1d0304f9-d642-475f-8aa3-a54f62af63cc

NEWS ANALYSI S I NTELLI GENCE PROJECTS CONTRACTS TENDERS
JAN 15-21, 2011 ISSUE 352

CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM AN ITP BUSINESS PUBLICATION
NEWS ANALYSI S I NTELLI GENCE PROJECTS CONTRACTS TENDERS
AUGUST 13-26, 2011 ISSUE 381
Team game
Skilled squad
to start build
p36

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Tall order
Structure
and design
challenges
p40
SPECIAL ISSUE
ANALYSIS HOW BIG A RISK IS KINGDOM TOWER?
People power
Minds behind
the vision
p32
Project plans
Whats in store
for Jeddah
p30
KINGDOM
TOWER
BECKONS
Saudi Binladin Group to construct
$1.2 billion world record attempt
AUGUST 13-26, 2011 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 1
AUGUST 13-26, 2011 ISSUE 381
INTELLIGENCE
FINANCE
SNAPSHOT
ROUND-UP
COMMENT
GUEST COMMENT
PROJECTS
APPOINTMENTS
Abu Dhabis Bab Al Qasr announces contract awards
Arabtec profit down two thirds
GCC GDP continues to help fund infrastructure projects
The wave-shaped Rocco Forte Hotel and its landmark ambitions
The Kingdom beckons
How long will the Kingdom tower take to build?
CW provides a collection of its most recent site visits
Shuffle, Top Three Jobs and Tips for Job Seekers
04
08
10
12
18
20
48
54
PROJECT
CITY OF THE HYPER TALL
Stuart Matthews details the scope, location
and design of Jeddahs Kingdom Tower.
ARCHITECT
KING OF SKYSCRAPERS
Adrian Smith and his desire to continue to
top the worlds tallest tower projects.
TECHNOLOGY
HIGHER AND FASTER
Stephen White on the technical hurdles contractors will have to overcome to build 1km-high.
30
34
VISION
THE PASSION OF A PRINCE
Anil Bhoyrul talks to Prince Alwaleed Bin
Talal about his vision for the tower.
32
CONTENTS
44
CHALLENGES
TALL ORDER
Oilver Ephgrave examines the structural challenges involved in designing a 1km-high tower.
40
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2 CONSTRUCTION WEEK AUGUST 13-26, 2011
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Challenges
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TIHEk
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Essential construction products and services
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ANALYSIS DOES CONSTRUCTIONSTILL GENERATE JOBS?

