GREG Garner, the new CEO of Belhasa Projects (BHP), has vowed to grow the company by modernising its operations, increasing productivity and entering new markets.

Part of the UAE’s Belhasa Group, BHP was launched in 1980 as a specialist in swimming pool construction and today the company is one of the largest of its kind in the world, having also expanded into other specialist contracting services.
A market leader in the UAE, BHP pools can be seen in palaces, hotels, leisure complexes and villas across the emirates.
However, BHP’s strength lies in its diversity, says Garner, adding that the company is currently busy with as many as 400 projects across its divisions.
Its current clients in Dubai include well-known names such as Engineers Office, Dubai Metro, Dubai Festival City and Dubai Mall, while in Abu Dhabi its customers include Al Raha Beach and Sorbonne University.
Overseas, BHP is executing large infrastructure works for the government in Qatar and contracts for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India.
 “Belhasa enjoys a good reputation in the Gulf and we are well known for our swimming pools, says Garner. “However, most people are unaware of the breadth of BHP’s operations.” 
He continues: Our Aquascapes division is very popular with developers and prestige hotels and resorts, while our Belcare division handles maintenance work on pools, gardens and other facilities for private clients. Our infrastructure division is currently working on large waste-water projects in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar, while our sports and coatings division is working on track and court projects for the upcoming Commonwealth Games as well as coating contracts for car-parks and high-rise facings in Abu Dhabi.  
“In addition our MEP division is busy with several projects, our Equine division [which provides facilities for horses and camels] is still going strong and our Actioncrete [concrete repairs] division is busier than ever with more clients opting to repair buildings rather than demolish them.”
Despite BHP’s diversity business remains tough, admits Garner. “It’s a competitive environment and this is having an impact on our margins but there is work out there. Although based in Dubai, we also have permanent offices in both Abu Dhabi and Doha which are key markets,” he says, adding that despite current market challenges, during the last three months Aquascapes has “received more orders than ever before”. 
A Briton, Garner, 56, started his career in finance and first came to the Gulf in 1986, working across the region before moving to India to head a venture for multinationals and then back to the UK where worked as a management consultant for several years. In 2007 Garner returned to the Gulf as commercial/business development director for a new utility company in Bahrain before joining Belhasa Projects in July this year.