< Previouswww.mepmiddleeast.com 30 MEP Middle East | September 2019 NUMBER OF YEARS IN CURRENT ROLE 3 NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE COMPANY 3 NUMBER OF YEARS WORKING IN THE MIDDLE EAST 32 Horizon Gulf has teased it is in the hunt to secure a “$100million project” which, if successful, represents a serious statement of intent for the Emirati fi rm. It makes for positive reading against past year revenue of $50.5million, with this year’s total already projected to reach $64.3m. Added to a jobs list that includes Nudra Beach Villas at Saadiyat Island, the Rawd- hat Project, and complete mechanical works at the 275-bed Al Reem Integrated Hospital, and CEO Hazem Fraij has plenty to be pleased with. As one of the regular fi rms featured in MEP’s Top 25 MEP Contractors rankings, Horizon Gulf has carved out a strong reputation working primar- ily across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Over the past 12 months it has bumped its number of trained engineers from 66 to 83 to cater to a growing work order book, with the number of unskilled labourers also climbing during that same period, up to 936 from 704. Horizon Gulf intends to upskill its workforce with Dubai civil defence and fi re safety training initiatives throughout the year. HAZEM FRAIJ HORIZON GULF CEO NUMBER OF YEARS IN ROLE 6 NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE COMPANY 6 NUMBER OF YEARS WORKING IN THE MIDDLE EAST 25 its books, the company has allocated a training budget of $1.5m to enhance the capabilities of its staff in 2019; more than three times the budget set aside last year. Top of the bill for the next 12 months are initiatives to improve cost control mea- sures and promote commercial knowledge, which dovetail with the fi rm’s robust dispute avoidance policy, which costs it somewhere in the region of just $25,000 a year. SUBHASH J PRITMANI SEMCO VICE PRESIDENT Semco vice president Subhash J Pritmani notes the reluctance of banks to support MEP projects as among the most serious challenges facing his fi rm. Cash fl ow, and the “excessive” cost of doing business were also reported as being obstacles to continued success in the market. Despite this and a lack of liquidity in the market, Pritmani is predicting revenue in the region of $90million for this fi scal year, with the energy, hospitality, and health care sectors providing attractive propositions going forward. Dubai Harbour View Towers is one such opportunity, and one that Semco is hoping to capitalise on through a signifi - cant investment in staff. Boasting 240 qualifi ed engineers on IT’S CLEARLY YOUR SOLUTION VRV IV SETS THE STANDARD... AGAIN Authorized Dealer Daikin VRV IV sets the standard again. Thanks to its variable refrigerant temperature control, Inverter, Intelligent Control Systems, wide range of indoor units and Fresh Air solution, VRV IV is clearly a Total Building Solution designed for high ambient conditions. Pioneering Japanese Technology since 1982 Galaxy Cooling Technologies LLC Badri Group of Companies, Al Barsha 1 Phone: +971 4 209 8888 E-mail: sales@gctech.ae Toll Free: 800 - GCTL Website: www.gctech.aewww.mepmiddleeast.com 32 MEP Middle East | September 2019 Founded in Tripoli, Lebanon, Albonian International boasts more than 30 years’ experience in the MEP contracting market – 22 of which have been spent in the UAE. During that time Albonian has grown to employ more than 300 people, overseeing a workforce of 1,500 skilled employees. Major projects handed over this year include The Court apartment building in Jumeirah 1; the 22-storey Fareed Tower 2 apartment tower in Business Bay; the show village of Tilal Al Ghaf Development by Majid Al Futtaim; the Souq Extra Mall extension in Dubai Silicon Oasis; and 232 villas in the Sharjah-based Zahia Community project for Majid Al Futtaim. One of the more challenging projects completed this year was the expansion of the Tier 3 certifi ed Data Centre for Gulf Data Hub. Located in Dubai Silicon Oasis, the expansion was to add two data halls with white spaces capable of accommodating 400 racks each. The challenge was to execute, test, commission, and handover the project in just three months by providing the required N+N and redundant cooling and power source to achieve Uptime’s Tier 3. Another project currently nearing handover is the 168-apartment, 50-storey 1 JBR high-rise tower by Dubai Properties. Looking forward, Albonian has landed some signifi cant con- tracts, notably an MEP and ELV package