DAMAC Properties has announced that it has awarded the contract to build electrical substations at its master planned community, DAMAC Lagoons, to Danway EME.

Under the supervision of Energoprojekt Entel Co, a consultancy approved by DEWA, the substations will be built according to the highest quality standards and in compliance with DEWA’s strictest regulations and specifications, a statement said.

The substations are expected to accelerate the development of DAMAC Lagoons and provide power supply to the first stage of development, including Central Hub, it added.

In June 2022, DAMAC told Middle East Construction News (MECN) that North America is a key target market for the developer and, later that month, launched the Safa Two Tower with de GRISOGONO.

“In continuation of DAMAC’s commitment to deliver this project on time, the first substation has been awarded to Danway EME, given its long history of delivering quality power projects on time. As a developer, these are essential to fulfilling our commitments as far as our own deliverables are concerned and ensure that we provide the highest standards for utility services to our customers,” said Mohammed Tahaineh, General Manager of Projects at DAMAC Properties.

The scope of works includes the design, supply, construction, installation as well as testing and commissioning of substations. The first substation, to be completed in 22 months, is located in close proximity to Hessa Street and once commissioned, will have a conversion capacity of 150MVA.

The other 132/11kV substation, meanwhile, will begin construction soon. In addition to reduced project completion duration, both substations have enhanced safety features and allow greater flexibility in construction.

In July 2022, DAMAC said piling work was underway at its Cavalli Tower project while, in September 2022, it said that an ultra-luxurious mansion development was being added to DAMAC Hills.

Launched in November 2021, the DAMAC Lagoons project is based around the concept of ‘The Eight Wonders of the Mediterranean’ and aims to turn 45mn square feet of space into a community of villas and townhouses built around one million square feet of lagoons.

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A new supercomputer will be built at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). HPE said supercomputing is vital to delivering artificial intelligence (AI) at scale and driving global innovation, industry competitiveness, and economic growth.

From accelerating vaccine discovery to fight a pandemic, advancing clean energy systems to increase sustainability, enabling new possibilities in AI, supercomputing is a core technology to solving the world’s most challenging scientific and engineering challenges, HPE noted.

MBZUAI is dedicated solely to AI and to accelerate AI-driven scientific discovery and advance the UAE’s goal to be a global AI leader. HPE said its robust supercomputing and AI technologies will significantly enhance the university’s ability to run complex AI models with extremely large data sets, and increase predictability in research analyses in fields including energy, transportation and the environment.

In January 2021, the RTA said that using AI helped it reach an operational surplus of 61% while, in March 2021, it was announced that Qatar’s Umm Al Houl desalination plant will leverage AI to optimise operations and achieve energy saving at the site, reducing carbon emissions.

Established in 2019, MBZUAI has already ranked 24^th in the world for AI, computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing. The new supercomputer will help MBZUAI support the UAE’s National Strategy for AI, bringing together the power of academia, government, and industry to strengthen the country’s global competitiveness, the statement from HPE explained.

“Supercomputing plays an essential role in unleashing AI to achieve significant breakthroughs for organisations worldwide, across public and private sectors. HPE is leading the market in this next frontier by combining supercomputing performance and capabilities with solutions that are purpose-built for AI, to build and train machine learning models at-scale. MBZUAI’s Campus Super Computing Center is demonstrating this capability to unlock new possibilities in AI and strengthen UAE’s position as an AI-driven nation to advance key initiatives in healthcare, sustainability, and engineering,” said Justin Hotard, Executive Vice President and General Manager, HPC, AI & Labs, at HPE.

The advanced supercomputing and AI technologies will also expand resources for larger projects to allow MBZUAI to attract global talent and create new economic and societal opportunities for the UAE, HPE pointed out.

In July 2022, Trimble’s Paul Wallett said that AI in construction won’t be taking jobs but it will save lives, while, later in the month, PlanRadar’s Ibrahim Imam said that robotics, AI, and IoT can alter business models, and make the process of project completion more efficient.

