< Previous40 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM A s Managing Director of Losberger De Boer Middle East and International Projects, Francis Scholten spearheads the company’s efforts to innovate, offering practical solutions that address the challenges facing its customers. From humble beginnings in 1999 as an Account Manager, Scholten rose through the ranks steadily. In 2018, Scholten stepped into the role of Managing Director, and by 2019, her role expanded to include the Middle East, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. With Scholten at the helm of affairs, the company found itself to be well-positioned to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The events landscape was massively affected due to the pandemic, but the company’s deep-rooted experience in modular construction equipped them to tackle the crisis and the evolving needs of the markets in which it operates. It became more innovative with its offerings, combining traditional solutions with longer-term, semi-permanent and permanent commercial space solutions, ensuring time-saving construction. The company leveraged technology appropriately during the pandemic, to stay connected while working remotely. Furthermore, employees’ professional development was also prioritised with the implementation of an online learning platform. Despite a challenging 2020, the company has been involved in several signi cant projects, including Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia as well as vaccination centres across Europe and the Middle East. Losberger De Boer is well-positioned to serve the entire Middle Eastern region with existing operations, and aims to strengthen its position further and continue to serve customers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other GCC markets. Furthermore, it will also be exploring opportunities in Egypt. The company has shifted to a localised way of delivering structures, positioning itself to tender for large projects. The changes to Losberger De Boer’s business have not negatively impacted its client satisfaction record. In 2020, the company achieved a 9.2, the highest score to date. 41 FRANCIS SCHOLTENPOWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 41WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM H aving founded Mechanical And Civil Engineering Contractors Company (MACE) more than 22 years ago, William Haddad has led the Abu Dhabi-headquartered contractor through a number of critical civil engineering, oil and gas, mechanical and engineering, sewage and pipeline, as well as operation and maintenance (O&M) projects across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Libya. MACE’s contracts involve the O&M of the sanitation systems in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, as well as in the islands of Al Reem, Al Maryah, and Al Saadiyat. The company boasts an extensive and strong clientele which has included the Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company (ADSSC), the Public Works Department (PWD); the Water and Electricity Department (WED); ADNOC; Sewerage Projects Committee (SPC) over the past decade. At The Big 5 Saudi in 2020, MACE displayed its keenness to standardise construction so that it is “more repeatable, faster, better, and cheaper”, while also trying to industrialise the process – designing differently, curing differently, and manufacturing differently. MACE’s current projects include asset enhancement in the North of Al Ain; stormwater and irrigation works at Ain Al Faydah and Jabeel Hafeet; replacement of existing sewage lines in Abu Dhabi; and O&M of Abu Dhabi island networks and pumping stations. F rom the Dubai Creek Golf Clubhouse, which made its way onto the national currency in the early 90s to prominent education projects within the region, Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ), has been contributing massively to UAE’s infrastructure development for over three decades now. Brian Johnson, Managing Partner at GAJ has climbed 21 spots from last year’s ranking to claim the 43rd position in the series’ 2021 edition. GAJ’s key source markets remain UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The rm is now placing greater focus on the KSA market. It is currently working on notable projects in the Kingdom including the ISG School in Saudi Arabia, a new hospitality project in Al-Ula, a resort within Ashar development, and a new residential district in the Kingdom. In Dubai, the rm’s signi cant recent and/or ongoing projects include The Sports & Performing Arts Centre of Excellence (The SPACE) at Dubai College and The Arcadia School’s secondary campus. In addition, GAJ is working on The Hilton Garden Inn. Outside of the Middle East, the rm is engaged in Garden Bay, a residential development in Lucknow, India. GAJ foresees an increase in revenue of 20% to 25% in 2021 compared to its 2020 figures. The firm prides itself on being among the first adopters of BIM in the Middle East. Some of its projects that have used BIM include Sharjah Market, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai College Sci-Block, Ecos Hotel Dubailand, and Ecos Oman, among others. 