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Tenders of note: Two contracts imminent on
Bab Al Qasr twin-tower project in Abu Dhabi
Main contractor Nurol was awarded the main contract in September 2009, after NSCC had completed the enabling and piling work.
INTELLIGENCE
T
wo further contracts for work on the
twin-tower Bab Al Qasr development
in central Abu Dhabi are to be awarded
shortly, according to the design consultant on
the development.
Jacobs International is overseeing the project
management on the 168,000m
2
area project,
which will contain a hotel tower and serviced
apartment tower, both 32 floors, atop a five-
floor podium.
Nurol is the main contractor, having been
awarded the building work in September 2009,
after NSCC had completed the initial enabling
and piling work.
Ashraf Owaida, project manager for the
consultant, said the package for the lighting
contract is being compiled as we speak, and
should be awarded by around the end of August.
The second package comprises all ICT
(information communication technology)
works. The key is to have a fully-integrated
system, including firefighting and security
systems, said Owaida.
The structure will employ Moroccan-style
stone cladding in the podium to partly reflect
the origins of the client, Emirates-Morocco
Trading & General Investment Company
(Emroc), a real-estate company formed shortly
before it launched the project in 2006. By
September of that year, it had hired Surbana
International Consultants to develop the design.
The glass in the towers will also have a bronze
tint in order to make the structure stand out in
the crowded Corniche area, which also includes
Emirates Palace Hotel, Khalidiya Hotel and
Etihad Towers.
INTELLIGENCE
The International Islamic Relief
Organisation of Saudi Arabia (IIROSA)
has signed a contract with a national
construction company to build a
residential hotel tower in the Ajyad area
in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Adnan Bin Khalil Basha, IIROSA
Secretary General, said the 29-storey
tower will have a total built-up area of
24,375m
2
, 518 rooms and a prayer area
for 600 worshipers.
Last year IIROSA launched six
new Waqf (endowment) projects in
Makkah at a cost of about $133,000,
which are expected to render annual
returns of about $12m, which will be
used to finance the organisations relief,
humanitarian and development projects.
Contract signed for
Makkah hotel
The planned causeway will link Kuwait City (pictured) with Subiya.
For up-to-the-minute
tenders log on to
constructionweekonline.com
TOP TENDERS
Construction of Elementary
Schools
Country: Saudi Arabia
Closes: 13 August
Client: RCJY
Category: Buildings
Construction of 11 / 132 / 400kV
Sabah Al Ahmad Substation
Country: Kuwait
Closes: 14 August
Client: Central Tenders Committee
Category: Buildings
Annual Maintenance of Power
Plant Equipment
Country: Kuwait
Closes: 14 August
Category: Buildings
Maintenance of A/C in HQ of
Ministry of Water & Electricity
Country: Kuwait
Closes: 14 August
Category: Buildings
Construction of Yanbu Power &
Desal Plant, Phase 3
Closes: 15 August
Client: SWCC
Category: Power & Water
Construction of Asphalt Road to
Wadi Al Sahtan
Country: Oman
Closes: 15 A ugust
Client: Ministry of Transport
Category: Infrastructure
Construction of Sewerage
Network System
Country: Oman
Closes: 15 August
Client: Ministry of Water Resources
Construction of Raysut Industrial
Estate Expansion
Country: Oman
Closes: 15 August
Client: PEIE
Category: Buildings
Sewer & Treated Effluent
Pipelines
Country: Oman
Closes: 15 August
Client: Haya Water
Supply of General Maintenance
Equipment
Country: Oman
Closes: 15 August
Client: Oman Refinery Co.
Saudi tender launch
for Jeddah metro
Tenders are imminent for Saudi Arabias
long-awaited, ambitious 108km-long
Jeddah metro network project, according
to the governor of the Makkah province.
Following the conclusion of a study
related to transport infrastructure in the
city of Jeddah, which included metro
trains, buses and taxis, Prince Khalid Al
Faisal announced that a process would
be embarked upon to allow private
companies to compete for the tender
Last year, the Kingdom unveiled plans
for a metro system in Saudi Arabias
second-largest city. The planned
network will comprise three lines. That
announcement came a year after the oil-
rich state announced a $5.6bn investment
programme for the citys transport system.
The Ministry of Public
Works in Kuwait is
once again looking for
a design-and-build
contractor for the
planned 36km-long
causeway that will
link Kuwait City with
Subiyah on the northern
side of Kuwait Bay.
The project, which
was first announced in
2001, has gone through
numerous delays and
false starts since then.
Kuwaits Ministry of
Public retendered
packages in October
2009 after three years
of inactivity. The tender
process was thought to
have been completed in
February this year when
the design-and-build
contract was awarded to
Hyundai Engineering &
Construction Company.
However, this was later
declined on the grounds
of the tender not being
compliant, despite
the $2.6bn bid being
considerably lower than
Hyundai's competitors,
which included the
likes of mega regional
contractors such as the
Saudi Binladin Group and
the Al Habtoor Leighton
Group. In the latest twist
in the saga, the tender
has once again been re-
issued. Kuwaits Ministry
of Public Works ministry
describes the mooted
project as a design-
and-build contract for
a 36km-long causeway,
incorporating a bridge
spanning 150m to 200m,
connecting Shuwaikh
Port/Ghazali expressway
with Subiya New Town."
Kuwait-Subiyah causeway is back out to tender
INTELLIGENCE
Good Week/Bad Week
Fluor
Wins utilities contract at Sadara
Emirates Steel
Signs MoU with Etihad Rail
ABB
Wins Jubail substation contract
Skills' costs
Report: skilled labour costs increase
Labour camp
Four die in Mussaffah warehouse blaze
Workers' clash
Four dead, 16 hurt in China labour clash
tenders log on to
Broadway Malyan has delivered the
concept masterplan for the 10x10 project
in Iraq, involving a 17km
2
extension of Sadr
City in Baghdad. The project has been
named 10x10 due to its $10bn value and
ten-year delivery timeframe.
The completion of the concept
masterplan is a major milestone in the
creation of a sustainable community,
with a strong identity for over 500,000
inhabitants, and which will ease
overcrowding in Sadr City, said director
John Turner. The practices team has
worked closely with the client, the
Mayoralty of Baghdad, to deliver a concept
masterplan. It secured the appointment
through an open competition which began
in 2009 and, following the submission
of a proposal in association with DATA
Consultants, the practices were confirmed
the preferred bidders in late 2009, with
design work starting in April 2010.
Broadway Malyan
plan Iraq project
XThe Doha Metro is kicking off with six urgent design-and-build packages.
Qatar invites bids
for Doha Metro
Qatar Railways Company (QRail) has
invited bids from companies wanting to
participate in the design and construction
of the Doha Metro. The announcement
follows various awareness events held in
May and July that attracted more than 700
representatives from leading consultancy,
advisory, construction and operations
companies around the world.
Saad Ahmed Al Muhannadi, CEO, said:
This invitation is a major opportunity
for local contracting companies to join
in consortia with large international
contractors to design and build six urgent
construction packages that include 22km
of underground tunnels as well as 15
underground stations in the first stage."
QRail was set up to co-ordinate the
growth of Qatars rail industry. In June, the
company said it would invite bids for early
work on the railway and metro system by
the end of August.
TOP TENDERS
Construction of Prefab Building
at HCT, Muscat
Country: Oman
Closes: 15 August
Client:Ministry of Manpower
Category: Buildings
Construction of Admin Building
in Hawalli
Country: Kuwait
Closes: 16 August
Category: Buildings
Construction of infrastructure for
Central Prison
Country: Kuwait
Closes: 16 August
Construction of Air Cooling for
Tuerbines
Country: Kuwait
Closes: 16 August
Category: Power & Water
Batinah Expressway Project -
Package 2
Country: Oman
Closes: 22 August
Client: RCJY
Category: Buildings
Construction of Office for DG
Labour at Al-Seeb
Country: Oman
Closes: 22 August
Client: Ministry of Manpower
Category: Buildings
Site Preparation of Mardumah
Project - Phase 1
Closes: 23 August
Client: RCJY
Expansion of Royal Commission
Medical Centre in Yanbu
Closes: 2 August
Client: RCJY
Category: Buildings
Kuwait University - Package B5
& A5
Country: Kuwait
Closes: 6 September
Expansion & Refurbishment of
Hospitals - Phase 3
Country: Kuwait
Closes: 6 September
Category: Buildings
Hyder is an award winning multi-national
advisory and design consultancy that has
been delivering worldwide rail commissions
for over 30 years.
www.hyderconsulting.com
FINANCE
VERDICT
Buy No sells as yet from
the banks
Expert Views
Ras Al Khaimah-based Gulf
Cement Company currently
defines the difficulties faced
in the UAE building materials
market, after posting net losses
for the last six months. The
company posted an after-tax
loss of AED 4.8 million, which
is in sharp contrast to the
relatively impressive AED 37.5
million profit for the same
period last year, following a
12% decline in top-line revenue.
The key difference seems to
be the increase in sales costs,
despite the decline in revenue,
with general expenses also
increasing since last year. A
steep drop in cement prices has
been cited by the company as the
chief cause of the malaise, as the
overall slump in the countrys
construction reduces the cost of
building. The company remains
the largest cement producer
in the UAE including supply
to the Burj Khalifa and an
efficient exporter, with an
annual production capacity of
2.7 million tonnes of cement
and 3.8 million tonnes of clinker.
Analyst positions have become
more cautious this year. Global
Investment House recommended
a buy in January, though this
has since been met with more
bearish neutral positions from
TAIB Securities and at Nomura.
Gulf Cement
Company
Can the
UAEs biggest
supplier
convince the
stock pickers?
Arabtec
profit down
two-thirds
Arabtec Holding saw net profits for
the second quarter and six-months
both fall by two-thirds respectively,
as the company struggles to generate
income for projects away from Dubai.
The UAEs biggest construction
conglomerate by market value,
which includes its main building arm
Arabtec Construction among numer-
ous other subsidiaries, said after tax
gains stood at AED 44.5 million for
the last three months, down 66.5%
from last year. Revenue for the period
was AED 1.2 billion from AED 1.28
billion last year, and income from
other operating income fell by more
than half to AED 7 million.
Net profit for the six months fell
67% from AED 301.79 million last
year to AED 98.55 billion as revenue
declined 13.2% to AED 2.45 billion
over the period.
Build it, and they will trade
Arabtec stock took a hit during the so-called Arab Spring, and has mirrored Dubais bourse.
Dubai Financial Market Index
1,400
1,500
1,600
1,700
Arabtec Holding (AED)
1.10
1.20
1.40
1,50
1.60
1.70
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
1.00
Arabtec Holding has seen profits fall in the first half of 2011.
FINANCE
TOP 7 RISERS:
National Cement Co.: +14.38%
Fujairah Cement Co.: +5.82%
Specialities Growth: +2.61%
Mabanee Co.: +2.49%
Nass Corporation: +1.28%
RAK Ceramics: +1.14%
Union Cement Co.: +0.91%
TOP 13 FALLERS
Al Babtain Power: -15.27%
Tabreed: -13.14%
Mohammad Al Mojil: -12.47%
Kuwait Co. for Portland: -12.43%
Saudi Arabian Amiantit: -9.67%
Zamil Industrial: -9.59%
Sharjah Cement Co.: -9.02%
Arabian Cement Co.: -8.92%
Construction Materials: -8.33%
National Ranges: -8.23%
Umm Al Qaiwain Cement: -7.79%
Al Jouf Cement Co.: -7.79%
Kuwait Gypsum: -6.92%
SECTOR INDICES:
Tadawul All Share: -562.96 -8.50%
Banks& Finances: -2,264.29 -13.55%
Petrochemicals: -330.48 -5.07%
Cement: +570.64 +14.54%
Energy&Utilities: -364.24 -7.26%
Industrial Invest: +102.38 +2.02%
Building&Constr: -447.88 -13.48%
Real Estate: -355.65 -12.89%
Transport: -809.60 -25.32%
Update
RAK Properties, Ras Al Khaimahs biggest
developer, saw net profits fall by 38%
and 28% for the last three-month and
six-month periods this year, respectively,
