll completed the Shining Towers project in 2012. The project comprised of two towers of 33 and 42 storeys respectively, and won GCC Tower of the Year at the 2010 Construction Week Awards w w w. r a m b o l l - m e a . c o m

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RAMBOLL

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of Ramboll’s six markets which are; Oil & Gas, Buildings, Transportation such as ports, aviation, and master planning, and environment.

Ramboll initially came to the region to explore oil and gas opportunities in the late 1990s and built up the business by building a strong relationship with Maersk Oil, part of the diversified global conglomerate AP-Moller Maersk. In 2006, Ramboll Middle East excelled from this point, partially through acquisitions, and has gone on to deliver on some of the region’s most iconic buildings, highly complex oil and gas projects, as well as transport infrastructure and environmental and master planning projects.

Ramboll initially came to the region to explore oil and

Regional expertise Over the past decade, the Ramboll brand has

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RAMBOLL grown in the Middle East to the extent where the company now has an enviable reputation as market experts in sustainable buildings and other environmentally efficient projects.

Richard Beard, Managing Director of Ramboll Middle East, said, “In addition to our growth in Qatar and UAE we have also been successful in building business in Saudi Arabia. We are focusing on these three countries in the Middle East at the moment. We have done a lot of tall buildings in Dubai, and have developed a very good master planning unit where we plan communities’ and liveable cities, and completed major environmental master plans in in cities including Jeddah.

“In the environment field we have been

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RAMBOLL

Key Personnel

Richard Beard Managing Director

“We are not in this market to be the biggest Middle East consultant, but we want to be working on the sustainable projects in line with our company values�

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members of the Emirates Green Building Council for some time now. For us at Ramboll, it is not all about shiny new builds either, we also focus on brownfield sites to improve them by making them more environmentally efficient. A project we are particularly proud of is the Change Initiative in Al Barsha, Dubai, which achieved the highest sustainability rating in the world based on the LEED sustainability rating system from the USA. Beard states it is really about sustainability by improving the community and existing infrastructure and that is what sets the company apart.

Future planning Ramboll Middle East started a graduate program this year, and are offering internships. A majority of employees are currently expatriates, but both Abidi and Beard envisage that the graduate program will help grow the future talent for the company, particularly in Saudi Arabia where the high level of education will benefit the Saudisation government scheme.

Beard said: “The Middle East can be an expensive place to bring staff but it is key

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to keeping up to date and bringing people through the business. We are going to put a lot more energy into our graduate program next year to aid our growth. Retention is vital too, I think we will see more talent coming back to the Middle East due to the dynamic and fast paced environment.

In the future RME will continue to develop the the Fujairah 2040 framework plan for the UAE’s fifth largest emirate. Fujairah has embarked on a plan for the comprehensive development of this important geographical area which it is the only emirate with a shore directly to the Indian Ocean independent of the Hormuz Strait.

Beard concluded: “We are not in this market to be the biggest Middle East consultant, but we want to be the leading consultant working on the sustainable projects in line with our company values. Our plans will continue to match the dynamism and growth in our geographical markets, working with key clients across the sectors.”

“We will also eventually look into other regional markets in the Middle East. We have enough experience to be able to tackle any of the markets that are likely to open up.”

Ramboll are set for an exciting growth phase, building on its market expertise within Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia. It continues to look for outstanding people whose values align with the company’s and therefore would like any interested individuals to go visit its website.

Company Information INDUSTRY

Construction HEADQUARTERS

Dubai, UAE FOUNDED

1945 EMPLOYEES

11,000 (550 Middle East) REVENUE

1 billion EUR (27 million EUR Middle East) PRODUCTS/ SERVICES

Design and engineering consultants

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Unibeton Ready Mix:

Ground-breaking Innovations Drive Unibeton to International Dominance Written by: Matthew Staff Produced by: Richard Durrant

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UNIBETON READY MIX

The MiddleEast based construction giant has established a reputation as a trailblazer in the sector for more than 20 years, and is still thriving off the back of its most recent, significant industry firsts

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nibeton Ready Mix continues to build on its already leading supply of ready mix solutions in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) through the ongoing flexibility to adapt not only its extensive offering to the market, but also the footprint of the market it operates within.