42 43 WILLIAM HADDAD BRIAN JOHNSON42 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM M aking his debut in the Power 100 series, Lee French is in his 20th year at Cundall and was made Partner at the consultancy in January 2021. French is Cundall’s first Partner for the MENA region since the inception of the Dubai office 14 years ago. He acts as Operations Director for the MENA region and sits on the International Management Board. As of 2021, he sits on the Global Net Zero Carbon steering committee for Cundall with a focus on promoting Zero Carbon Design throughout the region. This is aligned with Cundall’s ambition and achievement in becoming the first consultant in the world to achieve Carbon- Neutral certification in 2020. As part of his new role, he is also the Global Lead of the office Sustainability Teams and over the last year has re-imagined the teams and re-focussed the direction of the teams through the pandemic. Cundall has reported 78% repeat business, 10% growth within the internal team, and expanding operations to KSA and Abu Dhabi, despite the ongoing crisis. Some of Cundall’s key projects over the past twelve months include the Abu Dhabi Port Masterplan Roll Out; ENOC Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai; Etihad Rail; AMC Cinemas in KSA; and the Dark Sky Initiative for The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC). T alabani has worked with Turner & Townsend for the last 13 years, having moved into his current role as Regional Managing Director in 2017. He successfully led the Middle East region’s operations through the COVID-19 crisis, displaying strong leadership, empathy, agility and boldness. Speaking to Construction Week, Talabani explained that he is particularly proud of the company’s business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which grew consistently through the pandemic – with turnover more than doubling in the last 12 months, and headcount increasing from 30 to 70+ members. The company has secured positions on several giga schemes, including Amaala, Diriyah Gate, and most recently, King Salman Park in Riyadh. The company has delivered and worked on several notable projects including the Amazon of ce in Amman; Cinepolis in Dammam; several Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions; Mina Plaza Towers, Abu Dhabi; TimeOut Market, Souk Al Bahar, Dubai; expansion of Atlantis Aquaventure, Dubai; Address Beach Resort Hotel, Dubai; a series of hotels for The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC); Jubail Mangrove Park, Abu Dhabi; Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP); and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)’s rst net-zero energy building. Turner & Townsend has been recognised at Construction Week’s Oman Awards 2020 and 2021 for the Construction Executive of the Year and Project Manager of the Year titles respectively. 44 45 LEE FRENCH ALAN TALABANIPOWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 43WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Dr Khatib has been with Khatib & Alami (K&A) for 25 years, including four years as Chairman and ve years as CEO. In the past year, he has played a vital role in steering the company through the global challenges associated with COVID-19. Under the leadership of Dr Khatib, K&A marked several milestones in 2020, including an extension on its largest PMO project in KSA and extension of contracts with Aramco and KSA’s Ministry of Housing. The company has also engaged actively across KSA’s gigaprojects including AMAALA, NEOM and The Red Sea Project. K&A’s take up of digitalisation over the months has birthed strategic partnerships, led to notable projects and has earned it certi cations. Over the past year, the company has been involved in various projects including the National Health Emergency Operations Center, Saudi Arabia; Basra Governorate Water System Rehabilitation, Iraq; Bahr El Baqar Water Reclamation Plant, Egypt; Al Jahra Waterfront Development, Kuwait; Al Zahia City Centre Mall, Sharjah; Riyadh Smart Square Project; and KSA, Pakistan, and Egypt Pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai. K&A’s work to support reconstruction and rehabilitation in Iraq has grown in the past 12 months. The company is also delivering a major healthcare project in Turkey, and are continuing to develop its presence in Sub-Saharan Africa, including successful delivery of projects in Nigeria. W ME Global’s Managing Director Peyman Mohajer has assumed his current position for 11 years. To navigate the implications of COVID-19 and stabilise its business, Mohajer directed the company to strengthen its position through Lead Design Consultancy projects, with a primary focus on the Saudi Arabian market. Some of WME’s key projects include Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions such as UAE and Luxembourg; Marina Mall; Muvi Cinemas in KSA; Arabian Ranches; Solitaire Mall in Riyadh; Four Seasons Hotel in Jeddah; Palm Tower (St. Regis Hotel); Nakheel Mall on the Palm; SRG Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road; Downtown Views by Emaar; and Burj Royal, among others. In India, the company is working on the House of Worship, an Ikea store in Mumbai, and more. WME has also entered the UK and Singapore markets. WME has been active and ef cient in its response to the ongoing pandemic. It adopted three schools last year for renovation and with an aim to provide better education infrastructure. The company has a target of adopting eight schools in 2021. Moreover, 86% of WME employees and 42% of its contractor employees including blue-collar workers have already been vaccinated. WME’s prime initiative for 2021 is to complete 100% COVID-19 vaccination for all employees. The company foresees a revenue of $40.8m (AED 150m) for 2021. It is accelerating its transition to become carbon-neutral by 2024, and expects to become the Lead Design Consultant of choice by 2022. 