Red Sea Global (RSG) has said that it has achieved Platinum LEED certification for a collection of villas and townhouses at Turtle Bay, a residential and commercial area housing workers, employees and management of The Red Sea project.

“To be one of the world’s most responsible developers, we must ensure every aspect of our destinations meets the highest possible sustainable standards. Achieving LEED Platinum for The Red Sea’s Turtle Bay villas and townhouses demonstrates to our key stakeholders that we are meeting and exceeding our sustainability objectives,” stated John Pagano, Group CEO of RSG.

Awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Platinum is the highest level of certification attainable under the LEED Homes rating system. Achieving this accolade sees Red Sea Global become the owner of the largest portfolio of LEED Homes certified buildings in Saudi Arabia, the firm stated.

Pagano continued, “A special thanks needs to go to our teams that have worked so hard to achieve Platinum when the initial target was Gold, and it’s testament to their dedication and expertise, and commitment to collaboration, that we can celebrate this certification.”

In early January 2023, it was announced that Diriyah would become PIF’s fifth giga-project and, later in the month, RSG awarded a $266mn contract to AL-AYUNI for first phase of development at Amaala.

John Pagano, Group Chief Executive Officer, Red Sea Global

RSG’s sustainability accreditation management system is aiming to achieve LEED Building Design & Construction (BD&C) certification for over 75% of its assets, as well as LEED Cities & Communities for its destinations. RSG is also on track to achieve LEED Platinum on other key assets, including the Red Sea International airport and our hospitality assets, the firm explained.

Raed Albasseet, Group Chief Environment & Sustainability Officer noted, “Red Sea Global has implemented high quality sustainable design and construction practices for its Turtle Bay and deserves Platinum status. We are proud of our efforts and look forward to following this up with more achievements in the coming months and years.”

The Red Sea destination is on track to welcome first guests this year when three resorts will complete along with the first phase of the Red Sea International airport. A further 13 hotels will open in 2024, and upon full completion in 2030, The Red Sea will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The destination will also include luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment, F&B, and leisure facilities.

In late January 2023, PIF and Samsung C&T partnered to develop construction tech and modular housing in the Kingdom.

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Source: ME Construction News

World Aquatics and the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) have announced plans to build a state-of-the-art aquatics sports centre in Bahrain, in partnership with GFH Financial Group and the Bahrain Swimming Federation.

The partnership will see World Aquatics establish the Centre of Excellence and regional office for Aquatic Sports Centre at The University of Technology, Bahrain (UTB). The plan, which is set to give a boost to the Kingdom’s PPP strategy, also includes new pools capable of hosting events in five of the six World Aquatics sports: swimming, water polo, artistic swimming, diving, and high diving. The sixth sport, open water swimming, is already a popular one with several events held on Bahrain’s beaches.

World Aquatics currently has operating development centres in Thanyapura (Thailand), Dakar (Senegal), Cape Town (South Africa) and Davie (Florida, USA).

With this new centre, World Aquatics’ elite athletes will have access to the best standards of training in an international-class facility. These athletes will also receive on-site coaching and educational support through World Aquatics’ Development programmes.

In mid September 2022, Miral announced that SeaWorld Abu Dhabi would open in 2023 and, in early January 2023, officials said that secondary infrastructure works had begun at key plots in Diyar Al Muharraq.

World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam commented, “World Aquatics could not have asked for better partners than in Bahrain, as demonstrated by our bold plans for a centre of excellence here that will serve as an example to the world. Our high-performance athletes are at their best when they can benefit from the right mix of facilities, coaching and sports science. World Aquatics is determined to ensure that this mix is available to athletes from all our national federations. And we are delighted to include an educational component with the help of the UTB.”

He concluded, “Aquatic sports are universally important. Both the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the World Aquatics Championships Budapest 2022 saw over 180 nations represented. We are grateful to Bahrain and to the hosts of our other development centres for their help in ensuring aquatics athletes everywhere have the chance to fulfill their true potential.”

In late January 2023, it was announced that the construction of a key highway to East Sitra was on track for scheduled completion.

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EPC contractor Alfanar Construction has signed an agreement with Korea’s Daewoo Engineering and Construction, to explore opportunities for joint collaboration in the construction of oil & gas, and petrochemical projects across the Kingdom.

The agreement will see the companies work on transferring and localising expertise in the engineering construction field, and exchange the expertise of advanced technologies used in design, procurement, and project execution.

As a major Saudi company, Alfanar said that the agreement highlights its continuing commitment towards contributing towards the development of local content and achieving sustainability in the energy sector.