The supercomputer will be housed at MBZUAI’s new Campus Super Computing Center (CSCC) and will enable faculty members, researchers, and students to accelerate scientific discovery in many areas, including healthcare, structural engineering, law enforcement, supply chain, and sustainability.

In addition to meeting the research needs of the faculty and students, the new supercomputer will help MBZUAI fulfill its role as an AI talent developer and innovation hub that brings together the business community to drive entrepreneurship in the AI sector. MBZUAI already is contributing to significant initiatives such as the Emirati Genome Program, which uses AI-based tools to extract and interpret large amounts of complex data resulting from DNA sequencing, and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, SEHA, which uses AI algorithms to predict heart attacks, HPE explained.

“HPE has a longstanding commitment to advancing the way people live and work in the United Arab Emirates, through our Emiratisation program, Digital Life Garage, and industry and government partnerships,” said Ahmad Alkhallafi, Managing Director for UAE, Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

In September 2022, AVEVA’s Gary Wong discussed how digitisation is helping cities provide clean water, and, later in the month, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan launched the Dubai Robotics and Automation Program.

He continued, “We are proud to support the UAE’s national strategy for AI by helping MBZUAI grow its contribution to research and education. Supercomputing will play a crucial role in helping the UAE anticipate and take advantage of new AI technologies now and in the future. We look forward to helping the UAE meet its goal to be an AI leader by 2031.”

As a recently established institution, MBZUAI is still building its team of in-house supercomputing specialists. By collaborating with HPE, the university is gaining access to a large local team for supercomputing and AI support, in addition to world-leading technologies, the firm pointed out.

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Facilities management company Farnek has joined a select group of organisations by signing the Climate-Responsible Pledge, aimed at supporting the UAE’s decarbonisation drive – in line with the country’s ‘Net Zero by 2050′ strategic initiative.

The pledge is part of the focus from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) on scaling up the UAE’s climate action in response to the call of the Glasgow Climate Pact, an outcome of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). The pledge was announced late in August 2022.

Previous signatories include Beeah, Emirates Nature-WWF, Majid Al Futtaim Group, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC, Masdar, Emirates Global Aluminium, Emirates Steel Arkan Group, Aldar Properties, Emirates Environmental Group and the Chalhoub Group.

In January 2022, Farnek showed off its roadmap to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050 and, in April 2022, it said that it would launch a standalone hotel management company.

During the signing ceremony – held at the Fifth National Dialogue for Climate Ambition (NDCA) in Abu Dhabi – Farnek CEO Markus Oberlin commented, “By signing this pledge, we have committed to stepping up our efforts to combat climate change by measuring and reporting our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions transparently, developing ambitious but realistic science-based plans to reduce our carbon footprint and sharing these plans with the UAE government to contribute towards the UAE achieving its national Net Zero targets by 2050.”

He added, “Furthermore, by integrating sustainability principles across our operations, we will adopt an all-inclusive approach that engages youth, women, and vulnerable segments of society.”

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment and Vincent Keaveny, Lord Mayor of the City of London, were also present.

In August 2022, Farnek said that it was awarded $11.54mn in security contracts over the last 12 months.

According to Oberlin, Farnek consultants have identified the scope and boundaries to measure its carbon footprint accurately.

Apart from building performance, such as energy and water consumption, Farnek is also considering employee travel, logistics, purchased goods and services, waste disposal, and focusing on recycling, renewables and other lower carbon alternatives.

In September 2022, Farnek said that it had organised 4.6t of basic food and essentials for 131 Sri Lankan families.

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Standard Chartered’s Sustainable Banking Report 2022 shows how retail investors in the UAE can mobilise more than US $100bn towards top Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) priorities – particularly the financing of the transition to Net Zero.

In the report titled ‘Mobilising retail investor capital’, Standard Chartered explores ESG investment opportunities; it explains how this capital could play a critical part in bridging funding gaps in the UAE’s other ESG priorities, including food and water security, as well as pollution and waste management.

