Call to build new Saudi causeways

A senior municipal official in Saudi Arabia has proposed the construction of two causeways linking the kingdom with neighbouring Bahrain and Qatar, said a report.

The causeway between Al Ahsa in the Eastern Province and Bahrain would be 40 km long and would be located around 100 km from the King Fahad Causeway which has linked Bahrain and Saudi Arabia since November 1986, reported the Gulf News.

The proposed causeway would be 380 km away from Riyadh, stated the report, citing Adel Bin Mohammad Al Melhem, the head of Al Ahsa Municipality. The causeway with Qatar would be 25 km long and would be 70 km away from the proposed link with Bahrain and 425 km from Riyadh, said the report.

Baker Botts adds new partner

Baker Botts, a leading international law firm, announced that Stuart Jordan has joined the firm’s London office as a partner in the Global Projects Group.

“We are delighted that Stuart is joining us as we continue to grow our London office,” said Andrew Baker, managing partner of Baker Botts. “Adding a lawyer of Stuart’s calibre is a natural extension of our strength as a leading global energy firm.”

Jordan’s practice focuses on the oil, gas, power, transport, petrochemical, nuclear and construction industries. A Bachelor of Laws graduate from London’s Guildhall University, he has extensive experience in the Middle East, Russia and the UK and joins the firm from King Wood & Mallesons (see Legally Bound).

Tactile Roofing to open BIIP venture

Baytik Industrial Oasis Company (BIO), the modular industrial leasing complex at Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP), has signed a lease agreement with Tactile Roofing.

BIO has leased an area of 4,783 sq m to Tactile Roofing for its new venture in Bahrain involving the production of stone coated metal roofing tiles utilising advanced technology. Tactile Roofing will export products across the GCC and to Africa.

Barwa plans 12,000 housing units

Qatar-based Barwa Real Estate Group plans to complete the work on 12,000 residential units within the next four years in line with its commitment to provide homes to citizens at reasonable rents, said a report.

“Most of our projects will be on housing, focusing on residential mid and high-mid segments. This year, they include Dara in Lusail, Barwa Village, which will be an extension of the existing Barwa Village, and Barwa Doha,” remarked Group CEO Salman Mohamed Al Muhannadi.

Consultants sought for highway

Bahrain’s Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning has invited bids for the study and detailed designs for Budaiya Highway revamp and expansion which will increase the capacity of the highway to more than 100,000 vehicles a day.

The studies will focus on the possibility of expanding the highway to three lanes in each direction, and creating service roads for the real estates overlooking Budaiya Highway, which have no alternative access points, stated Huda Fakhro, the roads assistant undersecretary at the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning. “The project also includes revamping the existing intersections and creating more, if needed.”

$2.2bn funding for Egypt housing

Four Egyptian banks will arrange the biggest financing in the history of the country’s housing sector worth E£20 billion ($2.25 billion) to build 500,000 low-income homes. The state-run Social Housing Fund will receive E£6.33 billion ($710 million) each from the National Bank of Egypt (NBE), Banque Misr and Banque Du Caire, with the Housing and Development Bank (HDB) lending E£1 billion ($110 million), according to reports. The loans will be repaid over four years.

Qatar hospital annexe completed

Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) said it has successfully completed the construction and equipping works related to the annexe building of the upcoming QR900-million ($247 million) Hamad General Hospital project.

The new General Surgery Building includes 20 operating rooms. In addition to the construction works, Ashghal also implemented the work related to the multi-storey car-park that will accommodate around 800 vehicles. A major highlight of the annexe building is the provision for two helipads to transfer emergency cases, which is directly connected to the operating rooms and the ICU.

SSH wins Al Mouj contract

SSH, a leading infrastructure, building design and project management firm in the Middle East, has won the contract to design villas and apartment blocks at Al Mouj Muscat, (formerly known as The Wave, Muscat), a mixed-use destination in Oman.

As per the deal, SSH will design two villa prototypes to be used in Zunairah, a collection of exclusive beachfront villas and the latest addition to the Al Mouj Muscat community masterplan.

The collection will be split into two zones: Z1 with a total built-up area of 900 sq m, and Z2 with a 1,800 sq m built-up area.

The apartment blocks, Juman One, will provide resort-living services of elegance and style and uninterrupted views to the Almouj marina.

Veolia wins waste management deal

Veolia, a global leader in optimised resource management, has secured its first waste management contract in Oman in partnership with its local partner Al Ramooz National.

The contract was awarded by be’ah (Oman Environmental Services Holding Company) to manage the  municipal waste in the governorates of Al Dhahirah and Al Buraimi in northwestern Oman.

Oman to build $400m oil terminal

Oman plans to build a major oil storage terminal on its southeastern coast, spending between $300 million and $400 million in the first phase, Minister of Oil and Gas Mohammad bin Hamad Al Rumhy said.

It will be built by a subsidiary of state-owned Oman Oil Company (OOC) at Ras Markaz, about 70 km from Duqm, where the government is developing a port and industrial zone.

In its first phase, the storage facility will have a capacity of between 6 million and 10 million barrels of oil and serve an oil refinery planned for Duqm. Capacity could be expanded to as much as 200 million barrels.

MAF unveils $1.8bn Oman plan

Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), a leading shopping mall and leisure pioneer in the region, plans to increase its total investment in Oman to RO705 million ($1.82 billion) by 2020.

The company’s current investment strategy includes further new developments, such as Mall of Oman and My City Centre Sur, as well as the next stage of development at Al Mouj Muscat and the expansion of its existing retail and entertainment businesses including Magic Planet, Carrefour and Vox Cinemas. The plan also includes the development of City Centre Sohar, a new regional mall.

Hill JV wins Qatar Rail deal

Hill International, a global leader in managing construction risk, said its joint venture with Italferr and Astad Engineering Consultancy and Project Management Company has been awarded a QR151.6-million ($41.6 million) contract by Qatar Rail to provide project management consultancy services for the Lusail Light Rail Transit (LLRT) system in Doha.

In line with the vision of Lusail City, the LLRT network will serve the residents of the city connecting destinations within Lusail and also to Doha by way of the Doha Metro. The 38.5-km tram system will have four lines, 25 stations at-grade and seven underground stations.

$3.5bn saving with green buildings

GCC countries can save a whopping $3.5 billion with energy-efficient buildings, said industry experts ahead of the International Design Exhibition (Index), which was staged in Dubai, UAE, last month (May 23 to 26).

With energy and facilities management combining for 90 per cent of a building’s operating costs, energy-efficient buildings can drive $2 billion in savings across the UAE, according to a recent report by the Middle East Facility Management Association (Mefma).

KidzMondo breaks ground in Qatar

KidzMondo has broken ground on its one-of-a-kind miniature edutainment city in Doha, Qatar. 

The new development will come up at the Mall of Qatar over a built-up area of about 8,000 sq m, and will host more than 60 unique establishments.

Some of the key establishments at the indoor theme park include a bank, aircraft, fire station, gas station, police station, hospital, driving institute, race track, university, car wash, barbershop, TV, radio, perfume shop and an oil and gas refinery, among others.

KidzMondo plans to expand across the GCC, Middle East and North Africa (Mena), Levant, and International regions, with the aim of becoming the number one edutainment destination in the world.