46 47 DR NAJIB KHATIB PEYMAN MOHAJERPOWER 100 44 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Making his debut in Construction Week’s Power 100 series, Anthony McCarter’s focus since joining Ramboll has been on strengthening the multi- disciplinary engineering offering as well as enhancing digital delivery and stakeholder coordination. McCarter, who is the Regional Buildings Director, Middle East & India at Ramboll, has supported the company’s drive to embed best practices in sustainability across ongoing projects in the region. He also encourages the use of new technologies, including SMART systems, parametric design and modular construction. Ahead of the curve, Ramboll transitioned to digital platforms before it could feel the impact of the ongoing pandemic. The rm remains committed to cementing its position as a market leader in digital delivery. Reaf rming this, it made a key hire in 2020, with an aim to bring all the bene ts of BIM to its projects, engage clients and other stakeholders in the journey, facilitate projects, and enhance outcomes on more traditional projects. Amid a challenging market that saw signi cant downsizing, salary cuts, and unpaid leaves in the previous year, Ramboll placed priority on retaining employees and bringing in “fresh leadership” into the Middle East business, McCarter said. In addition, the company has kept close to its strategic clients, despite the uncertain times, and has been successful in delivering tangible value and forward-thinking advice while remaining true to its core values and fundamentals. Moreover, the rm has rolled out several training and development programmes to bene t its employees, including the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) programme globally. Among Ramboll’s key contracts is Jumeirah Gate; Dubai Waste-to-Energy plant; and The Cove Marina, Abu Dhabi. McCarter predicted revenue for 2021 to reach $38m, adding that the rm is optimistic to meet or exceed this expectation with its pipeline. Currently growing its business in Saudi Arabia, Ramboll expects this to expand further over the coming two to three years. 48ANTHONY MCCARTERPOWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 45WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM C limbing 18 ranks up the Power 100 list for the year is Chris Seymour, Managing Director - Middle East, Mott MacDonald, who was also recognised as Construction Executive of the Year at our 2020 regional awards ceremony. Seymour joined Mott MacDonald five years ago as Regional Development Director for Middle East and South Asia. In 2018, he took on his current role as Managing Director for the Middle East. In his capacity at Mott MacDonald, Seymour leads on the company’s KSA expansion and has also identified opportunities in Jordan and Egypt. In 2020, under Seymour’s leadership, Mott MacDonald became the first carbon-neutral engineering consultancy. As project consultants for Dubai Water and Electricity (DEWA), Mott MacDonald are helping transform their M-Station plant into the largest power generation and water desalination plant in the UAE. Additionally, Mott MacDonald are developing a sustainable transport plan for The Red Sea Project in Saudi Arabia, where the contract was awarded in December 2020. In Abu Dhabi, Mott MacDonald have overseen the design and construction of one of the world’s biggest underground pumping station, part of the Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme. Refreshingly, the company entered 2021 with a “stronger workload” than past years, Seymour noted. Aforce to reckon with in the industry, Saeed Al Abbar, who founded AESG in 2011, was promoted to group- wide Chief Executive Of cer, in line with the rm’s ongoing expansion at the start of 2021. The move was aligned with the company’s establishment of of ces in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom and its appointment of Global Directors for each of its business lines. At a time when companies were grappling with the challenges imposed by the current crisis, AESG marked its highest level of new project awards to date and has recorded 40% of growth in staff in Q1 of 2021 alone. Moreover, AESG recorded a 35% increase in revenue turnover despite market conditions in the past year. Acknowledging the need to strengthen adoption of digital solutions, AESG acquired Springboard Middle East and subsequently launched AESG’s Data+, its digital commissioning, handover and asset management platform in 2021. Over the past 12 months, AESG has actively worked on a number of projects including Ciel Tower, Dubai; King Abdullah Financial District, KSA; ICD Brook eld Place, Dubai; DIFC Gate Avenue, Dubai; One Za’abeel, Dubai; UAE Pavilion and Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai; NEOM; Qiddiya; Diriyah Gate; and The Red Sea Project. The rm has big ambitions for sustainability and was also recognised - at the Construction Week Awards 2020 - for its Pathway to Net Zero initiative. 