BASF, Kanoo open Abu Dhabi branch

BASF, the world’s leading chemical company and a major supplier of materials to the construction industry, has joined hands with regional partner Kanoo Group to open a new branch office in Abu Dhabi.

The new office, which is housed in the Nation Towers close to the corniche, comes as part of BASF’s strong commitment to Abu Dhabi as one of its regional focus markets.

RTA awards roads contract

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)  has awarded a contract for the construction of two three-lane bridges and three underpasses under Phase Two of the Dh335-million ($91 million) Parallel Roads Project currently under way to ease congestion on Sheikh Zayed Road. The work involves the construction of a 295-m-long bridge at the junction of Al Meydan and Al Sa’ada streets, and another 240-m-long three--lane bridge. It also includes the construction of three underpasses spanning 4 km.

Hidd Al Saadiyat starts marina work

Hidd Al Saadiyat, a beachfront community in Abu Dhabi, has started work on its private marina which is scheduled for completion in April next year.

The marina, to be built by the Ghantoot Group, is to feature a pedestrian walkway and 110 berths for boats.

Hidd Al Saadiyat has 461 villas within Saadiyat Island and nearly 7 km of beachfront.  Construction work on the project began in January 2013 and so far all the construction milestones have been achieved, according to Lead Development, the project manager on Hidd Al Saadiyat. The project is to be handed over by the end of this year.

JV to build $68m steel plant

Dubai Investments (DI) and Abu Dhabi National Company for Building Materials (Bildco) are to jointly set up a steel plant in Musaffah, Abu Dhabi, at a cost of Dh250 million ($68 million).

The new plant, expected to go on stream by the end of 2017 at Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD) III in Musaffah, will produce 300,000 tonnes of reinforced steel bar per annum, once fully operational.

Sharjah road upgrade on track

The Khor Fakkan-Shes-Dafta road upgrade in Sharjah is on schedule with work on some of the tunnels leading to Khor Fakkan and Dafta area completed, paving the way for the development and upgradation of the project, according to state news agency Wam.

The Khor Fakkan-Shes-Dafta scheme is one of the most important road projects in the emirate.

Turner & Townsend wins contract

Turner & Townsend has won a contract to provide cost management services for the expansion of Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai South.

Part of a wider $32-billion development, the expansion of the terminal will include a larger immigration hall with 55 control counters, an extended departure area with 91 check-in desks and an extra 12 boarding gates and lounges, a new outbound baggage handling building, and additional parking and approach roads.

Dubai Courts inks car-park deal

Dubai Courts has signed a contract with Park Line for the development of the world’s largest automated car-park within its premises, the first project announced under Dubai’s public-private partnership (PPP) law.

The Dubai Supreme Court complex includes development of a new Supreme Court building, covering 4,420 sq m that will house over 50 Supreme Court judges, 18,600 sq m of office space and 3,154 sq m of retail space. The project, located on part of the existing premises, is scheduled for completion in 30 months.

Dubai to overhaul classification

Dubai Land Department (DLD) is implementing a complete overhaul of its building classification system as part of its efforts to steer the real estate towards more transparency and reliability in line with the Dubai Plan 2021.

Under the new system, buildings will get star ratings out of five based on 60 requirements. The classification system has been used to survey of 20,000 plots of land and more than 120,000 units including apartments, offices, retail, schools, and public amenities.

Bagnodesign opens Tile Studio

Bagnodesign has added a brand new Tile Studio to its flagship showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.

Showcasing the latest and the most innovative collections for the bathroom environment from premier brands including FAP, Johnson Tiles, Cerdisa, the Tile Studio provides the design community with inspiration for their projects, along with a wealth of expertise and guidance offered by the knowledgeable design team.

Aabar builds 6,000 housing units

Aabar Properties, a subsidiary of International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), is constructing 6,000 units across Abu Dhabi, said a report.

“Some (projects) are complete while some are being transferred to clients. There are other projects which are in the design stage,” Suhail Al Mazroui, the Minister of Energy and managing director of IPIC, was quoted as saying by the Gulf News newspaper.

Penspen awarded contract

Penspen has signed an agreement with Adnoc Distribution to provide detailed engineering services for the upgrade of various terminals and depot facilities in the UAE. These include Al Ain Zakher Terminal, Mussafah Multi-Product Depot, Madinat Zayed (Beda Zayed) Depot, Dhow Harbour Depot and Saneyah Plot in Al Ain, which are Adnoc Distribution’s main downstream facilities which store key fuel products.

Hitches & Glitches opens office

Dubai-based home maintenance company Hitches & Glitches (H&G), part of the Farnek Group, has opened a new office in Abu Dhabi, to serve the increasing numbers of landlords and tenants in the capital.

The new office is located close to the main residential areas of Khalifa City A and B, Abu Dhabi Island and Reem Island, which will enable the company to provide timely and convenient response to the owners and tenants of residential properties located in and around these areas.

EBS seals Riyadh Metro contract

Emirates Building Systems (EBS) has been awarded a contract to provide steel structures for the second phase of the Riyadh Metro project.

The metro contract is part of Dh51 million ($13.8 million) worth of projects won by EBS across Saudi Arabia and Oman, as demand for steel structures increases in the GCC.

EBS has also won a new contract from Petrofac in the Khazzan gas project in Oman. With the new projects, it expects to build on its 2015 sales revenue of more than Dh200 million ($54.4 million).

Dubai desal plant work on track

Work on a water desalination unit at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai is on schedule with 35 per cent of the project completed, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and chief executive of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa).

The plant is powered by a photovoltaic array and uses reverse osmosis technology to produce 50 cu m of drinking water per day.