for the 32-storey Le Meri- dien Mina Seyahi Hotel extension for Al Wasl Hospitality; a contract for 204 villas in Sweihan, Al Ain, for Musanada; and MEP works for Nammos restaurant at Four Season Hotel, Jumeirah. In regards to the current market situation, Jamal Nachabe, CEO, said: “This year and next year will make or break most MEP con- tracting companies in the UAE with the momentum of Expo 2020 ramping down and the slow tendering market. Whatever projects are available are favouring cost over quality. We at Albonian are known to do the exact opposite. “This is why we need to fi nd creative ways to increase effi ciency, improve productivity and reduce cost, all the while maintaining our utmost standard for quality.” Albonian is also placing a heavy emphasis on the refurbishment market, working with their existing and new clients to maintain and upgrade aging MEP systems, with the help of sister company Al Bonian Facilities Management (ABFM). Albonian has also been looking closely at a new side of the business that includes MEP energy studies, optimisation of aging and new systems, as well as sustainability for the environment. The fi rm has been working with key players and suppliers in the market in order to provide clients with better, more energy effi cient solutions that are more sustainable. Nachabe added: “I have been calling Dubai home for the past 22 years and I am proud to see how far this nation has come in such a short period of time. “I believe in the UAE and its enduring vision to become one of the leading nations carving a road towards a better tomorrow through sustainable realities in the near future.” JAMAL NACHABE ALBONIAN INTERNATIONAL ELECTROMECHANICAL WORKS CEO 32 NUMBER OF Y EA RS IN THE COMPA N Y 40 NUMBER OF YEARS WORKING IN THE MIDDLE EASTwww.mepmiddleeast.com 34 MEP Middle East | September 2019 Expo 2020. The Dubai-based fi rm has pre- viously worked on developments such as the Double Tree by Hilton and the Al Rayyan complex of offi ces, retail outlets and residences. Timmons, meanwhile can draw on 35 years’ experience in the construction industry as he maps out Plafond’s future, and previously spent eight years with Al Naboodah Construction Group, also based in Dubai. COLIN TIMMONS PLAFOND CEO Elemec Electrical Contracting Com- pany enjoyed a successful Q2 2019 as it handed over Dubai Innovation Hub PT-163/3. The marquee contract – featuring works on a $1.23billion project that in- corporates five smart buildings designed to provide an encouraging environment that can grow and enhance an innovative culture – came to a conclusion earlier this year. A statement said: “Elemec Electrical Contracting Company has developed from the time it was established to a leading position today. “Reinforcing its presence, the group launched its own ducting fabrication factor y at Al Quoz under the subsidiar y name of Elemec A/C Systems Industr y LLC in 1998. “Elemec A/C Systems Industr y incor- porates a vast range of modern machiner y and equipment, including a computerised plasma cutting machine. “The factor y undertakes fabrication of air-conditioning and ventilation ducts and the manufacturing of other accessories, such as volume control dampers, air filters and sound attenuators.” ANISH FRANKLIN ELEMEC ELECTROMECHANICAL CONTR ACTING EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT CONTRACTS & COMMERCIAL It was all change for Plafond just shortly after the announcement of the 2018 MEP Middle East Top 25 Contractors list last September, with Colin Timmons coming in as chief executive offi cer and Dimitri Papkonstantinou departing as managing director. At the time of his appointment, Timmons, who was already based in the Middle East, said he was “looking forward to reshaping, consolidating and reposition- ing the business, providing a more sustain- able proposition for our shareholders and customers.” No mean feat in the current climate, particularly as tighter margins continue to place a strain on fi rms. Like many companies, Plafond is most excited by the opportunity surrounding NUMBER OF YEARS IN ROLE 1 NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE COMPANY 1 NUMBER OF YEARS IN ROLE 2 NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE COMPANY 15 September 2019 | MEP Middle East 35 www.mepmiddleeast.com 1 1 2 15 September 2019 | MEP Middle East 35 www.mepmiddleeast.com NUMBER OF YEARS IN ROLE 25 NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE COMPANY 25 GECO Mechanical & Electrical Company