< Previous20 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM The CEO and Managing Director of Bombay Stock Exchange- listed construction mammoth Larsen & Toubro (L&T), SN Subramanyan climbs two places in Construction Week’s Power 100 list this year. Subramanyan — also referred to as SNS — took over the reins at the group in July 2017, and takes up the role as the Vice Chairman on the boards of LTI, L&T Technology Services & Mindtree. He is also the Chairman of L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited. Under his stewardship, L&T has grown to be one of the biggest contractors in the GCC region, where it has secured some of the major design-and-build as well as several engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts. Over the past 12 months, the contractor experienced a change in paradigms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis situation made the company act differently and promptly as the impact of the pandemic on its environment, health, and safety (EHS) systems and processes has been “signi cant”, according to SN Subramanyan. The contractor chose to digitalise and innovate amid the pandemic and that has aided it in re-evaluating and re-orienting to face the new normal. L&T put in place processes to maintain real-time communication, downward, upward, and horizontal, as it continues to use AI to monitor its projects. Most recently, L&T commenced construction work on Saudi Arabia’s 300MW Jeddah Solar PV project located in Third Jeddah Industrial City. Larsen & Toubro Oman have won the Infrastructure Project of the Year title at Construction Week’s virtual Oman Awards 2021, for its work on the solar PV plant with Oman Power & Water Procurement Company. Larsen & Toubro Oman was chosen for its signi cant contribution to its surroundings, and demonstration of construction best practice and technologies. SN SUBRAMANYAN 11POWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 21WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM In November 2020, Saudi Arabia’s PIF-backed Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) appointed Philippe Gas as its CEO, who marks his debut in Construction Week’s Power 100 list this year. Gas has completed six months in his role, where he replaced QIC’s founding CEO Michael Reininger. Since having joined QIC, the developer of Qiddiya — the Kingdom’s future capital of entertainment, sports, and the arts, Gas has launched a series of initiatives that will help meet the developer’s business objectives. In the coming months, the company will lay its focus on site preparation and the handing over of several land plots to the respective developers for the start of construction. Under Gas’ leadership, QIC brought on board an experienced and seasoned team of C-suite staff to oversee the gigaproject’s key departments. The developer also appointed Abdullah Aldawood as its Managing Director and Board Member. According to Gas, QIC will soon unveil several new design concepts for major assets at Qiddiya as well as key strategic partnerships. Earlier this year, QIC, in partnership with Intamin Amusement Rides, commenced the design process for the Falcon’s Flight, which is expected to be the signature attraction of Six Flags Qiddiya. Over the next 12 to 24 months, QIC aims to “closely examine” key elements of environmental sustainability such as biodiversity, waste management, and more. Debuting in Construction Week’s Power 100 list this year is Samer Samad, Vice President – Public Work at Saudi Arabia- based Nesma & Partners, an engineering and construction company, which is part of Nesma Group. One of the biggest highlights for Nesma in the last year has been winning the contract for the construction of airside infrastructure works at The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) for The Red Sea International Airport alongside Saudi contractor Almabani. The contract entails the construction of airside infrastructure works, including the design and building of a Code F runway 3,700m, Code B seaplane runway, parallel & link taxiways and pavement works, aeronautical navigational aids, aerodrome ground lighting, airside utilities, helipads, roads and associated buildings. Groundwork on the airport commenced in September 2020. Later, in May this year, the contractor recorded a major construction milestone on the airport project by clocking a total of one million safe man-hours, with over 920 workers on the site. The company is driving its digital transformation journey globally through its partnership with Cyprus-based Sektor.build to become the rst rm in KSA to use the AI-tool OpenSpace. Supporting KSA’s localisation mandate, the company in cooperation with the Housing Association for Family Development in Umluj employed 20 graduates at The Red Sea PoProject, earlier this year. PHILIPPE GAS SAMER SAMAD 13 1222 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Featuring again in Construction Week’s Power 100 list is AECOM’s CEO for the Middle East and Africa, Hamed Zaghw, who has been at the helm of the organisation for the last ve years. Zaghw rst joined AECOM as the Chief Operating Of cer in November 2014 and was appointed to his current role on 1 January 2017. Over the last year, Zaghw has guided AECOM’s people and operations safely through the pandemic while ensuring “a relevant and pro table” business in the ‘new normal’. According to Zaghw, “resilience and dedication to client success” have paved AECOM’s way for growth. In the past 12 months, AECOM continued to stabilise its business by leveraging on client relationships and innovation to create new opportunities, mainly in programme management, transportation, and masterplanning. One important factor that aided the company during the turbulent market situation is digital project delivery, which was a focus area