Now proud to be able to share its unrivalled knowledge and technologies within the sector on a global scale, the company’s ongoing R&D efforts are coinciding with more stringent industry regulations in the Middle-East to ensure that it will attain even more significant projects moving forward; including key infrastructural works in Saudi Arabia, Oman, India and Kuwait, as well as playing a pivotal role in preparing for the 2020 World Expo in the UAE and the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar.

Unibeton pinpoints the key facets behind its success to be delivering clients’ requirements, enhancing operational and capital efficiencies, expanding through product innovation and investing in its people, all of which have combined to make the Al Fara’a Group-owned company the one to watch in international construction over the coming years.

World-leading innovation Epitomising the extent of innovation engrained into the Unibeton ethos, the company has either unveiled or is well on its way to unleashing some of its most significant achievements to date, in the form of its ISM rheological probe system,

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Palm

formerly, and cementless concrete in the near future.

International Development Marketing Director, Robin Jones explained: “Our ISM probe system is essentially a workability test, similar to replacing a dipstick with a petrol gauge in a car. It has the ability to measure rheological properties, slump, temperature and volume of concrete inside the drum of the ready mix truck as a QAQC live automatic monitoring system.

“It’s an industry first and is already going down a storm around the world, via our consultancy guys, in countries like Germany, Singapore and Japan.”

Innovations such as the ISM probe are a testament to the company’s R&D efforts which have also been responsible for bringing about the

2022 The stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be built with the company’s products

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WE OWN AND OPERATE SOME OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST, SAFEST AND MOST MODERN QUARRIES. Our products have been used in some of the world’s highest profile developments, representing some of man’s greatest architectural and engineering challenges.

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UNIBETON READY MIX

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ability to produce 75 MPa cementless concrete.

Once this ground-breaking innovation etches its way into the consciousness of the construction community, Jones is confident that it will not only enforce Unibeton’s position at the top of the industry, but will also signify a pivotal progression on a global industry level.

“We believe we will be the first company to get and to deliver and to make cementless concrete,” he said. “We can make it now at over 75MPa but the only problem is acceptance.

“It is new science so presentations and education is required, but it will come sooner or later. R&D is rife with this and all of our concrete is geared towards being environmentally friendly.”

Award-winning sustainability Keeping ahead of the industry curve in the eco stakes has never been more vital than it is now, with new legislation coming in to ensure that buildings are reaching sustainability and carbon rating targets.

All of which will play into Unibeton’s hands however, building upon a market differentiator that it already has in abundance and has even won awards for, including from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA).

“We are the only company in the world to have been awarded the NRMCA gold award for the sustainability of a specific concrete plant like we did for our plant in Qatar last year,” Jones explained. “No-one else has that and it’s gone

Key Personnel

Robin Jones International Development Marketing Director Robin has extensive strategic experience in international business development and is experienced in taking the lead for major international clients.

In this position he predominantly acts as the Unibeton team leader in new market development and is representative for all aspects of initial new ventures. This involves major research into potential international locations and sustainable markets.

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UNIBETON READY MIX

Sheikh Zayedbridge

“One of the proactive things we did is analyse the market itself in the UAE... looking into places like Saudi Arabia and Qatar” – Jean-Francois Dufour

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down well wherever we mention it. It’s a huge coup for us and gives us mega brownie points in sustainability.”

Operating primarily in areas of complex infrastructure and high-rise buildings, Unibeton Readymix prides itself not only on these new sustainable products, but also through implementing them on scales previously untried.

“We’re talking about over 400 metres in height in terms of high-rise pumping, where we’ve pumped in 80MPa concrete in single stage.

