UAE-based Ducab, a key manufacturer of cables and cabling products for the energy, construction and specialty industry verticals, played a key role in the development of The Office of the Future, the world’s first entirely 3D-printed office in Dubai, by supplying 10 km of cables and wires for the innovative project.

A joint venture between the Investment Corporation of Dubai and Senaat (General Holding Corporation, Abu Dhabi), Ducab says it is proud to be playing a part in the growth of the UAE as an incubator of innovation and future technology. 

The Office of the Future was recently launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Commenting on its key role, Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Shaikh, Ducab chairman, says: “Dubai has a strong vision for its future. As an Emirati company, Ducab is exceedingly proud to play a part in converting the vision to reality through the provision of UAE-manufactured cables and powering projects that are shaping the future for Dubai and for the UAE in general.”

He says Ducab is connecting the Office of the Future with a wide range of cable products, including LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board)-approved FlamBICC fire-performance cables, Tuff DuFlex heat-resistant flexible cables, and the Ducab Connect range of cable accessories that complement the latest technology showcased by the building.

“The Office of the Future is an exceptional achievement and we congratulate HH Sheikh Mohammed on its completion, as it represents the progressive attitude that is driving our nation forward,” Al Shaikh continues.

“Ducab’s products are technologically advanced and adhere to strict global standards. They have been used in many projects in the UAE, such as Abu Dhabi Airport’s Midfield Terminal Building, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation’s (Enec) Al Barakah nuclear plants and Dubai Metro,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Ducab’s nuclear power-qualified cable range, NuBICC was selected by the Korean Hydro-Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) for the Shin Hanul One and Two nuclear power plant under construction in South Korea. This project win, follows significant testing and qualifications. It represents the first international nuclear project for Ducab, building on its successful nuclear cable supply engagement with the UAE’s Enec.

Nuclear power cables are extremely high-performance products within the electrical cabling industry, and Ducab’s nuclear cables supplied to Barakah Power Plant in the UAE have been tested and qualified for a 60-year operating life.

Seok Cho, chief executive officer of KHNP, says: “We would like to congratulate Ducab for this important milestone for the industrial sector of the UAE. Providing nuclear-grade materials is the highest form of quality mark and this is a major achievement. For a manufacturer to reach the level where their nuclear cables have been tested and qualified in a highly reputed laboratory in North America, shows strong visionary leadership and a pursuit for excellence. Considering the sensitive and critical needs of a nuclear power facility, we conducted a proper audit and are happy to announce that Ducab got nominated for the tender bid among global competition.”

Al Shaikh comments: “Our nuclear cable team at Ducab worked hard to win this contract against well-established international competition. This project win by Ducab is a matter of pride for the company, as well as for the entire manufacturing and industrial sector in the UAE. Our national leadership has consistently encouraged us to constantly innovate and show the best of the UAE to the outside world, and being a part of a nationally-critical project in Korea with KHNP shows that Ducab has now emerged in the region to stand alongside the best-known and leading cable manufacturers in the world.”

Ducab is the first cable manufacturer in the Middle East region to introduce and qualify 60-year, sustainable halogen-free cables meeting the most stringent cable testing standards like IEEE prevalent in North America, which have been customised and adapted in the UAE’s first four nuclear power plants. This qualification assures the client Enec a reliable performance of the cables over the 60-year lifetime operation of the nuclear plant. The cables installed all over the rest of the plant will not emit smoke or toxic fumes in the event of a fire and will not allow it to propagate.