would appear to have a penchant for mall developments, with the fi rm currently see- ing out contracts at Al Zahia City Centre Mall, Avenues Mall Sharjah, Sharjah Mall Complex, and Al Rahmania Shopping Mall. A diverse portfolio includes the Africa Hall Cultural Centre in Sharjah, Al Ba- tayeh Sports Club, and the Neuro Spi- nal Hospital & Radio Surgery Centre in Dubai, scheduled for handover before the end of the year. Certifi ed to the quality standards of ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004, and OH- SAS 18001:2007, the fi rm’s main areas of expertise are mechanical engineering, HV and LV electrical engineering, power generation, power distribution, fi re alarm and fi re-fi ghting services, SCADA sys- tems, BMS systems, and complete facilities management. “Celebrating 45 years of continuous growth and development that parallels the UAE national economy, over this period of time the company has been involved with some of the largest and most prestigious projects in the country that have now become important landmarks,” a NUMBER OF YEARS IN ROLE 8 NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE COMPANY 8 NUMBER OF YEARS WORKING IN THE MIDDLE EAST 15 environment friendly technologies. Emitech Group is one of the most dynamic and suc- cessful companies based in the UAE. “We offer a broad range of engineering services, sustainable and innovative solu- tions across the Gulf, Middle East and Asia regions.” Managing director Rahul Duragkar has 20-plus years’ experience in engineering con- sultation, much of which has been dedicated to design-build MEP contracts. The WASL Experience Centre is just one of 13 projects that Emitech is currently engaged on, all in Dubai. Completed developments for 2019 include the $10million Kings Dubai School Al Barsha and a $52m fi ve-storey labour accommodation building at Dubai Industrial Park Second – a project that took more than a decade to complete in its entirety. A spokesperson said: “Emitech has earned reputation as an experienced and trustworthy company among internation- ally renowned consultants, main contrac- tors, and clients for our successfully ex- ecuted projects. “Emitech has acquired invaluable experience and expertise in the fi eld of MEP contracting, energy effi ciency and RAHUL DURAGKAR EMITECH MANAGING DIRECTOR RAMESH JAGTIANI GECO MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL MEP DIVISION MANAGER statement said. A permanent fi xture for the fi rm over the past two-and-a-half decades has been MEP division manager Ramesh Jagtiani. Jagtiani fi rst joined the company in 1994 having previously been employed by Pentalesco Jeddah Saudi Arabia as a senior technical manager, and has been a main- stay as the fi rm established itself during the booming early years of investment in the region. www.mepmiddleeast.com 36 MEP Middle East | September 2019 NUMBER OF YEARS IN ROLE 21 NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE COMPANY 3 NUMBER OF YEARS WORKING IN THE MIDDLE EAST 31 construction market in pre, during and post-construction stages and phases in or- der to mitigate the usual work completion delays, and to work in a precise and reli- able manner by planning the entire project’s requirements, from the human resources needs to the equipment and material supply chain. “SESCO is an added value and a positive asset to the construction industry in the region.” SAAD TAHER SMART MEP SOLUTION MANAGING DIRECTOR Al Qabdah Global Building Contracting’s ability to deliver a plethora of services across the construction spectrum is un- derlined by the fact it is currently deliver- ing 27 projects across the region. The company has been established for close to two decades, and is managing all contracting aspects of the $161million Avenues Mall Sharjah. A spokesperson said: “The importance of MEP design is a vital piece of infor- mation as it plays a major part in design decision-making, production of accurate documentation, predicting performance, cost-estimating, and construction plan- ning, managing and operating the facility. “Al Qabdah Global Building Contract- ing has sheer expertise and services to offer in this territory. More than 15 years of a strong, customer-focused approach and the continuous quest for world-class quality has enabled Al Qabdah Global Building Con- tracting to attain and sustain leadership in all its major lines of business. “Al Qabdah Global Building Contracting genuinely takes pride in its outstanding track record of completed