49 50 CHRIS SEYMOUR SAEED AL ABBAR46 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM POWER 100 F oster, who is Founder & Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners, a UK- based architectural and design rm, has climbed up 23 spots in the Power 100 list. The company has had a fruitful past year, securing some consequential contract wins. Its mirage-inspired airport design was picked by Saudi Arabia gigaproject AMAALA in June 2020. Foster + Partners is serving the gigaproject as its architecture advisor. In 2021, The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) unveiled the Coral Bloom concept, which was designed by Foster + Partners. The nature-inspired designs will be launched across the 11 resorts on the hub island and has been designed to blend in with the island’s pristine natural environment. The design responds to the local palette of colours – the pale hues of the sand, the dense vegetation and the spectacular shades of the sea, Construction Week exclusively learnt. In the Middle East region, Foster + Partners’ works include ICD Brookfield Place Tower, South Sabah Al- Ahmad masterplan, Kuwait International Airport Terminal 2, headquarters of the National Bank of Kuwait, headquarters of banking company Samba in Saudi Arabia, Zayed National Museum, Jeddah Metro, House of Wisdom (HOW) in Sharjah, and Jabal Omar development in Saudi Arabia, which features a built-up area of about 2 million m2, and others. Albizreh’s association with Depa Interiors began four years ago. In his role as Director of the rm, he oversees the successful delivery of several projects, across hospitality, commercial, social, and residential sectors in the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. Depa Interiors has worked on monumental projects in the recent past across the Middle East. Among these are Dubai Opera House; Emirates Palace; Aldar HQ; Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi; and Mandarin Oriental, Palm Jumeirah, which won Hospitality Project of the Year at Construction Week’s 2019 awards. Among Depa Interiors’ notable achievements for 2020 were the delivery of three commercial projects and a UAE hospitality project win. Moreover, the company secured a signi cant $21.7m (AED 80m) contract for an Abu Dhabi hospitality package in H2 2020. Depa Interiors was recognised as the People’s Choice of the Year at the Construction Week Awards 2020, and was chosen based on how the rm is becoming a future-ready business through innovations in technology. In addition, Depa Interiors was recognised as the Interior Fit-out Firm of the Year by Commercial Interior Design in 2020. The company generated a revenue of $111.9m (AED 411.1m) for the scal year of 2020. In February 2021, the Nasdaq Dubai-listed rm elected Abdulla Al Mazrui to the board. The changes to the board have been made to track the company’s cost-saving measures and to make the business more agile. 51 52 NORMAN FOSTER ABDOULLAH ALBIZREHPOWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 47WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Making his debut in Construction Week’s Power 100 list, Dr. Shams Eldien Naga has made great strides since founding NAGA Architects, Designers and Planners back in 2000. NAGA Architects has won several awards and accolades in the eld of architectural design and has subsequently opened of ces in KSA, USA and Egypt. In 2017, they moved into the real estate development sector and formed the DHB group. Despite the economic challenges fuelled by the pandemic, the group was pro table in 2020 and delivered a successful execution of its strategy. It has also led the group to further their business interests in Egypt and KSA, as well as having plans to expand into other markets. From an operations standpoint, the rm has worked with their clients and partners to ensure that its cash ow remained stable. From a business development perspective, they focused on areas of growth within each market – luxury homes in the UAE, affordable housing in KSA and a fresh suite of services in Egypt. The rm most recently claimed honours at Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2021 for the Best Luxury Studio in Dubai and UAE Business Awards 2021 for the Best High-End Residential Architecture Practice in the Middle East. Among the main projects that NAGA Architects has worked on last year include the Riyadh Township for Roshn, the Senior Citizen’s Club for Dubai Government, the Al Khaleej Bank HQ & Hotel in Sudan and the ECOS Flagship Hotel in the Al Furjan community by the Expo 2020 site. Going forward, Dr. Naga admitted that 2021 will be a “tough year again” due to the pandemic and the economic challenges, but said the rm’s intent is not just stability but growth. In the next two years, NAGA Architects aims to consolidate its position in the UAE, KSA, Egypt and USA markets whilst actively considering other markets that they can take the DHB brand to, as well as another future area of interest will be developing modular designs for residential projects targeted towards bene ciaries of affordable housing projects or CSR initiatives. 