They’re the type of high caliber, challenging jobs that we’re taking,” explained UAE General Manager, Jean-Francois Dufour.

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“Our past track record and international standing gives us the advantage both in the UAE and internationally.” www.unibetonrm.com contactus@unibetonrm.com

Global flexibility Reaching the peak of business in 2008 and 2009, the years immediately following presented much more of a challenge as a result of a general industry slowdown, but this brought out the best in Unibeton’s proactive, flexible philosophy as it was forced to find profit elsewhere.

“One of the proactive things we did is analyse the market itself in the UAE and took the opportunity to start expanding elsewhere, looking Abu Dhabi Plot 20, street 12 Sector 39, Mussafah PO Box 110353, Abu Dhabi, UAE Tel : +971 2 551 15 00 Fax : +971 2 551 19 29 Dubai Jebel Ali Industrial Area 3, PO Box 38197, Dubai, UAE Tel : +971 4 880 26 00 Fax : +971 4 880 22 99 Al Ain Plot 6, Street 9 Al Khrair, Mezyad PO Box 15915, Al Ain, UAE Tel : +971 3 782 54 74 Fax : +971 3 782 56 30

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia King Fahad Road AL JUMAIAH Center, Riyadh, KSA P. O. Box 60499 Postal Code 11454 Tel : +966 1 456 50 08 Mob : +966 50 443 90 34 Fax : +966 1 210 25 23

email: contactus@unibetonrm.com

www.unibetonrm.com

Unibeton truck at the batch plant

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UNIBETON READY MIX

The batch plant

“We have the greatest quality aggregates and cement around, largely down to the relationships we have kept with the same suppliers over the years” – Jean-Francois Dufour 40

into places like Saudi Arabia and Qatar,” Dufour said. “We are very good at assessing the market and we go where the economy is better, and now, anywhere that there is a need for business and we can be profitable and sustainable, we can take the opportunity to go there.”

“We, as a business, decided that we will go anywhere in the world,” Jones continued. “We’ve had excellent relationships and alliances with globally renowned companies, so when they came into Dubai, we were able to leverage these excellent relationships to get more business.”

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Unibeton’s menu of services allows the company to not only offer the concrete, but to essentially take over the complete supply for a client, and as long as the margins, profitability and volumes are beneficial, this service can be carried out anywhere around the world as a result of the business’s flexibility.

Combined with this is the company’s comprehensive portfolio of completed projects and projects in the pipeline, including the New Doha Port on behalf of China Harbour Engineering Construction in Qatar, The King Abdullah Financial City in Riyadh for Saudi Binladin Group and future involvement with the 2022 World Cup, showcasing its carbon free concrete to help meet sustainability objectives.

Business structure To align itself with the continuous improvement occurring within the organisation, the business structure that Unibeton adopts becomes increasingly prevalent.

A full management team set up in each operating country allows for complete autonomy in each case, scaling up to a central team which dictates the overriding strategy; incorporating governance over such issues as technology, environmental decisions and the supply chain, as Dufour explained: “The supply chain is also run centrally in terms of procuring high quality raw materials in each country of operation, allowing us to deliver high-end quality concrete and be

Key Personnel

Jean-Francois Dufour UAE General Manager Jean is a graduate civil engineer with a master’s degree in civil engineering from Laval University, Canada and has been practicing as a Civil Engineer in the field of concrete since 1995.

His leadership skills and knowledge of concrete are reflected in past management successes. Jean’s business and technical attributes and his broad contact network have allowed him to create and further develop new business opportunities for the company.

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Ferrari-World-Abu-Dhabi

competitive in our markets.

“Here in the UAE for example, we have the autonomy and the greatest quality of aggregates and cement around, and this is largely down to the relationships we have kept with the same suppliers over a number of years.”

This leverage of strong, mutually beneficial partnerships has played a vital role in Unibeton’s geographical growth, being able to develop immediate, strong supplier relationships in a country where it previously had no presence.

