A UAE lifts specialist has won international acclaim for three projects it executed in the emirate of Dubai.

ETA Melco Elevator Company's installations at the Emirates Towers, the Burj Al Arab hotel and the new terminal at the Dubai International Airport have been rated among the world's best projects by the top international elevators magazine Elevator World.

The Dubai-based firm markets and installs elevators and escalators under licence from Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Melco) of Japan.

In assessing and rating the projects, the magazine's judges took into account innovation, originality and creativity, the challenges overcome, installation methods and techniques, use of advanced technology and overall presentation, said Stacie Hyman, the managing editor of the US magazine.

"The three projects were deemed worthy of recognition and voted into the Project of the Year 2001 awards," she said.

Emirates Tower took second place in category I (elevators - new construction), the Burj Al Arab got a honourable mention also in the same category, while the Dubai airport expansion took second place in category III (escalator systems).

Commenting on the award, ETA Melco's senior manager M J Mohamed Iqbal said: "The successful and timely completion of these landmark projects was made possible by the support and motivation from the management and staff at all levels. And the awards are recognition for the effort and teamwork from all those who were involved in these projects, directly and indirectly."

"A special note of appreciation must also be made to ETA Melco executive director S Palaniswani and the company's principal Melco, for their support though the critical stages of the project," he said.