Bahrain signs storage tanks deal

BAHRAIN has signed BD13-million ($34.48 million) contracts with two local companies for the installation of ground storage tanks as part of the second phase of its water transmission development project, which is financed by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

Electricity and Water Authority chief executive Shaikh Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa signed a BD8.83 million ($23.42 million) contract with Panorama Contracting and Engineering Services for the construction of two tanks with a capacity of 20 million gallons at Hidd pumping station and a 10-million-gallon tank at the Refinery distribution station.

A BD3.89-million ($10.31 million) contract was also signed with Ramsis Engineering for two tanks with a capacity of five million gallons and another two-million-gallon tank at the West Riffa blending station.

CIOB names new president

THE Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has named its first-ever president of Middle Eastern descent with the appointment of Professor Ghassan Aouad, the vice-president for academic affairs at the Kuwait-based Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), for the prestigious role.

The UK-headquartered CIOB is the world’s largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership established in 1834 with a membership of 45,000 from across the globe. The CIOB accredits universities from across the globe and provides leadership in developing professionalism in the construction sector.

“Ghassan becomes our 111th president and takes over the role at an exciting time and it is especially poignant that he does so in the Middle East,” said Chris Blythe, chief executive at the CIOB.

Oman to reuse construction waste

OMAN’S Muscat Municipality  has joined forces with be’ah (Oman Environmental Services Holding Company) to manage construction and demolition waste across the governorate.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Ahmed Noori Al Raisi, department director for environmental health at the Directorate of Health Affairs in Muscat Municipality, said: “Muscat generates a large quantity of construction and demolition waste, all of which goes to the dumping site. We are now working with be’ah to recycle or reuse this waste.”

Raisi said this kind of waste, including bricks, concrete, wood, rubble, insulation materials, nails, electrical wiring, lead, asbestos and hazardous materials, is the biggest challenge faced by construction industries worldwide. “We are conducting studies to tackle the problem in the governorate. We are in the final stages of coming up with a solution to manage this construction and demolition waste,” he said.