compared to the same periods in 2010.
After tax, the company made AED 33.1
million in the last quarter, down from
AED 53.6 million for the same period
last year, though revenue increased
23.3% to AED 57.8 million. This included
some handovers in June in the units of
its 45-storey Julphar Tower in its home
emirate, RAK Tower in Abu Dhabi, and
residential units in Mina Al Arab.
The company made AED 66.86 million
in six months, down 28.6% from the AED
96.24 million in 2011, though revenue
increased from AED 46.9 million to AED
65.42 million.
Abu Dhabis Aldar Properties saw net
profits for the second quarter and first six
months rebounded into the black a year
after posting heavy losses, as residential
sales boosted the bottom line.
Net profits for the second quarter
reached AED 127.3 million, strongly
reversing the AED 475.3 million the
previous year. In this time the company
began its handover of the first phase of
the Al Zeina residential development at Al
Raha beach.
After-tax gains for the half-year totalled
AED 316.4 million, against a loss of AED
475.3 million last year. Revenues from
completed units in projects such as Al
Gurm, Al Bandar and Al Raha Gardens
reached AED 1.56 billion, more than ten
times the AED 427 million in 2010.
RAK Properties net
down despite sales
Aldar half-year net
soars to AED 316m
Top ten Bahrain building projects
(Datacorrect: 8August, 2011; Indices: Saudi, year-to-date)
Slowly developing:
fall in share price
in 2011
total recurring revenue for six
months (AED)
728.3
46.7%
Back in RAK:
rise in value of trading properties
under development
16.2%
fall in share price
this year
22.2%
PROJECT TITLE STATUS VALUE / VALUE RANGE (US$)
DURRAT AL BAHRAIN DEVELOPMENT Construction 6,000,000,000
DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ Design 3,200,000,000
MARSA AL SEEF DEVELOPMENT Construction 2,500,000,000
VILLAMAR TOWER Construction 650,000,000
KING HAMAD GENERAL HOSPITAL Construction 140,000,000
HEADQUARTERS OF AL BARAKA BANKING GROUP Construction 55,000,000
MAJAAL WAREHOUSE PROJECT AT THE BAHRAIN INVESTMENT WHARF Construction 45,000,000
217 HOUSING UNITS IN ZAYED CITY - PHASE 2 Construction 35,000,000
FUTURE BANK HEADQUARTERS IN SEEF Construction 16,000,000
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL IN MANAMAH Tender n/a
Source: VenturesMiddleEast
SNAPSHOT
SPOT POLL
Does Iraq have any right to demand Kuwait stops port construction?
22.9%
Yes. The Boubyan Port
project restricts Iraq shipping
8.6%
A compromise
should be found
5.7%
The matter needs further
investigation
SPOT PRICES
Copper and nickel slides; steel rises
STEEL SPOT PRICE
* Source: London Metal Exchange, price per ton
GDP in
the GCC
While Saudi Arabia announced its
largest ever budget earlier this year,
the rest of the GCC continues to
spend on infrastructure projects.
Given the state of the world economy,
particularly in the US where the
government has been at pains to
stretch its borrowing, public spending
has been cut back. The GCC,
however, has been able to continue its
projects thanks in main to its oil and
gas based economies, plus diversified
interests in international business.
Interestingly, Qatars gas-fuelled
economy has helped it to generate
$98bn in annual revenue, making it
the GCCs 4th highest earner.
GCC MARKETS
Abdullah Al Khodari & Sons, the Saudi
contractor, said it has won a deal to
build the second phase of Border Guard
airport in Umm Almelh worth SAR120m
($32m). The listed civil engineering and
construction company has extended its
work on the project after working on the
first phase, one of its current projects. The
company is yet to announce the start date
for the second phase. Based in Al-Khobar,
the company competes for contracts
across building, infrastructure and utilities
projects in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Khodari signs
$32m airport deal
$609
COPPER SPOT PRICE
$9038
ALUMINIUM SPOT PRICE
$2404
NICKEL
$22,295
62.9%
No, Kuwait should be free to
act as it wants
UAE-based Belhasa Projects has been
awarded a contract to build a water
transmission network in the northern
emirate of Umm Al Quwain. The contract,
worth $60m, was awarded by the Federal
Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA).
The deal adds to the growing list of MEP
contracts that Belhasa Projects has won
since allocating a separate division for the
service in 2008, including the upward-
flowing waterfalls for the Address Hotel in
Dubai, the water features at the Yas Hotel at
the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
Belhasa projects
wins $60m contract
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Oman
Kuwait
Bahrain
Qatar
26,131,703
5,148,664
3,027,959
2,595,628
1,214,705
848,016
2,149,690km
2
83,600km
2
309,500km
2
17,818km
2
760km
2
11,586km
2
$375.766bn
$230.252bn
$46.114bn
$148.024bn
$20.595bn
$98.313bn
POPULATION
1
LAND MASS
1
GDP
2
1: Source: CIA World Factbook 2: Source: World Bank, 2009 figures, except Kuwait (2008). All figures USD
TECHNOLOGY
Azbil Yamatake now brings
into Middle East market
its latest energy saving
products and applications
designed to reduce HVAC
energy consumption. The
products and methodolo-
gies have been successfully
used in Japan and is an an-
swer to worldwide need of
energy conservation.
The group is a leading
manufacturer and supplier
of Building Management
System from Japan. With
more than 100 years of
expertise in BMS and ad-
vance automation systems,
spread across 20 countries
in the world the company
is able to offer one of the
broadest ranges of controls
products and solutions en-
abling early return on in-
vestment.
The Building Energy
Management System pro-
vides total HVAC energy
management solution in a
package which combines:
t Yamatake BMS Savic-
NetFx**,
t EDS(Energy Data Server)
t Actival+(an energy sav-
ing ow control valve)
t A proven set of energy
saving applications which
includes Chilled water
VWV control, VAV control
by way of ow totalisation,
SavicNet-Fx BMS integrates
all the Building Equipment,
provides optimized control
and access to all perfor-
mance and diagnostic data
in smart and convenient
way remotely from normal
computers, smart phones etc
without necessitating any
special SW.
Yamatake answers global
energy conservation needs
Japanese company brings BEMS to reduce Building Energy usage in the Middle East
(Automation Zone Builder)
represents our philosophy
of realizing safety, comfort
and fullment in peoples
lives and contributing
to global environmental
preservation through
human-centred automation
ADVERTORIAL
Azbil Yamatake Organized a Seminar on Building Energy Management on 22nd June 2011 at ADNEC Abu Dhabi.
Energy Data Server
(EDS) is designed for build-
ing energy management to
be added on the savic-net
FX Building Management
System (BMS). EDS visual-
izes your energy consump-
tion in many ways and of-
fers highly functional energy
management. EDS thus will
facilitate to understand and
analyze energy consumption
of your building or factory.
Without High perfor-
mance control valves
lower cost of air-condi-
tioning is hard to achieve.
ACTIVAL PLUS is a series
of motorized two-way valves
in combination with the
functions of a control valve,
ACITVAL PLUS measures
and controls ow rate.
ACTIVAL PLUS thus en-
ables to control temperature
for air conditioning by con-
trolling chilled/hot water
volume and to measure
chilled/hot water ow rate.
For such a high functional-
ity, compact size and simple
installation of ACTIVAL
PLUS are incomparable.
azbil Yamatake
Corporation, ME Branch,
Dubai PO Box no. 66013,
Ph: +971-4-2347741,
E: buildingenergy@azbil.ae
We are so well-
established in Saudi
Arabia for such a long
time, we know
the market
really well.
HANS WENKENBACH
from El Seif Engineering
Contracting on doing
business in the
Kingdom.
Wave-like building could
be Abu Dhabis Burj Al Arab
The wave-shaped Rocco Forte
Hotel in Abu Dhabi posed enough
of an engineering challenge to make
this striking building a new urban
landmark in the city, akin to the
Burj Al Arab in Dubai, according
to design consultant Atkins, which
worked on both buildings.
The Burj Al Arab was our first
challenge here in the UAE, says
Iraklis Andreakis, project manager
at Atkins. He says the Rocco
Forte Hotel is a building where
there are no straight lines. That
complicates everything, especially
the MEP, as the ducting and
services had to follow the geometry
of the building.
Due to the curvature, each post-
tensioned concrete floor slab had to
be poured in three phases.
The curved / wavy
superstructure, with no straight
lines, gave all many sleepless
nights, says Andreakis.
Apart from the curved-glass
faade, which also features mosaic-
style coloured glass, the main
feature of the building is an atrium
at one end with a sky bar on the
sixth floor.
This is suspended on a massive
steel cantilever structure, providing
the necessary structural and safety
integrity, says Andreakis.
The 46m-high atrium with
free-standing clear glass provides
unobstructed views for the guests,
all supported only by a steel truss
and six columns also designed in
a fluid and organic manner,
following through with the external
geometry of the hotel.
The project is on track for an
anticipated November opening.
We are at the final finishing stage,
snagging the project, says Nabil
Abdel Samad, project manager
at main contractor Al Husam
General Contracting.
In Quotes
PROJECTS
ROUND UP
Atkins turned TDICs concept into an engineering design.
The vision of constructing
the tallest tower in the
world in Jeddah belongs
to HRH Prince
Alwaleed
Bin Talal.
TALAL AL MAIMAN,
a board member
of Kingdom
Holding
Company.
I believe the UAE and the
GCC FM industries offer
a great mix of
cultures and
diversities that
want to share
best practice.
YOUSSEF ABILLAMA,
MMG CEO and
MEFMA board
member.
My time in the construction
business in the Middle
East has been interesting,
pleasant and
enriching in all
facets.
GEIR JENSEN on his
retirement after
25 years in the
formwork
sector.
5
3
4
2
Naseej, the Bahrain-
based affordable hous-
ing firm, has become the
countrys first member
of the US Green Build-
ing Council (USGBC). In
collaboration with the
USGBC, Naseej plans
to hold a customised
training programme for
its employees to help
them achieve profes-
sional LEED accredita-
tion. Earlier this year,
USGBC, in conjunction
with ASHRAE and the
IES, developed five new
addenda for its green
building standard.
The Raysut Industrial
Estate in Salalah, Oman
is to be expanded by
136ha, according to
the Public Estate for
Industrial Estates (PEIE),
which administers the
Sultanates growing
network of industrial
parks. This will effectively
triple the parks developed
area from the present
63ha to a total of 209ha by
around 2013. A number
of construction firms
are looking to tender for
the contract. Al Hatmy
Engineering is the design
consultant.
Etihad Rail, the master
developer of the UAEs
national rail project,
has selected a US firm
to build freight locomo-
tives to be used on the
network. Electro-Motive
Diesel (EMD), a unit of
Caterpillar, will design
and manufacture seven
heavy-haul freight loco-
motives for delivery to
the UAE by 2012. A key
milestone for the project,
the contract award is
timed to support Etihad
Rails plan to have the
first trains running
in 2013.
A Qatar newspaper has
reported that work has
started on a $3.3bn
project on the outskirts
of Doha. Qatar Space City
is being built in Al Khor,
and will be implemented
in several phases. It will
be near Al Khor airstrip,
of which 40,000m
2
will be
used for the project.
Saudi Arabias Ministry of Housing has allocated more
than 8,000ha of land for residential development
projects throughout the Kingdom as part of the nations
push to build 500,000 new homes in order to be able to
accommodate its burgeoning population. The initiative
will cost Saudi Arabia over $67bn in total, and is in
addition to existing housing plans to add 1.65m homes
over the next five years. The Ministry of Housing also
signed a contract to implement the first phase of the
projects in Riyadh, Kharj, Dammam, Ahsa, Qatif, Jeddah,
Madinah, Tabuk, and Khamis Mushait.
Around the GCC
1. KSA
Housing land allocated by ministry
2. OMAN
Tender for
industrial park
3. BAHRAIN
Naseej joins up
with USGBC
5. UAE
Rail projects
move closer
4. QATAR
$3.3bn Space City
project starts
ROUND UP
1
P
H
O
T
O

