Dubai World Central (DWC), the 140 sq km aviation community taking shape at Jebel Ali in Dubai, has awarded two key contracts worth $44.1 million for emergency services as the world’s largest airport gets ready to receive first cargo flights next year.

Construction of these facilities has already commenced at Dubai World Central International Airport (JXB) — around which five other components are being built, including Dubai Logistics City, Commercial City, Residential City, Golf City and Aviation City — and will be completed by July 2008.
Both tenders were awarded to Convergent Value Engineering, an Abu Dhabi-based metallic installation contracting company, for a total of four fire stations and five police facilities buildings.
The fire stations will be built alongside the first taxiways — due for completion by end of this year — along the length of the apron zone, which provides fire trucks direct access to the airfield.
“JXB will have some of the most advanced fire control facilities and equipment in the world, providing efficient emergency management,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman, Dubai Aviation Corporation — Dubai World Central, Government of Dubai. “These fire and police stations will set new benchmarks within the region in the provision of emergency services.”
The main fire station, consisting of a two-floor building, will cover a total area of 1,700 sq m, including the vehicular section, service section and the operations staff section, in addition to offices, service and observation rooms, and a total of four truck bays. The three satellite fire stations will consist of one-floor set-ups and cover a combined area of 1,000 sq m, including the operational sections.
Work is due to be completed this month on the first 4.5 km A-380 enabled CAT-III runway while that on the airport’s air traffic control (ATC) tower is moving ahead of schedule.
“Progress is ahead of schedule with 60 per cent of the 92-m tall ATC tower complete,” said Abdulla Al Falasi, marketing and corporate communications director of Dubai World Central.
The structure, Middle East’s tallest free-standing ATC, will be capable of handling the latest in avionics equipment and state-of-the-art meteorological and radar systems.
Arabtec/Max Bogl JV, a UAE-German joint venture that is building the tower at an estimated $39.1 million, expects construction to be complete in February next year, well in time for final air traffic control solutions to be in place.