Two companies within the Qasim Ahmad Fakhro Group were entrusted with installing aesthetic ceilings and durable, functional access flooring for Citibank's new headquarters in Bahrain.

Qasim Ahmed Fakhro and Sons supplied and installed the raised flooring while Qasim Fakhro Gulf Eternit was responsible for the suspended ceilings and gypsum work, according to group's general manager V Bhaskar.

"We are proud to have been associated with the Citibank project," says Appu Joshi, a senior executive at Qasim Fakhro Gulf Eternit. "This was a very special project for us, as we were associated not only with Citibank but also reputed architects and consulting engineers and a reputed contractor like Cybarco Bahrain."

"The project's designers specified eye-catching and aesthetic suspended ceilings," says Joshi. "And the consulting engineering firm Mohammed Salahuddin Consulting Engineering Bureau (MSCEB) extended its full support to ensure that the concept was properly executed."

Installation of the raised, or access, floors demanded particular attention to detail and a lot of co-ordination on site, says Joshi.

"Factors such as stress and structural movement, apart from the functional needs of staff in the building, had to be taken into consideration while choosing the right access flooring," he points out. "We fixed both laminated and cementitious-finished tiles, for a carpeted finish. Care was taken to ensure easy access to the mechanical and electrical services under the raised floors."

"All through the project, the consultant and the contractor gave us excellent support for the smooth execution of our work," Joshi adds.

The Qasim Ahmad Fakhro Group is headed by Dr Samir Qasim Fakhro, its chairman and managing director. A veteran entrepreneur, Dr Samir has crafted the group's growth through astute planning and adapting to the market demands. The chairman sets his own high standards of business ethics, instils a sense of values and principles among his employees and does not compromise on quality. Through his leadership, the Bahrain-based group has successfully grown to become a market leader in its lines of business.

Qasim Ahmad Fakhro group deals in waterproofing, suspended ceilings, garbage chutes, shop-fittings and laboratory furnishing in the construction-related trade segment.

The group, which consists of four firms, also represents reputed international manufacturers for products such as expansion joints, preformed joints, industrial valves, and a wide range of pipes for oil, water and sewerage industry and insulation materials.

Besides the Citibank project, Qasim Ahmad Fakhro was recently associated with two other prestigious commercial developments in Seef: the new Bahrain Mall and the Dana Mall, which is to open later this year. Qasim Fakhro worked on both these projects simultaneously, waterproofing a total area of 85,000 sq m in record time, according to Joshi.

The group is currently busy with the Manama Mall project, where it is carrying out waterproofing works and installing suspended ceilings.

In Qatar, Qasim Ahmad Fakhro operates as Doha Markets Enterprises (DME), where the company's reference list of prestigious projects and satisfied customers continues to grow, says Bhaskar. DME has carried out suspended ceiling works far several projects in Qatar, including a 20-storey ministry tower in the West Bay area, the 15-storey Al Sulaiti tower, the 22-storey West Bay Lagoon hotel, a 10-storey office tower in Doha, Qatar National and Navigational Transport Company's (QNNTC) headquarters, and the Qatar International Islamic Bank (QIIB) headquarters.

DME has also won a contract with Q-Chem, a giant petrochemical complex that is being built in Mesaieed and is scheduled for completion by August next year.

Another contract that DME is currently working on is at a hospital in Al Khor, where it is installing suspended ceilings and executing waterproofing works.

"In Doha, we are one among the three big names in the waterproofing business," says Bhaskar.

"DME installs an average of 500,000 sq m of waterproofing a year in Qatar."

The company has carried out waterproofing recently for the Arab Bank building, which had the Bahrain-based MSCEB as consultant and a local contractor.

DME has also installed eight fully-mechanised garbage chutes for projects in Qatar and has three more orders in hand.