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Industry leaders Looking forward, Unibeton has every reason to be optimistic about its prospects, starting from a market-leading position and with innovations

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in place to suggest it will remain there for the foreseeable future.

Expansion of operations in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, alongside the sustainable growth within Oman are clear strategic objectives, but consolidation in its current areas remains the primary goal: maintaining the company’s adaptability to expand where the market place is most profitable.

Ultimately, over the next five years, Unibeton aims to build upon its already unparalleled reputation in areas of innovations, environmental issues, sustainability, recycling and the holy grail of cementless concrete.

“These innovations will take Unibeton to the next level and the market will have to adapt to it, putting us in a really good position,” Dufour concluded. “As the most professional people in the industry, we hope in time that the performance criteria will increase to a point where only a handful of companies will be able to meet it, and Unibeton will be one of them.

“Here in the UAE, for instance, we produced 110MPa concrete for structural elements of a high-rise tower in Dubai Marina, meeting Dubai’s new seismic design criteria to withstand earthquake tremors up to 5.9 on the Richter scale.

“This is something that we hope to see more and more of in the future, which will raise the bar for concrete suppliers to meet new structural design challenges, and Unibeton will always be part of that.”

Company Information INDUSTRY

Construction HEADQUARTERS

Abu Dhabi, UAE FOUNDED

1988 EMPLOYEES

2,500 REVENUE

$500 million PRODUCTS/ SERVICES

Readymix solutions

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Cemex UAE

Goes Green

Written by: Abigail Phillips Produced by: Richard Durrant

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CEMEX UAE

Introducing sustainable cement and green solutions to the construction industry in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Cemex UAE was involved in the construction of Dubai Airport 46

C

emex UAE is a leading readymix concrete producer in the main urban markets of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The company, a subsidiary of Cemex International, also manufactures and distributes cement through its state of the art grinding mill in Dubai. Today, the company has a production capacity of 1.6 million tons per year.

Since the economic recession in 2007, Cemex UAE has shifted its focus somewhat, moving away from being a ‘just a supplier’ and towards being a supplier plus, meaning it will do more than simply supply its customers with a raw material.

“We have been working with our customers to deliver business solutions for the construction industry. We provide alternative solutions, new building technologies, design consultancy and advice regarding sustainable development,” says Marsat Lal Mirpuri, Commercial and Technical Director for Cemex in UAE. As an example, the company has a team of consultants who specialize in LEED development and sustainable construction. They can advise customers on matters of green development and help them obtain LEED certification.

Building with sustainability in mind Cemex is the largest readymix, and in the top 5 cement, producer in the world and as such recognizes a need to make its operations greener on a global scale. Cement, by its very nature gives off a lot of C02 so the company has a lot

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Workers at the Dubai Reservoir

of offsetting solutions in place to reduce its net impact. At some of Cemex’ global plants up to 70 percent of its fuel consumption is alternative fuel, while in Germany that number reaches 90 percent.

Such a huge emphasis is put on sustainability at the company, that worldwide it has become a strategic target to become the biggest fuel saver in the cement industry. On a global scale, 20 to 30 percent of its Cement production is powered using alternative fuel.

However the company doesn’t stop there, but is also a leader in using cement that is environmentally friendly. “We have put quite a significant focus on producing more sustainable materials,” says Mirpuri.

“We provide alternative solutions, new building technologies, design consultancy and advice regarding sustainable development” – Marsat Lal Mirpuri, Managing Director

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Excellence in integrated liquid logistics by setting new benchmarks in road safety Headquartered in the UAE since 1998, Tristar is a fully integrated Liquid Logistics Solutions provider that offers a comprehensive list of services to cater to the needs of the petroleum and chemical industries, both in the region and globally. With operations that span across many continents, Tristar’s core expertise lies in handling hydrocarbons, lubricants,

chemicals and liquid gases.