In late August 2022, Fluor led JV announces completion of clean fuels project in southern Kuwait, and in early February 2022, NMDC and Daewoo Engineering & Construction signed a MoU to grow regional business opportunities.

The agreement was signed by Alfanar Executive Vice President Amer Al Ajmi and Daewoo E&C Senior Vice President Sungmin Yang on the opening day (30 January) of iktva2023 Forum & Exhibition being held at Dhahran Expo Centre.

The In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) programme will see participants visit designated exhibition pavilions for enablers, digital, sustainability, industrial and manufacturing, as well as investment workshops and various panel discussions.

The 2023 edition is being held under the theme ‘Accelerating Future Success’ which aims to strengthen companies’ readiness and resilience for tackling the upcoming calendar year by forging their collective localisation efforts in different focus areas, such as sustainability, digital, industrial, manufacturing.

In late October 2022, Alfanar bagged a $320mn solar power and infrastructure contract in Saudi Arabia.

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Source: ME Construction News

In alignment with the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, Serco has launched an Advisory with Purpose division. The firm says it is committed to driving Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) goals, and enabling governments to accelerate their national visions.

With President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan announcing 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’ in the UAE, and measures featuring heavily in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambitions, Serco Middle East has already taken proactive steps to support organisations and governments to achieve their environmental and sustainability targets through an advisory service that spans from concept to implementation, the firm explained in its statement.

In a year where COP28 is shining a spotlight on the Middle East, the launch of the Advisory with Purpose division will further cement Serco’s continued commitment to embed the latest global best practices into local organisations and government entities. This will help improve performance though the transfer of knowledge, skills and resources from Serco’s experts who specialise in sustainable, socially responsible advisory services both globally and in the region, it added.

In late September 2020, Serco said it won a contract at ADF’s UAE logistics base and, in late December 2021, the firm said soft facilities management in the UAE healthcare sector can save the government up to 30%.

“This is a major step forward for us as a business, in a year where we have outlined very clearly our focus on purpose – and bringing national visions to life. It is our responsibility to always be conscious of our environmental and social impact. We all have a role to play when it comes to ensuring a better future, and as a people-driven business, we need to act as a catalyst to help accelerate these goals,” said Phil Malem, Serco Middle East CEO.

The firm said that through its new division it will support clients with an end-to-end service, as it looks to enable regional governments to meet their ESG commitments. Additionally, organisations will be able to show their commitments in a way that also enables them to reduce operational costs through digital asset management, impact a better future for citizens and residents by providing customer experience expertise, and protect the safety and security of the region through emergency services and crisis management. This will be delivered all whilst enabling clients to reach their net zero ambitions, the firm pointed out.

Malem concluded, “Serco has a long heritage in delivering on nationalisation agendas, and supporting governments and organisations alike to reach their ESG goals. The launch of this service was a natural progression, and we’re looking forward to harnessing our expertise, experience and ability to implement under one umbrella to continue to impact and create a better future for citizens and residents in the region.”

In mid January 2022, Serco announced the appointment of a new Growth Director.

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Source: ME Construction News

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) last year inaugurated 17 new substations including 15 132kV stations with a conversion capacity of 2,280MVA; and two 400kV stations with a conversion capacity of 4,000MVA, in Al Qusais Industrial Area 5 and Jebel Ali First respectively.

Announcing the achievement, DEWA said it had installed 5km of 400kV overhead transmission lines and 247km of 132kV ground cables to connect the substations to the main transmission network. This is part of DEWA’s continuous efforts to keep pace with the continuous development of Dubai’s infrastructure.

The new 132kV main transmission stations supply Al Barsha South, Jebel Ali, Al Furjan, Al Merkadh, Business Bay, Umm Hurair, Wadi Al Safa, Oud Al Muteena, Al Rigga, Al Wasl, Me’aisem, Umm Al Ramool, Al Aweer, and Ghadeer Barashy.

The total cost of these stations and projects has reached around $871mn, the report added.

In early January 2023, DEWA said that over two million smart metres had been installed, following which, it stated that 58.4% of works were completed on the $387mn Hatta Hydroelectric Power Plant.

DEWA MD and CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said the company’s investments in electricity transmission projects between 2021 and 2024 had surged to $2.72bn, including $544mn for 400kV transmission projects and $2.17bn for 132kV projects. He explained that the total value of DEWA’s investments in existing and completed electricity transmission projects in 2022 reached $2.2bn. This included $218mn for 400kV transmission projects and $1.99bn for 132kV transmission projects.

