Al-Futtaim Engineering's (AFE) Elevator Division is maintaining its high profile along Dubai's Shaikh Zayed Road, with the installation of elevators and escalators at the Mazaya Centre.

Al Salam Tower, Oasis Tower, Al Moosa Tower II and the newly-opened Oasis Shopping Centre are just a few of the projects where AFE's Elevator Division has enjoyed considerable success in this, the most up and coming area of Dubai, says divisional manager Mian F Jabir.

Twelve elevators and 12 escalators from Hitachi and two hydraulic observation lifts from Dover, have all been supplied, installed and commissioned over the last nine months, completing yet another successful project for its longstanding client, HH the Ruler's Court, he adds.

The company's sound reputation for quality, both product and service, plus its track record for meeting tight construction programmes, were significant factors in securing this most prestigious of projects, he points out.

Jabir continues: "In today's ultra-competitive market, price is of course as important as it ever was. However, we are definitely seeing clients putting far greater importance on the quality of the product plus the quality of installation and after-sales service. An elevator that is unreliable will cause major inconvenience to the occupants of the building. Moreover, a unit that is unsafe is positively life-threatening."

Jabir says his division within AFE is indeed very proud of the impeccable standards that its installation and service engineers have achieved.

"A recent visit to Dubai by Hitachi engineers from the Far East found the standards set by Al-Futtaim Engineering to be as high as they had seen from any of their distributors."

Jabir stresses that regulation of the industry is generally felt to be long overdue in the UAE by clients, consultants and contractors alike, and is a subject very close to his heart.

"With so many small-time operators active in the market it's very easy to get caught out, he points out.'' Clients need to be satisfied that both supervisory and operational staff are all sufficiently trained and have the necessary experience. Can the small operators procure genuine spare parts and have them available at short notice in case of an emergency?

''With Al-Futtaim Engineering, our ISO 9001 certification gives added protection for both product and personnel.

''As the market for elevators in the UAE matures, only the strongest and the best will survive. We're confident that AFE is right at the top of this category and with the current trend towards awareness of quality and safety issues, we are sure of maintaining our rightful position as one of the market leaders."

Al-Futtaim Engineering is a member of the Al-Futtaim Trading Group of Companies, one of the largest and most successful business houses in the Gulf region.