Thyssenkrupp wins airport order

Thyssenkrupp has clinched a multi-million-dollar contract from Turkish builder IGA Havalimani for supply of 143 passenger boarding bridges (PBBs) to the Istanbul New Airport.

Thyssenkrupp said this was the biggest passenger boarding bridges contract in the company’s history.

As per the deal, Thyssenkrupp will supply PBBs equipped with the industry’s most modern and advanced components, capable of providing significant improvement in airport efficiency by reducing turn-around time and optimising gate management.

Construction of the $25-billion Istanbul New Airport is due for completion in 2018, when it will have a capacity to host 200 passengers per year.

Qatar to build Bedouin camp

Qatar is to construct a Bedouin-style desert camp to house thousands of fans during the 2022 World Cup.

A fan village among the sand dunes close to the Saudi border will house up to 2,000 visitors in Arabian tents, allowing them to experience the desert from close quarters, Qatar’s World Cup organising committee said.

“We will allow visitors from outside the country to enjoy Qatar and their football experience in an entirely new way,” said the committee’s Abdulaziz Al Mawlawi, adding that there would be options “for all kinds of budgets”.

WorleyParsons wins project

WorleyParsons has won an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract from Strategic Precious Metals Processing (SPMP) to develop the first major antimony roaster in Oman.

The Oman Investment Fund (OIF) and Tri-Star Resources each have a 40 per cent equity interest in SPMP, while DNR Industrials holds the remaining 20 per cent stake. SPMP is to invest $70 million on establishing the 20,000-tonnes-per-annum capacity antimony and associated products plant at Sohar.

Atkins lands Duqm City contract

UK-based WS Atkins International has won a major consultancy contract for the detailed masterplanning, market and feasibility study, design and preparation of tender documents for the first phase of Duqm City in Oman.

Atkins will be joined by sub-consultants such as Deloitte, Five Oceans Environmental Services, Kamel Establishment, Driver Consult and Design Urban for this project, reported the Oman Tribune.

The contract was awarded by the Special Economic Zone Authority of Duqm (Sezad), which had already completed the initial concept masterplan for the city in 2014.

Hill wins Qatar E&W services deal

Hill International has won a four-year contract worth $6.4 million from Qatar Electricity and Water (E&W) to provide project management services in connection with the design and construction of a commercial development in the Marina district of Lusail City.  

The four-year contract has an estimated value to Hill of approximately $6.4 million.

Qatar E&W’s Lusail development will feature two towers, 47 storeys and 27 storeys, with a total built-up area of 220,000 sq m. A third seven-storey structure will include retail space and parking accommodation.

Twintec set for record growth

Twintec, a leading producer of ‘jointless’ steel-fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) industrial floors, is headed for a record year in Oman.

The Belgium-headquartered company, which produces more than 6 million sq m of industrial flooring slabs worldwide each year, said it had secured orders for 195,900 sq m of large-panel SFRC floor slabs so far this year in the sultanate. In comparison, Twintec had last year designed and constructed 138,874 sq m of the same product. Between 2011 and 2014 the company supplied 59,900 sq m of concrete flooring to Oman.

Orpic to begin work on Liwa unit

Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries (Orpic) will lay the foundation stone for the natural gas liquids extraction station for its $6.5-billion Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC) in January.

The Fahud project, which will be implemented by the Korean GS Company and Japanese Mitsui Company, is the third part of the complex and is being built at an investment of $688 million, Orpic CEO Musab bin Abdullah Al Mahrouqi was quoted as saying by the Times of Oman.

Orpic laid the foundation stone for the two parts of the complex – the $2.8-billion steam cracking unit and the $888-million polypropylene and polyethylene production unit – in September in Sohar. The fourth part includes the 300-km pipeline to transport natural gas liquids from the Fahud station to Sohar Industrial Port at a cost of $112 million.

The Liwa complex will start operations in 2020.

Atkins names MEA head

Atkins has appointed Phil Malem as the new managing director for its transportation and infrastructure business in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region.

In his new role, Malem will head a new team of 600 employees who will focus on providing integrated solutions for Atkins’ transportation and infrastructure clients in the region.  Malem was previously managing director of Atkins’ power and renewables business.

Deloitte teams up with Loliwe Rail

Deloitte in the Middle East has teamed up with South Africa-based Loliwe Integrated Rail Solutions to offer clients a comprehensive suite of both commercial and technical advisory services.

Loliwe is currently active on several strategic projects in the South African metropolitan rail networks. The projects include modernisation of rail infrastructure to meet best-of-breed European standards for operations and safety.

Armacell to build $16m plant

Armacell is moving forward with plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Bahrain. The plant, located at the Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP), will entail an investment of $16 million. Armacell will produce elastomeric rubber insulation for the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) market in the GCC and Africa at the unit.  

Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed Al Zayani said Armacell’s choice was a reflection of investor confidence and testament to Bahrain’s business-friendly environment. “We look forward to working closely with Armacell, as they develop their business model,” he said.

Four in fray for $272m projects

Four consortiums are in the race for the RO105-million ($272 million) Salalah and Sharqiyah independent water projects (IWP), reported the Oman Tribune.

These include Saudi-based Acwa, Japanese group JGC Corporation and Spanish groups GS Inima and Tedagua. The scope of the projects includes design, construction, ownership, financing, operation and maintenance of high-efficiency desalination facilities with a total water output of 180,000 cu m per day.

While the Salalah project will be commercially operational in the third quarter of 2019, the Sharqiyah IWP will be ready in the second quarter of 2020.