Tristar uses a systematic approach towards conceiving and executing customized solutions. Ably supported by a worldwide network with dedicated facilities to manage road transport, warehousing, operation of fuel farms, turnkey fuel operations, into plane aviation fuel services, ship owning and chartering for clean petroleum products.

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CEMEX UAE “We use waste material from the steel industry and make greener cement with it. It’s sustainable because we are making use of a waste material from another industry. We recommend it to all our clients and aim to use it 50 percent of the time. It doesn’t cost more and it’s more durable.

“Part of our strategy has been around commercializing slag; it is more durable, and has less heat of hydration. Traditionally the heat that the cement produces could make concrete crack in this hot climate, however our newly formed concrete reduces the chances for this to occur.

Cemex has also developed sustainable ready-mix concrete called ready green In order to encourage others in the construction industry to opt for sustainable solutions the company has developed a third-party approved C02 calculator, which allows developers to see how much C02 savings they will make by choosing sustainable cement. It is LEED approved and allows construction firms to calculate energy and cost savings. “The path to sustainability is about changing people’s mindsets,” says Mirpuri. “The whole industry’s mindset in fact.”

World-leading knowledge Being a global company, with a wealth of experience under its belt, Cemex can offer its clients more than cement products. “We can help our customers make significant time and

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Key Personnel

Piotr Rusecki CEO, Cemex UAE Piotr Rusecki joined Cemex in 2003. He has held several managerial positions in Materials, Ready Mix, Aggregates, Pavements, and Infrastructure in Poland.

Additionally, he has served as Vice President ERMCO Association.

Previously to joining Cemex, Piotr worked as General Director for Unicon Concrete and in Production at Bauma Concrete Prefabrication.

Piotr holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Warsaw Technical University, and an MBA from WSPIZ.

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CEMEX MIDDLE EAST

Ferrai World, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

“Whatever we promise we deliver. A commitment made is a commitment respected no matter what happens. No matter if the world comes to an end we will honor our promise” – Marsat Lal Mirpuri

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money savings by using different solutions,” says Mirpuri. “We also put our customers in contact with one another and other contractors within the industry. We can help them with design, we can help them to obtain finance for their projects and we can support them from concept to delivery.

Having a global knowledge of the industry really makes us stand out from the competition.”

Investing in people Cemex UAE has 650 employees from the engineers to drivers and has an extremely good retention record, with some drivers being with the company for in excess of 20-years. “Most of our drivers have been with us for many years.

Retention is good because of respect and an open door culture. A driver could walk into our

CEMEX UAE CEOs office; there are no bureaucratic issues that some companies have,” says Mirpuri.

The company also offers great training to it employees, and thus career development opportunities. “Training is very extensive regarding the technical aspect of cement & readymix; we also do training from an operational perspective. We have a Global Commercial Academy for all Cemex employees, so they whole company has the same global approach.

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Company Information INDUSTRY

Construction HEADQUARTERS

Dubai, UAE FOUNDED

One step ahead of the competition So what sets Cemex ahead of the competition, in the UAE and on a global scale? “Whatever we promise we deliver. A commitment made is a commitment respected no matter what happens.

No matter if the world comes to an end we will honor our promise,” says Mirpuri.

“We give our clients global knowledge; no one else can operate globally like us. No one will give you a global network of contractors, we do,” he continues.

“Our plan is to keep developing our green products, delivering solutions to the industry and integrating our knowledge and know-how of producing high quality concrete with people in the construction sector. We want to build partnerships to offer world-leading one-stop solutions.”

With the company’s track record to go by and its global footprint, we believe this could be very likely.

1995 EMPLOYEES

650 REVENUE

USD 121 million AED 444 million in 2014 PRODUCTS/ SERVICES

Construction

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JLL

Earmarks UAE as Key Growth Location with Portfolio of Sustainable Projects Written by: Tom Wadlow Produced by: Richard Durrant

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JLL

J The global real estate services provider is showing it is a good corporate citizen through its work with large regional and international clients, revolved around five core areas of sustainability

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LL (formerly Jones Lang LaSalle), is strengthening its business in the Middle East and North Africa region by spearheading a number of sustainable real estate projects in the UAE and continuing to operate as a good corporate citizen.

