< Previous30 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM INTERVIEW T he construction industry within the UAE has witnessed a number of key milestones, which have not only shed light on the bene ts of 3D printing, but have also attracted scienti c and investor interest into the eld. In the past 12 months alone, Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has claimed the Guinness World Record for the rst 3D-printed commercial building with the Of ce of the Future, while Ajman has welcomed its rst 3D-printed bus station. In addition, Dubai Municipality (DM) and Engineering Contracting Company (ECC) have unveiled the world’s largest 3D printed two-storey structure, entering the Guinness Book of World Records with the completion of the integrated 640m2 building project. In an exclusive conversation with Construction Week, the chief executive of cer of the Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park (SRTI Park), HE Hussain Al Mahmoudi, says: “The 3D-printing industry has grown remarkedly compared to a year ago. People are not only able to envision, but also achieve much more complex construction projects with 3D printing compared to a year ago.” Can your building ght COVID-19? One of the main drivers for the exponential growth is that both 3D printing and additive manufacturing are developing on multiple fronts. Al Mahmoudi explains: “There are different 3D printing materials being created; there is different 3D printing software being developed; and there are different 3D printing robotic elements being manufactured. All of these together boost the 3D printing industry as well as its potential within the construction sector.” In terms of 3D printing building materials, the construction sector has begun exploring the scaled implementation of concrete 3D printing, polymer 3D printing, metal 3D printing, and other sustainable 3D printed building materials. For instance, Immensa Technology Labs (Immensa), which launched the region’s rst commercial metal 3D-printing facility at SRTI Park’s The chief executive officer of the Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park (SRTI Park), HE Hussain Al Mahmoudi, speaks to Construction Week’s deputy editor Anup Oommen about 3D-printed building materials, and commercialising state-of-the-art construction technology Middle East Additive Manufacturing Centre (MEAMC), has witnessed an increasing demand for metal additives in the UAE and across the region. According to a report by Strategy& – which is part of the London- headquartered consultancy PwC – the market size for metal additive manufacturing was $2.6bn in 2018, but is projected to grow exponentially to $14.2bn within the next 5 years. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. “Novel” problems have brought about “innovative solutions”. “In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and as part of precautionary measures to contain, and prevent contagious diseases in the future, ““BreakthroughsBreakthroughs in 3D-printing materials”in 3D-printing materials” can help can help combat COVID-19combat COVID-19 HE Hussain Al Mahmoudi CEO, SRTI Park [Photo courtesy: SRTI Park]18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 31WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM INTERVIEW “Breakthroughs in 3D-printing materials” can help combat COVID-19 SRTI Park”plans to build a number of 3D-printed houses to prove that such construction delivers high-quality, low-cost projects [Photo courtesy: SRTI Park] construction material. In addition, the operation of the 3D-printing robot required only three to four skilled labourers, which reduced manual error, improving the quality of the project, and reducing manhours required to build the 3D-printed house. “The 3D-printed houses being developed within the SRTI Park is proof that such projects can be replicated and scaled,” Al Mahmoudi says. According to the Construction 4.0 publication, small-scale 3D-printed housing projects in the Middle East potentially offer savings of up to one- third compared to traditional housing projects. These savings come primarily from site labour, site supervision, plant, formwork, and materials. “We have achieved the ability to scale 3D-printed houses. We have moved past the proof-of-concept stage. The Middle East Engineering Technologies rm has already begun taking bids for commercial projects,” Al Mahmoudi adds. “This is the most exciting part. We are beginning to see companies take the research and technologies demonstrated at SRTI Park, and commercialise it. They have made technologies more relevant; they have built human capital. We are also very proud that Immensa has its own clients for metal 3D printing within the oil and gas building sector.” 