for AECOM across the region, prior to the pandemic, as many of its projects have been cloud based. The second major success for the rm has been extending its role on key projects in the region including NEOM and regional aviation hubs. AECOM’s ongoing projects include Saudi Customs PMO, MoMRA PMO, NEOM Bay PMC, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, The Red Sea Airport, schools infrastructure development PPP in Saudi Arabia, Mid eld Terminal Complex in Abu Dhabi, and roads & drainage projects in Qatar. Among the projects completed in the past year are Al Maryah Central, Expo 2020 Interchanges, East Sitra Housing, Al Janoub Stadium, Jebel Ali Sewage Treatment Plant, the Inner Doha Re- sewerage Implementation Scheme, ICD Brook eld Place, as well as speci c completion milestones at Yas Acres, Doha Oasis, and the Mall of Oman. Zaghw says that clients’ needs have “evolved” post-pandemic and they now expect an acceleration of their programmes in line with national visions to make up for the lost time over the last year and a half. For this very reason, AECOM expects more “diversi ed” revenues while it also aims to maximise return on investment. HAMED ZAGHW 14POWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 23WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM A new entry in Construction Week’s Power 100 list in 2021 is the Chairman & CEO of Saudi Arabia-based IHCC, Sultan Sobhi Batterjee, who has led the company to be a leading player in the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. Since the 1980s, IHCC has had an exceptional track record and continues to be a class (A) contractor that provides turnkey engineering and construction solutions for healthcare, education, and mixed-use developments including residential, commercial and hospitality across the MENA region. Under Batterjee’s leadership, IHCC has shown steady growth and expanded its services through creating business units to deliver integrated solutions. IHCC provides a range of in- house services including design and engineering, construction, MEP, nishing & t-out, energy ef ciency, building sustainability solutions, facilities management and modular construction. Earlier this year, Batterjee spoke at Construction Week’s KSA Infrastructure Summit on The Growth of Social Infrastructure panel. IHCC has currently 15 different projects under construction including mega medical cities in Makkah, Dammam, and Alexandria comprising hospital buildings, specialty centres, centres of excellence, educational facilities, residential schemes, mixed-use and commercial buildings, recreational facilities, landscaping, as well as infrastructure and utilities. IHCC’s other ongoing contracts includes projects throughout the UAE, Egypt and Morocco. Batterjee is also a leading Executive and Board Member in Bait Al Batterjee Holding and the Saudi German Hospitals Group as well as being a Founding & Board Member of Batterjee Foundation. He is also Founder of various companies and organisations including LifeStyle Developers and The Innovation House. Additionally, Batterjee is a Founding Member of the Real Estate Development Committee in Jeddah, a Member of the Housing Committee of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and an Executive Board Member of Jeddah Municipality Investment Committee. SULTAN SOBHI BATTERJEE 1524 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Dubai-based real estate baron Mohammed Alabbar, the Managing Director and Founder of Emaar Properties takes the spot in the top twenty in Construction Week’s Power 100 list, coming in at number 16. Alabbar stepped down from his role as the Chairman of the developer in December 2020, based on the decision of the Securities and Commodities Authority, which prohibits “combining the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors and any executive position in the company”. Last year, the developer’s hospitality arm, Emaar Hospitality, and Sharjah- based Arada launched Phase 1 of the off-plan sales for Vida Residences Aljada, marking Vida’s rst entry into Sharjah’s branded residences space. Construction on Vida Residences Aljada and the adjacent Vida Aljada hotel will commence in Q2 2021. Under Alabbar’s leadership, Emaar Misr, the Egyptian arm of Emaar Properties, and Tahya Misr signed a deal to implement a sustainable development scheme for Sidi Abdul Rahman village in Matrouh Governorate. As part of the deal, Emaar Misr will contribute $1.3m to support Phase 1 of infrastructure and service improvements. In 2020, Emaar Properties recorded a 58% decline in net pro t to $721m (AED2.6bn), compared to a pro t of $1.7bn (AED6.2bn) in FY 2019. Despite the drop in numbers, Alabbar said that he sees “a world of opportunities” in 2021. He added that the region continues to attract a community of skilled professionals and investors who in- turn invest in the region’s continuous growth potential, re ective in Emaar’s sales records for Q1 2021. Emaar Properties is an Emirati multinational real estate development company located in the United Arab Emirates. It is a public joint-stock company, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, and has a valuation of US$9.7 billion as of June 2018. MOHAMMED ALABBAR 16POWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 25WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM From its inception back in 1968 by Hamid Abdulsalam Shuaib and Partners, Pace was quick to establish itself as a lead contributor to the development of urban planning and architecture in Kuwait. Forming a huge part of this growth is the rm’s CEO Tarek Shuaib who comes into Construction Week’s Power 100 list at number 17. Pace has been associated with several healthcare projects in Kuwait and continues to work with the Ministry of Healthcare and Ministry of Public Works to ful l the