B
Y

K
A
R
I
M

S
A
H
I
B
/
A
F
P
/

G
e
t
t
y

I
m
a
g
e
s
ROUND UP
COMPANY UPDATE
Handover of Falcon Towers, in Ajman, has commenced.
PROJECTS
Falcon Towers
handed over
Sweet Homes Holdings
(SHH) has announced the
handover of the $138m
Falcon Towers project in
Ajman to the first batch of
investors. The eight-tower
project consists of seven
residential towers and one
office tower.
The residential towers
include a ground floor, four
floors for parking and 20
residential floors. Each of the
residential floors has four
three-bedroom units, two
two-bedroom units and one-
bedroom units. The office
tower is a single-block tower
consisting of a ground floor,
four parking floors and 23
typical floors for commercial
use. Falcon Towers is part of
the Ajman Freehold Property
portfolio, and is the fifth
project to be completed in
the emirate by the developer.
The project is situated
in the centre of Ajmans
new corporate district,
and is in proximity to key
establishments like banks,
offices, malls and restaurants.
TILES & SANITARYWARE
RAK Ceramics still
No. 1
RAK Ceramics has
announced it has once
again been named as the
worlds largest ceramic tile
manufacturer by Ceramic
World Review. RAK Ceramics
retained its top ranking
among the 25 biggest ceramic
tile manufacturers of 2010
after further raising its
production output to 117m
square metres from 115m
square metres in 2009.
RAK Ceramics currently
operates below its maximum
production capacity of 117m
square metres, providing
room to further expand
its production output
and address new market
demands. The company
likewise maintained its
place among the top four tile
manufacturers in terms of
value, with a total turnover
of $873m in 2010. In the
listing of the worlds top
bathware tile manufacturers,
RAK Ceramics has placed
13th overall, with a total
production output of 4.3m
square metres in 2010.
Dr. Khater Massaad, CEO
of RAK Ceramics, said:
We are pleased to have
maintained our leadership
among the worlds top
ceramic tile manufacturers.
This is certainly an important
milestone that confirms the
success of RAK Ceramics
global growth strategy. More
importantly, we are proud
to have further increased
our total production output,
which is a strong affirmation
of the robust growth
performance of the RAK
Ceramics brand worldwide.
BUSINESS
Qatar dealer
launches first-ever
equipment hotline
Qatar Building Company
(QBC) claims its Heavy
Equipment Division Hyundai
hotline is the first 24-hour
aftersales service line in
Qatar. Distressed contractors,
project managers and
operators can dial the
number to speak to a service
team of Hyundai-approved
technicians and mechanics,
24/7 for advice on truck
servicing, spare parts, and
technical enquiries.
We understand the
seriousness of completing
construction projects within
deadline, said GM Issa
Kopty. QBC is confident that
our aftersales service offers
unrivalled maintenance and
repair services in the area.
Any maintenance or repair
services will be carried out
quickly and efficiently. This
is yet another reason why
contractors depend on us. We
are here for them any time
- even in the middle of their
night shifts.
CONTRACTS
Irish firm wins
$8.2m ME oil and
gas contract
Advanced Sensors from
Carrickfergus in Ireland,
which designs equipment
for the oil and gas industry,
has clinched an $8.2m
contract in the Middle East
for its oil-in-water analysers,
announced Enterprise
Minister Arlene Foster.
This order represents one
of the biggest sales of such
analysers in the world, and
will support the continued
growth of the business in
the global oil extraction and
processing industry, said
Advanced Sensors chief
executive Khalid Thabeth.
Advanced Sensors is
an established, export-
focused company with a
reputation for the successful
development of highly-
innovative products for
global markets. This R&D
project has strengthened
the companys product
portfolio, with its new oil-
in-water monitor offering
considerable sales potential
in competitive export
markets, said Thabeth. We
believe it to be the only zero-
maintenance reliable oil-in-
water analyser available in
the world, he said.
ROUND UP ROUND UP
Leaders in Construction Summit
Date: 28 September 2011
Venue: Dubai, Armani Hotel
The fifth Construction Week
Conference hopes to repeat the
success of last years event where
200 construction industry experts
gathered to reflect on the past year
and discuss the challenges and
opportunities the sector will face over
the next 12 months. In contrast to the
uncertainty of 2009, the 2011 event
will reflect the burgeoning optimism
that can be felt in the market today.
Building Sustainability into the
Middle East
Date: 1 November, 2011
Venue: Abu Dhabi, Sheraton Resort
The fourth annual Building
Sustainability into the Middle East
Conference will focus on how
contractors can adopt sustainable
building practices aimed at reducing
energy consumption throughout the
lifecycle of a building.
Social Infrastructure KSA 2011
Date: 14 November, 2011
Venue: Radison Blu Hotel, Riyadh
A focus on Saudi Arabias need to
meet the escalating demand for
housing, healthcare and education
facilities in the kingdom. Book your
slot now.
Architect Awards
Venue: Dubai
The fourth annual Middle East
Architect Awards will recognise the
best projects and individuals from
throughout the GCC in 2011, ranging
from the worlds tallest towers to
one off villas, and veteran designers
to those bright young architects just
starting out in the region.
Construction Week Awards Qatar
Place: Doha
The Construction Week Awards
Qatar, an event celebrating the
achievements of the Qatars
construction contractors, will be held
for the first time in September 2011.
The awards will recognise and reward
individual excellence, corporate
prowess and project success. The
deadline for submissions is July 31.
Commercial Interior Design
Awards
Date: 24 October 2011
Place: Dubai
The evolution of the Middle Easts
interior design industry continues
unabated. Original and innovative
interiors are becoming increasingly
commonplace across the region, as a
host of talented individuals continue
to push boundaries and challenge
the status quo.
Construction Week Awards
Date: 31 October 2011
Place: Dubai
Now in its seventh year, the
Construction Week Awards are
the foremost event celebrating
the achievements of the regions
construction contractors. The
awards seek to recognise and reward
individual excellence, corporate
prowess and project success. The
nominations deadline is 5 September.
Construction Week Saudi Awards
Date: 6 December 2011
Place: Riyadh
In its second year, Construction
Week Design & Build Awards: Saudi
Arabia will recognise excellence in
Leaders in Construction Summit
to be held at Armani Hotel on 28
September
The inaugural Leaders in
Construction Summit 2011,
held under the auspices of
Construction Week and Arabian
Business on 28 September at the
Armani Hotel in Dubai, will uncover
how the captains of the construction
industry are planning to tackle
the coming 12 months.
Determining the direction
and focus of your business
strategy is more vital than ever.
The long-term outlook for the
construction industry is positive, with
PricewaterhouseCoopers Global
Construction 2020 report forecasting
that the global construction industry
will grow by 67% from $7.2 trillion in
2011 to $12 trillion annually by 2020.
The MENA region is expected to
outpace the global growth rate with
a total of $4.3 trillion to be spent on
construction over the next decade,
representing growth of 80% to 2020.
The recent unrest in the region
has tempered the high expectations
many had for growth in emerging
markets such as Libya, Egypt and
Tunisia. Add to this the delays in
payments owed to contractors that
have resulted in liquidity problems,
the shortage of skilled labour and the
rising cost of raw materials, there
are many challenges to surmount in
the coming year.
It is against this backdrop that
the Leaders in Construction Summit
2011 brings together 150 executive
level construction professionals at
the Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa to
share strategies, insights and plan
the year ahead.
Waleed Al Tamimi and Walid Alsmadi from the Adu Dhabi Ports Company at the 2010 Construction Week Awards.
The Armani Hotel is this years venue.
Conferences and Awards news
CONFERENCES
AWARDS
the construction and design industry.
Nominations are open to contractors,
developers, consultants, architects
and specialists working in KSA.
MEP Awards
Date: 14 December 2011
Place: Dubai
The MEP Awards 2011 is the premier
platform for the mechanical,
electrical and plumbing sector in the
UAE to recognise its achievements,
honour those individuals and
companies who made these happen.
The MEP Awards also mark the
latest innovations and developments
that have helped drive down costs
in the industry, as well as contribute
to the ongoing trend towards
sustainability and green building.
This annual event acknowledges the
critical role that the MEP sector plays
in construction.
conference and award
information, log onto
21 24 November 2011
Dubai International Exhibition &
Convention Centre
www.thebig5.ae/cw2
Whats New at The Big 5?
Sectorised products including Concrete, PMV, HVAC,
Marble, Construction IT and much more
80+ product showcases demonstrating product eciency
and latest technologies
Dedicated green arena featuring new innovations and workshops
Educational seminars focused on products and techniques
that minimise cost and maximise ROI
Advanced online event planner allowing you to pre-plan
your time onsite
Visit www.thebig5.ae/cw2 and REGISTER FREE OF CHARGE
or email thebig5@dmgevents.com
VISITOR REGISTRATION
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COMMENT
W
hen the news broke that the
construction contract for the
Kingdom Tower had been
awarded to the Saudi Binladin
Group, there was an atmosphere of palpable
excitement in the office, a sense of a historic
moment. Therefore we were rather surprised
when the first reader comments on the story
were largely negative. Indeed, we were hard-
pressed to find any positive reader reaction at all.
This set a general trend, and all the comments
seemed to hone in on common issues: while
readers generally acknowledged that this
mammoth project would be a huge fillip for
the construction industry and the economy in
general, people seemed to be non-plussed at the
socio-economic rationale behind the project.
There seems to be a general misunderstanding
that Kingdom Tower is a standalone project,
designed solely to be the tallest building in
the world upon its completion (how long the
construction process will take, and its timing in
comparison to the World Cup in Qatar, which
in itself will place considerable demands on the
construction supply chain in the region, is also
cause for much speculation.)
The initial press release issued by the
Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) focused,
of course, on the attention-grabbing fact that,
a few years after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai was
commissioned successfully, its claim to being
the worlds tallest building was already being
challenged. What has made the Burj Khalifa
in Dubai such a tourist magnet is Downtown
Dubai. This development was stopped in its
tracks by the downturn, but Emaar is forging
ahead in the full knowledge that the more value
it adds to this area in terms of infrastructure, the
more successful the Burj Khalifa itself will be.
Similarly, Kingdom Tower is merely the first
phase of a massive $20bn urban project known
as Kingdom City. The project up property prices
in Jeddah; inking the construction contract will
no doubt lead to a further spike.
KHC states that Kingdom Tower will be both
an economic engine and a proud symbol of the
Kingdoms economic and cultural status in the
world community. The Saudi government has
already committed considerable resources to a
concerted infrastructure spending programme,
especially in terms of social housing, roads,
power and water. Citi Investment Research &
Analysis reports that the Kingdom has a project
pipeline valued at $220bn, accounting for 36%
of the total construction spend in the MENA
region. One only has to recount such recent
mega projects as KAUST and Princess Noura
University to comprehend the scale of this plan.
Clearly Kingdom City represents the next
step. Some readers are concerned that Saudi
is adopting what has been termed the Dubai
model, in terms of building world-first
landmarks and then hoping the tourists will
flood in. Dubai has clearly shown that national
identity, culture and religion can be balanced
with a Western outlook. Saudis cautious
approach to maintaining its own identity, and
ensuring that the social compact with its people
is strengthened by vigorous infrastructure
spending and enlistment, bodes well for its
future. It is going to be fascinating to watch this
development unfold over the next few years.
The Kingdom beckons
Phase One of Kingdom City is the opening gambit in a long-term development
GERHARD HOPE
Kingdom Tower has raised a
pointed debate about super-tall
buildings.
Some readers
are concerned
that Saudi is
adopting the
Dubai model,
in terms
of building
world-first
landmarks and
then hoping the
tourists will
flood in.
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RELIABILITY
ACCESSIBILITY
COMMENT
B
ig projects need vision,
strength and guts to do. So
said Prince Alwaleed Bin
Talal, chairman of Kingdom
Holding Company, the day after
signing a $1.2 billion deal with Saudi
Binladin Group, to crack on with the
construction of the long-proposed
Kingdom Tower.
Hes right. While talk of the tower
to be located at the northern edges
of Jeddah has been around for a
few years now, actually signing up
a contractor to tackle something
thats never been done before, takes
the project well beyond the world of
concept design and rumour.
When the idea was first tabled, talk
was of a mile high tower. At 1609
metres that would be quite a feat, but
the latest news is of a more restrained
1000 metre-plus effort.
The scale of the work involved
will be significant. There are obvious
comparisons to the challenges taken
on by the team behind the Burj Khalifa
and perhaps that projects fabled tower
crane operators will get a call up.
But while the project will eventually
create the worlds tallest building, the
Burj wont lose its crown overnight. It
will take time for the Kingdom Tower to
reach its full height, but just how much?
Well, with some rough calculation, I
figure about seven and a quarter years.
Now this is a guess, but it involved some
arithmetic too.
Lets start with what we know or
are guessing at. The companies behind
the project are understandably coy
about the final height the tower will
achieve, but for the sake of argument,
lets say it makes it to 1001 metres.
Now the only thing we have to go on
for building a tower even close to this
size is the Burj Khalifa, which measures
up at 828 metres. Officially construction
of the Burj started in January of 2004
and, officially, finished with a grand
opening ceremony in January 2010.
Thats six years, at 365 days a year
with a couple of extra days for leap
years we end up with 2192 days of
official construction activity; or 2.64
days per metre of completed building.
If thats how long it takes to complete
a metre of super tall, it will take 2642
days, or 7.24 years for Kingdom Tower
to reach 1001 metres and be completed
assuming the project manages the
same pace as the Burj Khalifa.
If Saudi Binladin doesnt stop building
until it reaches the mile mark 1609
metres then it could take 4247 days, or
11.63 years.
Certainly engineering lessons learned
on the Burj will contribute to the
development of this scaled-up version
in Jeddah. In principal the design is
similar to other tall towers from the
same architect, but new techniques
and technology will almost certainly
speed progress. Budget estimates also
indicate it may be cheaper too. While a
1000 metre tower has never been built
before, the project team will have the
opportunity to stand on the shoulders
of giants.
According to a statement from
Kingdom Holding, work is scheduled
to start imminently, but regardless
of the final height, it could well be
years before the significant investment
required starts to generate a return.
One of the main purposes of the
project, according to Kingdom Holding,
is to provide sustainable profits to the
company's shareholders.
If the Burj Khalifa business model is
to be used as an example for how this
is likely to happen, the profits dont
necessarily come from the tower itself,
but from the value its presence will
create in the surrounding areas.
In Kingdom Towers case it is to
be the centerpiece of Kingdom City,
which will occupy 5.3 million m
2
of
land. Profits will come from the hotels,
shopping malls, offices and high-density
residential areas that will spring up
around the tower. These profits, if
they turn out to be real, will no doubt
increase in value as the tower rises.
Stuart Matthews is senior group editor.
How long will Kingdom Tower take?
The countdown is on for Kingdom Tower to turn a profit
STUART MATTHEWS
ONLINE
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to use. You can also log onto www.
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the conversation.
Re: Chinese machinery sales
up by 2,711% since 2002
This amazing statistic is not surprising, and surely the Middle
East has been the major contributing element. Despite the
numerous projects, there is cutthroat competition. The
trend lately has also been to focus on mega project-specific
profitability. This means that capex for equipment is allocated
to be recovered or written off against a given project. This
equation could never be feasible unless you buy equipment at
Chinese prices.
AVINASH
There is cutthroat competition in the heavy construction equipment sector.
P
h
o
t
o
:

