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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Liebherr’s component segment will introduce the first prototype of hydrogen combustion engines, the H964 and H966, at this year’s Bauma exhibition. Each prototype will employ different hydrogen injection technologies such as direct injection (DI) and port fuel injection (PFI), the firm said.

The first machine running with a 100% hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine (ICE) is the Liebherr R 9XX H2 crawler excavator. In it, the zero-emission six cylinder engine, H966, fulfils the specific requirements in terms of power and dynamics. The R 9XX H2 with the H966 engine in its port fuel injection configuration will be on display at booth 809/810 and 812/813, it noted.

Liebherr said it will also present its four cylinder engine, H964, equipped with DI technology at booth 326 in hall A4. In this case, hydrogen is injected directly into the combustion chamber, whereas with the PFI solution it is blown into the air intake port.

In July 2022, Cummins and Komatsu said they were collaborating on zero-emissions mining haul trucks and, in August 2022, Liebherr said it would display its rail-road excavator with hydrostatic drive at Bauma 2022.

“DI offers increased potential in terms of combustion efficiency and power density, which makes hydrogen engines an attractive alternative to diesel engines when it comes to more demanding applications,” Liebherr stated.

In the future, combustion engines will no longer be powered solely by fossil diesel. In order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, fuels from sustainable energy sources will have to be used. Green hydrogen is one of them, since it is a promising carbon-free fuel, which does not cause any CO2 emissions whilst burning inside the ICE, the company concluded.

In September 2022, the first Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 in Saudi Arabia was said to be delivered to ACT.

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The first concrete produces produced using Geoprime, billed as a next generation low carbon solution and a sustainable alternative to cement, have been introduced for Indian construction markets by Finnish materials technology firm, Betolar.

Geoprime enables concrete manufacturers to create cement-free concrete by leveraging industrial side streams such as Fly ash and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS). Durability and strength for the manufactured concrete are comparable to cement-based products, yet it outperforms the traditional products with its significantly lower carbon footprint, the firm explained.

The company said Geoprime products will be on display at the World of Concrete India event in Mumbai between 13-15 October. The products on display include various types of paving blocks, concrete blocks and floor tiles produced by local concrete manufacturers in India.

In April 2022, the World Cement Association called for MENA cement firms to decarbonise, while, in July 2022, NEx and ExxonMobil said they were working together to advance the development of sustainable nonmetallic building materials.

“We are happy to introduce our first products to our customers for the Indian markets. We have now moved from laboratory tests into the production phase and can show concretely how well this solution works. It is great to hear the feedback from the concrete industry in the region towards our sustainable solution. Decarbonisation of the concrete industry is a very current and important topic”, says Abhishek Bhattacharya, Managing Director, Betolar India.

“We are satisfied that our operations in India and the Asian region are growing, and we have reached production stage with our first customers in India. It is only a few months since we published these cooperations in India and are moving forward according to our strategy in the region,” added Juha Pinomaa, VP, Head of Asia, Betolar.

Betolar said its innovations can significantly reduce CO2 emissions at a competitive cost compared to conventional cement-based concrete manufacturing, leveraging existing manufacturing processes.

In early October 2022, CPS unveiled plans for a 28-storey residential tower in Zanzibar that will be built using hybrid timber technology.

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Dubai Municipality has announced that its extensive project to revamp the city’s various public beaches will be completed in December of this year.

The Beach Rehabilitation project includes Al Mamzar Corniche, Jumeirah 1 and Jumeirah 3 beaches, in addition to the expansion work to increase the area of the Umm Suqeim 1 beach, according to Dubai Municipality.

The scope of work includes covering the beaches with additional beach sand and carrying out breakwater and other works to protect public beaches from erosion due to strong waves, providing the safest possible beach conditions.

In March 2022, Dubai Municipality said that the Dubai Waste Management Centre was 60% complete while, in June 2022, the municipality launched several technical activities around 3D printing technology.

The initiatives have been in operation for the last 18 months and are now entering the final phase of work, having significantly enhanced the profiles of 12 of Dubai’s most popular beaches, from as far afield as Burj Al Arab to the borders of Sharjah.

Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality said: “The project aims to develop and beautify Dubai’s beaches, which are among the emirate’s most significant tourist attractions. The municipality seeks to take care of all its facilities in the emirate, especially the beaches, as they are important tourist attractions. This is also part of its efforts to preserve the aesthetic and elegant appearance of Dubai’s facilities.”

In September 2022, Dubai Municipality said it had completed 85% of construction work on the world’s largest waste-to-energy plant.

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Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister  His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s recent decision to revoke the Flexi Permit system in the country has been welcomed by the Bahrain Contractors Society.

According to the society, the Flexi Permit cancellation will enable 2,000 local contractors to resume operations and creates ideal conditions for employees.

In addition, the society lauded Prince Salman’s move to scrap the existing system of recovering infrastructure costs related to the issue of building licenses, and thanked him for the investment possibilities that will be provided to encourage public-private partnerships.

In August 2022, Bahrain’s real estate transaction volumes were on a positive trajectory according to the CBRE.

The society said it applauded the Prince’s commitment to preserving Bahrain’s labour market and enhancing the function of the private sector in the national economy.

Society Secretary and businessman Nawaf Al Jishi said initial monitoring by the society revealed that the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s significant decision will restore more than 2,000 records of Bahraini-owned firms, as the flexible visa policy had negatively impacted their operations and prompted them to exit the market.

Al Jishi commented, “Other contracting firms’ business has dropped dramatically as a result of the dominance of flexible visa holders and workers of other nationalities in the contracting market, as well as a halt in construction operations due to infrastructure expenses. Contractors believe that these crucial decisions, particularly the suspension of fees for recovering infrastructure costs, will considerably assist in the revival and recovery of the real estate industry.”

In September 2022, CBRE said that it was appointed to manage and lease Bahrain’s Once Mall while a little later in the month, NBB Group announced that it had outfitted four branches with solar panels to cut carbon emissions in the Kingdom.

He added, “With the upcoming real estate exhibitions in Bahrain over the next two months, it is expected to offer rewarding investment opportunities and will likely see the launch of key real estate projects in the Kingdom that will contribute to progressing the real estate and contracting markets together,” remarked Al Jishi.

He also pointed out that both these decisions were significant ones for the contracting and real estate markets, as they are linked to more than 40% of other economic activities such as loans, transportation, storage, and others.

He concluded by saying these sectors are amongst the largest in Bahrain that contribute to the Kingdom’s GDP, after the oil and financial sectors.

In September 2022, Diyar Al Muharraq said it had completed secondary infrastructure works at Mozoon.

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Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) said its subsidiary, Nawah Energy Company, has safely and successful connected Unit 3 of Barakah Nuclear Plant to the UAE’s transmission grid.

The announcement means that the unit – the third of four – has begun delivering the first megawatts of carbon-free electricity to the national grid, following its recent successful start-up. Unit 3 has 1,400MW of zero-carbon emission electricity capacity and Nawah added that the connection represents a major step forward in guaranteeing the UAE’s energy security and sustainability.

“Our leadership’s long-term vision and decisions more than 13 years ago are paying dividends today, as we celebrate another proud moment for the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program. Connecting Unit 3 to the UAE transmission grid adds thousands more megawatts of clean electricity to power all aspects of society, replacing the need to burn $4bn worth of gas which can be diverted for export, and through Clean Energy Certification, gives many companies in the UAE a unique competitive advantage,” said ENEC Managing Director and CEO Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi.

Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Plant are already in commercial operation and have been generating clean electricity 24/7. With Unit 3 now close to commercial operation, Barakah will also be helping to accelerate the decarbonisation of the power sector and will form an essential part of the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy, he added.

ENEC said that the connection represents a major step forward in guaranteeing the UAE’s energy security and sustainability. Following the grid connection, it explained that Unit 3 will go through the process of gradually raising its power levels – a procedure known as Power Ascension Testing (PAT). It will be continuously monitored and tested until maximum electricity production is reached.

All local regulatory requirements and the highest international standards of safety, quality and security will be followed, the company added.

The nuclear sector is set to be a vital part of the UAE’s clean energy system of multiple low-carbon technologies. It aims to ensure the reliability, efficiency, and resilience of the UAE grid for at least the next 60 years. The four units at Barakah alone will contribute 25% of the UAE’s National Determined Contributions to Net Zero and is the country’s largest source of dispatchable clean electricity.

