Mall to install 700 CCTV cameras

The security division of TPS (part of Carillion) is providing physical and technical security design services for the new development of The Avenues Mall in Kuwait City, the Gulf’s biggest retail mall at over 1 million sq m.

The project, headed by TPS principal security consultant Steve Richins, has now entered its third phase of development which will see the mall double in relation to its original size with several striking new retail areas including a gold suq luxury goods mall. Behind the facades, the mall will see the creation and migration of a new operations centre as well as the installation of more than 700 CCTV cameras.

The approach to the security design includes the installation of a new automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system that will help address security challenges associated with having basement level car parking at the main mall.

Dohaland project renamed

Dohaland’s signature project ‘Heart of Doha’ was renamed ‘Musheireb’ at a groundbreaking ceremony, which also marked the beginning of the construction of Phase 1A of the development. The QR20 billion ($5.49 billion) project will be completed in five phases by 2016, with the first phase due for completion by 2012. The project is spread across an area of 35 hectares with the Heritage Quarter lying to the east of Musheireb project. The development will contain 226 buildings and will be home to 27,637 residents. The main structures that will be built will be a national archive, a theatre and museum, three types of hotels – lifestyle, luxury and business – and a 5,522 sq m primary school for 300 students.

J/Brice wins Saudi contract

Al Othman Holding Company, the Saudi multinational conglomerate, has awarded J/Brice Design International its second major real estate design contract in the kingdom – The Al Othman Compound.

The exclusive community of 120 luxury villas in Al Khobar, will feature a J/Brice-designed community centre, complete with indoor pool, spa and fitness facilities, retail space, theatre, child-care centre, cyber cafe, function space and restaurant.

$1bn hospital goes up

The Arab Contractors Company is working on a contract for the construction of the $1.08-billion Jaber Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah Hospital in Surra, Kuwait. The work covers the hospital’s main building (1,200 beds), the staff and doctors’ residency areas, dental, services, electricity and medical gas buildings, laundry, workshops, ground water tank and a multi-storey garage. Its is scheduled for completion in 2012.

Maraya branding agency named

Swiss Bahrain Property a subsidiary of Swiss Bahrain Holding (SBH), has appointed truly Middle East to be the branding and communications agency for its five-star Maraya property developments.

truly Middle East will be implementing a multi-channel campaign for the first of the Maraya developments on Amwaj Islands in Bahrain with immediate effect, according to SBH chief operations officer Robert Kirby. “truly Middle East’s new and comprehensive communications campaign will create a strong presence for Maraya and allow our brand to achieve outstanding results in the current market conditions,” Kirby said.

Adam Sunderland, managing director, truly Middle East, said: “Maraya is a first-class development from a first-class company, and we look forward to a long and profitable partnership with the Swiss Bahrain Group.”

The new campaign is in its final stages of production and will appear in Bahrain and other key markets soon.

Budget boost for 3,200 schools

In line with an ambitious plan to build 3,200 new schools, Saudi Arabia has increased its budgetary allocation for education this year by 12.8 per cent over the previous year. There are 25,000 state schools in the kingdom of which 16,000 operate in rented buildings. Under the new plan, the education ministry would construct between two and three school buildings per day to replace the rented buildings. Saudi has tripled its spending on education during the past decade with the education ministry spending about SR6 billion ($1.59 billion) to acquire 2,000 plots of land since 2003.

Scott Wilson lands $23m deal

Scott Wilson Group has been awarded a Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) contract to provide project management support to the new Haramain High Speed Rail Project. The international design and engineering consultancy will provide technical, specialist engineering and programme management support services to the SRO. The contract is valued at £14.5 million ($23 million) over the next five years. This is the first high speed rail programme in the Middle East linking the cities of Makkah, Jeddah, the new King Abdullah Economic City and Madinah as well as the International Airport in Jeddah.

Saudis earmark $3.16bn for roads

Saudi Arabia has earmarked SR11.87 billion ($3.16 billion) in this year’s budget to construct 6,400 km roads. The money, which includes surplus carried forward from previous years, will be spent on 316 road projects, which comprise both new and unfinished schemes, according to Transport Minister Jebara Al Seraisry. The work covers the Makkah and the Madinah province, besides construction of 1,721 km of agricultural and branch roads and 3,387 km of express roads, double-lane roads and branch roads in various parts of the kingdom.