3D printing has moved from research to implementation and has spurred competitiveness in the construction industry. “My message to construction stakeholders is this: We are going through a challenging time within the industry. We have to collaborate, because in such times, rms who try to do everything themselves will not survive,” Al Mahmoudi says. “In addition, there is no time to lose. There is no point in duplicating efforts by trying to do the same thing. Companies that are embarking into this industry, where the competition is already high, need to come work with us. We work with universities and researchers; we have boots on the ground that they can utilise; and we have the right materials and software that can be the recipe for success. Let’s join hands to create opportunities.” Immensa – in partnership with PRECISE 3DHUB – has made breakthroughs in 3D-printed building materials,” Al Mahmoudi says. “It has begun developing anti- microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral 3D-printing construction material. They are also manufacturing anti-microbial construction parts such as door handles and locks.” The building material is expected to signi cantly reduce the rate of transmission of COVID-19 as it is proven to deactivate 99.99 % of viruses within hours of contact. “In the near future, with ef cient and integrated 3D-printing construction robots, we will be able to build an entire hospital out of anti-viral construction material within hours, without the need for a large number of workers on site.” “This will not only help us contain the disease, but will also help us overcome it much faster. 3D printing, therefore, has huge potential.” Fast, cost-ef cient construction Apart from improving the quality of building material, 3D printing is also making construction quicker and cheaper. “At the SRTI Park – in collaboration with various local and international construction stakeholders – we have worked towards making 3D printing cost-ef cient and competitive,” Al Mahmoudi says. “We have plans to build a number of 3D-printed houses to prove that such construction delivers high- quality projects, at affordable costs, and within deadlines, thus, making it viable as a business model even if we are producing the building materials locally.” The Middle East Engineering Technologies (MEET) rm, which was formed to explore the latest trends in construction technology, recently unveiled a 3D-printed house in partnership with the SRTI Park. The 90m2 structure of the house was constructed at the SRTI Park within two weeks, marking more than 50% savings in time, and reducing cost signi cantly by reducing the wastage of Immensa and PRECISE 3D HUB have “begun developing anti-microbial 3D-printed construction material” [Photo courtesy: SRTI Park]EXPO EXCLUSIVE 32 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Construction Week’s Ranju Warrier gets exclusive details about Expo 2020 Dubai’s Germany Pavilion in a conversation with German Ambassador to the UAE, Commissioner General of Campus Germany, the architect, and project manager CAMPUS GERMANY IS A “BIG” BUT “GOOD CHALLENGE” The Germany Pavilion will be located within Expo 2020 Dubai’s Sustainability District [image: Supplied] Germany has been participating in World Expos since 1851, when it was first organised at London’s Hyde Park. At Expo 2020 Dubai, the European country will have Campus Germany-themed 4,600m2, three-storey pavilion. The pavilion, which construction began in April 2019, was topped out in March 2020, at a traditional topping out ceremony. German and Expo officials including vice president for political affairs at Expo 2020 Dubai, Maha Al Gargawi, signed the last steel beam of the pavilion. “Germany is really an expo country. Since the middle ages, since people started moving around and trading, we’ve been at the crossroads of the trading roots, so we have a strong tradition of trade fairs. We’ve been part of every expo, since the beginning,” Ernst Peter Fischer, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UAE, tells Construction Week, while speaking on the sidelines of the topping out ceremony. Swiss contractor NUSSLI Adunic is responsible for the construction works on the pavilion, the architecture and spatial design, which has been provided by Berlin-based LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture). The country’s largest trade fair organisers, Koelnmesse, is the project manager of the pavilion — responsible for organising and running the pavilion — on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Meanwhile, Cologne-based Facts and Fiction is responsible for content, Bait Al Naboodah Museum is one of Sharjah’s notable heritage architecture projects [© ITP Media Group]. Campus Germany was topped out on 4 March 2020 in a traditional topping out ceremony [image: Supplied] EXPO EXCLUSIVE 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 33WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM exhibition and media design. Speaking to Construction Week about the ideation stage of the Campus Germany’s design, lead architect and lead designer on the project, and chief of projects at LAVA, Christian Tschersich, says: “The idea of the architectural concept is strongly connected to the overall theme of the pavilion and of the exhibition itself. The general idea was to present Germany as an open country.” “We see the building as a campus, so it is not composed of a single volume, but an interplay of different volumes. This also resembles the idea of the main theme of the expo, “ Connecting Minds, Creating The Future”,” Tschersich adds. The pavilion’s theme is based on university life, and visitors will be invited to enrol like students at a university, before being guided through three laboratories – Future Energy Lab, Future City Lab, and Biodiversity Lab – with the tour ending along the lines of a university graduation. Talking about the budget of the pavilion, commissioner-general of the German Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Dietmar Schmitz, says: “The pavilion is completely financed by the government and it is about $54.7m. The deeper sense is that we want to give more creative possibilities to the companies and the agencies who develop the system.” According to Schmitz, having sponsors means they