DRAKE & Scull Saudi, the MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) arm of Drake & Scull International (DSI) in the kingdom, has been awarded a $36.75-million contract to provide turnkey MEP solutions to Assila Towers, a high-profile development in Jeddah.

The project consists of a five-star hotel and serviced apartments operated by Rocco Forte Hotels (RFH), one of the leading luxury hotel brands in Europe.

Being developed by Amias Real Estate on behalf of the Saudi holding company Assila Investment Company, the investment arm of Sheikh Mohamad Ibrahim Al Issa and family, the project consists of a two-tower mixed-use scheme that includes a 23-storey hotel with 197 rooms and a 17-storey apartment tower containing 82 serviced apartments located on Tahlia Road, within easy reach of the central business and shopping district.

Al Saad General Contracting, the local Saudi construction company with a prominent presence across the kingdom is the main contractor of the project.

DSI is expected to complete the project by June 2013.

Commenting on the award, Khaldoun Tabari, CEO of DSI, says: “Jeddah is a particularly important growth market for DSI. We expect commercial development to achieve an accelerated growth pace in Jeddah, being the largest seaport on the Red Sea and the most cosmopolitan of all Saudi cities. This will, in turn, drive the growth of construction activities and subsequently increase demand for integrated design, engineering and other specialised construction services.

“Analysts have predicted Jeddah’s economy to sustain a healthy growth pace in the long term, making the city a truly important barometer for our expansion plans in Saudi Arabia.”

“Saudi Arabia will continue to be the largest contributor to our backlog and we remain confident and optimistic about our performance across all provinces in the kingdom and especially in Riyadh,” he says.

Founded in 1966 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, DSI is a regional market leader in integrated design, engineering and the construction disciplines of civil contracting, MEP, and water and power. It offers scalable and comprehensive engineering solutions to clients in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, Asia and Europe.

The company’s main business streams include DSI, which serves as the MEP arm; Drake & Scull Construction (DSC), which is the general civil contracting unit; and Drake & Scull Water & Power (DSWP), which focuses on the water and power and infrastructure sector. Its civil, MEP and water and power Saudi subsidiaries are currently exploring opportunities across various sectors in the kingdom and have formed alliances with a number of major Saudi developers such as Aramco and Rayadah Investment.