< Previous70 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Sneaking into the Power 100 list after recently being appointed as CEO of Lootah Real Estate Development is Raja Alammedine. With more than 27 years’ experience in real-estate, Alammedine has worked with several property developers, investment banks, as well as contracting and design companies. Alammedine will be responsible for leading his team strategically, expanding the company’s regional footprint and driving a new vision within the organisation. He brings with him extensive experience in various asset classes, including master-planned cities, mixed- use communities, and innovative lifestyle developments. He will also leverage his rich investment banking experience to further enhance Lootah’s real estate offerings. He will be be responsible for assessing suitable partnerships or joint ventures as a business strategy for expansion into new markets and development of new product portfolios for the business to gain a strategic edge in the market. Alammedine also revealed he is eyeing expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is something a lot of developers are working towards and we are one of them,” he says. “The opportunity to work in the residential eld in Saudi Arabia is phenomenal. So we would be interested in doing business in the Kingdom’s residential eld in addition to lifestyle mixed-use project.” Meydan Group – a leading player in the region’s real estate, property investment, development, and management sectors – was established by UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Since its inaugural opening in 2010, The Meydan Racecourse has been the centrepiece of Meydan and offers a full season of horseracing, the highlight of which is the Dubai World Cup. The Meydan Group’s broad portfolio extends far beyond the racecourse. Meydan real estate projects include villas, townhouses and apartments, plus Emirates Airline housing that features 528 townhouses set amongst retail, lush green parks and vital amenities. Led by Saeed Humaid Al Tayer, the chairman of the board and chief executive officer, Meydan Group is best known for its flagship megadevelopment project – the 4.3km2 Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City. The group’s real estate portfolio also includes the Meydan One mall, which will include a 12,000m2 Winter Village and a 1km ski slope; a 25,800m2 water fountain; a 46,000m2 entertainment experience; a 13,200m2 hypermarket, and other amenities. Meydan Group’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City – District One – which comprises apartment buildings, gated communities, villas, and mansions – launched its ORB Tower in March 2020. 91 92 RAJA ALAMEDDINE SAEED AL TAYERPOWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 71WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Also a new face to enter Construction Week’s Power 100 list is ENGIE’s Head of Public- Private Partnerships (PPP) for KSA, Hyerin Park. A significant part of Park’s work has been dedicated to planning, developing and financing large scale urban and infrastructure capital projects in the EPC industry. She was involved in the development of $15bn Songdo Int’l Business District in Korea, one of the first and largest LEED neighbourhood design pilot projects at the time to pursue sustainable initiatives at urban scale. She has hands-on experience on delivering capital projects around the globe in various sectors that compose an urban environment, including civil and social infrastructure, real- estate, and power. Her work in delivering cross-sector capital projects brought her to the Middle East in 2017, working with various government and private sector partners for project planning and development for Vision 2030. Her objective with ENGIE is to realise sustainable initiatives in delivering development projects through leveraging PPPs and contribute to the coherent effort in decarbonisation the economy. Park recently took part in Construction Week’s KSA Infrastructure Summit on our ‘The Role of PPPs for Infrastructure Projects’ alongside ACCIONA’s Managing Director for the Middle East, Jesus Sancho and The Red Sea Development Company’s (TRSDC) Chief Project Delivery Officer – Ian Williamson. Oman-based Hoehler + alSalmy has made past appearances in Construction Week’s Power 100 lists. The firm was born out of an official rebranding announced by Omani-German architects Hoehler+Partner (H+P) in 2016. The company’s portfolio includes works on German University of Technology, Oman (GUtech), German Embassy Muscat, and Muscat Private Hospital, among others. Among its key milestones in the past 12 months is Hoehler + alSalmy’s completion on the Oman Oil and Orpic Group 25,000m2 office in Muscat Grand Mall. The project was completed within a span of three months. In a 2019 interview with Construction Week, Al Salmy said that the company was “focused on training Omani talent through internship programmes and hands-on work experience.” Hoehler + alSalmy had a 65% Omanisation rate at the time, Al Salmy confirmed. He said the consultancy was providing “numerous internship programmes and hands-on work experience” to Omani talent in the local construction market. The architecture and design firm marked ten years of its service and operations in the Sultanate in 2019. 