mandate and recently marked progress on the New Maternity located on the coast of Kuwait Bay in the Al-Sabah Health Zone. In terms of construction progress, currently, the project is about 30% complete. Meanwhile, structural works are 95% complete, with façade, interior finishing, and MEP works progressing simultaneously. Also recently speaking with Construction Week, Shuaib said Pace has been a repeat choice by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Ministry of Public Works (MPW) for modern judicial complexes in Kuwait. “Pace’s strong multidisciplinary knowledgebase, with more than 50 years of experience in delivering megaprojects and landmarks to the highest quality standards and with optimum value, cost management, and fast-track construction proficiency,” he said. Previously, the firm managed the design and construction of the Jahra and Farwaniya Smart Courts Complexes. At the helm of Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) is its Chairman, Samer Khoury, who comes in at number 18 in Construction Week’s Power 100 list this year. In the early days of the pandemic last year, Khoury- led CCC actively worked with the open-source project CURA to convert a container into a portable Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as part of its capacity-building efforts in the GCC. CCC was the contractor for Phase 2 of BP Exploration’s (Epsilon) Ghazeer gas eld project – Khazzan Central Processing Facility (CPF), a contract which was awarded to the company in 2017 by the main contractor of the project, Petrofac. Some of CCC’s renowned projects across the region include South Helwan Thermal Power Plant in Egypt, Jazan Re nery Packages 4 & tank farms, Abu Dhabi International Aiport Mid eld Terminal, Batinah Expressway Package 6, Borouge Ethylene Cracker 2, Qatar’s Lusail Sports Club – multipurpose hall, Sidra Medical Research Centre, and Riyadh Metro Package 1 - Lines 1 & 2, among others. The contractor has also previously delivered Mall of Oman Package 2 main works, which is being developed by UAE- headquartered Majid Al Futtaim. Last year, CCC secured two of US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Gold and GSAS 5 Stars for the Msheireb Station, which is the cornerstone of Doha Metro and the new subway network in Qatar. TAREK SHUAIB SAMER KHOURY 18 1726 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Eng. Osama Bin Hassan Al Afaleq, Chairman of the Saudi Contractors Authority (SCA), features in Construction Week’s Power 100 list for the second time in a row. Led by Eng. Al Afaleq, SCA has been organising the Future Projects Forum (FPF), which entered its third iteration in 2021. The SCA also aims to organise and develop the contracting sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. SCA has been planning to launch the “model contracts” and “advisory services” initiatives, it had announced in February 2021. The initiative is aimed at making the sector an attractive investment environment in line with the requirements of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing approved the self- construction contractor programme in the Kingdom in cooperation with SCA and the National Housing Company. In March 2021, AMAALA, the ultra- luxury development located along Saudi Arabia’s north western coast, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SCA, in line with the ambitions of both organisations and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals. The MoU sets forth a preliminary pact for cooperation in a number of elds including allowing access to an online Project Participation Platform, which allows AMAALA to share projects in its pipeline with members of the SCA and receive information of quali ed and interested parties intending to bid. SCA aims at organising and developing contracting sector, building distinctive productive competencies and creating a safe environment of international quality. SCA will also work to nd an appropriate solution to the problems and crises facing contractors in general, it will encourage innovation and enhancing communication process among all relevant parties in the sector. SCA will seek to achieve its objectives through permanent development of all related aspects of working environment to reach the highest levels of productivity and quality. ENG. OSAMA BIN HASSAN AL AFALEQ 19POWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 27WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM The Middle East Director of BAM International, Patrick McKinney continues to shine in Construction Week’s Power 100 list in the top 20 category, as he takes the spot at number 19 this year. McKinney has been associated with the company for the past 10 years. In his time at the business, he has been responsible for driving the company’s growth in the Middle East. BAM International is the main contractor for Dubai’s The Museum of the Future, which has been designed by Killa Design. Within its scope of work for the megaproject, the contractor has used 3D printing technologies to build the structure. Another signi cant project for the contractor in the region is the construction of a new cruise jetty at Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach in the UAE’s Abu Dhabi. The project has been valued at $27.2m (AED100m). The contractor is also known for working on Miral Asset Management’s 18,000-seater Etihad Arena, designed by HOK with support from Pascall+Watson. The multi-purpose indoor venue, which is an integral part of the $3.2bn (AED12bn) Yas Bay waterfront development, opened to host live events earlier this year. In 2020, BAM International’s construction and property activities recorded a net loss of $109.1m. According to the contractor, the performance was mainly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and additional cost overruns on two