Executive Vice President of Transmission (Power), Hussain Lootah, said that completing the 17 stations required more than 33m working hours, using the latest internationally approved technologies while ensuring the highest security and safety standards.

He concluded, “By the end of 2022, the number of 132 kV transmission substations in Dubai stood at 334, in addition to 29 stations under construction.”

In early January 2023, DEWA said it achieved the highest information security certification.

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Source: ME Construction News

Arada has reported a 46% rise in sales during 2022 to US $955.5mn off the back of a surge in the UAE property market. The developer said that it had an exceptional sales performance in 2022 thanks to an aggressive expansion into new markets, growing demand for its existing communities, and the overall strength of demand for quality housing in the UAE real estate market.

In total, it said that it sold 2,268 homes in 2022, which was a slight decline on the year before, as home buyers continued the recent trend of investing in larger and higher-value villas and apartments, the firm noted.

Over the course of the year, the developer launched its first project outside Sharjah, Jouri Hills at the popular Dubai master community Jumeirah Golf Estates, and witnessed strong sales at its existing communities, Masaar and Aljada.

In addition, the master developer secured favourable ratings from Moody’s and Fitch in June and also successfully completed its first public financing deal, raising US $450mn in a sukuk that was listed on the London Stock Exchange.

In late December 2022, Arada awarded two contracts worth $255mn for 986 homes at Masaar.

It also completed 3,982 units at its communities in 2022, including the last phase at its first project, Nasma Residences, which is now fully finished and handed over.

Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada said, “2022 was a transformative year for Arada on a number of fronts, as we built on our market-leading position in Sharjah by launching the first in a series of projects we have planned for the Dubai market. We are heavily focused on delivering high-quality homes surrounded by world-class amenities in ideally located communities, and this is a proposition that is clearly being welcomed by buyers. Following the successful closure of our sukuk last year, we are extremely well-placed to continue our rapid expansion in 2023 by launching new projects, redoubling our construction efforts to deliver another 2,600 homes in the year ahead and welcoming ever more visitors to our communities.”

Arada’s best-performing project in terms of sales was once again Masaar, the upscale forested community located in the up-and-coming Al Suyoh district of Sharjah. In total, the developer sold property with a combined value $615.2mn.

Demand for property in Aljada, Sharjah’s largest ever mixed-use project, also remained high with the value of homes sold during 2022 reaching $285.86mn.

In early January 2023, Arada completed work on its US $190.5mn Nest project in Aljada.

The strong demand for homes was also reported at the recently launched Dubai project, Jouri Hills at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Following its launch in the last month of 2022, the developer sold property valued at $54.99mn.

Arada’s sales performance was reflected in the surging demand for property across the UAE. In Sharjah, the total value of property registered at the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department in 2022 reached $6.5bn as demand for integrated communities in New Sharjah, where Arada’s projects are based, remained resilient. Meanwhile, the Dubai real estate market had its best ever year, with the total value of property registered at the Dubai Land Department rising by 78% to $143.7mn in 2022, in comparison to the previous year.

Since its foundation in 2017, Arada has now sold more than 11,000 units and has delivered 6,154 homes. Another 5,000 units are currently under construction across its communities, the developer concluded.

In mid January 2023, the developer awarded a $129mn contract for the Vida Aljada Hotel Complex to GAC.

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Source: ME Construction News

Ceramics manufacturer Saudi Ceramic Company has announced that steady progress is being made on its new porcelain tiles factory, with more than 40% of the work complete.

With a capacity of 8.25m sqm, the new facility has had a total investment of US $66.4mn, with financing provided through internal accruals and fresh borrowings, local media have previously reported.

The company said that it expected to launch commercial operations at the plant in Q4 2021, but it was delayed due to technical issues. As such, Q1 2024 has been set for both the trial and commercial production start of the plant.

In early August 2022, South Korea’s SeAH and Aramco said they were setting up a specialised steel project and, in mid September 2022, Saudi Arabia said it would build iron and steel projects worth $9.31bn.

The delay was mainly due to legal proceedings from authorities as well as changes in delivery schedule of machines and equipment due to external factors impacting suppliers, the company said in its filing to Saudi bourse Tadawul.

The company also noted that since there has been no change to the project scope, there will be no change in the costs associated with the project, it concluded.

In late November 2022, AJ Steel said it would grow its operations in Abu Dhabi with a 96,000sqm facility expansion.

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UAE-based Azizi Developments has announced that 58% of construction works has been completed on its premium off-plan project Park Avenue I, located in MBR City, Dubai.

The project comprises 372 residential and 29 retail units across three buildings, each of which comes with a fully-equipped gym and swimming pool.