will want their products to be displayed, which is not the idea of the German pavilion at an expo. “If companies want to sell, we always tell them, please go to trade fairs that are for businessmen, but an expo is not for a businessman, it is mostly for the normal public of the country and international visitors,” Schmitz adds. Explaining in detail about the pavilion’s construction progress, project manager responsible for the German Pavilion at NUSSLI Adunic, Mirco Amstad tells Construction Week: “On-going construction activities for the pavilion include the steel structure, the concrete course, and the composite slab.” “Currently, the steel structure is the main focus in terms of construction activities. It is approximately 60% installed, while the overall project is 40 to 45% complete,” Amstad adds. Mobilisation works on the pavilion commenced on 26 August 2019, and after a week of mobilisation, the ground was excavated for the first time on 1 September, Amstad recalls. The enabling works, which comprises the foundation was finished by early December 2019, following which the teams started with the concrete cores and the steel structure. More than 150 labourers are deployed on the site for the construction of the pavilion and they work in day and night shifts. Together these workers have recorded 72,000 safe-man hours on site, as of 4 March. Amstad says: “For main activities we had the day shift. During the night we were mostly managing logistics and arranging the material. I would say we had one and a half shifts, with 120 workers deployed in the day and remaining 30 at night.” Speaking about the adoption of technology for the construction of the German pavilion, Amstad explains: “The one main thing about the pavilion is the structure itself, which we are building out of steel, with concrete slabs, and cores. Hence, we are using BIM to make the process easier.” The technology is also being used for the envelope. Amstad firmly says: “BIM is much faster.” The total amount of steel used for the pavilion is 750,000 tonnes while installed steel is around 450,000 tonnes. “Steel works are about 65% complete,” Amstad adds. NUSSLI Adunic’s teams have started with the containment in terms of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) works. “The floors have been concealed and it’s just a question of days when we start with the ventilation ductwork.” Amstad excitedly says: “The pavilion is challenging in the design, which is transferred to the execution. It is a big but a good challenge.” He continues: “Following completion of the Expo, the materials will be reused or recycled. The pavilion will not be reinstalled somewhere else, as that is not the idea.” Meanwhile, Tschersich adds: “The whole structure is based on the fact that it will be taken down, which draws on the idea of circular economy.” Tscherich concludes: “The building is a non-permanent connection of materials. “It is like one moment in the life- span of the material, but it has been designed with reuse in mind.” EXPO 2020 POSTPONEMENT 34 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM The coronavirus outbreak and its resulting economic impact has dominated discussions in the UAE during the past month, but the possible year-long postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai has stolen the spotlight, as the nation takes cognizance of COVID-19’s long-term repercussions. The Expo 2020 Dubai’s Steering Committee held a virtual meeting of the College of Commissioners General, which included representatives from Expo 2020 Dubai, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), and approximately 30 participating countries, who explored the idea of changing the dates. During the meeting, participating countries briefed the Steering Committee on the global precautionary measures that Construction Week receives reactions from participating countries and member states of Expo 2020 Dubai, following the Steering Committee’s virtual meeting and a consensus on the potential year-long postponement of the World Expo “AFTER A YEAR SHAPED BY SOCIAL DISTANCING, IMAGINE THE APPETITE FOR COLLABORATION IN 2021” “In the spirit of solidarity and unity, we supported the proposal to explore a one-year postponement” [Photo courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai] have been taken to ensure the health and safety of all those involved in preparing for what is touted to be “the world’s greatest show”. Following discussions, the committee collectively came to a consensus to explore with the BIE – the World Expo governing body – the possibility of a one-year delay to the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai. The BIE will now work with its member states and the World Expo organisers to establish a change in dates. A final decision on postponement can only be made by the BIE’s Executive Committee and its General Assembly because Article 28 of the BIE Convention stipulates that, a change of dates requires a two-thirds majority vote from member states of the organisation. Commenting on the impact of COVID-19, the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and the director general of Expo 2020 Dubai, HE Reem Al Hashimy, said: “The global situation is fast moving, and remains unpredictable. Over the last several weeks, we have been consulting with key UAE and international stakeholders to review the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on our plans and preparations for Expo 2020 Dubai.” “While many countries remain firmly committed to Expo 