The annual list of the Middle East’s Top 60 most prominent contractors, real estate developers, consultants, facilities management companies features more than 11 new entries from across the region, putting in the spotlight the current improving outlook of the sector. These new entries have altered the entire corporate dynamics of the Power Hour 2019.
We revealed who got ranked 21 to 25:
21. Stuart Harrison, CEO of Emrill
Stuart Harrison has over 27 years’ experience in a range of technical, operations and senior business roles, across a variety of projects in facilities management, construction and engineering, including managing services in critical environments, such as international gateway airports, hospitals and healthcare.
Stuart has been with Emrill for almost five years and oversaw implementation of the first Energy Performance Contract (EPC) pilot project in the UAE, which succeeded in achieving average building energy savings of over 26%. In the same year, Stuart also developed the first NICEIC-accredited electrical training course in the UAE, which was introduced at Emrill to further raise electrical contracting standards in the Middle East.
His efforts were rewarded, following discussions with the board he was promoted from Technical Director and appointed as the first Emrill CEO in the company’s sixteen-year history. His strengths as CEO are his ability to effectively manage large teams and complex technical projects, and to deliver world-class solutions whilst balancing the commercial and financial needs of both the business and clients alike.
Emrill’s commitment to quality and providing customer service excellence has enabled us to achieve 88% of our contract wins through existing client partnerships. We also have 80% customer retention. In 2018 and 2019, we worked with some of the most respected developers on some of Dubai’s most prestigious projects, including Dubai Opera, Princess Tower, Dubai Creek Harbour, Dubai Airport Terminal 3’s Concourse B and C, and master communities, including Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Golf Estates.
In terms of expansion while still early in the process, Emrill is currently looking at GCC countries, although worldwide expansion is the ultimate aim. If Emrill proceeds with these expansion plans, it seems likely new offices would be opened in-country in 2019 and GCC-wide trading will commence at the end of the year.
Stuart told Construction Business News: “The emphasis going forward will be to maintain Emrill position as the premier FM Company in the UAE and to expand this unique position on a global scale.”
22. Mohammed Jafer Musthafa, Founder and Managing Director, Daemaar Group
Mohammed Jafer Musthafa is the owner and managing director of Abu Dhabi-based group of companies, Daemaar Group.
Daemaar Group was founded in 2013 with a strong vision, dedication and commitment to build a quality future that unifies efforts within a strategic framework with clear objectives identifying the strength of the developing economy, integrating international and local expertise to weave a strong balance.
The company covers a wide range of businesses from construction to newly-launched retail division. Musthafa has grown the company through a series of entrepreneurial challenges and he is set to invest in poor communities and education/healthcare around the places that he has a business relation with.
Daemaar Group had seen an aggressive growth in the past three years and the management style of the young business owner is reinventing the business scene in the region.
In a statement on the company’s website Mohammed Jafer Musthafa said: “Daemaar Group was founded with a vision and a strong sense of commitment to provide the best of services in every operating sector, keeping a touch of the human element. Our pride lies in the core values that were always deeply rooted to the excellence of our work, the expertise of our team, the progression of our company, and the continuous effort to contribute to a better tomorrow, because the future is always under construction”
23. Emad Jaber, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of LACASA
Emad Jaber is the co-founder and Managing Partner of LACASA Architectural Consultants, one of the leading design & engineering consultancies in the Middle East & North Africa employing more than 320 engineers and architects with several branches across the region.
Emad Jaber is a Key member of the construction industry in the UAE and the MENA region. He has been recognised as an industry leader for the past five years as one of the people who have shaped the construction industry in the Middle East and the MENA region.
The company in the past 12 months has successfully been in involved in projects such as Royal Atlantis Staff Accommodation at JVC, Art of Living Mall, Madinet Bader, LACASA Mall_Palestine, Private Villa at Daria Island, and Townhouse at Al Furjan.
In terms of expansion plans Emad Jaber told Construction Business News: “There are many areas in which our company has the potential to grow. We are constantly looking for ways to become marketable in the industry. Just last year we expanded our head office in Dubai because of some new projects we have taken in the region. Because of this huge ability for growth, we will have to expand our office to become bigger for the new businesses. As we add more employees, we get new ideas thrown in that will help the company continue to expand.”
24. Anwar Sammour, CFO, Intermass
As an Executive Board Member and Intermass’ CFO, Anwar has multiple roles that range from maintaining a balanced and healthy cash flow throughout the group and evaluating different investment opportunities across various verticals to being an integral part of the restructuring process that Intermass embarked on in 2018.
Intermass’ Executive Board, led by the Chief Executive Officer, rolled out a restructuring strategy for its contracting business based on five pillars: developing a highly capable team through constantly improving efficiency, training, recruitment, service, and project management.; assuring quality, safety, and integrity throughout the business; maintaining and developing excellent relationships with both existing and potential clients; positioning ourselves competitively within the market to offer our clients the best value possible; and, finally, observing a strict adherence to program timelines to consistently deliver on time and within budget.
This strategy is steadily achieving its goals and yielding the desired results, as evidenced by the quality of the projects we are involved in and the seamless operations carried out by the different Intermass teams.
In the past 12 months Intermass has successfully been involved with The Aquila School, Dubai worth AED 104mn and Staff Accommodation at Hatta worth AED 88mn.
As the CFO, Anwar has established a solid network of banking relationships with tier-one banks in the UAE, which is essential for growing the business and ensuring very competitive finance costs. He has also commissioned and developed a customised ERP system to produce, in a seamless and timely way, financial reports that are essential to the management of our operations. He also plays an integral part of the decision-making process, evaluating new investment opportunities for the company, and continuing to examine them post-transaction.
25. HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Arada
It has been a milestone year for Arada, which has culminated in the delivery of their first homes, at Nasma Residences, the first project Arada launched back in March 2017. Arada are now in the process of handing over the 107 units in the first phase of this community, which sold out in less than a month, making it Sharjah’s fastest-selling real estate project at the time. Over the course of the last year, Arada awarded the infrastructure contract for Nasma Residences to Darwish Engineering, and the main contracts for Phases 3 and 4 were awarded to Intermass and Phase 5 to Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al-Kharafi and Sons.
For their Aljada project they have now launched two further phases for sale during this time period, including East Village and the Nest student housing community, the first of its kind in Sharjah. Construction is well under way, with the first homes due for delivery by the end of this year.
CEO of Arada, Ahmed Alkhoshaibi told Construction Business News: “As the chief executive officer of Arada, I oversee operational management of every aspect the company, under the guidance of our Chairman, HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, and Vice Chairman, HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal. In the short period of time since Arada has founded, the organisation has grown at a rapid pace, and now has a staff of some 250 professionals, all with relevant experience from some of the region’s most prominent construction-related companies.”
Ahmed Alkhoshaibi also commented on Arada’s plans for expansion: “Arada is a young company that has had its launch focus on the Emirate of Sharjah, but we have ambitions to become a developer that is recognised across the region and further afield for the quality of our communities and our commitment to sustainable building. We recently announced that we are opening a sales office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which will effectively become our first overseas market. We see huge potential in the Kingdom’s real estate sector, where there is plenty of demand for the kind of communities that we build, which have great design, great pricing and great amenities.”