Work is rapidly progressing, with the structure of Park Avenue I now being 98.3% complete, construction at 58%, blockwork at 99%, and internal plaster works at 84.6%. The total workforce was also increased to 660 to further accelerate construction, the developer explained.

In early September 2022, Azizi announced the purchase of land in a prime area in Dubai and, in early January 2023, the developer said it would deliver 11,000 units in Dubai in 2023.

On the ongoing project, Azizi CEO, Farhad Azizi said: “We have made significant progress with our Park Avenue project. By enhancing our procurement procedures and appointing only the most reliable contractors, we have achieved faster construction results, and have further raised the bar in our quality standards, exceeding the expectations of our valued investors and end-users. Strategically located, our Park Avenue developments offer excellent amenities and a distinguished, comfortable, and modern lifestyle that attracts both local and international investors.”

According to Azizi, the project is built around the concept of connected serenity, and is the epitome of a strategic, easily accessible and convenient location that creates its own ‘little getaway’ within the city.

Surrounded by greenery, Park Avenue is also near to Azizi’s French Mediterranean-inspired master-planned community, Riviera, as well as the upcoming Meydan One Mall, the Meydan Grandstand, and The Track. It’s also only a 10-minute-drive away from Dubai Mall and Downtown Dubai.

In early January 2023, Azizi said it would also develop a $5.4bn Dubai South project.

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Source: ME Construction News

Raja Alameddine has been appointed Chief Executive Officer in the MENA region for Colliers, the firm has announced. The firm said it partnered with physical asset management company Eltizam Group in early 2022, and now sits within the iREC Holdings division, which is part of the Eltizam Group.

“We are delighted to have Raja Alameddine on board as the CEO for Colliers in the MENA region and to have his expertise available to the wider Eltizam Group. Alameddine has extensive geographical mobility and his regional leadership will not only lead us to push boundaries, but will also inspire the wider team with his wealth of knowledge,” said Naser Barhoum, Divisional CEO, iREC Holdings.

According to Colliers, Alameddine has over 30 years of experience in the real estate industry and is an expert in various asset classes, including master-planned cities and large-scale mixed-use communities.

In late January 2023, Yas Holding launched its property development arm, Taraf and, in the same month, Espace Real Estate said it was expanding with two new Dubai offices.

With a background in real estate development and investment banking, Alameddine’s expertise will be instrumental in accelerating the growth in the region and taking the business to new frontiers, the firm said.

Alameddine commented, “I am honoured to be appointed as the CEO of Colliers in the MENA region. Colliers provides more than a strong foundation; its inclusive culture, pivotal strategies and resilient business acumen are all aligned with my vision of a revolutionary tomorrow.”

“I look forward to this empowering opportunity and to building on a proud history of more than 30 years, while delivering outstanding value to all our stakeholders,” he concluded.

Late in January 2023, Global Partners said it had successfully closed its $212mn build-to-rent property fund.

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Source: ME Construction News

The PIF-owned AlUla Development Company has launched operations in support of the development of AlUla, it has been announced.

According to a statement, the new entity will utilise real estate development and asset management, alongside a long-term investment strategy, to create jobs and opportunities for local businesses and communities. Furthermore, it will work to preserve one of the world’s largest and oldest cultural sites.

It highlighted that the company would work closely with local and international experts in architecture, construction, design, and heritage conservation to deliver the sustainable transformation of AlUla.

The company’s mandate is in line with PIF’s strategy, which is focused on unlocking the capabilities of promising sectors in Saudi Arabia, which will help drive the diversification of the economy, increase private sector engagement, and improve the quality of life in the country, in line with Vision 2030.

In early October 2022, AECOM opened a new office to support projects by the Royal Commission for AlUla and, later in the month, the Royal Commission for AlUla showed off the design of its first neighbourhood.

The company has been tasked with advancing the next chapter of AlUla’s extraordinary legacy and transform the ancient city into a global tourist destination. It will work in collaboration with RCU and other private sector entities to support the development and operation of a world-class portfolio of hospitality, residential, retail, commercial, and infrastructure assets.

The AlUla Development Company will be an additional pillar to the economic ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, which comprises of a number of projects that have been designed to stimulate and benefit the country, as well promote development and investment across a number of sectors.

The planned developers in AlUla include 7,500 plus hotel keys, 5,000 residential units, a staff village comprising of 1,000 plus units, supporting infrastructure and more, the statement concluded.

In late October 2022, the Royal Commission for AlUla signed masterplan partnerships with AECOM and an Egis-led consortium.

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Source: ME Construction News