The new research also identified the massive sum of $8.17tn of investable retail wealth that could be channelled into sustainable investments by 2030 to finance ESG objectives in 10 growth markets. The report also highlights the investment barriers currently faced by investors and recommends solutions to expand sustainable investing (SI) into a mainstream asset class.

In September 2022, Emaar investors approved the acquisition of Dubai Creek Harbour and, later in the month, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan launched the Dubai Robotics and Automation Program.

According to the research, the UAE has high potential for growth in sustainable investing, largely due to its rising domestic wealth. The market could mobilise over $100bn in sustainable retail investment by 2030. Across the UAE, more than 40% of investors respectively want to put their money towards addressing climate issues, the report noted.

The top ESG priorities for investors in the UAE include:

• Climate change and carbon emissions (38%)
• Energy and resource use (31%)
• Pollution and waste management (26%)

The report further highlights the need for investor and market-specific barriers that need to be overcome to translate this investor interest into actual impact.

In October 2022, Abu Dhabi-based Global Mission launched a $17bn fund to achieve the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Investors in the UAE identified the following as their top barriers to increasing their sustainable investments:

• Comparability (47%)
• Perceived low returns/higher risk (45%)
• Comprehensibility (44%)

These findings demonstrate how financial institutions can play a critical role in unlocking available capital by breaking down the existing barriers for retail investors.

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Jeddah Airports Company has awarded a five-year contract outlining operations and maintenance (O&M) services for the King Abdulaziz International Airport Terminal 1 to Alstom, the latter has confirmed. The $53mn contract win is said to position Alstom as the leading O&M provider in Saudi Arabia.

According to Alstom, the contract period with Jeddah Airports Company (JEDCO) began in June 2022 and will run through to 2027. The company said it first secured the contract in August 2019 which ran until June 2021 – it was previously awarded due to positive performance.

“We are honoured to sign this contract and solidify our partnership with JEDCO. Alstom has been present in the Kingdom for more than 70 years and our strategy is one of long-term partnership cementing a sustainable legacy within the Kingdom. It also reiterates Alstom’s commitment to supporting the development of Saudi Arabia’s public infrastructure in line with Vision 2030. We will continue to enhance the performance of King Abdulaziz International Airport by continuing to offer world-class operations and maintenance, with a best-in-class team,” said Mohamed Khalil, Managing Director of Alstom Saudi Arabia.

In September 2021, Alstom said it had delivered the first two trains for the Cairo Monorail project and, later in the month, appointed new members to its AMECA leadership team.

The contract will see Alstom continuing to provide O&M services for the Innovia automated people mover (APM) within the King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA), Terminal 1 in Jeddah. The airport is one of Saudi Arabia’s largest and is said to welcome up to 30m passengers every year.

A fully staffed team of Alstom experts will provide 24/7 operations and maintenance services at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, Terminal 1, it said.

The O&M contract is one of many Alstom projects in Saudi Arabia. It also supported the Haramain high-speed rail line between Mecca and Medina and also supplies an integrated Metro System for Lines 3, 4, 5 and 6 and the maintenance for these lines, the firm stated.

In November 2021, the firm said it was appointed for a railway modernisation project by ENR.

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Terex Tower Cranes has added its latest flat top tower crane with “city class” design features, the company has announced.

The highlights of the new CTT 222-10 include Terex Power Plus (TPP), which enables the crane to increase power by 10%, and Terex Power Match (TPM), a feature that puts the crane into an energy saving mode, the company said.

The crane also uses T-Link, Terex’s telematics system to ensure remote access to fleet data, while Terex slewing technology, T-Torque, offers operators high control and precision over the crane slewing, regardless of wind direction, tower system and jib configuration, the firm added.

In June 2022, General Construction Company said it was using Terex Cranes on the Dubai Creek development while, in August 2022, Terex said it was investing in Acculon Energy to accelerate MEWP electrification.

The CTT 222-10 can be set up and erected with a 1.60m, 1.95m or 2.10m tower mast, depending on the needs and requirements of the user and setting it’s in. This particular model is fitted with the industry-known S-pace cabin, while it has a 10t maximum capacity and a maximum jib length of 65m.