G
e
t
t
y

I
m
a
g
e
s
.
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Why would any worker abandon
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must be sent back to their coun-
tries with dignity, not chased as
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Re: UAE says keen to bid for
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This is called leadership! It is
a perfect move to revive and
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region, wins the bid and makes
the impossible possible. Good
luck, UAE!
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Re: Qatar opens its first eco-
friendly mall
What a fantastic idea, to feel
good while you shop and
energetic and relaxed when you
leave. I agree: when do we move
to solar-powered chillers? This is
a huge issue which appears not
to be on anyones agenda in most
tropical countries.
DOROTY B. MEHTA
ANALYSIS
Crown of the Kingdom
ANALYSIS
BIG PLANS
Both the size of the tower
and the brand new city
district demonstrate high
ambition from Kingdom
Holding and its chairman.
The giant financial outlay of the Kingdom Tower and
its new city is perhaps the countrys most ambitious
private development. By Ben Roberts
T
he announcement from
Kingdom Holding of the next
worlds highest tower came as
a thunderbolt of business news
to a Gulf region about to enter the quieter
summer period. As one of the few mega
projects in Saudi Arabia not directed by the
high-spending government, it could only
have come from HRH Prince Alwaleed bin
Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, chairman of the
group and the Arab worlds most dynamic
private investor. Money, indeed, never
sleeps, and there is always a sense that the
prince is only just beginning.
The surface financials say much about the
scale of the project: SAR 4.6 billion to build the
tower that will outreach Dubais Burj Khalifa
by more than 200 metres, sitting within a new
530-hectare urban development to the north
of Jeddah Kingdom City which will require
a total of SAR 75 billion.
Funding Kingdom City is a new joint
venture, Jeddah Economic Company, led by
Kingdom Holding and Abrar International
Holding Company, which will both hold a
33.35% stake, Saudi Binladen Group, which two
weeks ago was awarded the main construction
contract, will hold a 16.67% stake, as will Saudi
businessman Abdulrahman Hassan Sharbatly.
Samaual Bakhsh, director of the Traco group
of companies in Egypt and a former director
of Egyptian Gulf Bank, is also closely involved.
SAR 1.5 billion of equity capital from the
partners will be invested, along with cash
loans from banks, which will be repaid from
the revenues that will be generated from the
tower, according to Kingdom Holding. JECs
capital also includes SAR 8.8 billion in land
value and assets worth 7.3 billion.
The tower will contain a Four Seasons
Hotel as well as serviced apartments from
the hospitality chain, office space, luxurious
condominiums and what will be the worlds
highest observatory deck. Perhaps the most
surprising element to the tower and Kingdom
City is its location, far north of the main city
away from other hotels and offices. Essentially,
Kingdom City will need to create an entire
new centre of commerce to fill the tower and
related buildings with residents.
The first two phases of construction are
the building of the tower over 50 hectares
and the construction of the infrastructure
for the entire development. The third phase,
according to Kingdom Holding, is yet to be
finalised; one of many tantalising bits of mystery
around the project.
The prince last week acknowledged that
the project was a big risk, and the context
of the commercial and hospitality sectors in
the Jeddah region certainly supports this
admittance. CB Richard Ellis, the property
firm, wrote in a recent report that the city
traditionally had a sustainable approach,
where office space mixed with retail outlets
across the urban sprawl in the absence of a
true commercial centre.
The commercial sector is very practical and
price-sensitive, often offices share buildings
with shopping malls to be able to share certain
facilities, such as car parks, Mike Williams,
senior director for Middle East research and
consultancy at the firm, told CW last week.
It is split over about five areas as there is no
centre for commerce in Jeddah.
He explained that any new commercial
development was largely moving north up to
the Corniche and beyond the Creek and the Al
Kira region. The planned space for the tower and
Kingdom City is essentially a few steps ahead
ANALYSIS
analysis log on to
Founded: 1980
Sector: Real estate, hospitality, banking
Listing: Tadawul, Saudi Arabia
Net outstanding shares: SAR 3.706bn
Market cap.: SAR 31.5bn
2010 net profit: SAR 605m
2011 expected net profit: SAR 637m
(TAIB Securities)
Kingdom Holding will be counting on
a continued influx of tourists into the
Gulf region, particularly Saudi Arabia,
given the dominance of hotels in its real
estate portfolio. Half-year net profits
rose by a fifth to SAR 254.1 million.
This is a similar percentage rise as the
first quarter 2011 against the same
period last year, despite seeing a 45%
fall in revenues from hotels and other
operations in the first quarter. TAIB
Securities estimates that the companys
operating profit for 2011 will be SAR 968
million, with the present value of its cash
flows rising to SAR 351 million this year
and SAR 587 million by the end of 2012.
Kingdom Holding: the profile
Kingdom Holdings share price has been volatile this year.
Jan 2011
S
h
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e