In November 2021, ENEC said construction of Unit 3 was complete.

“The plant demonstrates how nuclear energy projects can be delivered safely, successfully, and competitively to tackle growing carbon emissions. Through clean electricity generated at Barakah, nuclear is helping to decarbonise some of the most energy intense sectors,” the statement concluded.

In June 2021, ENEC said it had achieved the 100mn safe man-hours safety milestone at Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.

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Saudi Arabia’s Dar Al Arkan Global and Italian hypercar manufacturer Pagani Automobili have unveiled the first apartment in the hi-tech DaVinci tower, in the heart of Downtown Dubai.

The developer said prospective buyers had a glimpse into the world’s first-ever Pagani-inspired residential space, as well as a VIP tour of the Da Vinci tower’s broader apartment portfolio.

Reflecting the cornerstone of Horacio Pagani’s creative philosophy – combining form and function to offer unique, handmade objects – all 80 apartments will be adorned with tailored pieces from an exclusive line of Pagani-branded furniture. This will be combined with a blend of high-end marble and wooden flooring (decorated with signature chevron patterns), doors bearing the Pagani emblem, and highly individual customised lighting, the developer noted.

The $217.8 million DaVinci Tower was unveiled by Dar Al Arkan in December 2021.

Horacio Pagani, Founder & Chief Designer, Pagani Automobili S.p.A, said: “It is exhilarating to see the Pagani brand essence come to life in the interior and furniture design space, for the first time in the world. This apartment will bear witness to what the DaVinci tower is set to bring to Dubai in the form of one of the world’s most sought-after addresses.”

He added, “We are proud of our partnership with Dar Al Arkan, as it marks a key step forward in our long-term growth strategy to further consolidate our positioning as an iconic brand globally.”

The three-bedroom apartments are said to demonstrate a unique confluence of Italian and contemporary design excellence, epitomising Pagani’s craftmanship and emphasising the concept of ‘Living Above Luxury’, the firm noted.

In February 2022, Dar Al Arkan said it had opened its office in Beijing.

Dar Al Arkan Global CEO Ziad El Chaar commented, “We are constantly striving to stay ahead of the curve through our unique approach, and the collaboration with Pagani Automobili is a testament to this.”

In June 2022, Dar Al Arkan said it began construction works on the $272mn W Residences Dubai and, in August 2022, discussed its aggressive regional and international expansion plans with Big Project Middle East.

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ABB has entered into a long-term partnership with industrial equipment technology provider Samotics. The deal aims to provide enhanced condition monitoring services, the companies have announced.

The partnership allows both companies to improve their capabilities by offering extra insight into machine health and energy efficiency. As a first step, ABB will integrate Samotics’ plug-and-play monitoring solution into its digital portfolio.

Samotics’ SAM4 technology, which is based on electrical signature analysis (ESA), is expected to complement ABB Ability Condition Monitoring service for powertrains – a sensor-based solution that analyses the health and performance of rotating equipment.

In late September 2022, John Deere said it was expanding its global battery production capacities and, later in the month, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan launched the Dubai Robotics and Automation Program.

As it does not rely on mounting sensors in the field it can be deployed on machines in harsh and submerged environments, expanding ABB’s asset health monitoring capabilities of motor-driven industrial equipment, the companies explained.

“Our strategy is to build an ecosystem with leading service providers who can contribute to our customers’ overall success. With Samotics, we share the ambition to co-develop digital services that will offer even greater insight across a wider range of applications to help our customers taking better decisions,” said Adrian Guggisberg, President of ABB Motion Services.

Jasper Hoogeweegen, CEO of Samotics added: “Entering into a strategic partnership with ABB will open doors with potential customers around the world and help us scale our business. At the same time, we share a mindset and commitment to help solve reliability and energy efficiency challenges.”

ABB plans to roll out Samotics technology to customers before the end of 2022, as part of its growing service portfolio for rotating equipment.

In early October 2022, M Glory Holding Group and Dubai Industrial City announced the opening of the 45,000sqft Al Damani Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Factory.

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Analysis by Knight Frank has revealed that prime residential values in Dubai have risen by 88.8% in the last 12 months. The firm notes that the Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills and Jumeirah Bay Island are key areas in the city in terms of residential values.

