Construction leaders

The Leaders in Construction Summit will take place at the Armani Hotel in Dubai on 28 September.

The keynote address at the Leaders in Construction Summit 2011 will be delivered by construction-industry stalwart Khaldoun Tabari, the CEO of Drake & Scull International (DSI). DSI recently reported Q2 revenue for 2011 of $201.1m, up from $112.1m for the same period in 2010.

Its financial results for the quarter revealed year-on-year revenue growth of 79%, while net income rose from $12.25m in Q2 2010 to $14.9m.

As of 30 June, DSI’s order book stood at a record $2.04bn, which represented a 56% increase compared to the same period last year. Tabari, whose keynote address is entitled ‘Operating in Volatile Business Environments’, commented that the company’s excellent results were due to its “geographical diversity”.

The company is currently extensively bidding for projects in the MENA and Asian regions through its MEP, civil and water and power divisions. It has signed deals in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, the UAE, Europe and Asia since the turn of the year.

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Saudi Arabia accounts for about 50% of its current workload, while the Abu Dhabi market is proving equally competitive and dynamic. DSI’s most recent project win was a $46.3m MEP contract for the Danat Al Emarat Hospital in Abu Dhabi.

Another key speaker reflecting the diversity and potential of the region’s construction industry is Sani Sener, CEO and president of the TAV Group. The Turkish construction conglomerate has taken regional airport projects worth a combined $20bn under its wing.
“Major airlines in the GCC such as Emirates and Etihad are expanding their fleets at a fast pace, and eventually all these planes will need new airports to land at,” says Sener.

This includes work at the Midfield Terminal Building at the Abu Dhabi International Airport (total value $6.78bn), the New Doha International Airport (total value $11bn), the Prince Mohammad Bin AbdulAziz International Airport in Madinah (first phase valued at $1.5bn) and the Muscat International Airport Expansion ($1.2bn).

“As in the construction industry as a whole, sustainability and green airport development are among the major trends nowadays, and will be for the foreseeable future,” says Sener. “We are involved in these projects as joint ventures – that is, we are jointly and severally liable for the financial and technical scope defined in our contract.

“We bring our airport experience to these partnerships, where design, airport special systems and airport readiness are of major concern. These are vital issues in bringing about the airport projects as per clients’ requests,” says Sener. “Abu Dhabi Midfield Terminal bids will be submitted in late November. Doha International Airport is set to be completed at the beginning of 2012, while the Muscat International Airport infrastructure project is halfway complete.”

The TAV Group is also in talks to bid on African airport tenders. The Turkish construction conglomerate is considering entering into partnerships in the US and Brazil in order to expand from its MENA base, according to Sener.

“Our main objective is to invest in an airport in Africa and run it,” Sener said in an interview with Reuters Africa. He said the group was in talks about bidding in tenders in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. “We were defining our region as MENA, the Balkans and Caucasian countries. Now, with the increasing speed of globalisation, we are also expanding our regional borders.”

Another high-profile speaker will be Philippe Dessoy from Besix, who in November last year predicted correctly to CW that the Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) would clinch the main contract for the 1km Kingdom Tower in Jeddah.

The impact this supertall tower project is likely to have on the region’s construction industry, together with the World Cup build-up in Qatar, will be under the spotlight at the summit.

Commenting on Kingdom Tower, Dessoy says: “The first challenge, of course, will be the design of the structure as the project is on a design-and-build scheme. The major problem we had faced during the construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai was the logistics. The higher you go, the more problems you face.”

Major developers addressing the summit are Aldar Properties CEO Sami Asad and Damac Properties MD Ziad El Chaar. The first half of 2011 saw Aldar complete and lease the largest IKEA store in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi, the delivery of Al Raha Gardens Plaza, the Sheikha Salama mosque in Al Ain and the completion of the first phase of Motor World. It is also on track for further delivery at the Al Zeina development and completion of Aldar Academy.

Damac Properties meanwhile is forging ahead with its 28-storey Damac Tower project in Beirut, with the imminent announcement of the construction tender. This represents the first collaboration between the developer and Italian fashion house Versace, and will be the first structure to be built in Solidiere Beirut, a new area under development in the Lebanese capital.

Dubai-based Damac Properties has projects throughout the Gulf region, as well as Egypt and the Levant. In 2009, it launched its first project in Saudi Arabia, the Al Jawharah Tower on Jeddah’s Corniche.

The top ten floors of the structure will be occupied by luxury Versace apartments. The project is currently nearing the top of the podium, where a health club will be located following the completion of foundation work in February. The construction is being undertaken by a JV comprising the International Centre for Contracting and Drake & Scull Construction.

For further information and sponsorship opportunities, contact conference organiser Oscar Wendel on (04) 444 3144, or visit www.constructionweekonline.com.