Modern Arab Construction Company Limited (MAC) – a pioneer Arab contractor in the field of oil, gas, power and desalination plants – has recently signed a cooperation agreement with Bonatti, a large Italian engineering and construction group, which is expected to considerably increase the former’s capacities in the market.

The move is in line with MAC’s strategy to double its turnover over the next year and enter into new business areas through alliances and joint ventures.
The synergies of both firms will enable them to jointly bid and execute the construction works of large engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects, and medium size EPC-based tenders.
MAC has been operating in Saudi Arabia for the last four decades as an industrial construction leader covering all disciplines of construction in the oil, gas, petrochemicals and process plants, water and power plants, mining and metallurgical plants, infrastructure projects and general large building complexes.
The company has served the kingdom's industrial conglomerates including Saudi Aramco, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) and Maaden as well as Saudi Electricity Company (SEC).
MAC was the “only total construction contractor” to receive Sabic’s “Certificate Of Recognition Award For Its Outstanding Performance For The Year 2005”. This achievement ranks MAC at the top one per cent among thousands of Sabic’s regional/international suppliers, vendors and contractors, says MAC’s business development manager Mazen Merry.
Following Bonatti’s sole acquisition of prominent electrical and instrumentation contractor, Carlo Gavazzi of Italy, Mac and Bonatti will offer their clients total in-house engineering and construction capabilities, covering not only civil and mechanical works, but also electrical, instrumentation, and alternatively, total turnkey construction. MAC is headquartered in Khobar with offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi and Beirut, and support offices in both the UK and US. The company is classifed as grade one contractor in the civil, buildings, industrial and mechanical fields , among others.
It has undertaken many civil, building, mechanical equipment, steel work, piping, electrical and instrumentation construction projects on a lump sum turnkey (LSTK) and EPC basis as well as subcontractors to major international contractors.  It also provides materials and equipment, purchasing, handling, transportation and storage. As part of its construction expertise, it has mobilised its own portable camp facilities, complete with power supply, sewage treatment plant, accommodation blocks, medical facilities, entertainment centre and canteen designed for a workforce of up to 2,500.
The company’s construction project range includes administrative and institutional buildings, such as hospitals and medical centres; industrial buildings and structures, such as aircraft hangars; buildings and infrastructures for industrial complexes; desalination plants, steam, simple and combined cycle power plants; petrochemical plants, gas plants, industrial waste water treatment plants and cement plants; and factories, factory utilities and high tension substations. Besides the numerous projects it has carried out in the kingdom, MAC has also provided its services further afield for projects in Abu Dhabi and Lebanon.
Among the largest projects it is currently working on are for Saudi Aramco and include the  $50 million civil and buildings works contract and the $ 8 million HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning), electrical, firefighting and telecommunications contract for the Hawiyah GTC facilities, as construction subcontractors for Snamprogetti.  Also in Hawiyah for Saudi Aramco, it is implementing a $35million EPC-LSTK contract for the administrative/industrial core area facilities. Other projects include utilities works at Ibn Baytar main plants in Jubail for Saudi Fertiliser Company (Safco)/Ibn Baytar.
Over the last three decades, the company has successfully completed major mechanical, industrial and multi-discipline projects. Projects span total equipment, steel structure, piping, insulation, painting, electrical and instrumentation erection works.
“Our Concrete Repair Division (CRD) is well known and has an excellent track record of successfully executed projects,” he continues.” CRD has a team of specialists, as well as expertise and solutions gained during a decade of services to its customers. Its experience and know-how in concrete repairs puts it in a unique position to provide solutions for the most challenging problems in the field that result in submitting a report, which usually includes suggested actions and/or remedies. Besides its know-how and expertise, the CRD benefits from its personnel, equipment and logistics resources enabling it to undertake complex and sophisticated repair works.”
MAC has more than 1,500 employees, including supervisory and skilled craftsmen. The company’s policy is to recruit only highly skilled manpower to cater for project requirements. Among its craftsmen, MAC maintains an elite workforce of certified and licenced personnel, including welders, riggers, crane operators and heavy equipment operators.
The company owns a large fleet of construction plant and equipment, including 22 cranes; 10 forklifts; 16 heavy-duty trailers and tow horses; 30 heavy-duty excavators, loaders, backhoes and compactors; 110 welding machines; 45 diesel generators; 170 relocatable camp units; and 20 relocatable temporary stores and fabrication buildings.
MAC owns buildings and other facilities in Saudi Arabia, including a 30,000-sq m estate in Al Khobar that houses a three-storey office building; an open yard for company equipment and machinery; warehousing facilities for materials and tools; fabrication facilities for steel and pipe works; and equipment and vehicles maintenance facilities.
The company also has a 15,000-sq m storage area in Dammam equipped with various warehouses and offices, and a 10,000 sq m storage area in Dammam equipped with various storage facilities and an office.
“MAC policy is to implement a quality assurance/quality control programme to ensure that all phases and all disciplines of construction projects are executed according to customer standards, specifications, and using good workmanship practice,” says Mazen. “The company is committed to implementing at all levels of its organisation a ‘Do It Right the First Time and Every Time’ policy. Its management strives to ensure high quality and reliable construction at minimum costs, which is accomplished by continuous improvement through education, training, teamwork and innovation.”
The company considers safety to be the number one priority in any construction site, and is committed to operating in a safe environment. Merry says the company’s management, staff and personnel are also committed to environmental protection. Accordingly, it has defined environment control directives that are applied at its head office and its various sites.