p
r
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c
e

(
S
a
u
d
i

r
i
y
a
l
s
)
11
254.1
Kingdom Holding in net profit in H1 2011
(millions riyals)
50
Towers hectares of built-up area
8.8
Billion riyals of JEC land value
Jul 2011 Apr 2011
0
9
10
8
ANALYSIS
of this progress. But the present remoteness
of the site, and the difficulties witnessed in
other regional city projects, leave a number of
questions as to the projects viability.
I dont know if there have been feasibility
studies for the project, I would be interested
to see what they are, as there are a number of
city developments that have struggled to attract
sufficient interest, Williams added. If you
head further north of [what will be] Kingdom
City there is King Abdullah Economic City,
which has failed to generate a lot of demand.
Also, the hotel sector in Jeddah is dominated
by businessmen. The location of the tower
wouldnt suit this, as at the moment there is
no business there; they would rather be in the
city centre. The project requires the demand
for commercial business that at the moment
I dont think is there.
But he added that the success of the Kingdom
Centre in Riyadh showed that the prince has
faced this challenge before. In this instance, a
ground-breaking tower project was launched in
urban areas of the capital that were surrounded
by few commercial developments; over the
years it has been the presence of this iconic
building that helped generate development
around it, in the business district of Olaya.
XAndento consequi
corepud animporem.
Ut doluptat lab ium
eum eate aliam
Other property commentators are more
confident. John Harris, country head of Saudi
Arabia at Jones Lang LaSalle, pointed out that
the project is unique in the city as it will be one
of the few spaces dedicated to commercial
development.
The location has its advantage as there
are few big tracts of land being developed in
Jeddah. Kingdom Tower and the City has gone
considerably further north, and will be near
the airport, he said last week.
The project might seem situated on the
outside at the moment but Jeddah is growing
up into that part of the world.
The hotel sector in
Jeddah is dominated
by businessmen.
The location of the
tower wouldnt
suit this
Mike Williams, CB
Richard Ellis
June 2011
$1 billion Saudi Arabian Mining
Company, also known as Maaden, and
Alcoa landed a huge loan from the Public
Investment Fund for the second phase
of its aluminium plant project in Ras Al
Zawr. The funds actually went to the joint
ventures special vehicle for the project
Maaden Bauxite and Alumina Company
which will establish a bauxite mine and
an alumina refinery.
March 2011
$989.1m Saudi Electricity Company,
the state-backed power supplier,
secured a big credit line from Japans
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Samitomo
Mitsuo, and Deutsche Bank to purchase
equipment and machinery for the
expansion of a power station in the
Jeddah region. SEC faces the huge task
of supplying sufficient power to all parts
of the Kingdom in the wake of growing
demand from a swelling population.
September 2010
$500m - Emaar Properties Dubais
biggest developer was able to pay off
loans that were soon to mature with a
tranche of five-year convertible notes.
The company listed the bonds on the
Luxembourg Stock Exchange through
a Cayman Islands-domiciled company
called Pyrus Company. Investors quickly
snapped up the issuance, and it was
heavily oversubscribed.
March 2011
$120m - Meydan Group, the Dubai
developer behind the worlds biggest
horse-racing complex, struck a deal for
a syndicated loan from Indias IDBI bank
for its Meydan Heights project. The state-
controlled developer will use the capital
to fund a 528-unit housing project for
Emirates Airline staff, it said.
January 2011
$70m Drake & Scull International
gained an injection from French bank
BNP Paribas to finance the companys
recent acquisitions. The MEP firm made
four major purchases, including a 65%
stake in Drake & Scull International
Saudi, another MEP contractor in Saudi,
and the full acquisition of its MEP
branches in Qatar and Kuwait.
Credit where its due: five big
loans to GCC construction
HRH Prince Alwaleed
entering the press
conference to
announce the contract
two weeks ago.
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KINGDOM TOWER: THE PROJECT
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K
ingdom Tower will be a hyper
tall building, reaching an
unspecified height of more
than 1000 metres. According
to Kingdom Holding, the tower will be the
centerpiece of a new property development
known as Kingdom City. It will also be the
first phase to begin construction.
If Kingdom Tower becomes the first
building in the world to broach the 1000
metre mark, it will herald a new era of
construction and set a challenging new
benchmark for future towers to aim at.
Kingdom Tower will be a landmark
structure that will greatly increase the value
of the hundreds of other properties around
it in Kingdom City and indeed throughout
North Jeddah, said Talal Al Maiman,
a board member of Jeddah Economic
Company (JEC), which was set up in 2009
to develop Kingdom City.
Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill
Architecture (AS+GG) has designed
Kingdom Tower to be mixed-use and, years
from completion, the tower already has a
Four Seasons hotel and serviced apartments
penciled in. Mention has also been made
of the usual collections of office space,
condominiums and, of course, the worlds
highest observation deck.
There is a strong expectation that the
building will become a tourist attraction,
backed by the steady rise in pilgrimage
traffic to the nearby holy city of Makkah.
However, it will need to do more than that
if it is to recover the construction cost of the
tower, which is estimated at $1.2 billion.
The site
Kingdom Tower will take up 500,000m
2
of AS+GGs design for 23 hectare Kingdom
Tower Waterfront District, which is itself
part of the wider $20 billion Kingdom City
master plan, developed by HOK Architects.
The city is on the drawing board as an urban
development covering more than 5.3 million
m
2
in the north of Jeddah, overlooking the
Red Sea and Obhur Creek.
As the areas around the tower will be a
key part of the projects economic viability,
its not surprising that proposals include
such things as a high-end shopping mall
and additional development parcels to
accommodate commercial and high-
density residential and office uses. This is a
Kingdom Tower
will be a landmark
structure that will
greatly increase
the value of the
hundreds of other
properties around it
in Kingdom City and
indeed throughout
North Jeddah.
Talal Al Maiman
model which has proved successful for the
development of the Burj Khalifa, where the
surrounding mall, hotels and residential
areas have generated considerable revenue.
The design
With design development under way since
May 2009, the report that the schematic
design is complete and detailed design
has begun. Foundation drawings are also
complete and the piling contract is currently
out to tender.
Our vision for Kingdom Tower is one
that represents the spirit of Saudi Arabia.
It also represents new growth and high-
performance technology fused into one
powerful iconic form, said Adrian Smith, in
a statement.
While release material describes the
design as evoking a bundle of leaves shooting
up from the ground, the final result may be
more starkly technological.
The design has the look of a tapered
icicle, familiar from the Burj Khalifa, and
consistent with current thinking on how to
achieve remarkable height. The tower will
feature a three-petal footprint, with tapered
wings intended to reduce structural loading,
due to wind vortex shedding. As a nod to
Makkahs proximity, the southeast leg of
Kingdom Towers tripedal base is on a direct
line with the Kaba.
The result is a design described as cost-
efficient and constructible, which will look
to take advantage of innovative technology,
building materials and energy conservation.
An example given by the architects is the
projects exterior wall system, which is
intended to minimize energy consumption
by reducing thermal loads.
In addition, each of Kingdom Towers
three sides features a series of notches that
create pockets of shadow, which shield areas
of the building from the sun and provide
outdoor terraces.
Talal Al Maiman said: Prince Alwaleed,
Mr. Bakhsh, Mr. Sharbatly and I were
impressed by the boldness and simplicity of
the AS+GG design.
Kingdom Towers height is remarkable,
obviously, but the buildings iconic status
will not depend solely on that aspect. Its
form is brilliantly sculpted, making it quite
simply the most beautiful building in the
world of any height.
Kingdom Tower and the
city that will eventually
surround it, will be located
in the north of Jeddah.
Image Science and Analysis
Laboratory, NASA-Johnson
Space Center.
KINGDOM TOWER: VISION
The passion of a prince

