Pacific Ventures UAE hopes high

INDIAN real estate firm Pacific Ventures is using its debut projects at the UAE’s upcoming Jumeirah Village Triangle in Dubai as a launch pad to enter the UAE market and expand its clientele.

Founder chief executive officer Parvez Khan said the two projects – Pacific Edmonton Elm and Pacific Residencia – will be completed in 20 months.

He said the city’s new upcoming Jumeirah Village Triangle will be the next affordable hub for newer developers and investors.

Pacific Ventures, which is five years into the real estate business, has stepped into the UAE to take advantage of the market which, Khan says, will hit a peak soon.

Imdaad powers swimming world cup

IMDAAD, the leading provider of integrated facilities management solutions in the GCC, said it has provided power generators to meet the temporary power requirements of the Dubai Swimming World Cup 2012, which was held last month (October 2 to 3) at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex in Dubai.

Imdaad, which is one of the leading sponsors of the Dubai Swimming World Cup, extended power generation services through Imdaad Power, a division established to address temporary power requirements of projects and industries in the GCC. The division also offers water-based chillers and air-conditioners to supplement the installed process systems or to provide heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) services. Imdaad Power provides power generators of various sizes and capacity – from small diesel units to big containerised power units starting from 30 kVA up to 1,250 kVA.

Wadhwa and Karam sign the deal.

InSinkErator partners with Al Futtaim

INSINKERATOR has entered into a distribution partnership to increase brand awareness and strengthen its presence in the Middle East.

The company has partnered with Al Futtaim Electronics Company, a subsidiary of the Al-Futtaim Group, to facilitate distribution of InSinkErator’s range of products, particularly its domestic line of food waste disposers and steaming hot water taps, across the UAE and Oman. Al Futtaim Electronics director Sachin Wadhwa and Mohamed Karam, business development manager Middle East and Africa, InSinkErator, signed the deal.

A business unit of Emerson Electric Company, InSinkErator is the world’s largest manufacturer of food waste disposers and steaming hot water taps for home and commercial use.

Victaulic names EMEAI director

VICTAULIC, a world leader in mechanical pipe joining systems, has appointed Daniel Christian as director for oil, gas, chemical and power markets in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI).

Christian, who will be based in Dubai, brings more than 30 years of experience to the new position and was previously power market sales director for EMEAI. He is an expert in the piping industry and is a member of ASME B31-1 code for power piping as well as subcommittee chairman of general requirements for ASME B31-3 process piping and chairman of ASME B31-9 building services.

“There is enormous potential for growth in the oil, gas, chemical and power markets in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India and Victaulic offers great solutions and value propositions that have real appeal, particularly in the current economic climate,” Christain said.

Emrill wins Abu Dhabi tower deal

EMRILL, a leading facilities management company in the UAE, said it has signed a support services contract for the Etihad Towers, a five-tower development featuring offices, apartments and a hotel in Abu Dhabi.

Commenting on the win, Ben Lilley, the Abu Dhabi general manager for Emrill, said: “After a thorough evaluation of the unique community and its needs, we are certain that our services go hand in hand with the attention given to every detail of this development.”

A landmark of Abu Dhabi, the 300-m-high Etihad Towers provides panoramic views of the capital from the exclusive beachside of the Al Ras Al Akhdar district. The 5.8-million-sq-ft property includes one commercial and three residential towers, offering a selection of 885 luxurious residences along with stylish cafés, restaurants, boutiques, health clubs and spas.

Aggreko powers RAK firm operations

AGGREKO, a world leader in temporary power and temperature control services, provided round-the-clock service to Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Company for White Cement, to overcome an unexpected shutdown.

One of the nation’s leading producers of high quality white cement, RAK Company sought Aggreko’s help when one of its gas turbines failed and standby power had been shut down for annual maintenance, causing a significant reduction in capacity. Within three days of receiving the call for assistance, power generators were up and running, providing the client with 6 MW at 6.6 kV for an initial two-week period – extended to three weeks when the client required additional time for the repair. Aggreko provided round-the-clock support – essential due to the critical nature of the power supply requirements. Chetan Elkunchwar, technical director, RAK Company, said: “We reached out to Aggreko due to their reputation for providing power with speed and agility.”

Marina Bay handover to begin.

Damac completes Marina Bay project

DAMAC Properties, the Middle East’s leading luxury developer, has completed the luxury mixed-use tower Marina Bay – its first project to be completed in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Having received the completion certificate, the company will now begin handing over of the 24-storey tower which has exquisite views of the canal that connects the entire development.

Marina Bay is a high-end waterfront development on Al Reem Island offering luxurious residential, retail and commercial space. The tower includes one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments as well as retail and commercial space on the ground and mezzanine levels.

Pipe-making facility wins approval

EMPOWER-LOGSTOR Insulated Pipes Systems (Elips), UAE’s largest pre-insulated pipe manufacturing facility in Jebel Ali, Dubai, has won the ISO 9001:2008, in recognition of its high quality and environmental standards in the fittings for pre-insulated pipes.

Elips chairman Ahmed Bin Shafar said: “Our aim from the start was to cater to the needs of the market for isolated pipes with high quality and reliability. We succeeded in enhancing the position of Elips.”

The factory was earlier awarded the same certification for the production of pre-insulated pipes.

Most UAE home buyers are end-users

NINE out of 10 home buyers in the UAE are now end-users, representing a significant shift in the country’s real estate sector, according to Tamweel, the UAE Islamic home finance provider.

The findings are based on analysis of home finance extended by Tamweel between January 2011 and June 2012.

Tamweel reports that today’s end-users availing home finance stands at approximately 90 per cent, demonstrating a positive change in the UAE home finance market. As the number of end-users has increased, so too has their equity participation. According to Tamweel, in 2008, its average finance-to-value ratio was 80 per cent. Today, this figure is 75 per cent, signifying that end-users are now eager to keep their leveraging to a minimum.

“The past 18 months have witnessed a profound shift in the UAE home finance sector,” said Varun Sood, acting chief executive officer of Tamweel.

“Customers now are very savvy and will have thoroughly done their homework on both the property and the home finance product,” he added.