projects. Its diverse portfolio encompasses designing and plan- ning, building, operations, engineering and management services. “The company believes that progress must be achieved in harmony with the environment. A commitment to community welfare and environmental protection are an integral part of the corporate vision.” A steering hand comes in the shape of The $500million Golf Links development, Legoland Park Hotel, and three separate Akoya projects make for an eclectic port- folio for Smart MEP Solution. MD Saad Taher established the fi rm in 2016 with the idea of providing “a new way of doing MEP works”, and does so by focusing on off-site prefabrication and modular installation technology. Strained liquidity is more of a danger for newer fi rms, but despite the market driving down prices, Taher is confi dent Smart MEP Solution, currently engaged on a total of six developments, can over- come all challenges. A spokesperson said: “SESCO is coming up with the latest and modern technical tools and know how to solve all obstacles confronting the MEP M. ADIB HASAN HEJAZI AL QABDAH GLOBAL BUILDING CONTR ACTING CHAIRMAN M Adib Hasan Hejazi, Al Qabdah Global Building Contracting chairman. In a statement on the fi rm’s website, Hejazi said: “We at Al Qabdah Glob- al Building Contracting believe that every age has its states and people, and in today’s world it’s all about innovation and technology. And to put it in one word will be ‘Al Qabdah’. “We believe that our success is mea- sured by the success of communities we serve, and that is achieved with great amount of effort and responsibility that we promise. “We will continue supporting our be- liefs, to secure satisfaction of our clients in a diverse country as UAE, which is chang- ing with every day towards glory.” September 2019 | MEP Middle East 37 www.mepmiddleeast.com Having established in the 1970s as Fawaz Refrigeration & Air- conditioning Company, this fi rm has been an eye witness to the complete revolution experienced by the Middle East – particularly from the year 2000 onwards. Today, Fawaz is a multi-national company with footprints across member countries of the GCC, most notably in Kuwait, Saudi, the UAE, and Bahrain. The company is profi cient in a variety of construction industry segments, such as hospitals, hotels, commercial and residen- tial builds, and has even been engaged to deliver MEP services at a number of palaces. Presently, the fi rm is carry- ing out work at Canal Residence West Spanish Tower, Canal Resi- dence West Arabian Tower, and Daytona XII – all in Dubai – as well as a number of private devel- opments. Noted delivery of service in the past 12 months includes the $100million Dubai Star project (Q1 2019). September 2019 | MEP Middle East 37 Almabani General Contractors may omit ‘MEP’ from its company name, but the Saudi fi rm boasts capabilities to deliver on numerous fronts. Indeed, the company is deliver- ing both general and MEP services for the Al Wajh Domestic Airport renovation, King Abdulaziz Inter- national Airport expansion, and the King Khalid International Airport expansion. Vice chairman Youssef Tohmé says the family-owned company remains true to its founders’ spirit. “For four-and-a-half decades the company has been building up our expertise to serve an ever more demanding and challenging construction need in the region. “In a prosperous economy fu- elled by the oil boom, our company was positioned to participate in the execution of some of the most pres- tigious landmark projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” ALMABANI GENER AL CONTR ACTORS FAWAZ TRADING AND ENGINEERING SERVICES ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY SERVICES (ATS) Advanced Technology Services can be considered a stalwart of the industry. Taking a long-term view on de- livering quality through technolo- gy, it has executed a wide array of complex projects that has helped ensure the success and reputation of its well-known affi liate Arabian Construction Company. Launched in Beirut as an inde- pendent company within the ACC Group, ATS has been tasked with completing the most demanding projects, ranging from high-rise towers, state-of-the-art hospitals, mega industrial projects, and mass housing. Fielding a workforce of 1,700 technicians and over 320 staff, ATS prides itself on a culture of constant employee development and investing in the latest software to seamlessly tackle the most diffi - cult of projects. Recent projects of note include