“We are excited about this new model that will enlarge our offering in a key capacity class; this will help us to even better support our customers with many residential, commercial but also infrastructures projects,” says Angelo Cosmo, Terex Cranes Senior Marketing Manager

Lee Maynard, Global Sales Director, Tower Cranes adds, “This new model has already attracted a lot of attention and our first TEN cranes will be shipping to France in the fourth quarter of this year. We are already filling the order book for quarter one next year, with more units planned to ship to France and other parts of Europe. It’s an exciting time and there are further models planned in this mid-size range early in 2023.”

Also in August 2022, Terex MP said it was acquiring specialist producer of mobile volumetric concrete mixers, ProALL.

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The Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) has signed a MoU with the National Housing Company (NHC) to facilitate collaboration on mutual areas that serve the housing sector, including urban planning and offering designs that meet building codes around Wafi Hanifah and its tributaries.

The agreement aims to facilitate further integration between the two parties and offer more design options to NHC clients within the authority’s jurisdiction. The two entities will also conduct a series of joint workshops, initiatives and projects to help exchange data, statistics and expertise, a statement from DGDA said.

Commenting on the deal, Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo said: “It is significant since one of the workshops involved is a joint design studio between DGDA and NHC and its affiliated architects, who would be informing the authority of all its initiatives within the latter’s jurisdiction.”

In May 2022, DGDA announced that it would transform Wadi Hanifah into a nature-focused getaway.

He stated that the two sides will also explore avenues for further collaboration as and when agreed upon. In addition, the authority will be holding workshops to clarify the building codes applicable around the Wadi Hanifah area.

National Housing Company CEO Mohammed bin Salih Al Batti added that the MoU lays out a road map for collaboration between the two sides.

This includes the creation of a DGDA microsite as part of NHC’s Sakani website for users of residential units within DGDA-managed areas, to show that designs meet building codes around the Wadi Hanifah area, as well as the authority’s designs and platforms, he added.

In June 2022, DGDA and Saudi’s OSP inked a MoU to use sustainable polymer construction material and, in July 2022, a waste management agreement was signed between DGDA and SIRC to cover the handling and processing of all waste within the DGDA jurisdiction.

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Five million man-hours with zero Lost Time Injury (LTI) has been achieved at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant according to facilities management firm Inspire Integrated (Inspire). The achievement was celebrated by plant owner Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) at the Butinah Tent at the plant to award Inspire’s employees for their dedication towards consistency in safety, security and employee welfare.

In its quest to provide a healthy working environment for employees and safe service delivery for its clients and other stakeholders, the Inspire team are setting a benchmark for industrial safety. With a robust and transparent reporting system including near miss and safety culture in the organisation, the zero LTI initiative is recognised by ENEC and monitored on a monthly basis through the project’s Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) key performance indicators, a statement from Inspire noted.

“Constant efforts and contributions towards safety from every single person have culminated in this great achievement. With open communication, meticulous supervision and management, we have achieved this milestone and intend to continue the upward journey towards the health and safety of our team. We are thankful to each and every member of the site team for their contributions and efforts to ensure we have introduced and maintained the highest HSE standards at BNPP,” said Andrew Law, Executive Director, Inspire Integrated.

In November 2021, ENEC said construction of Unit 3 was complete and, late in September 2022,  completed its successful start-up.

Located in the Gharbiya region of Abu Dhabi, the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant is the UAE’s first nuclear power station and the first commercial power station in the Arab world. It comprises four nuclear reactors and has a capacity of 5,380MW which is intended to supply up to 25% of the UAE’s energy needs. The site comprises over 100 buildings including residential, offices, utility areas and a guest house and the services provided by Inspire include total facilities management, hard services, catering services, specialist sub-contractor management, soft services and landscaping services, the firm explained.

Law continued, “It is an honour that the team at ENEC have awarded us for the achievement of five million man-hours with no injuries. The act of rewarding only motivates the team to perform better, stay vigilant and endorse safety measures among all colleagues.”

