Imdaad renews FM agreement

IMDAAD, a leading provider of integrated facilities management solutions in the GCC, has renewed its agreement with Strata Management Services, a subsidiary company of Nakheel, to provide facility management (FM) services for owners association buildings at International City in Dubai.

The renewal terms involve the continued provision of services covering mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), fire system maintenance, extra-low voltage (ELV) systems, elevators, and cleaning services for about 238 buildings.

International City, a master development by Nakheel, offers more than 22,000 residences.

Magnetrol’s UAE facility completed

CONSTRUCTION work has been completed on a new production facility in the UAE for US-based Magnetrol International, a leading manufacturer of level and flow process control instrumentation.

The new Magnetrol International United Arab Emirates (MIUAE) facility features a 550-sq-m production floor, which will enable Magnetrol to increase its production of external chamber devices in order to meet the needs of customers in the Middle East. This facility adds to the company’s existing production capacity in the US, Belgium, Brazil and China.

“This new facility, combined with the recent expansions of our US headquarters and European regional headquarters, positions Magnetrol to provide our customers with extensive, efficient process control solutions worldwide,” said Magnetrol president and CEO Jeffrey Swallow.

Abu Dhabi fort renovation starts

A COMPREHENSIVE project to conserve and restore Abu Dhabi’s most significant historical structure is currently in progress.

Revealing the project details, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA) said the Qasr Al Hosn fort conservation projects aims to prevent moisture from being trapped on the surface of the coral stone, which currently lies beneath the modern white render. As part of the restoration project, portions of the thick white gypsum and cement render that was applied to the walls of the fort in the 1980s are being removed, revealing the original coral and sea stone masonry used in traditional Emirati construction.

“The layers of modern render that were added in the 1980s are suffocating the traditional construction of the historic walls,” said Mark Powell Kyffin, head of architecture, TCA Abu Dhabi. “Air-conditioning was also introduced into the building in the 1980s. The combination of this internal cooling and the high ambient external temperatures causes condensation to be trapped within the walls on the surface of the coral stone,” he said.

Qasr Al Hosn fort, which has stood since the mid-1700s, is a symbolic birthplace of the emirate.

Victory Heights ... now complete.

Victory Heights completed

VICTORY Heights, the flagship golf residential community set on the fairways of the Els Club Golf Course in Dubai Sports City, has been completed.

Home to five sporting academies offering coaching in football, hockey, rugby, swimming and cricket, the development comprises 961 villas and townhouses. These are available in a choice of European classical, Spanish Andalusian, and Mediterranean architectural styles, with custom finishes and a variety of options.

The largest of these properties, Mirage Type A, has been built on a total area of 6,661 sq ft, while the smallest property comprises a total area of 2,521 sq ft.

Facilities on site include the Ernie Els 18-hole championship golf course, Els Club House, Butch Harmon School of Golf, community centres, and a mosque.

GRM opens facility at DWC

GLENBEIGH Records Management (GRM) inaugurated its facility last month at Dubai World Central (DWC), the world’s first purpose-built aerotropolis.

The Dh25-million ($6.8 million) facility has been designed and built by its sister company Glenbeigh Construction. The 70,000-sq-ft purpose-built facility offers state-of-the-art storage solutions and advanced security systems to protect corporate information assets.

GRM, part of the Glenbeigh Group of Ireland, specialises in offsite document storage, scanning and imaging solutions, offsite media storage, vault storage, document destruction, and consultancy, all designed to support businesses in managing and safeguarding their data.

Siemens opens Masdar HQ

SIEMENS last month inaugurated its new Middle East headquarters at Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s low-carbon, sustainable city, where Siemens is an anchor tenant.

The building has been designed with sustainable materials and energy efficient technologies, making it the first Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) platinum-certified office in the UAE capital city.

The building has become a benchmark for future projects in the Middle East and beyond, due to the sustainability standards and development methodology used in building it.

“With our new headquarters, we strive to serve our customers even better and enrich our contribution to the development of the region’s youth and societies to meet the needs of the future,” said Dietmar Siersdorfer, CEO of Siemens Middle East and UAE.