Eaton appoints Mideast manager

POWER management company Eaton has appointed Frank Ackland as its Middle East general manager who will be in charge of the company’s operational and commercial business across the region.

Ackland will be based at Eaton’s recently opened Middle East headquarters and manufacturing hub located in the UAE’s Jebel Ali Free Zone. He was previously regional executive and general manager for GE Digital Energy in the Middle East and Africa (MEA).

“With over 40 years of experience in the Middle East, Eaton is moving quickly towards becoming one of the premier power management companies in the Middle East. I am delighted that Frank Ackland has joined Eaton to lead our team towards the realisation of this strategy. Ackland has a proven track record of delivering both market out-growth and operational excellence,” said Frank Campbell, president of Eaton’s electrical sector in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Tallest tower piling works completed

PILING works has been completed for the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to Mounib Hammoud, who has been newly appointed as CEO of Jeddah Economic Company (JEC).

JEC is the developer of the project which is designed to be the world’s tallest tower. Hammoud, who has more than 20 years of experience in urban planning and real estate in the region, will lead the company’s vision of developing an integrated city that includes the 1,000-m-high tower.

Agreement to enhance sustainability

QATAR Green Building Council (QGBC) and the Pakistan Engineers Forum (PEF) in Qatar have signed an agreement to execute joint research projects and outreach activities to promote sustainability initiatives within the construction industry.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in November aims to maximise utilisation of their collective resources and expertise. The agreement will help deliver relevant education and training to enhance sustainability efforts.

Hill wins Lusail towers contract

HILL International, a global leader in managing construction risk, has secured a contract to provide project management services in connection with the design and construction of two mixed-use tower projects worth QR1 billion ($275 million) in the Lusail District of Doha, Qatar.

The 30-month contract, awarded by Real Estate Services Group (RESG), has an estimated value to Hill of approximately QR35 million ($9.6 million). The development includes one 35-storey tower that will include a five-star hotel, restaurants, villas and apartments and one 27-storey tower comprising offices and retail space.

Muscat Municipality gets AutoCAD

MUSCAT Municipality is upgrading its design technology capabilities with AutoCAD 2014, the latest edition of the well-known 2D and 3D computer-aided design software application.

The municipality, a unit of Diwan of the Royal Court in Oman, has acquired 65 AutoCAD 2014 licences from Omnix International, the authorised distributor for Autodesk products in the Middle East, as an initial step to the planned upgrade.

The move is part of Muscat municipality’s efforts to address the demands for world-class high quality designs for the growing number of construction and development projects in Oman in general and Muscat in particular. The acquisition makes Muscat Municipality the country’s first government entity to use AutoCAD 2014.

Das Otomotiv and Terex sign deal

DAS Otomotiv has signed a distribution agreement with Terex Cranes to include representation of sales and service for all Terex Cranes product lines in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, Das Otomotiv has been a Terex Cranes authorised distributor for Turkey for more than 16 years.

Spanish firm wins $105m power deal

A TURNKEY contract for the construction of 172 km of high-voltage transmission lines in Kuwait has been awarded to Spain-based IsoluxCorsán.

Under the $105-million deal awarded by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity and Water, the leading transmission and distribution (T&D) builder is responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the 300 kV transmission lines that connect the Subiya power plant to several key regions of the country.

The transmission and distribution works that IsoluxCorsán will undertake includes complete design of the towers and foundations, the supply of all materials and accessories, civil works, tower erection, stringing and commissioning, among other works.

Saudi Arabia to build port

SAUDI Arabia is planning to build a massive port on its western coast on an area of 43 million sq m to attract investment as well as ease pressure on the Red Sea port of Jeddah, said a report.

Authorities have already allotted land for the project and are awaiting funding from the Ministry of Finance, following which tenders to be issued for the design work, reported the Saudi daily Okaz.

The port, to be located on the coastal Red Sea town of Al Lith some 230 km south of Jeddah, will be able to receive giant cargo ships and other vessels.

This move will ease pressure on Jeddah, which is already one of the world’s busiest harbours, said the report.

Work on embassy building begins

WORK on a new Indian Embassy Bahrain’s Seef District officially got under way last month (December 8) with a ground-breaking ceremony.

The foundation stone was laid by Indian Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid, who was accompanied by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. The new embassy will cover approximately 7,800 sq m and will contain a residence for staff, library, consular hall and an auditorium that can accommodate up to 500 people.

“The new embassy will cost around BD2.8 million ($7.42 million) to build and will take about 15 months to complete,” said Indian Embassy information officer Ram Singh.

L & T wins Saudi power contract

LARSEN & Toubro Saudi Arabia, a fully owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro of India, has won a major order in Saudi Arabia for the installation of a 132 kV transmission line and connection of Al Dawadmi substation to the 132 kV Riyadh network.

The order includes construction of a new 78-km 132-kV double circuit overhead transmission line; re-conductoring 7 km of an existing 132-kV overhead transmission line (OHTL) with special non-gap conductors of high current carrying capacity; 132-kV extra-high-voltage (EHV) cabling; and protection, supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) and telecommunication works associated with Al Dawadmi substation. The project will be completed in 22 months.

Work on social centre project begins

DAR Al Khaleej Trading and Contracting has won a BD2.8-million ($7.65 million) contract for the construction of the Shaikh Sabeeka bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa Social Centre in Riffa, Bahrain.

The project, awarded by Ministry of Works on behalf of the Ministry of Social Development, will be completed in July 2015. Covering an area of 8,350 sq m in Al Hunainiya Valley close to Riffa Club, the centre has been designed to reflect Bahrain’s architectural history. It will comprise a three-storey building with a multi-purpose theatre and other facilities.

Laidlaw is Lorient distributor for GCC

LEADING door seal manufacturer Lorient has appointed Laidlaw Gulf as its exclusive distributor for its range of acoustic, smoke and fire sealing systems in the GCC region.

The appointment aims to strengthen a long-term trading partnership Lorient and Laidlaw, an architectural hardware and doorset provider, share.

Lorient’s range of products include architectural seals, smoke and fire seals, fire-resistant glazing systems, air transfer louvres and hardware protection, which were promoted at The Big 5 show in Dubai, UAE, last November.