Over the past year alone MENA staff numbers have risen from 130 to 180, the business characterised by long-standing relations with established clients which provide repeat customers.

Founded more than 250 years ago in the UK, JLL has grown into a global brand comprising 200 offices and 50,000 people all over the world, with presence in 40 Middle East and African countries.

The company provides a wide range of services to investors, developers and occupiers in every sector of the real estate market, from Consultancy, Valuations and Leasing, Sales to Property Management, Project Management and Cost Consultancy.

Sustainable and Strategic Growth in the UAE JLL has five offices covering its MENA operations, in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah and Cairo, with its team made up of 35 nationalities and approximately 90 Arabic speakers.

JLL’s service offering covers all sectors of the real estate and hospitality services market, including leasing and managing shopping centres and commercial buildings, project management of fit outs and new builds, strategic consulting,

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Providing innovative lighting solutions that achieve both energy and cost savings without compromising quality

valuation advisory and sales and acquisitions.

Alan Robertson, CEO of JLL MENA, said: “JLL have had a permanent presence in the region for more than 12 years and the firm has grown significantly throughout that time. While the Middle East represents a small part of the overall global business, it is regarded as a strategically important region for the firm, and is seen as one of the key growth locations for the foreseeable future.�

In the UAE the company is placing an increasingly strong focus on sustainability; sustainability being central to JLL’s ethos worldwide and allowing it to both enhance the w w w. j l l - m e n a . c o m

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JLL

“Since commercial buildings account for about 40 percent of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the developed world, our industry has a key role to play in tackling climate change – Vivienne Thomson, Senior Consultant Upstream Sustainability Services 56

environment while delivering economic returns.

Vivienne Thomson, Senior Consultant, Upstream Sustainability Services, added: “Sustainability at JLL is about maintaining and expanding our role as a good corporate citizen.

We are proud of our reputation for acting with integrity and for the ways our people contribute to the communities in which they live and work.”

“Since commercial buildings account for about 40 percent of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the developed world, our industry has a key role to play in tackling climate change. Sustainability has also created a significant business opportunity; Our Energy and Sustainability Services revenues increased by 16 percent in 2013.”

The sustainable ethos of JLL can be split into five core areas: Energy and resources; Client service excellence; Green buildings; Community and supply chain; and Workplace, wellbeing and diversity.

Ground-Breaking Projects JLL is showcasing its sustainability commitment through ongoing work in the UAE, including through its work with Majid Al Futtaim Properties to help the real estate giant reach its own sustainable targets.

Beyond shopping malls, Majid Al Futtaim Properties develops and manages hotels, communities and offices, and JLL is supporting its long term performance goals. This includes

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monitoring environmental data performance, producing independent sustainability reports, developing related communications plans, training staff and advising on a range of other sustainability related issues including ISO certification and labour rights best practice.

Majid Al Futtaim Properties has become widely recognised for its sustainability leadership within the region, and the long-term nature of the relationship has enabled JLL’s Upstream Sustainability Services unit to develop a sophisticated and in-depth knowledge of the company which facilitates a highly bespoke approach.

Majid Al Futtaim Properties has become widely recognised for its sustainability and leadership within the region

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JLL

With JLL’s support, software company Intuit achieved LEED Gold certification 58

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In the Business Bay area of Dubai, a partnership with a Korean fund has led to significant sustainable gains at the U Bora Tower, which has seen occupancy rates increase to 75 percent since JLL won instruction to manage the building in 2012. At the time of appointment, the building was operating at 15 percent capacity.

Key green initiatives at the site range from motion and photo-sensitive lighting to proposed waterless urinals and waste recycling initiatives working with outside providers.