2020, they have been significantly impacted by COVID-19, and have, therefore, expressed a need to postpone the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai by one year, to enable them to overcome this challenge.” Al Hashimy added: “The UAE and Expo 2020 Dubai have listened. In the spirit of solidarity and unity, we supported the proposal to explore a one- year postponement at today’s Steering Committee meeting. We look forward to welcoming the world, which we are certain will only come out of this pressing challenge stronger, and more resilient than it ever was.” Expo 2020 Dubai in 2021? Within a week of the virtual meeting on 30 March, the UAE government officially requested the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai – marking the revised dates from October 2021 to 31 March, 2022. The UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, HH Abdullah 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 35 EXPO 2020 POSTPONEMENT WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM a World Expo. The winter of 2021-2022 will present Dubai and the 192 participating countries a significant opportunity.” Likewise, the president and chief executive officer of the Korea Trade- Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and commissioner-general of the Republic of Korea’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Pyung-oh Kwon, emphasised the importance for the Expo to “come to life at the appropriate time.” Kwon said: “World Expos are a place where the world comes together to showcase the best of humanity. Since this is a difficult time in many places, it is more important than ever before that this Expo comes to life in the best possible way and at an appropriate time.” The commissioner-general of Expo 2020’s Indonesia Pavilion, Dody Edward, who also took part in the Steering Committee meeting, said: “After a year shaped by isolation and social distancing, imagine the appetite for human contact and collaboration in 2021. Indonesia is hopeful that the postponement will be passed by the BIE General Assembly and we can all look forward to a brighter 2021.” The BIE’s Executive Committee will finalise the postponement request in a virtual meeting on 21 April, 2020, with the participation of members of the Committee – delegates of 12 elected member states – as well as the secretary-general of the BIE. Al Hashimy concluded: “We will follow due BIE processes on making the decision to delay Expo 2020. We remain firm in our collective commitment to deliver a World Expo that is true to its time and true to our shared, urgent priorities.” bin Zayed Al Nahyan, wrote a letter to the secretary-general of the BIE, Dimitri Kerkentzes, seeking the postponement of the event. The UAE government has also requested further approval to continue using “Expo 2020 Dubai” as the official title of the World Expo, irrespective of the change in dates. A number of member countries have already come forward to show their support for the potential one-year postponement. The general commissioner of Expo 2020’s France Pavilion, Erik Linquier, who took part in the Expo 2020 Dubai Steering Committee meeting, confirmed to Construction Week that France will adapt to any change in the timeline. Linquier said: “We recognise the Expo 2020 organisers, and the UAE, for their quick response to the extraordinary circumstances everyone is facing. Bringing together all nations in one place to combine the innovations which unite us will be more vital than ever before once this pandemic is behind us.” COFREX (Compagnie Française des Expositions), which is tasked with managing France’s participation at the event, is continuing construction work on the country pavilion in line with the UAE’s health and safety rules for construction sites in Dubai. “We remain fully committed to playing our role in making the World Expo a memorable and unique event,” Linquier added. Similarly, construction is also going ahead as planned at the Monaco pavilion, in compliance with safety regulations and “barrier measures”, the general- commissioner of the Monaco pavilion, Albert Croesi, and lead manager of the Monaco Inter Expo confirmed. Croesi said: “The Monaco Expo teams remain ready to prepare and ensure the smooth running of the pavilion’s schedule. The Expo world is one big family, and in these special circumstances the collective energy will be even more positive and hopeful if a postponement of the Expo is decided upon for 2021.” Speaking to Construction Week, the commissioner-general of the Finland Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Severi Keinälä, said: “Finland is fully committed to participating in, and contributing to a successful Expo 2020 Dubai.” Keinälä added: “A world facing a pandemic and immense economic challenges does not support the idea of organising or attending mass events such as “The winter of 2021-2022 will present Dubai and the 192 participating countries a signi cant opportunity” [Photo courtesy: Expo 2020 Dubai] The UAE government has requested approval to continue using “Expo 2020 Dubai” as the of cial title of the event, irrespective of the change in dates. [Photo courtesty: Expo 2020 Dubai]36 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM INTERVIEW The year of 2020 has rede ned the world as we know it. The era of COVID-19 has pushed the need for technology across all industries from healthcare – manufacturing -communication- ecommerce and services – the construction sector has been no different. The world watched as China