Author: CBNME Writer

Indian motor company breaks into the region with a brand new design and advanced technology that competes with global standards Tata Motors, one of India’s largest automobile manufacturer, launched two new next-generation heavy duty trucks in Dubai in March this year. The manufacturer along with UAE dealer-partners, United Diesel and Dalma motors launched the Prima range of commercial vehicles including the Prima 4438S (4X2) tractor head and the Prima 4038K (6X4) Construction tipper. The Tata Prima range claims superior technology, optimum power, fuel efficiency and safety. Ravindra Pisharody, Executive Director of Commercial Vehicles Business Unit at Tata Motors, says: “The…

Hill International’s regional president for the Middle East Mohammed Al Rais on the project management sector in the region, and its way forward in what is now a booming construction market With more than 35 years of experience in the management of construction projects around the world, Mohammed Al Rais looks to be extremely well placed in his role as regional president for the Middle East for the New York Stock Exchange-listed construction consultancy, Hill International. Al Rais was appointed to this position in January this year (he was earlier the Senior Vice President and Managing Director for the firm),…

KEF Holding plans to boost its operations with its expertise in offsite construction technology. The company is offering design, engineering, manufacturing, and assembling as one holistic service. Chairman of KEF holding, Faizal E. Kottikollon, tells Lorraine Bangera why offsite construction is the future Could you tell us more about the KEF Industrial Park? Last year, KEF Holding launched the KEF Industrial Park, which is India’s only offsite construction facility. The 42-acre park will manufacture building components such as columns, beams, hollow core slabs, wall panels, staircases, windows, doors, bathroom units and façades. The facility will help cut construction tenure and…

As the use of air conditioning continues to rise in the region, the power demand also increases astronomically. At this point sustainable solutions are not only a wise choice, but imperative. District cooling might be gaining popularity at this point, but CEO of DC Pro Engineering, George Berbari, says it is not enough. He speaks with Lorraine Bangera about upgrading the system with tri-generation and using renewables as better source in order to save exhaustible fuels like oil and gas George Berbari started his journey in 1995 with a natural gas fed district cooling scheme in Zayed Military City, Abu…

Saadiyat Development and Investment Company showcases innovative designs, landscapes and architecture at the upcoming Hidd Al Saadiyat development Last month, Saadiyat Development and Investment Company (SDIC) showcased its first villas at the Hidd Al Saadiyat development, a 1.5 million square metres of natural waterfront land on the North-east part of the Island. Abu-dhabi based real estate development started the infrastructure work on Hidd Al Saadiyat in October 2012 and the construction of the villas for the community in July of 2013, the first villas are now available for viewing by its clients and potential buyers. The community is also covered…

Alila Jabal Akhdar has been awarded LEED Silver Certification in the Building Design and Construction rating system for New Construction by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the first LEED certified project in the Sultanate of Oman. Lorraine Bangera speaks with construction manager on the project, Ammar Al Kharusi, about its development and achievement Settled 2,000 metres above sea level in the western part of Al Hajar Mountains, Alila Jabal Akhda resort aims to be a hotspot for high-end tourists in the Gulf region. The resort has won many accolades since it first opened in May last year.…

The issue of indoor air pollution is still languishing behind the times when it comes to office and building design and functionality.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) solutions has been in the market for more than a decade but the transition to BIM has been taking longer than expected. Experts say this is probably because of the lack of knowledge in the market about what BIM really is. Lorraine Bangera writes Let’s get one thing straight, BIM is not something to get done with and checked off. It’s a process. Peter Gertler, Consulting Director at Autodesk, explains it well when he says it’s like the accounts department in an organisation that is carried out through the whole lifecycle of a company. BIM solutions…

Transport infrastructure development is worth billions in every country of the GCC Transport infrastructure is at the heart of any urban development, with mobility of goods, services and people essential to oil the wheels of the economy. It’s no surprise then that the last decade has seen the nations that make up the GCC invest billions in building a transport network that rivals any in the world. Figures for the combined value of investment still to come are hard to pin down, but regardless of their variety they all have size in common. A report released late last year by…