Race Leader

Trans Gulf carried out full MEP works at the newly-completed Meydan Racecourse
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With such iconic projects as Meydan Racecourse under its belt, Trans Gulf of Dubai has just signed JV partnerships in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and India, and is embarking on a major project in Morocco. GM Sekhar Reddy talks about how the company is thriving after the downturn.

Trans Gulf was established in 1972 as an electrical company, and set up its mechanical division in 1990. It started working in Abu Dhabi in 2009, and is now focusing on the rest of the region.

Decisions on three major projects are pending in Qatar, while in Saudi Arabia, Trans Gulf has entered into a JV with major construction and manufacturing firm Alfanar; with Kazema Holdings in Kuwait; and with leading electro-mechanical contractor Sterling & Wilson in India. In Morocco, it has clinched an AED50 million MEP works contract for the Ain Oudha Palace.

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In Dubai, Trans Gulf handed over its works for the Meydan Racecourse at the end of 2009, after beginning the flagship project in 2007. This is one of the largest projects completed within Dubai in the last year, replacing the existing racecourse at Nad Al Sheba. Billed as a city dedicated to horse-racing, the mixed-use development encompasses the Meydan Museum and Gallery, a 65 000-seat grandstand, a five-star hotel, ten restaurants, an IMAX cinema, a covered 11 500-space car park, a boathouse and two world-class race tracks.

Trans Gulf’s scope of work involved the full MEP installation for the 288-room five-star hotel, including air-con, electrical systems, water supply and drainage, full MEP for the Dubai Racing Clubhouse and for three levels of the grandstand, and all ancillary works such as floodlighting. Interestingly, the work also encompassed MEP systems for the network of underground tunnels providing the main routes from the horse stables to the main tracks, which involved specific lighting and ventilation requirements. Astonishingly, this fast-track project was completed in 20 months, sterling testament to Trans Gulf’s capability and standing as one of the region’s pre-eminent MEP contractors.

Reddy says the company will soon be relocating to new centralised premises in Dubai Investment Park, with its own warehouse and workshop facility. “At the moment we are quite scattered over Dubai, so the move is a logical progression,” says Reddy. It also represents a strong commitment to the MEP industry in the region, and indicates that Trans Gulf will be a major player for a long time to come.

20 years
A fully-qualified mechanical engineer, with a Master’s in HVAC and an MBA in Finance, Reddy has been with Trans Gulf for 20 years. He is an active member of ASHRAE as well as the Institution of Engineers (India). Trans Gulf is also a founding member of the Emirates Green Building Council. After a stint in Bahrain, Reddy moved to Dubai in 1990. “I joined Trans Gulf as a project engineer, and am now GM. We started out with a staff of 20 and 150 workers; we now have 650 staff and close to 2 500 workers. Our turnover at the beginning was AED20 million, which peaked at AED750 million, and now due to market corrections is around AED500 million,” comments Reddy. “We did have a difficult six-month period adjusting to the new market situation, but thanks to the team we are back on track. We do appreciate that Dubai showed us the direction, and are using that experience to move forward.”