Oman awards smelter contract

OMAN Aluminium Rolling Company has awarded Italian group Fata a $300-million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for its rolling plant in Sohar, Oman. The 160,000-tonne facility will contain a Hazelett continuous caster, while Fata Hunter will supply a hot rolling mill along with cold rolling and finishing equipment.
Oman Aluminium Rolling Company is set to break ground on the project next month with the first production coils targeted for August 2013.

The rolling mill will serve the aluminium food container and food preservation foil markets, along with material for the automotive heat exchanger and air-conditioning markets, said Fata EPC, a division of Fata located in Turin, Italy.

The mill is being supplied molten metal from Sohar Aluminium Company, which is located next door.

Fata began engineering works in January 2011 and it estimates the employment levels during construction will peak at approximately 1,200 persons.

Samsung opens Jubail centre

SOUTH Korean engineering company Samsung has launched a high-tech engineering centre in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
The Samsung Naffora Techno Valley, worth SR375 million ($100 million), is a 50,000-sq-m training complex funded, developed and constructed by Samsung Saudi Arabia. The new engineering complex will serve as a recruitment, education and training hub for Saudi engineers and includes dormitories, dining facilities and a sports centre with various amenities.

BIM boost for Amana

OMNIX International, a leading regional technology service provider and integrator in the Middle East, has announced the successful implementation of essential building information modelling (BIM) technology for leading contracting company, Amana Contracting and Steel Buildings.

Implemented over a two-month period, the installation covered BIM software like Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure Solutions and Navisworks, which is expected to help strengthen Amana’s operations and fast-track development in UAE projects where sustainable construction is involved and Estidama (Pearl Rating) guidelines are observed.

Bahrain to ease construction ban

BAHRAIN municipality officials said they plan to ease a six-year ban on construction in the old neighbourhoods of Muharraq area. The Muharraq Municipal Council has agreed to consider home and building permits on a case-by-case basis. New criteria will now be drawn up by the Muharraq Municipality for applicants before requests are submitted to the council for approval.