THE sleek external appearance of the glass-clad Dhahran Tower belies the sizeable volume of heavy structural steel and metal works involved in providing support for the various services that go into making the striking residential tower functional, safe and durable.

The company behind these extensive works is Saraya Al Khaleej General Trading and Construction (SAK), which has been heavily involved in the project since March 2008, providing a range of services on a total of six contracts, with further orders anticipated shortly, according to Muhammad Saleem Mughal, SAK’s deputy general manager.

“Contracts One to Four have been finished, Contract Five is 85 per cent complete, while Contract Six, which was recently awarded, is pending approval of design and drawings,” says Mughal. “We are now awaiting further contracts to be finalised soon by the client Sheikh Mobarak Abdulla Al Suwaiket, such as the steel fence boundary wall, a showroom, staircases with handrails and structures for the utility equipment.”

SAK has been offering services ranging from design and engineering, supply of material, fabrication, surface coating and hot dip galvanisation, delivery at site as well as erection and installation of major structural steel and metal works.

Its scope of works has included extensive aluminium and heavy steel structure work, piping, design, fabrication and installation of an overhead crane, fabrication and installation of ladders, fencing and associated works as per required standards.

The helipad at the tower.

Elaborating on the work done on the project, he says SAK has fabricated OTS (open to sky) heavy structural steel platforms for six risers as well as aluminium Cat ladders for the risers on 47 levels of the tower; heavy schedule steel pipe handrails for the emergency stairway; steel structural supports for the access to elevator shafts; heavy structural steel access, platform, supports and stairs with safety handrails; aluminium grating panels and handrails for the mobile general maintenance platform; an overhead crane with a remote control for the pumphouse; and steel checker plate covers with manhole covers and aluminium ladders for all utility buildings.

Describing the Dhahran Tower as a challenging project, Mughal says: “We, nevertheless, have tried to complete our assignments by giving it our best. And thanks to our experienced workers and engineering staff, we have managed to achieve all targets to the entire satisfaction of our client.”

“Dhahran Tower has become well known in a very short span of time due to its aesthetic design, striking height and strategic location, and the fact that it has provided business opportunities to many contractors and other companies,” he adds.

EES-Vessel Heads ... SAK project.

SAK, established in 1990, is a 100-per-cent Saudi-owned general contracting and industrial service company based in the Jubail Industrial City in the Eastern Province. It provides services in engineering, designing, fabrication and erection of high-pressure vessels, CS/SS (carbon steel/stainless steel) storage tanks, piping, heavy structures and industrial sheds. “We have vast experience in this field gained through executing various projects in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf,” says Mughal.

The company has witnessed tremendous growth and diversification, particularly since 2000. “Today we are capable of mobilising a 200-plus workforce for any fabrication and site erection of steel pipe, structural hangers, buildings, sheds, pipe/saddle, supports, tanks/vessels and saddle foundations,” says Mughal.

The company has an experienced workforce, which includes fabricators, fitters, welders, riggers, millwrights, industrial electricians, mechanical technicians, machinists and other workers required for execution works. SAK also has extensive facilities to enable it to carry out its activities, including a workshop, well equipped with tools, machinery and other requisites to ensure efficient fabrication of products.

Mughal ... target achieved.

Over the past year, SAK has achieved good business levels, matching its performance in the previous year. Against this backdrop, SAK has this year launched a branch office in Bahrain – under the banner of Sparklink Trading Company – and is also looking at increasing its business in the Gulf through opening offices in Dubai, UAE. The company, which has expanded its client base in Saudi Arabia, also intends to launch other offices in various cities of the kingdom.

According to Mughal, Saudi Arabia offers ample opportunities, particularly in the civil construction and mechanical engineering fields with the development of educational facilities, petrochemical plants, refineries, power projects, water treatment plants, steel, cement, and oil and gas sectors.

“An example is the King Saud University for Girls (now assimilated in the new Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University for Girls) in Riyadh, which is among the biggest developments in the country, where SAK will install a high-pressure LPG piping line and systems.

The kingdom also offers huge incentives to foreign investors and companies to avail of the huge potential that the country offers for business growth, Mughal says.

Besides the Dhahran Tower, SAK has successfully completed many other projects in the kingdom, especially in the Eastern Province. Some of its major clients include Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem), Saudi Aramco, Saudi Basic Industries Company affiliates Petrokemya and Kayan, AYTB, Jana, Marafiq, Hyundai, Dong Sung, Daelim, Gulf Steel Works, Gulf Heavy Industries, EES-Vessel Heads, Suwaidi, Unilube, Unicoil, Anabeeb, Chemanol, Al Gaswa, United Gulf Steel, Tayf and Al Suwaiket.

“Our mission is to continually exceed the expectations of our customers by providing quality services through our highly-skilled and professional contracting management and flexible manpower teams, utilising state-of-the-art engineering and maintenance technology. Combining these assets with our strong commitment to quality and customer satisfaction ensures that SAK will continue to be a leader in industrial projects for manufacturing and fabrication,” Mughal says.