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Behind the tracks of the Dubai Metro

by Gerhard Hope on Oct 8, 2009

3 Comments

One of the myriad ordinary labourers who made this gargantuan project a reality.

Behind the jubilant crowds flooding the Dubai Metro soon after its official launch, all eager to be a part of history in the making, is another story that is no less incredible. It is the story of a vast engineering and construction effort completed in less than four years, a record-breaking time.

In this issue we speak to SS Murali, the GM of the MEP division at Al-Futtaim Engineering. A mechanical engineer, Murali graduated from the National Institute of Technology in India in 1991. He also holds an MBA in finance and marketing. “I started my career with Batliboli as a graduate trainee engineer. After a few years I moved on to Carrier. I joined Al-Futtaim Engineering in 1998.”

He joined as a project manager in the then M&E (mechanical and electrical) division. “In 2001 I assumed overall responsibility for the projects business, which has grown significantly on the back of the construction boom.” The Dubai Metro has formed the capstone of a remarkable career.

“We have been involved with complicated projects before, but nothing as complex as this,” Murali says rather matter-of-factly. The consortium behind the Dubai Metro comprised players from as far afield as Japan and Turkey, making it a truly international effort and achievement.

Murali says proudly that the MEP industry in the UAE is used to working on such a collaborative basis, as it already adheres to the top British, European and American standards, making it an ideal proving ground to benchmark the industry on a global basis.

FEATURED COMMENT

I am the Engineer for Dubai Metro project,not only Alfuttaim eng'g doing the MEP works but also on Various Metro station

3 Comments

Readers' Comments

Rasheed Abdul Rasool (Oct 10, 2009)
Dubai,

Dubai Metro project ,MEP works by ETA SET on various Stations
I am the Engineer for Dubai Metro project,not only Alfuttaim eng'g doing the MEP works but also on Various Metro stations The MEP CO. ETA SET also doing the works for MEP,& for Airconditioning District cooling system by Tabreed for All Metro Stations.

Danny T. Villamor (Oct 8, 2009)
Doah
Qatar

Congratulations to MEP professionals..
Being a part of building one of the world's greatest achievements in the field of engineering is a great honor.. keep up the good work gentlemen.

Amat (Oct 8, 2009)
Penang
Malaysia

Complicated Project
I strongly agreed with the constraint of time and escalation. I was directly involved in the civil and structural for station type 1 and 3 and was there in November 2006 till January 2009, coordinating both technical and physical execution, from Rashidiya to Jafza Limitless. Trade Centre station is the worse case where underground services just merely like the human vein, where as in Emirates Hill (R21) the most dangerous where underground live cable running in between the pile cap. The urgency of the projects made everyone in "full concentration" and at certain time 24/7 working hours. The design reviews can be categorized as 'excessive" from DCP to DCP and revisions by revisions, close monitoring is required to ensure progress within the milestones. It is really challenging tasks.

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