put together a 1,000-bed hospital in 10 days, and then started constructing a second one that was ready for patients in barely six days. As the virus spread - hospital building design, offsite manufacturing, modular construction and technology became the talk of the industry across Europe. At Katerra, this seemed to be the discussion long before the world had changed. Founded in 2015, the Silicon Valley construction technology start-up has been asking the right questions. How do we build faster, better and more sustainably while reducing reliance on labour? The answer seems to be somewhere in between design and technology. Commenting on this, Katerra’s president for Asia and the Middle East, Ash Bhardwaj, tells Construction Week that modular or offsite construction has been around for decades. “Our company is design and technology-led. Imagine manufacturing a building like a race car or a phone. You spend time rst developing the design, technology, and even the material. Once you have that structure in place, you can make it in different colors, styles, sizes and aesthetics,” says Bhardwaj. “We look at buildings the same way, based on data driven design. We are creating a design library of products for residential, commercial buildings, hospital and retail. “This approach cuts structural design time, while maintaining design freedom and aesthetics. Every building follows a component-based design which is manufactured in a Katerra factory and delivered onsite for assembly. All tied up end-to-end with technology.” A recent report points out that Saudi Arabia’s population is likely to reach 39.5 million by 2030 a 19.9% growth from 2017. This growing populous will need structures to live, work and play in, and Katerra has zoned in on this need. At the 2018 Future Investment Initiative, (Davos of the Desert) Katerra signed its rst memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Housing to build 500,000 homes in the next 10 years. Shortly thereafter came a show of its unique technology with a four- bedroom home built in 48 hours, which they claim was a rst for the kingdom. “We are currently commissioned to build more than 14,000+ homes across eight districts in Saudi Arabia with the Ministry of Housing. In the last year we have set-up four fully functional onsite factories that are delivering 350-400 homes a month and we continue to ramp up productions,” adds Bhardwaj. In the last year, the company set-up its rst of ces in the kingdom growing to more than 2000+ people working across 30 sites and delivering a home Katerra’s president for Asia and the Middle East, Ash Bhardwaj, tells CW’s Ashley Williams how the firm is leading the way with construction technology a day on each site. Globally, the construction industry is reckoned to be the second largest in terms of turnover and also employment. But the industry has been held back by trained labour shortages. Katerra’s technology-led factories use 70% less labour than traditional sites, yet they face the same or greater challenges with most unskilled labour having never worked in a manufacturing environment, the company propagates. “On the job training is an essential part of what we do at Katerra, our employees get trained to use every process they previously did manually, now using technology,” Bhardwaj explains. While this means the company faces initial challenges, it works better in the long run. While some of this technology is new - with component-based construction and assembly line production a task that was once new, soon becomes easy when done repeatedly. Unlike traditional construction where the needs and tasks change rapidly. Bhardwaj, a technology veteran from the chip manufacturing industry, believes that it is simply a matter of time that the construction industry will “Growth on the horizon” for construction tech18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 37WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM INTERVIEW construct that would have normally taken ve years,” says Bhardwaj. Katerra is also building of ces for technology giants like Infosys, Microsoft and hospitals in India, a portfolio that has opened the road for similar projects in the Middle East. One level of inef ciency that Katerra has encountered in the construction industry is the multiple software used have assembly line workers like other sectors. “COVID-19 has de nitely brought this to a forefront, with more technology driven practices it is easier to maintain social distancing even on sites and at an offsite construction factory, and the use of 70% less labour is a far cry from traditionally crowded sites.” He added: “Most of our sites and factories continue to be working in the Middle East. The use of modular technology, fewer workers on sites makes it easier for us to follow all the COVID-19 protocols laid down by the government while continuing our projects. We continue to monitor the operational situation closely daily, to ensure we are protecting our employees.” While the company is largely building homes in Saudi Arabia, it is also bidding for for the kingdom’s giga projects and projects in the retail, commercial and healthcare sector. Its India operations caters to all of these sectors and the experience is one Bhardwaj seems keen to bring to the Middle East. “We are building the Lulu Group’s two-million-sq-ft mall in Lucknow, India that’s scheduled to be handed over in Q3 this year. The 2 million sq. ft. mall has taken two years to by different players, across different activities that don’t