Al Abbar Aluminium, a Dubai-based architectural aluminium major, is keen on popularising the unitised curtainwall concept in the Gulf market. The company, set up in 1987, supplies a comprehensive range of aluminium curtain-wall and associated products from its facilities in Dubai's Al Awir industrial area.

The company operates three purpose-built factories equipped with state-of-the-art fabrication and assembly machinery including profile assembly, panel manufacture and in-line structural bonding equipment. To provide the highly-specialised aluminium products required by major projects, Al Abbar has opened a new sub-division specialising in complex unitised and semi-unitised aluminium wall systems. The new division has its own fabrication unit containing fully automated and computerised equipment to ensure the highest quality, accuracy and output at all times, says the firm.

"We have just designed a new unitised curtainwalling system. In unitised curtainwalling system, effectively everything is done in the factory.

It offers a very quick installation process. The product goes to site, it is craned into position and bolted back," says managing director Jeff Proctor. "We feel the market is going towards unitised systems. The quality will be much better and the consultants recognise that," he says. Al Abbar offers a complete design, manufacturing and installation service and has the resources required to see any project through from architectural conception to completion.

Al Abbar's product range covers: Conventional curtain-wall, unitized and semi-unitized curtain wall, full and semi-structural glazing, panel cladding, sliding and casement windows and doors, stainless steel architectural features and skylights; aluminium screens and partitions; specialist internal partitions; suspended and frameless glass assemblies; glazed balustrades, manual and automatic doors; handrails; louvres; and fire-resistant glazed screens.

The company buys aluminium profiles from Napco in Oman, Aluminium Products Company (Alupco) in Saudi Arabia or Bahrain Aluminium Extrusion Company (Balexco) in Bahrain.

Al Abbar has a coating plant which offers two finishes: powder coating and PVDF. The Al Abbar Group also has its own glass tempering unit. "Wherever possible, we make our own sealed double glass units," says Proctor.

The company buys glass from Emirates Glass, Gulf Glass Industries (GGI) and sometimes from Europe.

"Our policy is to try and control as much of the operation we are involved in in-house," he says. "We do our own steelwork, we do our own brackets. It also has an impact on quality," says commercial manager Peter Grove. So far, the company was concentrating on the UAE.

"This year, our strategy is to develop our activity in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Egypt. We want to approach these markets in a selective way. There are certain types of projects we would concentrate on," says Grove. "We generally don't provide glazing materials on a supplier-only basis, principally because of quality control. The way it is installed is critical. We will provide installers, we will provide project managers.

"But for our glass products, we have outside customers. They deal with us on a supply basis," he says.

Last year was one of the best years for Al Abbar. "The company was operating three shifts a day and the turnover touched Dh200 million ($54.5 million)," says Proctor.

The company has been involved with the recently completed Three Mega projects of Dubai - Burj Al Arab, the Dubai Airport new terminal and the Emirates Towers Hotel.

Al Abbar Aluminium has provided complete architectural metalwork packages of the highest quality for many prestigious, world-class projects in the Gulf region, including Al Owais Tower; Creek Tower; Hilton Beach Club; Shaikha Mariam project; and Al Moosa Tower II.

On the situation in the construction sector, Proctor says it is natural that people feel a lull after a very high activity level. "There is a levelling of activity and by the end of the year many new projects are likely to come through. It is wrong to think that only huge projects spur the market. Even small projects have the capability to give the required boost," he says.

However, Proctor is concerned over the payment problems being faced by the subcontractors.

"It is a serious problem. In a market dominated by very thin margins, subcontractors are often made scapegoats," he feels. Payment delays are rampant and it puts extra pressure on subcontractors, he says.