“Prime residential values in Dubai continue to strengthen, growing by 29% in Q3 alone, fueled by a persistent deluge of ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWI) who are zeroing in on Dubai’s premier districts, in search of second homes. This trend marks a significant departure to the emirate’s two previous market cycles, where the overriding flavour of buyers was linked to buy-to-let or buy-to-flip purchases,” said Faisal Durrani, Partner – Head of Middle East Research at Knight Frank.

He added, “This insatiable demand has fueled villa price rises of over 100% in locations such as the Palm Jumeirah since the start of the pandemic. Elsewhere, ultra-prime homes sales (homes priced at over US$ 10mn) have also hit a fresh high. The first nine months of the year have registered 152 ultra-prime sales, eclipsing last year’s all time high of 93. And in fact, 93 of these deals have taken place in Q3 alone.”

In September 2022, DAMAC Properties’ GM said that Web3 is transforming the UAE real estate landscape.

Discussing the Palm Jumeirah, the firm said the average transacted price of $831.45 per sqft (psf) remains the most affordable compared to Emirates Hills ($1,421 psf) and Jumeirah Bay Island ($1,727 psf).

Andrew Cummings, Partner – Head of Prime Residential, added: “The bulk of international buyers are being drawn to Dubai’s unrivalled sun-sea-sand lifestyle, which tends to come with villa purchases, and this is where demand continues to intensify. Indeed, the city just set a new record price, with the sale of a $82mnn home on the Palm Jumeirah. At around $871.2 psf, Dubai’s Prime residential neighbourhoods remain amongst the most affordable in the world. This, combined with the high quality of residential product now available in the upper echelons of the market, is cementing Dubai’s position as one of the world’s leading second homes markets.”

Commenting on the luxury homes market, Knight Frank says that Dubai’s perennial challenge has been its ‘build-it-and-they-will-come’ mantra, which has seen more homes being built than the market is capable of absorbing. In this cycle however, the number of new homes planned is failing to keep pace with demand, it pointed out.

In early October 2022, JLL signed an agreement with a Qatar real estate brokerage firm to boost property investments.

Durrani elaborated, “On the surface, with nearly 81,000 units due by the end of 2025, the city appears well supplied. However, once that figure is broken down, we see that just eight new villas are due in Dubai’s Prime residential areas between 2023 and 2025 – all of which are on Jumeirah Bay Island. Developers have not yet rushed new projects to market as we have seen in the past to capitalise on the tsunami of demand for luxury housing.”

He continued, “The overriding challenge for the emirate is the shortage of waterfront homes. The revival of Deira Islands as The Dubai Islands should help to alleviate the drought of ultra-prime homes once the development plans are finalised, albeit it is likely to be a few years yet before the first homes are ready to move into here.”

Looking ahead, in the short to medium term, the firm says it does not foresee demand stalling and, in fact, pointed out that it expected the mainstream market to register price growth of 5-7% by the end of the year.

For Prime Dubai, prices are likely to end the year around 60-80% higher than 2021. The COVID-comeback cycle which began two and a half years ago has thus far seen values increase by 101% on the Palm Jumeirah and 98% on Jumeirah Bay Island, while Emirates Hills has experienced a near doubling in prices over the same period, it remarked.

Durrani stated, “With increasing global economic uncertainty, Dubai is once again emerging as a safe port in the storm. The unrelenting demand from international UHNWI when combined with the shortage of waterfront homes, the government’s world-leading response to the pandemic, positive business sentiment, one of the most business friendly environments anywhere and arguably some of the globe’s best beach front real estate is what underpins our outlook.”

Knight Frank cautions, however, that the global nature of Dubai does leave it somewhat exposed. The impact of the strong dollar on international demand whilst too early to assess, appears limited given the residential market’s relative value when compared to other global gateway cities. In addition, while rising interest rates will undoubtedly pose challenges to mortgaged buyers, the bulk of purchases (c.80%) are cash transactions, which is expected to shield the market to an extent, the firm said.

The firm concluded by saying that Dubai’s residential market outlook remains bright.

Later in October 2022, Savills revealed the top second home locations with an emphasis on wellness.

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