Full Steam Ahead

MD Dawood Bin Ozair
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Al-Futtaim Engineering MD Dawood Bin Ozair tells MEP Middle East why he is so optimistic about the future of Dubai, how his company has played a major role in its current development, and its plans for expanding into Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

The head office of Al-Futtaim Engineering is an unassuming, single-level structure tucked away inconspicuously behind a much more ostentatious building. This is very much in keeping with the philosophy of the company itself, which is to eschew those big flashy projects that Dubai has become synonymous with – and which have been associated so prominently with its current downfall.

However, Ozair is quick to defend both the allure of Dubai, and his allegiance towards it. “When the economic crisis happened at the end of 2008, I was not so shocked, as it has happened before and I knew the market would come back again. This time it is a little bit different because of the global downturn. I was always very positive about Dubai, and I am still very positive. The place remains attractive to the rest of the world. People still want to come here, invest here, and do business here.”

Having been in Dubai for the past 27 years, Ozair says he can recall when Sheikh Zayed Road was merely a dusty track in the desert. He adds that Al-Futtaim Engineering has been instrumental in many of the tower projects that now stand shoulder to shoulder on both sides of this iconic highway. “We have been involved in some way or other with more than half of the projects there,” he declares proudly.

This is a notable achievement for a company established in 1974 as an entrant in the fledgling air-conditioning market. Part of the larger Al-Futtaim group, it now boasts six divisions, namely MEP, scaffolding and formwork, elevators and escalators, security and low-voltage systems, building products and air-conditioning. It represents major international brands such as Hitachi elevators, Toto sanitaryware, Sanyo, Aftron and Toshiba air-con systems.

Ozair reveals the company is branching into facilities management as the next phase of its development. “We already encompass all the services required, such as electro-mechanical, security and elevator maintenance, so it is a natural fit for us.” This is also an example of the synergies the company is able to draw from its various divisions.

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From an initially low-key inception, the company took a strategic decision in 2003 to become part of the building boom that was beginning to take off. “We realised the great potential in assisting the construction activity in Dubai and the rest of the region. We were in a unique position because of our six divisions, which were all related to the construction industry. The big advantage this gave us was customers in common.” Ozair says the company did not focus on major MEP works until about 2004, by which point it had essentially vetted its own capability in this regard.

“As a matter of fact, the elevator division was the first business to become involved in constructed-related activity, so it became aware of all the projects going on. This meant it was a small step to progress to major MEP works, as we had access to all the enquiries coming in.” Ozair says that, while all the divisions were present from the beginning, the company as a whole adopted a slow, but progressive, pace.

“In 2004, in fact, we doubled our business from 2003, and since then we are doubling almost every year – and in each business segment we are involved in. Since most of the projects require major MEP services, we have also doubled our turnover in this sector year-on-year. MEP is one of those businesses where, if you provide a good service, you are called upon again and again.”

The company has been careful to nurture this reputation for quality, and has been ISO 9001:2000 certified for many years. Ozair says this means the company almost pre-qualifies for major MEP works automatically, “as it is recognition of the fact we have been maintaining our quality and health and safety standards very well. We are well-received in all the projects we are involved with.”

In keeping with this philosophy, Al-Futtaim Engineering recently signed the Build Safe UAE member’s charter, which Ozair says is “a tremendous step forward for health and safety. We look forward to sharing our expertise with charter members so as to trigger wider commitment to more stringent standards.”

EARLY SUCCESS

An early example of the company’s success in adopting a strategic approach to growth, rather than trying to keep pace with the booming market, was the Al-Futtaim group’s successful development of the flagship Dubai Festival City project. A ‘city-within-a-city’, this 1 600 acre waterfront project extends along 4 km of the Dubai Creek shoreline, including an 18-hole championship-standard golf course.

Al-Futtaim Engineering also built a 50 000 TR district cooling plant for the project, including the complete pipeline reticulation, and is also responsible for maintenance aspects such as lighting. “Dubai Festival City gave us a major base to build on. Now the group has a Festival City underway in Cairo, where we are already involved, and of course there is Morocco coming up, where we will also be involved.”

Ozair explains the involvement of the company in the larger group: “Al-Futtaim Engineering is involved right from the design stage of every project, and forms part of a turnkey package – that helps the group and the contractor, as well as the end user, in that a complete end-to-end solution is provided.” In terms of regional expansion, Ozair explains that there are two main ways of achieving this. “One is we go wherever the group goes in terms of developments; the other is we decide which territories to go into ourselves, like we did with Qatar.