Another area of activity offering short payback advantages is air conditioning and water chilling, controlled by a Building Management System which has led to savings of 15 percent per annum.

David Pine-Coffin, Associate Director at JLL, said: “The U Bora Tower is a prime example where we have been able to leverage our experienced teams based in both London and India to apply initiatives that result in a direct saving to the bottom line operating cost.”

Helping to create a sustainable workplace environments

Worldwide Footprint Across the world JLL’s Energy and Sustainability Services (ESS) teams implemented improvements on 1,852 existing buildings, documenting $39 million in energy savings and a reduction of 220,000 metric tons of CO2e in its US-managed portfolio.

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JLL

Achieving sustainability goals through technology

control system which combines monitoringbased commissioning to optimise building performance and predictive analytics, helping solve root causes and increase reliability.

Proctor & Gamble saw average annual energy cost savings of 10 percent since deploying IntelliCommand technology, the initial investment being returned within three months and set to be rolled out to other locations around the world.

Thomson added: “Since we manage three billion square feet of space globally for our clients, we can contribute by developing industry-leading strategies, tools and technologies that help clients improve energy efficiency and control associated costs.

We craft solutions that create positive long-term environmental, economic and social change.

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“For example, as one of the world’s biggest purchasers of light bulbs, JLL has partnered with Philips globally to deliver innovative lighting solutions that achieve both energy and cost savings without compromising quality.”

In-house platforms, including OneView Energy and Sustainability Analytics help clients to make sense of enormous volumes of sustainability data. More than 126,000 buildings are on JLL’s numerous platforms, granting vital visibility of sustainable performance.

Ensuring suppliers share an aligned vision is equally important, underlined by the fact that JLL handled more than $1.5 billion in client expenditures for the properties that they managed in 2012.

The company works with the Ethisphere Institute to develop surveys that gather information on supplier programmes and policies covering ethics, compliance and environmental impacts. The Supplier Risk Index is another useful tool, designed to help organisations identify and manage potential risks in their supply chains.

A Good Corporate Citizen Through its wealth of expertise, smart technology and sustainability programming, and close ties with suppliers, JLL is at the forefront of sustainable property management.

Such work is implemented by the company’s staff, who have access to a range of training and development opportunities. The company’s

“The U Bora Tower is a prime example where we have been able to leverage of our experienced teams based in both London and India to apply initiatives that result in a direct saving to the bottom line operating cost” – David Pine-Coffin, Associate Director at JLL

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JLL

JLL reception

“We are here to stay and expect to become steadily more established in the region, as we help our clients achieve their various goals in real estate” – Alan Robertson, CEO JLL MENA

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graduate scheme takes on a large number of Arabic speakers in the MENA region over a two year programme of broad-based training.

Named on the Ethisphere Institute’s list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the seventh consecutive year, JLL has found that recognition as one of the world’s most ethical companies is helping to attract the most talented employees.

“JLL is committed to a corporate culture that embraces and promotes strong principles of business and professional ethics at every level,” Thomson said.

“Ethical practices are inherent in our values, mission and strategy, and guide all of our

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Company Information INDUSTRY

Construction HEADQUARTERS

London, UK FOUNDED

1783 EMPLOYEES

53,000+ globally REVENUE

Not disclosed

interactions with clients, customers, vendors and employees. Being a conscientious global citizen is not just good policy, it is good business.”

Moving forward this reputation will doubtlessly help JLL to acquire more long-term clients and boost business in the MENA region.

Robertson concluded: “We have more than doubled in size in the last five years and we expect that rate of growth to continue over the next few years. We are here to stay and expect to continue to expand in the region, as we help our clients achieve their various goals in real estate.”

PRODUCTS/ SERVICES

Real Estate Services

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EMIRATES GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL Office M20-21, Al Joud Center, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai – United Arab Emirates. PO Box: 121838 Tel. +971 4 346 8244 / Fax. +971 4 346 8248 www.emiratesgbc.org