Insight into the state of play in the industry

Pierre Fayed, general manager, Edrafor Emirates, on the issues affecting the piling and foundations industry in the UAE.

Can you tell me about Edrafor?

Edrafor is a Lebanese company which expanded into Syria in 2003 and the UAEin 2006.

Like all good companies we have experienced very fast and successful growth in the UAE. We have around 250 workers at the moment and we have worked on some prestigious projects in the region.

These include Churchill Towers in Business Bay and Symphony Towers in Dubai Sports City.

Have you been affected by the labour shortages in the region?

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I think most construction companies are suffering with this at the moment.The main problem we have is the scarcity of qualified personnel. This is a huge problem for us.

We are quite lucky because at the core of the company are the people who have been working with us for a long time and who are extremely experienced.

But because of the expansion we have to find new staff and finding qualified people is extremely difficult.

How are you dealing with the shortage of trained workers?

Recruiting in Dubai is not having good results so we are having to look in other countries.

We've place announcements in the countries where there is an excess of labour to find local contacts there.

Are there any other issues affecting your industry?

Well the main one affecting all of us is the escalation of prices.

You price a project but by the time you get round to starting it, sometimes there has been a big escalation in prices of materials and labour.

For excavation, which is the one big part of the project we subcontract, the price has increased 20% in less than six months.

What is causing this?

Tougher regulations for things such as environmental consciousness has put pressure on subcontractors to put prices up.

There was an event in Business Bay which epitomises this. At one point all subcontractors were excavating materials into the bay.

But now there are regulations where each contractor has to show where he is dumping material.

This will obviously have an impact on the way some subcontractors work.

Is there an issue with finding new machinery?

We have our own machinery, but there is a shortage of new machinery, so you have to make orders well ahead of time.

What is Edrafor doing to improve the safety for its workers?

Safety is definitely a big issue.