93 94 HYERIN PARK MUHAMMAD AL SALMY72 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Rising four places in Construction Week’s Power 100 list is Fifthedge Founder and CEO, Marcus Taylor, who comes in at number 95. Fifthedge is a construction and engineering recruitment start-up rm that harnesses technologies such as arti cial intelligence to change the recruitment process in the construction and engineering sectors at an industry level. Taylor told Construction Week that being a start-up of a unique recruitment technology in the construction sector in the Middle East during a global pandemic hasn’t been a smooth ride. The company had to adapt, and stabilise and survive as a business, but Taylor said they took the opportunity to get closer to their clients, and it has been those clients that have been our biggest success in the last year. With a silver lining to the pandemic, Taylor added that they have caught the eye of not only employers looking for a new innovative way to recruit locally and globally but also some major investors in the recruitment sector. Going forward, the company is optimistic that things are on the up for the industry with employers being much more dynamic and are moving in some amazing ways to change the game through adopting new ways from other industries and positive outlooks. Taylor concluded that he hoped this continues to evolve the industry and takes the sole dominating control away from owners, operators and unattached consultants, and instead creates a more balanced, pro table and ethical industry. CK Khanna has spent more than 35 years at the Oman- headquartered Bahwan Engineering Company (BEC) as its General Manager. The company made its debut in the Construction Week Power 100 annual ranking in 2018. The company’s recent and ongoing contracts include MEP packages for Muscat International Airport; air- conditioning and mechanical ventilation works (ACMV) at Salalah Airport; civil mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation (MEI) works for the industrial facilities at the Sohar Refinery Improvement Project; engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the 400/220kV independent power producer (IPP) grid station at Ibri; MEP works for Mall of Oman; civil MEI works for the Sohar Desalination Independent Water Project, civil works for Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC), an EPC contract for a power plant for Petroleum Development Oman; and civil and MEI works for the Duqm Refinery project. Bahwan Engineering Company has also won the Construction Week Oman Awards’ Infrastructure Project of the Year and Best Contractor of the Year honours in the previous years. 95 96 MARCUS TAYLOR CK KHANNAPOWER 100 JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 73WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Another new name for Construction Week’s Power 100 list is Founder of Gigs Advisory and Co-Founder of Aceplace, Chris Cooper, who comes in at number 97. Cooper started his journey in the Middle East around 15 years ago and has built up a strong understanding of the region and the industry. Cooper’s experience involves being part of the leadership team within WSP and growing the company from 100 people focused on Dubai and Sharjah in 2006 to a multidisciplinary consultant with a presence in the majority of GCC countries and over 2,500 people. Gigs Advisory and Aceplace is designed to make a real difference and help facilitate a positive change in the region. In late 2019, Chris foresaw an opportunity as the marketplace matured that would be based on the gig economy more than the traditional hire and re model. Gigs Advisory is a specialist consultancy that advises on everything from dispute resolution and negotiation, to risk pro ling, contract writing and supply chain management. Although predominantly working in the Middle East - UAE, KSA and Oman- it also advises international clients as required. Aceplace is a tech start-up that enables hosts to generate revenue from unused assets by renting them out to guests needing a space to meet privately. Although work on the platform began pre COVID, Aceplace was of cially launched in May 2020. Over the past nine years, Devaki Khimji, the Managing Director of the Al Tasnim Group, has led the Omani builder through a number of key projects, including Oman’s integrated tourism complex (ITC) Al Mouj, Muscat. Phase 2 of Al Tasnim Group’s multi-dwelling community development – The Ras Al Hamra Development Project – which consists of apartments, villas, and related infrastructure, was shortlisted for Construction Week’s Residential Project of the Year at its CW Oman Awards 2020 edition. In February 2020, Al Tasnim inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Culture to construct a visitor centre at the Bat archeological site and develop the surrounding area of the Khutm Archaeological Tower. The three archaeological sites of Bat, Al Khutm, and Al Ayn together form a UNESCO World Heritage site in Oman. Al Tasnim Group is also running 12 concrete batching plants and five automatic block factories serving various locations in Oman. Its Al Tasnim Cement Products division has inked a 25-year sub-usufruct lease contract for a 25,000m2 plot with Duqm Industrial Land Co to construct a concrete batching plant to deliver quality concrete within the region. 97 98 CHRIS COOPER DEVAKI KHIMJI74 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021 POWER 100 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Another new entrant for Construction Week’s Power 100 list is Mapei Middle East’s Managing Director Stefano Iannacone who comes in at number 99 in the list. With over 20 years’ international experience in the chemical and construction industries, Iannacone has been working at Mapei since the year 2011, previously holding the position of Managing Director of Mapei Construction Chemicals in Dubai. One of Mapei’s key projects over the past 12 months has been working with the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai where they are the Technical Partner of the structure and have provided innovative and sustainable solutions. Founded in Milan in 1937, Mapei is today the world leader in the production of adhesives and chemical products for the building industry. The ability to offer the best and most innovative solutions to design and construct according to eco-sustainable principles is a fundamental commitment