ALMOAYYED Ironmongery and Fabrication Services (AIFS) – part of the Almoayyed International Group – took on a heavy workload when assigned a role on the King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) project.

Some 17 fins, each weighing nearly 1.7 tonnes and measuring 12 m in height, were erected on the main façade of the hospital by the Bahrain-based company.

“Manoeuvring the cranes to get the fins in precise position was a great challenge,” says A S Rajendran, general manager of Almoayyed International Group.

In total, 23 fins were used. Some 17 of these were 12 m in height, while the remaining six measured 6 m. AIFS also designed and fabricated its own motorised hanging rails to handle the polishing of the fins.

Overall, the company’s scope of work at KHUH included supply and installation of glass balustrades, staircase railings and roof railings, besides commissioning of the front facade of the hospital.

AIFS also fabricated and commissioned the railings.

“Some 460 linear m of balustrades were put up within a quick timeframe of 25 days,” he says. “In addition, 3,700 m of various hand-railing works were used in the project.

The ramp railings at the main entrance were fixed with special hand-made glass brackets, which were designed and fabricated by the company’s in-house technical team.

AIFS completed its project last April.

Commenting on the landmark development, Rajendran says: “With its sophisticated infrastructure and modern medical equipment and facilities, King Hamad University Hospital will enhance the healthcare services offered to the people of Bahrain. We are honoured to be involved in a project of this magnitude.”

AIFS commenced operations in 2003 to address the growing demand for ironmongery and related products in Bahrain and the other Gulf countries. Its core expertise lies in door handles, hinges, locks and cylinders, door closures, floor springs, fire exit bars, fire-rated doors and sliding doors. The company also specialises in supplying custom-made hardware.

“AIFS delivers value to architects, contractors, and interior designers by focusing on providing products and services on a turnkey basis, which includes material identification, polishing, painting, installation and servicing at the project site,” says Rajendran.

“With this end-to-end approach, AIFS continues to service luxury villas, government institutions, palaces, hotels, hospitals, schools as well as commercial and residential complexes in Bahrain as well as in Oman, through its overseas arm Almoayyed International,” he adds.

At present, the company’s diverse product line includes balustrades, stairways, handrails, guardrails, awnings, commercial and office entrance framing, decks, decorative ceilings and canopy. Its major partners include Dorma, Abloy, Jado, BSW, Olivari, Hawa, Ompporro and France Metal.

Besides the KHUH, AIFS’ other recent projects include Enma mall, which is under construction. For this project, the company has supplied glass balustrades, fire staircases, roof railing, gates, steel doors and ironmongery. The main contractor is Almoayyed Contracting, its sister company. Another major project for AIFS was the Bahrain City Centre, where the company supplied decorative ceilings using aluminium sheets.

Rajendran sees a promising future for Bahrain’s construction market and, in turn, for AIFS.

“In the short term, construction will be fuelled by government projects, which include development of low-cost housing, and roadwork projects such as bridges,” he says. “In the long term, prospects appear to be good, especially in light of the 2022 Fifa World Cup to be held in Qatar. Most probably, work on the Bahrain-Qatar causeway will be initiated and expedited, which will trigger a flurry of activity in the construction market. Real estate will pick up again in the run-up to the event and Bahrain can cash in early by offering some lucrative opportunities to potential investors.”

“The year just gone past (2010) – though slower than 2008 and 2009 – has been one of steady growth in general and we expect the market to pick up once Qatar begins to execute its World Cup infrastructure requirements,” concludes Rajendran.