Alba calcining plant in trial runs
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has started trial operations of a 450,000-tonne coke calcining plant built under a $400 million project, the company said. The project in Bahrain includes a water desalination plant and a jetty facility.
"Full commercial operations of the plant, including the desalination plant, is likely to start early in 2002," it added.
Ripley's Believe It or Not for mall
Muscat: The world famous Ripley's Believe It or Not entertainment sensation will make its Middle East debut in Oman at the end of this year.
Ripley's will be part of the multi-million dollar Markaz Al Bahja hypermarket project, being developed by the Ajay Group of Companies at Ma'awaleh, near the Seeb International Airport.
The Ajay Group has planned a $5 million investment in the Ripley's project and the entire hypermarket project is estimated to cost more than RO10 million ($26 million).
The Markaz Al Bahja or the centre of satisfaction, is being built on a 33,000 sq m area, with about 16,000 sq m available for rent. Kamal Sharma, chief executive officer of the classic three-tier hypermarket property, said the hypermarket would have 80 shops.
The complex, which will have ample car-parking, will be an 'integration of pragmatism and luxury' with two family theatres, food courts and El Paradiso (the jeweller's paradise).
Work completed on twin towers
Manama: Construction work on two 11-storey residential towers in Bahrain's capital city Manama has been completed. The BD3 million ($7.96 million) Hedaya Tower One and Hedaya Tower Two are awaiting power connection before the first residents can move in.
The project is designed by Mohammed Salahuddin Consulting Engineering Bureau (MSCEB). The towers include public areas, car-parking facilities and a children's playground. There are gymnasiums, squash courts, steam rooms and swimming pools.
Abu Dhabi mall plans expansion
Abu Dhabi: The newly-opened Dh500 million ($136 million) Abu Dhabi Mall in the UAE plans to expand retail and parking areas encouraged by demand for retail space and customer turnout.
With 95 per cent of available space already taken, the entire leasable space will be filled by September, said Adnan Hegrat, owner's representative and general manager of retail development for the Abu Dhabi Mall and Liwa Centre. Total leasable area is 62,000 sq m and the total area is 100,000 sq m.
Insulation material to be tested
Dubai: The central laboratory of Dubai Municipality is likely to start testing of thermal insulation materials in buildings this month.
This move follows an administrative order issued by the director-general of Dubai Municipality, stipulating technical specifications for a thermal insulation system in the emirate's buildings, a report in Khaleej Times said.
The technical staff required for the lab have been recruited and the equipment is expected to arrive soon, said Abdul Karim Julfar, assistant director-general for technical services at the municipality.
Julfar also said work to set up a toys lab at the Dubai Central Lab has already begun.
Immigration centre nearly ready
Abu Dhabi: Construction work on a new immigration centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE, is nearing completion and the facility will be opened soon, it was reported.
New immigration centres are also planned in Mussafah and Rahba, the Khaleej Times quoted Brigadier Hader Khalaf Al Muhairi, director-general of the Naturalisation and Residence department, as saying.
The two centres are due to be completed next year.
Work completed on Dafz buildings
Dubai: Work has been completed on two new buildings at the Dubai Airport Free Zone (Dafz) in Dubai, UAE. The four-storey buildings will be used as offices. The zone is also building 14 light industrial units.
Muscat water network expanded
Muscat: More than 5,000 new water connections are being provided to houses in Muscat as part of a major expansion of the Omani city's water distribution network. The expansion, being carried out in various parts of the governorate at a total cost of roughly RO6.5 million ($16.88 million), will provide safe and continuous potable water to several new neighbourhoods and suburbs.
Record concrete pour in UAE
Abu Dhabi: A local firm set a record of the largest single concrete pour in the UAE, while building two giant water tanks in the desert. The two 10-million-gallon reservoirs are being built in the Al Abjan desert in Abu Dhabi to supply water to hundreds of new farms, the local Gulf News newspaper reported.
The foundations of the tanks were laid in a single pour that took 26 hours and 3,200 cu m of concrete, the report said. Over 500 cement trucks and 150 workers were used in the operation carried out by subcontractor Alia Contracting Company, it said. The main contractor is the Ghantoot Transport and General Contracting Establishment.
The tanks are being built at a cost of Dh19 million and will be completed within six months. They are part of a project being funded by UAE's Ruler HH Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to convert 90 million sq m of desert in Al Abjan into farmland.
UAE firm to build towers in Sudan
Dubai: A UAE firm is building four residential towers in Khartoum, Sudan, at a cost of $40 million, in addition to executing several other infrastructure projects in the country.
The Abu Dhabi-based Ahmed bin Khalaf Al Otaiba Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the governor of Khartoum to provide finance and execute the projects, which included a sewage grid, water desalination plants and the residential towers.
The residential project will be called the Khartoum Four Towers.
Seef Mall car-park opens
Manama: A new multi-storey car-park in Bahrain's Seef Mall has opened to the public, offering spaces for 650 cars over seven storeys. The complex will also house 20 shops, a 1,700 sq m exhibition centre and a 1,600-seat cinema run by Bahrain Cinema Company. These facilities will be opened in the future.
$425m budget for Fewa
Abu Dhabi: A five-year budget of Dh1.56 billion ($425 million) has been proposed by the UAE's Federal Electricity and Water Authority (Fewa), the UAE 2000-01 Yearbook says.
For this year, the authority has sought Dh137 million plus Dh171 million for existing projects. At least four main authorities are being set up to independently plan power generation and distribution systems to meet the projected shortfall in electricity. New projects will increase generating capacity at a cost of Dh800 million, transfer power (Dh300 million), distribute power (Dh242 million), produce water (Dh140 million), store and transport water (Dh35 million), distribute water (Dh25 million) and construct new buildings Dh40 million.
Dewa wins IS0 certification
Dubai: BVQI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bureau Veritas Group, has awarded Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa)ity an ISO 9001 certificate for its quality management system for the design, development, installation and servicing of its systems, production and supply of electricity and water.