often work together. To reduce that, it’s creating a new software package, Apollo, integrating construction projects end- to-end. The company and its clients use Apollo on certain aspects of current projects and Bhardwaj expects this to ramp-up in the coming year. With the gloom facing the construction industry and the economies in general with COVID-19, Bhardwaj’s concludes by highlighting the need for technology in all sectors more than ever. “Projects that have faced delays due to the crisis will need to speed up deliveries and this has made Katerra’s fast technology driven construction more necessary.” “Interest for partnerships and new projects have de nitely increased. More people are now interested in how we can support them. “We have also designed a permanent quarantine hospital that can be built in 2 weeks and are in talks with several hospitals that are looking at quick expansions to existing units.” Katerra has 700 projects and a global turnover of around $2.5 billion. The construction technology boom is waiting to happen and Katerra seems to be leading the way. ““Projects that have faced delays due to the crisis will need to speed up deliveries” [Image: Katerra] Ash Bhardwaj President of Asia and Middle East, Katerra [Photo supplied by Katerra]PROJECTS WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM ON SITE CW provides a collection of its most recent site and plant visits to keep you up-to-date with project progress PROJECT UPDATE FOLLOW CONSTRUCTION WEEK @CWMIDDLEEAST 38 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 WANT TO UPDATE YOUR PROJECT'S PROGRESS, OR HAVE IT INCLUDED HERE? Email the editor: ashley.williams@itp.com FOLLOW CONSTRUCTION WEEK @CWMIDDLEEAST Located at Dubai's Science Park, Deyaar's rst design-and- build project is progressing ahead of schedule and will be delivered by December 2020. During an exclusive site visit to the project’s site, Ababneh told Construction Week that Deyaar had appointed design and engineering rm Kling Consult to supervise Bella Rose's design in April 2018. The project comprises 478 units, and its main contract was awarded to Condor Building Contracting in September 2018. DEYAAR'S BELLA ROSE Location Dubai, UAE Visited March 2020 One of the largest brown eld projects in the region, Alba's Line 6 expansion project was completed at the end of 2019 and is among the fastest expansion projects to be ever commissioned in the aluminium industry after just 23 months. Line 6 is one of the longest reduction lines in the world comprising 424 reduction cells built over an area of 1,400m2 – will add 540,000 metric tonnes per annum to the company’s total production capacity. ALBA Location Bahrain Visited March 2020 Dubai-based contractor ASGC Construction LLC, as the main contractor, is tasked with the Dubai Mall Boulevard Expansion project, which includes the conversion of multiple levels of the existing car parking to a double-height retail mall. Both, overall construction and MEP works at the project are 65% complete, with ASGC now moving ahead with t-out and nishing works, which includes the nal phase and external façade. ASGC is aiming to complete the project by September 2020. DUBAI MALL EXPANSION Location Dubai Visited April 2020PROJECTS WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM18 - 30 APRIL, 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 39 Located within the master-planned mixed-use community Mohammed Bin Rashid City, along the 3.2km Dubai Water Canal, is Dubai-based real estate developer, Sobha Group’s $4bn (AED14.7bn) Sobha Hartland development - the group’s agship project in the Middle East. In October 2019, overall infrastructure work across Sobha Hartland was 90%. 30% of the 74.3ha master plan is enveloped in green spaces. Sobha Group employs 4,000 workers across its Hartland development, who recorded 27 million lost-time injury-free hours at the master community at the time of the site visit. SOBHA HARTLAND Location Dubai, UAE Visited November 2019 Located within the Jumeriah Golf Estates, Beaver Gulf's rst real estate development project - Zafran - is a $75m 40,413m2 residential development comprising 178.4m2 two-bedroom houses, as well as three-bedroom houses covering an area of 207.4m2 and 217.6m2. The project has crossed the 30% on site completion and is expected to be handed over on 20 October, 2020, coinciding with the start of the Expo 2020 Dubai. ZAFRAN Location Dubai, UAE Visited December 2019 Located in Downtown Dubai, the 75-storey tower will comprise 946 units, including studios, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom lofts and duplexes. Construction of the tower has been ongoing for 30 months, with the building being topped out in April 2019. Work on SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences is being carried out by Mapa & Gunal Construction, Aedas is involved as the architect, and the interiors are being led by Bishop Design SLS Location Dubai, UAE Visited January 2020 Located off the shores of Muharraq, the kingdom’s historic former capital, Diyar Al Muharraq is a 12.2km2 waterfront development comprising a mix of residences, hotels, beaches and a shopping mall. Work on the project started in 2007 which will be divided into four to ve phases. Several contractors have been appointed for certain projects across the project, including Almoayyed Contracting Group, who are working on the Souq Al Baraha market. DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ Location Muharraq, Bahrain Visited February 2020Next >