53 DR.SHAMS NAGA48 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Also making his debut on Construction Week’s Power 100 list is LWK + PARTNERS’ Kerem Cengiz, who was appointed as Managing Director in 2018. Key drivers for Cengiz’s appointment were his experience in establishing and maintaining new businesses in international locations. This has allowed Cengiz to integrate fresh perspectives from other developed markets to add to knowledge of the regional market and create a fusion to bring to the existing design and development scene across the MENA region. Understanding the potential challenges that breaking into, and maintaining new markets has been very much at the heart of the practice particularly the last 12 months. The company has worked on key projects including the Burj Crown and appointed by Abu Dhabi Ports as the lead consultant for their agship community activation initiative by the launching ve pilot projects out of 30 for the expansion of the public ferry system. The practice also opened its KSA Studio in Riyadh during July 2020. At the beginning of 2020, LWK + PARTNERS launched an open source, industry-wide triannual journal – The Red Envelope - encompassing a thought based open platform exploring the built environment online and in print formats. The rm expects a 70% to 90% year- on year increase in revenue over the 2020 gures which saw a 60% year-on year growth over 2019 and anticipates a 25% increase in staff headcount. The rm said it is con dent of achieving growth and has pushed the envelope over the past two years in terms of gender equality; investment in technology-driven R&D as a focus on driving the company’s business to achieve a revenue expectation for the year. They remain committed to continue embedding thought leadership, knowledge sharing, research, learning and development and innovation within the framework of the business. LWK + PARTNERS anticipates a positive forecastor the marketplace with the diversi cation into robotics and AR/ VR technology. 54 KEREM CENGIZPOWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 49WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Commencing as a part time cadet Site Engineer in 1987, through to becoming Global CEO in 2019, John Flecker’s whole working life has been at Multiplex. Multiplex operates locally led regional businesses with globally shared experience, knowledge and systems to be “One Multiplex”, led by Flecker as CEO. Flecker’s and the business’ core values align – a commitment to outperform for our people and clients, with care and integrity. John participates in several industry groups including Director of the Australian Constructors Association (2010 – present) and President (2016-17); Director of the Green Building Council of Australia (2013-2020); and Director for the indigenous Literacy for Life Foundation (from inception in 2014 – present.) For the Middle East, Multiplex Construction has worked on several projects including ICD Brookfield Place and the Address Residences Jumeirah Resort. The Australia-headquartered contractor also won multiple honours at the Construction Week Awards 2020 for Commercial Project of the Year for their work on ICD Brookfield Place and Health and Safety (HSE) Initiative of the Year for Workers’ Rights, Representation and Welfare initiative, which was described by our judges as “highly effective and highly responsive program” which tackled the most important issues prevalent in construction. Another debutant for the Construction Week Power 100 list is Fouad Mashal, the CEO of Al Barakah International Investment who has been pivotal in driving the construction of Abu Dhabi’s up-and-coming waterfront destination Al Qana. Touted to change the UAE capital’s landscape, Mousal described Al Qana as the “ultimate touristic project” that will provide a very unique experience we all envision for the entertainment and tourism sectors in the UAE. The development recently reached 90% construction completion and is expected to be completed by Q3 2021. The destination will feature a National Aquarium, cinema complexes and offers a clear view of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Al Barakah also recently unveiled the latest addition to the Al Qana development: Al Qana Marina which will feature restaurants, cafes and marine services. The amenities of Al Qana’s Marina include 24-hour security, vessel monitoring, emergency response equipment, highly equipped professionals, as well as an extensive range of marine services and facilities. Some of the major achievements for Al Barakah was bagging the Design and Build Project of the Year for Al Qana at the Construction Week Awards 2020. The judges believed that it was an “exceptional large scale project” with different forms of architectural design features and sympathetic to the local environment, as well as thoughtful to the visitor experience. 55 56 JOHN FLECKER FOUAD MASHALNext >