Work on Duqm port facility to begin

THE construction of Oman Oil Marketing Company’s bunkering facility at Duqm Port in Oman will begin soon, following the completion of the design phase.

The $50-million bunkering facility aims to meet heavy fuel oil and marine diesel oil demands in addition to the marine lubricant needs of ships that call at the port.

The project’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract is expected to be tendered in the third quarter of this year, say sources close to the project.

In November, Oman Oil signed a bunkering licence and land lease agreement with Port of Duqm Company (PDC) to develop this project. The facility is part of the Duqm Port’s strategy to create a new hub for oil and shipping midway between Oman’s existing major industrial centres of Sohar and Salalah, which will include a new refinery, petrochemicals complex and oil pipelines.

Pearl-Qatar mosques a step closer

BIDS for the design and construction of two additional mosques on The Pearl-Qatar are currently being evaluated by United Development Company (UDC), the master developer of the artificial island off Doha, Qatar.

The mosques, in the vicinity of the Qatar Cool plant and Isola Dana islets, will accommodate up to 300 worshipers each, UDC said.

Each mosque will have a ground floor as the praying area, an upper floor for staff, including the Imam, and support services in an overall area of 1,080 sq m.

Work covers electro-mechanical services and associated external schemes, including paved walkways and the main sanctuary, in line with standards and specifications set by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs. UDC is also working on the expansion of the Grand Mosque at the island’s entrance, raising its capacity from 1,200 worshippers to 3,000.

Mideast key market for South Korea

THE Middle East remained the largest market for South Korean builders whose overseas orders reached $31.6 billion in the first five months of this year, up 35 per cent from the same period a year ago.

According to data by the International Contractors Association of Korea, the value of orders was the highest in four years since a Korean consortium won a contract to build nuclear reactors in the UAE in 2010.

By region, contracts from the Middle East were worth a total of $24.6 billion, accounting for 77.9 per cent of all orders. Massive multibillion-dollar plant deals, including Kuwait’s Clean Fuel project and an oil refinery plant in Karbala, Iraq, were the key contributors.

Asia came next with a record $4.9 billion but the amount fell short of last year’s $10.1 billion due to the decreased number of large-scale civil-engineering and plant construction projects.

Work on French school project begins

THE foundation stone for the French School has been laid at the Airport Heights in Muscat, Oman, under the patronage of the French Embassy, and the Agency for French Teaching Abroad (AEFE).

The project, expected to be completed by the end of 2015, will comprise 25 classrooms, four science laboratories, a library, common facilities, a 200-sq-m gymnasium, a 25-m-long swimming pool and a student cafeteria. It is expected to accommodate up to 450 students at all class levels.

Oman’s Ministry of Housing provided the land on which the project is being constructed, as part of its efforts to invest in the educational field, and the French government is contributing to this project.

Fire consultancy opens in Doha

EXOVA Warringtonfire, a specialist fire engineering, testing and certification provider, has opened a new fire consultancy business in Doha, Qatar.

The Qatar consultancy will be the first independent global fire engineering specialist to be established in the city. It will offer fire safety engineering and inspection.

Doha is the latest expansion initiative of the company, which has established operations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Stuart Kerr, Exova Warringtonfire’s general manager in the Middle East, said: “Motivated by customer demand, this expansion will allow us to service a growing number of customers in Qatar that require technically demanding fire engineering services, and to support the Qatar Civil Defence Department.”

Hill wins Boulevard Mall contract

HILL International, the global leader in managing construction risk, has received a contract to provide project management services in connection with the Boulevard Mall in Doha, Qatar.

The three-year contract has an estimated value to Hill of QR11 million ($3 million).

The Boulevard Mall will have a total built-up area of approximately 182,000 sq m and will include a hypermarket, cinema and family entertainment centre. The mall is expected to be completed by April 2017.

Brooks Forgings eyes the Gulf

UK-BASED Brooks Forgings is looking to expand in the Gulf region and is seeking new partners.

Brooks has made the metal forgings, fabrications and machined components for major construction and civil engineering projects including the Olympic Velodrome in London, UK.

Richard Lee, marketing manager, said: “We are currently forging components between 10 mm and 100 mm in diameter. As far as I know we are the only UK forge manufacturing hammerhead bolts up to M100 and 6 m in length.”