The five million man-hour milestone was accomplished through implementation of a combination of proactive factors and achievements, including: compliance and procedures; employee welfare, and health & safety.

Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Plant are already in commercial operation and have been generating clean electricity 24/7.

The Inspire team will continue to strive for zero LTI and retain the progressive HSE journey throughout the company, the statement concluded.

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The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has confirmed daa International as the operator at Red Sea International (RSI), which is on track to become the region’s first-ever carbon-neutral airport. TRSDC said the agreement covers the operations and general maintenance services and is worth close to US $266mn.

“Ahead of welcoming our first guests early next year, Red Sea International is ushering in a carbon-neutral, Net Zero era for airport designs and operations. As the region’s first-ever airport powered by 100% renewable energy, RSI will serve as an innovative blueprint for decarbonised urban destinations of the future,” said John Pagano, Group CEO of TRSDC.

TRSDC welcomed a delegation of Irish dignitaries to its offices in Riyadh to celebrate the signing of the agreement. Minister of State at the Department of Transport in Ireland, Hildegarde Naughton TD, and Ireland’s Ambassador to the Kingdom, Gerry Cunningham were both present, alongside Enterprise Ireland, the country’s trade organisation.

In June 2022, TRSDC and ARCHIRODON completed the installation of the last connecting piece for crucial Shura Bridge project and, in July 2022, the developer inked its first strategic partnership deal with Almutlaq Real Estate Investment.

The event was also attended by His Excellency the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Mr. Abdul-Azeer bin Abdullah Al-Duailej.

“Our agreement with leading industry player daa International, with a proven track-record of excelling in international aviation, marks our latest step towards materialising a sustainable, regenerative gateway that will open this under-explored region of Saudi Arabia to the world,” added Pagano.

daa International will serve as the airport operator for RSI in 2023, overseeing design consultancy, management, and operations in accordance with the provisions of General Authority of Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (GACA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Services will also enable the seamless integration of green technology and waste and resource management, aligned with the highest standards of sustainability, while prioritising safety and security, TRSDC noted.

In August 2022, Ian Williamson, Group Chief Projects Delivery Officer at The Red Sea Development Company shared an exclusive piece with Middle East Construction News (MECN) on the project’s numerous achievements over the past five years. In early September 2022, the Red Sea Development Company said contracts worth $1.7bn have been signed for AMAALA to date.

Nicholas Cole, CEO of daa International commented, “The Red Sea International airport is primed to deliver luxury guest experiences unlike any other. We are thrilled to partner with TSRDC to bring to life a seamless, ultra-premium, highly personalised experience for each passenger traveling through this unique gateway, underpinned by stringent sustainability goals.”

The partnership will harness daa International’s extensive credentials in airport operations. Together with TRSDC, collective efforts will integrate innovative solutions across all RSI operations to eliminate and offset carbon emissions, optimise energy consumption, and advance efficiencies in resource and waste management.

TRSDC and daa International are working together towards ACI Europe’s Airport Carbon Accreditation Program with the intention of securing the highest current standard Level 4+, which would make RSI the first new airport to ever secure this standard before operations commence. Discussions are also in progress with regards to creating a new ‘Level 5’ standard, in turn making RSI the first airport in the world to acquire this new industry leading rating.

Later in September 2022, TRSDC unveiled the design for the Red Sea Marine Life Institute at AMAALA.

As a regenerative airport, RSI has been designed by international architecture firm Foster + Partners. The project is on-track to welcome its first passengers in 2023, with capabilities to serve an estimated one million domestic and international tourists per year by 2030 – at a peak of 900 travellers per hour.

The airport was successfully registered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and recently completed test landings and take-offs on the 3.7km main runway. The team also celebrated eight million safe man-hours with 2,400 workers.

RSI will be the first and only airport in the region with a dedicated runway for seaplanes and water aerodromes, regulated by a new set of GACA safety guidelines. The destination will also service hydrogen-powered seaplane variants, supplied by hydrogen-electric aviation firm ZeroAvia, as well as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft technology.

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