a cluster of fi ve-star hotels in Makkah, the CMC hos- pital in Dubai, the Rotana Hotel in Amman, and the Dbaye Water- front City in Lebanon. SITE VISIT www.mepmiddleeast.com 38 MEP Middle East | September 2019 IN RUDE HEALTH On the pulse at Arabian Construction Company’s Clemenceau Medical Centre development Every room is a separate project, says MEP manager Ahmed Kob- eissy at the site of the Clemenceau Medical Centre; now 96% complete and almost ready for doctors to start nursing patients back to health. The 110-bed facility broke ground in June 2017 in Dubai’s Al Jaddaf locality, and fi nishing work will see the project handed over any day now. On completion and delivery to owners, the facility will boast six operating theatres, 44 consultation clinics, robotic surgery capabili- ties, and wide-ranging inpatient and outpa- tient services. It will also feature services for medical travellers, including a dedicated department with multi-lingual patient co-ordinators to plan all aspects of care, from consultation and hospital admission to transport and hotel arrangements – air ambulance transporta- tion if required – and second opinion and consultations via telemedicine. Sadly, the men and women set to wield scalpels and thermometers at the facility may never fully grasp the electrical and mechanical anatomy of the building they are operating in. Much like the internal workings of the human body, this operation is fi nely balanced, with complementary systems working in tandem to achieve optimal performance and effi ciency. It means Kobeissy’s metaphor is far from SITE VISIT September 2019 | MEP Middle East 39 www.mepmiddleeast.com Why we are very happy with this project is the challenge in every item – we are very proud to have followed the steps in the ACC manual Much of the latest medical equipment requires bespoke power sources and wiring jobs. Images by Jessica Samson. The project opted for traditional AC cooling systems. a throw away comment or strapline stolen from a brochure. From the wiring that ensures each bed can be manipulated for patient comfort, to the dedicated control station and cooling tech- nology for the MRI machine and complex access system, this is a structure borne out of a necessity for speciality MEP work to become the norm. While Arabian Construction Company (ACC) has somewhat unusually been respon- sible for both the MEP and civil contracting services across the project, the vast amount of medical equipment coming on to the site in its latter stages, and its accompanying han- dling and installation experts, cemented the complexity of the build. Slated for completion in early September, the $127million project has been an odyssey of co-ordination; with “hundreds” of meetings having taken place to get to this stage, and still a few more no doubt in the pipeline before ACC crosses that fi nish line and completes the handover. Certainly for Kobeissy, it is one of the most unique projects he has taken lead on in his career. He told MEP Middle East: “The design was based on the UAE Life Safety Code 2011. Now there is a 2018 code; there are a lot of changes between 2011 and 2018 so that was a challenge for us. “With the imaging rooms and MRI room [in particular], every room was a separate project – it’s one of the most unique projects [I have worked on].” Project manager Imad Mehiou went as far as describing the MEP department – along- side their engineering counterparts – as the “stars” of the build. He said: “This project started on 1 June 2017 and has faced a few problems during that two years, but we have succeeded by fol- lowing ACC rules and regulations and this is how we got out of the problems. “As a civil project it is a normal building for everybody, but in MEP is where we faced the challenges; a challenge to follow the lat- est innovations in medical equipment that the employer brought here. “The MEP department, led by Ahmed Kobeissy, was really up to that level. Co-oper- ation between civil and MEP helped a lot to follow the changes – continuous changes – of the employer. “The engineering department of ACC in this project, in civil and MEP, is really the key of the success.” On paper the project seems a logistical nightmare, with numerous specialist medi- cal fi eld professionals having to oversea the installation of equipment throughout the build. Mehiou says recruitment of experts The facility is slated for handover some time in September. Finishing work is currently being completed at the site.Next >