projects in the Middle East. PATRICK MCKINNEY 21 Continuing his appearance in Construction Week’s Power 100 list in 2021 is Khaled Musaed El Seif, the Chairman of El Seif Engineering Contracting Company. Led by El Seif, the group has been responsible for working on some of the Kingdom’s most iconic buildings in recent years. The Saudi Arabia-based rm is one of the leading contracting companies of high-rise towers that uses the latest international construction techniques and advanced systems to deliver landmark and smart tower projects in the region. The company was established in 1975 and since then has been responsible for working on some of the landmark projects in the region, including the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia’s capital city Riyadh, which stands at over 300 metres, several towers at King Abdullah Financial District, as well as other towers and high-rise buildings in Dubai and Beirut. El Seif Engineering Contracting Company has been providing general contracting, projects construction management, design & build services, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), as well as international procurement services. It has also been associated with PPP, BOT, and BOOT projects, and has secured several operation and maintenance contracts covering an extensive list of project types. The contractor has been known for working on the Al Falah Community Development, which has been built for UAE nationals in the capital, as part of the Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 - Urban Structure Framework Plan. KHALED MUSAED EL SEIF 2028 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Spearheading NEOM – Saudi Arabia’s upcoming $500bn futuristic giga-project, backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) – is CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr. With an accomplished background as an engineer, Al-Nasr enjoyed a long and rewarding career with Saudi Aramco and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), before taking the helm at NEOM in 2018. Al-Nasr is overseeing a vast program of work at NEOM to align with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 agenda. NEOM, which is being built from the ground up in an area covering 26,500 km², made its most signi cant announcement in the past 12 months with the launch of THE LINE. The project was unveiled by His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Chairman of the NEOM Company Board of Directors, in January 2021. THE LINE will be a 170km belt of hyper- connected future communities, without cars and roads and built with nature at its heart and founded on advanced technology. In July 2020, NEOM signed a $5bn agreement with Air Products and ACWA Power to build a production facility, which will be the world’s largest green hydrogen project when complete. Later, in August 2020, US-based Bechtel secured a contract to provide design, construction and project management services across the development. Another signi cant contract of 2020 for NEOM was awarded to AECOM to design transport and utilities infrastructure. In addition, NEOM signed a one-year contract with Saudi Telecom Company to establish 5G network infrastructure and an innovation centre last year. NEOM has demonstrated its commitment to health and wellbeing by making a signi cant appointment in March 2021. Burj Al Shifa Medical Complex, which is managed by International SOS – Al Rushaid, was selected to design, construct and operate a new health and wellness centre within NEOM. In October 2020, Al-Nasr oversaw a major milestone in NEOM’s journey, with the relocation of the company’s headquarters from Riyadh to NEOM in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. 22 NADHMI AL-NASRPOWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 29WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Riad Bsaibes, President & CEO – Amana Investments, deservedly takes this spot, owing to his responsible achievements in managing the business through the COVID-19 crisis with minimal impact onto stakeholders. “This has allowed us to consolidate and emerge stronger in 2021,” Bsaibes shared. Bsaibes has been with Amana Group for 19 years and has been CEO of the holding company for four years. To mitigate the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Amana took quick action by focusing on its cash balances and ensuring open credit lines with its banks. In the face of the crisis, the company powered through by maintaining open dialogue with the clients and the supply chain. This resulted in Amana being able to shift some of the revenues of 2020 into 2021 with minimal risk. Amana has been doing some signi cant work in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Its key projects in Saudi Arabia include The Red Sea Project’s Coastal Village residential buildings and Qiddiya. In the UAE, the company has been involved in data centres in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD); a COVID-19 lab for Group 42, an arti cial intelligence company; Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC)’s vertical farming facility; Landmark Group’s Omega DC Solar Warehouse; and the Mudon Fish Market, among others. The company is currently pricing projects in East Africa and India but have not executed those yet. Amana started in the early 1990s from Abu Dhabi and today operates in eight countries across the region. The rm started as an installer of steel buildings, and today has a portfolio that includes the most respected design-build industrial contractor in the region, MENA’s leading offsite construction platform, the UAE’s leading industrial rooftop solar practice and a sprouting energy management platform. The rm’s presence and track record is that of an established player, and DNA is that of an agile startup. RIAD BSAIBES 23Next >