The Bahrain office of ETEC Etudes Techniques, a leading engineering consultancy firm, is busy with site supervision works of a few key components within the Riffa Views development to ensure that the project is completed on schedule.

“The contractors have started the finishing works on the Golf Academy and Country Club,” says Rimal Hajjar Basbous, project director and senior architect at ETEC.
At the Riffa Views, ETEC has been involved in the architectural and engineering services, which include concept design, execution drawings, tender documents and site supervision. Some of the components that the company has been associated with include the Country Club, Golf Academy and hotel apartments, which feature high-end and striking architecture.
ETEC has also designed the anchor villas within The Park and Lagoons estates.
Commenting on the project, Basbous says: “Our brief was to maintain the existing elements of the Golf Club, while at the same time present a coherent yet striking architecture for the Country Club. In addition, the client wanted to establish a very polished finish to the entire development by incorporating simplicity at a modern level.”
“The Riffa Views is outstanding as most of exterior works utilise high-end finishes, a very minimalist approach while being elegant and modern,” she adds.
ETEC Etudes Techniques started work on the BD7.5 million ($19.89 million) project in November last year and is expecting the completion by the end of September.
“Riffa Views has been a fast-track project,” says Basbous. “ETEC’s site supervision team has ensured that the specified materials reflecting the design concept have been approved in time.”
She continues: “One of the challenges of the project was to create an iconic design that reflects the importance of the Riffa Views development and the existing clubhouse. The sophisticated design and the use of special materials have helped ensure the success of the project and in the creation of an important landmark.”
Apart from the Riffa Views project, ETEC Bahrain is close to securing a number of projects and is expecting to start work on them soon, says Basbous.
Established in Lebanon in 1965, ETEC Etudes Techniques has over the years expanded its operations in the Middle East and into Africa and Europe. As part of its expansion plans, the company set up its Saudi office in 1970. It has subsequently opened up an office in Bahrain in March 2006, to handle the business in the region. It is registered under category A, fulfilling all design disciplines, she says.
Commenting on Bahrain’s construction industry, she says: “The market is growing tremendously and is in the midst of a boom. This growth of the construction sector is very promising as it attracts foreign investment and employs local talent.”
Coinciding with the boom, ETEC has also witnessed a surge in business since setting up operations in Bahrain. The future is promising and ETEC is looking forward to expand its work and presence in the region, she comments.
ETEC has worked with government agencies, corporates and individual investors, carrying out a host of specialised services that include: surveys and feasibility studies; design and detailed drawings; specifications; and quantities and site supervision for quality and cost control.
To date, the company has worked on a diverse range of projects that include buildings such as commercial centres, housing and offices, hotels, hospitals, school and universities; industrial, recreational and religious facilities; government and military buildings; infrastructure such as highways and bridges, sewerage, irrigation and flood control systems, reservoirs, ports and structures, incinerators, sea water desalination plants, power plants and pumping stations; electrical and low current works; and mechanical, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) and plumbing works. In case of specialised or large projects, the firm draws upon the resources of its long-established professional partnerships with specialised consultants in France, the UK, Holland, Germany and Italy.
Listing out the business activities of the company, she says: “A majority of ETEC’s project has involved working together with international contractors and consultants and assisting them in the design, execution and detailed drawings, bar bending schedules, specifications and bills of quantities, for a wide range of works that include: architectural finishes, structural works, electro-mechanical works, various infrastructure and civil works, as well as soft and hard landscaping works.”
“Our company has its unique approach to concept design and to the way it deals with different projects,” says Basbous. “The expertise and high qualifications of our team in all project aspects have ensured remarkable creativity and fluidity in all our designs. This has helped us to present to our clients a unique and complete concept that fully reflects their requirements. ETEC is proud to compete with other similar reputed firms and to bring its new ideas into the Bahrain’s growing and promising market,” she concludes.
Currently, the company has a 75-member team that includes specialised engineers and architects, who work from its state-of-the-art offices. Its 250 sq m offices in Bahrain have a staff of 19 employees.