Dating back to 1964, Torre Arcobaleno (Rainbow Tower) at Porto Garibaldi was once an anonymous water reservoir on the site of the important FS Milano Porta Garibaldi railway station. The tower was first renovated ahead of the football World Cup held in Italy in 1990, a project that turned a downtrodden public works into a highly recognisable urban beacon. Since then, the Torre Arcobaleno has been a distinctive symbol of Milan’s colour and creativity, and has gradually become known as a major landmark. Now as then, in 1990, the project was prepared and the works organised by the Architecture Division…
Author: Paromita Dey
Caterpillar Inc. has been named to the 2015 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), recognising Caterpillar as a sustainability leader in the Industrial Engineering sector. This marks the 16th time Caterpillar has been included in the DJSI list. “Sustainable products, services and solutions are very important to our employees and customers,” said Doug Oberhelman, Caterpillar Chairman and CEO. “And we’ve been improving and integrating sustainable practices and solutions for a very long time because – in addition to being important – we know that creates value.” MAN has also been included again in the ranking, with noticeable improvements in talent attraction,…
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has awarded to Stantec International its engineering consultancy contract to build a centre and laboratory for Research and Development at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The consultancy’s scope includes services related to the design and building of a laboratory and research and development centre, developing tenders, assessment of project contractors and onsite supervision during the building process. This contract pertains to the second phase of implementation of the Research and Development Centre. The first phase is already complete and includes defining the strategy, fields of research, and roadmap to execute the…
In the next few years, Saudi Arabia’s construction industry is expected to grow with the value of projects planned and under way estimated to be over SAR3.75 trillion. This construction market encompasses several sectors including transport, infrastructure, utilities, education and healthcare. The kingdom aims to prioritise upgrades to local roads, rail, port and airports along with other facilities in order to attract private investment. Supporting the development, the country’s government has made its largest allocation for the 2015 budget toward the transport and infrastructure sector of SAR630bn. One of the key projects in focus in the KSA is the rail…
Construction Business News ME speaks with sustainability experts to discuss the role of greenwashing in Middle East’s construction industry
Qatar’s construction sector has seen strong and buoyant growth since the announcement of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but look beyond the stadiums and the industry is alive with record breaking infrastructure projects that will pave the way for the state’s next wave of growth This December marks five years since the award of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar – a decision which has been mired in controversy, but one which has brought about an untold level of economic stability and opportunity to a Gulf state that was previously happy to live on its hydrocarbons revenue. In the…
Plunging oil prices and economic uncertainty have sparked jitters in the GCC construction industry. But there is good reason for optimism, say analysts. By Joanne Bladd For the GCC construction industry, August was an uneasy month. First was news of heavy losses at Dubai’s largest-listed contractor Arabtec; a first-half loss of Dh1.3bn, prompting a 5.3 per cent slump in its share price. Then came one of the worst day’s trading in years on regional stock markets, triggered by China’s cooling economy and swelling alarm over plunging crude prices. Days earlier, global ratings agency Fitch had cut its outlook on Saudi…
A growing market at the Gulf’s back door is giving companies a reason to map out a plan of action for tackling Africa In the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, a young population are learning, earning and wanting more. In scenes played out across East Africa and the urban hubs of the wider continent, African cities are slowly becoming the economic powerhouses some say they have been destined to be for quite some time. Improved education, greater levels of investment and government support for long-term development projects to improve infrastructure are boosting economies and creating opportunities. “There is a…
With the last recorded population in the UAE to be 9.2 million in 2013, the current healthcare sector is under pressure to provide more facilities. This is the same for any country, even the UK’s long-established healthcare system has been growing at a steady rate of 5%. As the the UAE massively invests to improve its sector to match world leaders, CEO of Enova Alexandre Mussallam speaks with Construction Business News ME about current challenges faced in energy and facilities management in healthcare How is maintaining a healthcare building different from a commercial building? Managing facilities within a public building…
Peter Vogel, director of Doka Middle East, speaks with Lorraine Bangera about innovation as an art of problem-solving and making construction processes more efficient, sustainable and safe With over 150 years of experience, formwork-provider Doka prides itself in finding solutions for the most complex construction projects in the world. Founded and still owned today by the Umdasch family, Doka has proven to be a globally recognised brand in construction. Its projects have spread across continents with the most eminent ones to be found here in the GCC. Some of those projects include Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and the soon-to-be world’s largest…