Ducab (Dubai Cable Company) and Dubai-based Emirates Trading Agency (ETA) have signed an agreement for the delivery of fire performance cables for the Delhi Metro Corridor MC 1A project, a futuristic project set to revolutionise the urban rail transport system in Delhi.

With the signing of the $3 million agreement by AK Agarwal, executive director, ETA (M&E division), and Farid Mohammed Ahmed, general manager sales and marketing, Ducab, became one of the leading cable vendors for the project.
On completion, Delhi Metro project will cover a 31 km underground section, a 64 km elevated section and 104 km on the surface. The first phase of the project is scheduled for completion by March 2008.
“The Delhi Metro cable contract was highly contested by numerous bidders. We were very proud when Ducab won the contract after a long and stringent evaluation process,” says Ahmed.
In addition to Ducab’s existing Smokemaster brand of low smoke and fume cables, the Ducab technical team developed a range of fire-resistant (FR) cables which can withstand temperatures of 950 deg C for three hours, surpassing the project’s requirement of resisting temperatures of up to 750 deg C. Approval testing for these products was conducted at the UK-based testing agency Building Research Establishment (BRE).
“A product of the future, FR cables have potential uses in a variety of projects as well as metro systems such as high-rise buildings and airports. FR cables contribute to increased public safety by allowing operation of essential services even during a fire.
“The development of the FR cable product range for the Delhi Metro project allows Ducab to explore a new range of business opportunities. Ducab is looking at future ventures with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and ETA both on the Indian sub-continent and elsewhere in Asia,” Ahmed says. 
The Delhi Metro contract highlights Ducab’s ability to meet the highest standards in cable manufacturing in its pursuit for international excellence, he adds.