for Mapei. This requires a sense of responsibility and the ability to make concrete choices in order to supply designers, contractors, workers and clients with products which are safe, reliable and durable over the years and which have the lowest impact possible on the environment, which is a major focus for the business. Burak Kizilhan, the CEO of AE Arma- Elektropanç returns to Construction Week’s annual ranking of the 100 most influential construction industry leaders. A family-owned Turkish MEP contractor, 80% of AE Arma- Elektropanç’s operations are outside of Turkey, with activities in Europe, MENA, the Russian Federation, and CIS countries. In the last 12 months, the company has been providing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) works for SLS DubaI Hotel & Residences, developed by World of Wonders Real Estate Development (WOW Red), alongside MEP consultant HIDI REA. AE Arma-Elektropanç is also providing MEP services for the passenger terminal building for Al Maktoum International Airport expansion, and Emaar’s Dubai Hills Mall project. It is working alongside main contractor ALEC on both the projects. The contractor has also worked on the Al Seef Phase 4 project developed by Meraas, where it is working with main contractor Dutco Balfour Beatty; and Al Wasl Properties’ Wasl District, with main contractor Shapoorji Pallonji. Kizilhan has spearheaded the firm to major projects including Legoland Dubai, Riverland Dubai, and the Bab Al Qasr Hotel & Residences in Abu Dhabi. 99 100 STEFANO IANNACONE BURAK KIZILHAN76 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM DESIGN TRENDS Terraco’s Group Marketing Manager, Avinash Pai, shares insights into the popular trends that are being embraced by architects, interior designers and consultants in a chat with Construction Week A popular trend today amongst architects, interior designers and consultants alike, is to create a stripped back, wow- factor look using exposed concrete, tarnished steel and natural wood elements in their designs. Using a colour palette of various shades of light to dark grey and charcoal colours, these professionals seek solutions for wall and floor finishes which replicate the rustic look of exposed concrete. Unlike earlier days where rough surfaces had to be hidden away, concrete finishes are widely being used to spice up interior and exterior walls and floors. Concrete effect finishes are often used on walls of cafes, restaurants, bars and loft residences. It helps create a distinctive interior that offers a unique style statement which is hard to miss. Interior designers have started using concrete floor finishes in trendy retail spaces, upscale offices, dining establishments as well as chic and stylish households. A concrete floor lends an industrial sophistication to a space. Facades of house entrances are important structures that give an ARCHITECTS AND INTERIOR DESIGNERS EMBRACE THE ELEGANT FEEL OF EXPOSED CONCRETE FINISHES Interior designers are starting to use concrete ooring for trendy spaces [Image: Supplied]JUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 77WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM DESIGN TRENDS insight into the interior décor and ambience of the house. Having a concrete effect finish goes a long way in making a lasting first impression on visitors. Even in the interiors, a concrete effect allows other elements within the room to stand out. As per Brian Cornwell from Next Luxury Home Designs, “Designers and homeowners alike have nominated concrete as their flooring material of choice.” Concrete flooring finishes need low maintenance compared to a carpeted flooring and are non-fussy and hard- wearing compared to wood flooring. The refined look of an exposed concrete flooring can offer modern elegance with a repurposed edge. Avinash Pai, Group Marketing Manager at Terraco says: “The Terraco Stucco Vintage™ range provides an ideal solution for Designers and Architects by offering a distinctive selection of modern designer wall and floor finishes which elegantly replicate the appearance of exposed concrete.” As an example, Stucco Vintage™ was used in a rather innovative way in Red Shrimp Sea Food Restaurant at Zawaya Walk, Sharjah, UAE where the designer created a stunning counter- top by using Stucco Vintage. The results elevated the rustic look and feel of the restaurant creating a unique ambiance. Another interesting application of Stucco Vintage can be seen at Peru Coffee Shop, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The interior walls and floor of the entire cafe display an exposed concrete finish which gives the space a beautiful, contempory and industrial design theme. There are many ways concrete effect finishes can enhance the interiors and exteriors of a project. The possibilities are endless and are limited only by the creative minds of architects and interior designers. Established in 1980, Terraco is a leader in the design, formulation and production of environmentally friendly finishing materials, performance products and systems for the construction industry. They have a dedicated team of professionals providing innovative, green solutions to customers in over 75 countries from 20 factories across the globe. They use carefully selected raw materials and innovative production techniques to formulate and manufacture products. This enables them to deliver sophisticated, design oriented solutions that provide compelling value through best-in-class durability and efficiency. Terraco Stucco Vintage applied in an of ce at Gangnam-Gu district of Seoul, South Korea Terraco Stucco Vintage applied on the facade of a private residence at Seoul, South Korea [Image: Supplied]78 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2021WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM EXPO EXCLUSIVE “THE INTELLIGENT PARTS OF A BUILDING AREN’T VISIBLE – THEY JUST MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD!” The Finland Pavilion – located within the Mobility District of the 4.38km2 Expo 2020 Dubai site – is progressing well on its final phase of construction in preparation to “Share Future Happiness” within its “Lumi” or “Snow Cape” structure when the World Expo commences on 1 October, 2021. Inspired by the white blanket of snow – Lumi means ‘snow’ in Finnish – which covers the nation’s landscape from autumn, the Finland Pavilion will resemble a white tent made of snow. The simple, elegant design of the Finland Pavilion also reflects the fascinating tradition of Finnish architecture. At Expo 2020 Dubai, Expomobilia – which is the general contractor for the construction of four country pavilions, including Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Norway – is working alongside JKMM Architects on the concept, planning, and execution of the Finland pavilion. The Finland pavilion was designed by a workgroup, made up of Switzerland-headquartered Expomobilia, Finland-based JKMM Architects, Beyond Limits, Factornova, and FiveCurrents, with Cimolai Rimond Middle East as the main contractor. The pavilion appears as a simple, cubic structure with a striking entrance facing the front plaza. Water in dark lakes – shallow water pools – will create gentle sounds and cool the air around the structure. Visitors can access the pavilion through a tent-like opening in the structure, which welcomes them into a gorge – a special central void within the pavilion that opens to the sky, offering a dramatic contrast between the sensory overload of the Expo 2020 Dubai environment, and the serene Nordic atmosphere inside the void of the Finland Pavilion. In terms of construction milestones, the pavilion was initially topped out on 11 February 2020, with the last piece of the steel beam being installed to complete the structure. Following the completion of the steel, concrete, initial MEP, and structural works, the exterior of the entire pavilion is being covered with a white membrane and the aluminium façade at the entryway is being installed. The elevator and sliding doors are also being installed, along with the finishing of the last surfaces. KONE will equip the Finland Pavilion with its touchless KONE elevators. Inside the “Snow Cape” The interiors of the Finland Pavilion will comprise of two levels: a ground The commissioner general of Finland at Expo 2020 Dubai, Severi Keinälä, speaks to ITP Media Group about how the country pavilion’s HVAC systems are not only comfortable, but also reduce noise, ensure clean and purified air, and are extremely energy-efficientJUNE 2021 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 79 WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM EXPO EXCLUSIVE level for the general exhibition and a second level with VIP and conference areas, called the “Finland Majlis”. The exhibition space will provide visitors with an in- depth story of Finland, including experiences and information on which Finland’s happiness is based; continuous development and innovation; sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions; as well as extensive international cooperation. In addition, Finnish expertise will be demonstrated in different sections such as natural resources and the energy cycle, ICT and digitalisation, smart cities, technology, education and health, as well as design and tourism. Meanwhile, the 500m2 VIP area, designed and furnished by Isku with flexible furniture, will consist of VIP multifunctional space and conference space for 130 people, audio-visual technology and screens for slideshows and videos, a reception and catering areas, three meeting rooms, an open Expo office, as well as a small kitchen and washroom facilities. The VIP area aims to provide a platform to organise corporate events in the Finland Pavilion. These events include seminars, workshops, client meetings, media events, lunches, dinners, cocktails, parties, and meetings with various interest groups. general of Finland at Expo 2020 Dubai, Severi Keinälä, said: “Across the UAE, the built environment generally comprises certain standard MEP features such as big fans on the ceiling that blow cold air and ventilate fresh air around a building. While this was an apt solution for the VIP area in the pavilion due to its close proximity to the roof systems, we went with something better for the larger exhibition areas.” The Finland Pavilion brought in Halton displacement ventilation systems for their tall exhibition spaces. As a result, instead of having ducts in the ceiling blowing in cold air, the pavilion has air units all along the walls slowly letting in cooled air while the units on the ceiling have a suction mechanism to take out the used air. Severi Keinälä explained: “In a 10m-tall exhibition space, it doesn’t really make a difference what the temperature at the top of the hall is, because there are no people there. We have ensured that the bottom three metres are cooled. “What makes it even better is that you don’t even feel the motion of the air, because the cooled air gradually creeps into the exhibition space at the bottom. The cold air will, therefore, always remain at the bottom, while the air that gets hotter rises to the top and is sucked out from the roof systems.” The Halton displacement ventilation systems – which are key Sustainability in Practice The Finland Pavilion will showcase a circular economy as an essential tool for achieving sustainable development, combatting climate change, saving natural resources, and improving the state of the environment. Most importantly, sustainability has been incorporated into the very heart and lungs of the pavilion, within its HVAC and MEP systems. Sharing details about “Snow Cape’s sustainable HVAC systems” in an exclusive interview with ITP Media Group, the commissioner Next >