The driving force behind the decision to construct the worlds tallest building
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, chairman of
Kingdom Holding Company. Here the Prince shares his vision with Anil Bhoyrul
On his rise to the top
I always believe that someone who
studies, graduates and begins working
in any area should have an objective.
When I graduated in the US, I began
with a small office that was 100m
2
.
It was my charity office, my private
office and Kingdom office. I had only
three employees. I knew I had to
begin somewhere. My objective was
to grow. I began with $30,000 and I
went bankrupt after six months. Then
I went back to my father and he gave
me $300,000 and I went bankrupt after
two years. Then the third time I went
to him, he said: It is finished, Prince.
So I mortgaged my house and then
I took off.
On working for him
It is very easy to work for me if
you know me well. With me, you
have to have high work ethics; you
have to be professional; you have to
be disciplined and structured and
know what you want to do. I accept
mistakes, no problem; but I will not
accept the same mistakes again. One
[person] should equal 30 people, that
is the name of the game.
On leadership
A leader has to be smart. You have to
know where you are heading, and be
shrewd enough to hire someone as
smart as you. You have to know where
you are heading, and what is
your objective.
On the timing of the tower
Why this project now? And in the
period when much of the world is
still coming out of recession, people
say why now? Because we have
confidence in our Saudi economy and
our market. I believe in the future
strength of the region, particularly in
Saudi Arabia and its leadership.
On the secret of his success
I got to learn from my mistakes and
errors. When people ask me what the
reason for my success is, I say three
reasons: right genes, right place and
right time. Take any out and it does
not work. Right genes there is
something in me. [The] right place is
Saudi Arabia; if I was in a poor country,
it would not work. And the right time
if I started in 1932, it could not work.
KINGDOM TOWER: VISION
On the worlds tallest tower
These are the kind of projects I like
to do they are transformational and
have an impact. These big projects
need vision, strength and guts to do.
It is about testing yourself, always
pushing yourself to the limit, not sitting
back and accepting the status quo.
KINGDOM TOWER: ADRIAN SMITH
I
t is perhaps unsurprising that Adrian
Smiths practice was chosen to design
the cloud-piercing Kingdom Tower.
The Chicago architect has amassed
a lofty high-rise portfolio from almost 40
years at Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM)
and five years at AS+GG, including the
worlds current tallest building.
In June, the architect received the
2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from
the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban
Habitat (CTBUH).
Antony Wood, CTBUHs executive
director, commented: Adrian is one of a
relatively small number of architects who
has designed and built a significant number
of not only tall, but supertall, buildings
internationally. As such, his contribution
to the development of the typology is
beyond doubt.
King of
skyscrapers
Adrian Smith, architect of Kingdom
Tower, has penned a staggering
number of the worlds tallest towers
As well as designing
some of the worlds
loftiest structures,
Smith has received
a Lifetime
Achievement Award
from CTBUH.
As of mid-2011, Smith has designed four
of the worlds eleven tallest completed
buildings: Dubais Burj Khalifa (tallest),
Nanjings Zifeng Tower at Nanjing
Greenland Financial Center (7th tallest),
Chicagos Trump International Hotel &
Tower (10th tallest) and Shanghais Jin Mao
Tower (11th tallest). These towers were all
designed during Smiths stint at SOM.
Smiths early career featured diverse
projects. From 1971-1973 he was the resident
project architect for the Wills Hartcliffe
headquarters in Bristol, England. In 1989,
he was selected to lead a team in exploring
alternative visions for the Speicherstadt
District in Hamburg, Germany. The
following year he participated in a team of
40 international architects and planners in
the Zentrum: Berlin Symposium, to discuss
the challenges for the reunification of Berlin.
Smith was a design partner at SOMs
Chicago office from 1980 to 2003 and
served as the firms CEO from 1993 to
1995. His design portfolio from this period
also includes Londons 201 Bishopsgate/
Broadgate Tower and the 310-metre Pearl
River Tower, scheduled to open this autumn
in Guangzhou, China. The net-zero energy
tower harvests the natural forces of wind,
sun and geothermal mass.
Smiths long spell at SOM ended with the
formation of AS+GG in 2006, co-founded
with Gordon Gill and Robert Forest. The
firms design portfolio includes the recently
announced Wuhan Greenland Center, a
606-metre tower in China. The mixed-
use tower, which will contain offices,
condominiums and a hotel and, is expected
to be completed in about five years and
construction is due to start this summer.
KINGDOM TOWER: ADRIAN SMITH
Burj Khalifa
Currently the worlds tallest building at
828 metres, the 160-storey icon comprises
residential, commercial and retail spaces.
Tower power: Adrian Smiths high-rise portfolio
Adrians body of
work includes some
of the worlds tallest
and most recognised
buildings, yet his
designs transcend
mere height and
have become
landmarks because
of their graceful
design and inherent
sensitivity to
local context and
culture.
Peter Irwin, CTBUH
Earlier supertall designs at AS+GG
include the proposed yet unbuilt 1 Dubai,
1 Park Avenue and Meraas Tower, all
commissioned by Meraas Development.
Projects under Smiths direction have
won over 90 major awards, including five
international awards, eight National AIA
awards, 22 Chicago AIA awards, and two
ULI Awards for Excellence. Smith has also
written two books: Pro Architect 24: Adrian
D. Smith and The Architecture of Adrian
Smith, SOM: Toward a Sustainable Future.
Most recently, Smith joined Gordon
Gill, Robert Forest and Roger Frechette
as founding principals of PositivEnergy
Practice, an energy, engineering and
consulting firm that designs and implements
energy, resource management and carbon
reduction strategies.
At the announcement of Smiths lifetime
achievement award, CTBUH trustee
Peter Irwin, stated: Adrians body of work
includes some of the worlds tallest and
most recognised buildings, yet his designs
transcend mere height and have become
landmarks because of their graceful design
and inherent sensitivity to local context
and culture.
The people of Jeddah must be hoping that
Kingdom Tower will be no exception.
Wuhan Greenland Center
Reaching a height of 606 metres, this
119-storey mixed-use tower will feature 50
office floors, 17 residential floors and 22
hotel floors.
1 Dubai
A three-tower structure proposed for
Jumeirah Garden City in Dubai which
contains luxury hotels, condominiums,
offices, retail and cultural facilities.
Jin Mao Tower
This 88-storey, 279,000m
2
complex in
Shanghai includes offices, a hotel and
retail facilities. It was completed in 1998.
Meeras Tower
A proposed but unbuilt 112-storey mixed-
use tower in Dubai, which uses a series of
faceted surfaces to increase the passage of
light and air through the building.
S
upertall towers are not built on a
whim, and while many dream to
build immense towers, very few
ever realise their ambitions. The
push to beat the Burj Khalifas height record
will take more effort and expertise that went
in to Dubais world topper, and it will tax
the best minds in the construction industry
as the project unfolds. Thats why the team
behind the Kingdom Tower ranks as one
The major players behind the Kingdom Tower
Role call
of the most experienced in the world, with
some of the globes most notable skyscraper
designers, engineers and construction
experts on side for the project.
The Towers architect Adrian Smith is
no stranger to tall building design. With a
40 year career covering some of the worlds
most recognisable buildings, Smith is seen
by most in the market as the go-to guy for
supertall tower design.
After a 26-year stint at Skidmore Owings
and Merrill, the company which pioneered
supertall construction with the Sears/Willis
tower in the early 1970s, Smith formed
Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill Architecture
with partners Gill and Robert Forrest in
2006. All three left the Chicago office of
SOM, and have now beaten their former
employers to two major projects: the
Kingdom Tower and Masdar Citys HQ in
Abu Dhabi.
Smiths most notable achievement
is, of course, the Burj Khalifa which he
accomplished while employed at SOM as a
Design Partner. He has also led teams behind
the design of 34 other towers: 24 of them
complete, six that remain unbuilt and four of
which have been given the green light.
Adrian Smith designed
the Burj Khalifa
(left), while Kingdom
Holdings 302m tall
Riyadh HQ will be
dwarfed by Jeddahs
new Kingdom Tower.
KINGDOM TOWER: MAJOR PLAYERS
The choice of structural engineering
firm is also unsurprising given Thornton
Tomasettis knack for landing contracts
for some of the worlds tallest buildings.
Thornton Tomasetti is a relatively small
structural engineering consultancy that was
established over 50 years ago and now has
550 people spread around the globe. Despite
its size, the company has an impressive
portfolio of work.
The most notable include Taipei 101
currently the worlds second tallest habitable
building and the Petronas Towers, once
the tallest towers in the world, and now the
tallest twin towers on the planet.
The company also worked with AS+GG
on the designs for the proposed Wuhan
Greenland Centre, a 606m 119-storey tower
designed for developers the Greenland
Group, and destined for the Chinese city
of Wuhan. Its links with Adrian Smith
also stretch back to his SOM days when
the company was employed to complete
structural engineering work for the Times
Square Tower and Random House Tower,
both in New York.
Thornton Tomasettis other notable
projects include the Kohn Pedersen and
Fox Associates penned Ping International
Finance Centre Tower a 660m project in
Chinas Shenzen city. Construction began on
site in 2010 and is scheduled for completion
in 2015.
The company also has another supertall
under construction. The 632m mixed-
use Shanghai Tower, designed by Gensler,
broke ground in 2009 and is scheduled for
handover in 2014.
As largest construction firm in KSA,
Saudi Binladin needs no introduction.
The Jeddah-based company will build the
tower and, thanks to the major construction
of the Abraj Al Bait Towers (Makkah Royal
Clock Towers Hotel) project in the heart
of Makkah, will have gained valuable
knowledge in supertall construction.
The clock tower is the tallest building in
Saudi Arabia, and will, once completed later
this year, be the second tallest in the world. It
is somewhat fitting then that SBG has been
appointed to build the tower that will beat it.
The company was founded in 1931 and
now has a workforce of more than 35,000
working on projects throughout Saudi
Arabia, and with subsidiaries in Egypt,
Jordan, Lebanon and the UAE.
The company has hundreds of projects on
its books, but the most significant include the
recently opened Princess Noura University
where the company was contracted to build
low-rise faculty buildings, plus other work.
SBG also built 16 residential towers as
part of the King Abdullah Economic City
development, while is was also charged with
the major expansion of the King Abdulaziz