Qatar to build 15 pedestrian flyovers

Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) plans to construct 15 pedestrian flyovers in Doha and its suburbs as part of its infrastructure development strategy. 

The services on pedestrian flyovers would include shops, restaurants, ATMs, toilets and other related services. They  will also be equipped with escalators and lifts to benefit the elderly and physically challenged.

Oman seeks solar consultants

State-owned Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) is seeking bids from consultants to conduct a technical and economic study for setting up the first large-scale solar project in the sultanate.

The winning consultancy will also help the company in the tendering process for the 200 MW independent power project (IPP) project, reported the Oman Observer.

Two locations in Dakhiliyah governorate – Adam and Manah – have been identified as prospective sites for the grid-connected large-scale plant.

SNC-Lavalin wins power work

SNC-Lavalin  has been awarded a major contract by Bahrain’s Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) for the construction of 11 kV substations in the kingdom and designing of cabling network circuits.

Under the deal, the Canadian builder will be responsible for the design and construction supervision of the relocation of underground transmission and distribution cabling networks and the setting up of a number of 11 kV substations. 

The project will support the Ministry of Works’ upgrades of the Sheikh Jaber bin Ahmed Al Subah Avenue, Sitra Causeway, Al Estiglal Highway, King Hamad Highway and other minor roads and avenues.

SNC-Lavalin will design and supervise the diversions of several 220 kV and 66 kV power cables circuits. 

The project is scheduled for completion in December next year.

Jindal to build pelletising plant

Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel, a subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Jindal group, plans to set up a major iron ore pelletising plant in Oman.

The plant is among a trio of ventures lined up for implementation in the next phase of Jindal Shadeed’s expansion, the Oman Daily Observer reported.

Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel owns and operates the sultanate’s largest integrated steel mill at Sohar Port.

The company also plans to set up a plant to produce pellets as feed material for the company’s direct reduction iron (DRI) plant at Sohar, and a lime and dolomite calcination unit to produce calcined lime and dolomite for captive use in its steel melt shop.

First Bahrain awards project

First Bahrain Real Estate Development Company has appointed Decorators, a member of Promoseven Holdings, to construct the 42 villas of the new El Mercado Village in Janabiya area of Bahrain.

The development is adjacent to the new El Mercado neighbourhood retail centre, located just off the Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Highway near the Saudi causeway. The villas will come in two types: Eight premium stand-alone villas and 34 semi-detached homes.

Major sebacic acid plant on way

Indian and Omani investors are setting up a major sebacic acid plant in Oman’s Duqm free zone, which will have a capacity of 30,000 tonnes a year.

The state-of-the-art export-oriented project is being built at a cost of $62.7 million and will be commissioned by the end of 2017, the Times of Oman reported.

Sebacic Oman CEO Pradeepkumar Nair said that 40 per cent of the work on the plant has been completed.

Nair said that the entire production will be exported to the US, Europe, Japan and China, adding it would be the first project to manufacture sebacic acid in the entire Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

Oman’s mega expo centre opens 

The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC), a landmark hub, opened its doors last month with an inaugural event, Infra Oman 2016, a trade show for infrastructure and industrial projects.

Developed by Omran, a government-owned company mandated to drive the growth and development of the tourism sector in Oman, OCEC is part of Madinat Al Irfan Urban development. It has five exhibition halls that feature 22,000 sq m of column-free exhibition space, a 4,200-slot multi-storey car-park and an energy centre in the first phase of development. In the next phase, which is under construction, a two-tiered auditorium that can seat 3,200 and banquet halls and two hotels are set to open next year.

Apec to open new offices in Gulf

Arabian Power Electronics Company (Apec), a leading global power electronics manufacturer fully owned by Eram Group and based in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, plans to open offices in the GCC as part of its regional expansion plans.

Apec’s business unit head Jacob Thomas said it has appointed Eram Trading, a subsidiary of Eram Group, as the agency to market Apec’s products in the UAE.

Developer partners with ByrneLooby

Diyar Al Muharraq has commissioned engineering firm ByrneLooby to carry out a study to increase marine life, diversity and restore seagrass in Bahrain’s marine environment, focusing on the development’s surrounding area. ByrneLooby is currently undergoing a pilot study to relocate seagrass in order to enhance existing habitats with the overall aim of increasing marine life.

Bahrain move to regulate services

Bahrain’s Civil Service Bureau has made it mandatory for employees in engineering positions working in governmental directorates across the kingdom to obtain the necessary professional licences. The move comes as part of the government’s plan to regulate professional engineering practice in the kingdom.

China’s Yaming names Mena GM

China-based Shanghai Yaming Lighting Company has appointed Ayhan Siriner as its new general manager for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region in line with its regional expansion strategy.

A pioneer in lighting technology, Yaming said Siriner will be responsible for managing the sales and marketing team to maximise market share, sales, margin and volumes of Yaming and Feilo Sylvania’s Lighting brands (Concorde, Lumiance and Sylvania).

He will report to Rashid Al Noori, chairman of Yaming MEA and CIS, at the regional headquarters in Dubai. Siriner comes from Philips Lighting, where he served since 2000.

Currie & Brown makes appointment

Currie & Brown, a global physical assets management and construction consultant, has appointed Michael James as the new director of project management (Middle East).

James has over 33 years of experience in the construction industry, the last decade of which has been spent in senior positions in the Middle East, said the company. Prior to joining Currie & Brown, James ran major national building projects for an international project management consultant.