International Airport and the $1bn Al
Jamarat expansion project in Makkah. The
latter involved a massive five level above-
ground bridge, underground services area,
six service buildings, two heliports, six five-
ton elevators, two bus stations and major
site preparation works.
Saudi Binladin was also charged with
constructing the 775km six-lane Al Qassim
Expressway in 2005, and a 420km coastal
highway between Shuqrah to Mukallah in
the Yemen.
Kingdom Holding, the company behind
the deal to build the Kingdom Tower, is
no stranger to interesting tower design
either. The congolmerates other tower, the
Kingdom Centre in Riyadh, juts above the
city skyline but, at 302m, will be dwarfed by
the 1000m-plus Kingdom Tower in Jeddah.
The Riyadh tower was designed by Ellerbe
Beckett and Omrania & Associates, with
structural engineering completed by Arup.
The 43-storey (41 above ground) mixed
use tower was built by main contractors El-
Seif Engineering over a three year period,
and was completed in 2002.
Kingdom Holding itself was founded by
HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal in Riyadh
in 1980. By 2006, the company had amassed
assets worth $25bn. The company has
interests in companies as diverse as Walt
Disney (less than 1%) and Apple (5%), to
Citigroup banking and financial services,
Time Warner, Newscorp, Kodak, Pepsico,
Motorola and Hewlett Packard.
The company also operates a lucrative
property arm, Songbird Estates, which
runs the Canary Wharf estate and financial
district in east London. KHC also owns
Londons Savoy Hotel, and has significant
interests in Fairmont Raffles Holdings
International, Four Seasons Hotels Inc and
Mvenpick Hotels and resorts.
Thornton Tomasetti
worked on structural
engineering for the
Petronas Towers
(main image), and with
AS+GG on the under
construction Wuhan
Greenland Centre
(below) in China. Saudi
Binladin was involved
in the King Abdullah
Economic City (above).
KINGDOM TOWER: MAJOR PLAYERS
KINGDOM TOWER: COMPETITORS
Jeddah Economic Company selected the Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
Architecture scheme after a lengthy competition process. CW looks at the
firms that missed out and the projects that have helped to make their names
Tough competition
Pickard Chilton
In the Middle East, Pickard Chilton is
most famous for the Kingdom Centre in
Riyadh, commissioned by HRH Prince
Alwaleed bin Talal Abdulaziz Alsaud,
the influential businessman who is
behind the latest Kingdom City project
in Jeddah. To represent Saudi Arabias
role in the modern global economy, the
prince envisioned a strong, monolithic
and symmetrical structure, according
to Pickard Chilton. The tower rises
300m, and is capped by a large opening
with an observation deck that provides
expansive, uninterrupted views of Riyadh.
The building is clad in silver reflective
glass, granite and brushed aluminum.
Kingdom Centre includes Saudi
Arabias first Four Seasons Hotel,
luxury residences, a convention centre,
retail complex and Kingdom Holding
Companys corporate headquarters.
To conform to Saudi customs, prayer
rooms were integrated into the complex,
and one entire floor of the retail mall is
reserved for women only. Kingdom
Centre was included in the
Art Institute of Chicagos
prestigious international
exhibition, Skyscrapers
for the New Millennium.
The project was completed
in 2002.
Kohn Pedersen Fox
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
(KPF) has worked on the Abu
Dhabi International Airport Midfield
Complex. Conceived as a new
gateway to the city, the airport
expansion is integral to Plan Abu
Dhabi 2030, a framework for the
Emirates future development
and projected population growth.
Located between two parallel
runways, the terminal, in concert
with existing facilities, is designed to
accommodate up to 20m passengers
by 2015.
Its work in Qatar includes the
410m-high Kamal Development in
Doha. It is draped in white cladding
in homage to the regions traditional
thobe garment. An ellipse at its base,
Kamals tower tapers as it rises
toward the sky, a sculptural edifice at
the waters edge. A monumentally-
scaled aperture in the upper portion
of the mixed-use high-rise opens the
building to the city and the sea.
In Kuwait City, the United Towers
project transforms its site into a
dynamic and important location.
The project creates two buildings, a
higher one for offices and a mid-rise
one for residential. The high building
has an orientation that maximises
its presence on the skyline. The
buildings are joined to a podium
containing public spaces, retail and
restaurants. The podium is accessed
directly from a new parking structure.
Between the new structures and the
existing buildings on the site is an
open public space, a lively and active
focal point for the complex.
KINGDOM TOWER: COMPETITORS
Pelli Clarke Pelli
Founded in 1977, Pelli Clarke Pelli
Architects has earned a reputation for
designing buildings that express the
core values of its clients. It has designed
many of the worlds most recognisable
buildings, including the World Financial
Centre in New York, the Petronas
Towers in Malaysia and the International
Finance Centre in Hong Kong.
In the Middle East, world-renowned
architect Cesar Pelli has designed the
Qatar Foundations Sidra Medical and
Research Centre. This development is
the first academic medical and research
centre in the region based on the North
American model. A modern structure
of steel, glass and white ceramic tile,
Sidra has been designed especially to
be a benchmark facility. The dramatic
design and landscaping include three
spectacular atriums that serve as
indoor healing gardens. The building
also incorporates water features
Foster & Partners
Foster + Partners has a prestigious list
of projects in the Middle East: Al Raha
Beach Development, Aldar Central
Market, Abu Dhabi, Masdar City, Masdar
Institute, The Index, Zayed National
Museum and station design for the
Haramain High-Speed Rail project. The
Index, a mixed-use tower in Dubai, was
recently adjudged the best new high-rise
building in MENA by the Council on Tall
Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
The 80-storey tower combines 520 luxury
apartments with 25 floors of office space.
The different functions are separated
by a spectacular double-height, glazed
sky lobby, with views over the city to the
coast. At the towers base, a landscaped
podium creates pedestrian routes
through the site.
Located on a prominent corner site
within the Dubai International Finance
Centre, the 326m-high tower, developed
by Union Properties, is unusually offset
against the urban grid, orientated east to
in the lobby and drop-off areas and a
comprehensive art collection.
The towering atriums divide the sweeping
facility into sections and accentuate the
dedicated entrances of the three hospitals
within a hospital one for children,
one for women and one for all adults.
Connected by an enclosed walkway, a
research centre is located in the clinic
building to the west of the main building.
west to maximise views of the desert and
coastline. This orientation also reduces
solar gain, as the buildings core mass
absorbs heat and reduces its reliance
on mechanical ventilation. A system of
sunshades shelters the interiors on the
exposed south elevation.
The towers distinctive form and
slender profile reveal the buildings
structural system and internal
organisation. The floors are supported
by four A-frame concrete fins that
taper as they rise. This provides flexible,
column-free office accommodation,
which can be arranged to provide a HQ
for a large corporation or subdivided to
support multiple tenancies.
At the base of the scheme is a
landscaped plinth, with sculpted pools
of water and an underground car park,
and the tower is entered through a
dramatic four-storey foyer. The main
lift cores, which serve the office floors,
are located at the eastern and western
edges of the tower. A small central lift
core, serving 40 levels of apartments,
rises to the sky lobby and shops,
restaurants, pool and health club. A
local lift core then transports residents
to individual apartments. The tower
is crowned with 12 duplex and triplex
penthouse apartments with spectacular
views over Dubai.
Oliver Ephgrave examines the
structural and design challenges
involved in delivering a
1km-high tower
KINGDOM TOWER: CHALLENGES
K
ingdom Tower may have
been described as highly
constructible by AS+GG
partner Gordon Gill, but the
design and build of a 1km-tall tower is far
from simple.
One of the main issues is wind load,
which increases with height. Commenting
on the solution of Kingdom Tower, Gill
said: The three-petal footprint is ideal for
residential units, and the tapering wings
produce an aerodynamic shape that helps
reduce structural loading due to wind vortex
shedding.
Bart Leclercq, head of structures for
WSP Middle East, believes that the design
of Kingdom Tower provides a sound
aerodynamic solution. The shape of the
building is quite stiff in itself its the same
footprint as Burj Khalifa. The taper reduces
the wind load at the top. Because it changes
shape every few floors, the wind loads go
round the building and wont be as extreme
as on a really solid block. There will be local
disturbances, so its a really good design
from an aerodynamic perspective.
Leclercq elaborates on the need for
rigidity. You have to make sure a tower is
not too flexible and people arent getting
nauseous in high winds. You have to put
enough stiffening elements in your building.
For example, sheer walls in combination
with concrete cores in the case of a concrete
building. Its the same thing for a steel
building you have to provide really solid
structural walls that take care of the wind
load. The building may be strong enough,
but if it is not stiff enough then people will
get really nauseous.
However, Leclercq is quick to point out
that this should not be an issue on Kingdom
Tower. As long as a good structural engineer
is involved, they will take care of that
movement. That shouldnt be a problem.
Steve Kelshaw, managing director of
Dubai-based DSA Architects International,
believes that the tapering form is the best
model for a tower of this height, despite
the aesthetic limitations. I dont think you
could do it any other way if you built a
square design up to that height, I dont know
how it would work.
He continues: That shape has got
the wow factor. I never fail to marvel at
the design of Burj Khalifa. It is truly a
At this point in time
we can build a tower
that is 1km, maybe
2km. Any higher
than that and we will
have to do a lot of
homework.
Dr Sang Dae Kim,
chairman of the
Council on Tall
Buildings and Urban
Habitat
magnificent building. If I was in Saudi
Arabia and I saw the same structure, Id still
be amazed. I wouldnt get tired of looking
at it.
Leclercq adds that the architects
treatment of facade may provide the tower
will a distinct identity. Although it uses the
same footprint as Burj Khalifa, the designers
can be really playful with the facade. The
facade of Burj Khalifa is quite astonishing
and the Kingdom Tower might look
completely different from Burj Khalifa.
A big challenge for supertall buildings
is vertical transportation, which includes
elevators and fire escapes. Leclercq explains:
When you work on a building of that height
you find that a large area of the floor plate
has to be occupied by vertical transportation.
This means that you have large areas that
are unlettable.
The design for the
Kingdom Tower uses a
similar footprint to that
of the Burj Khalifa.
When you work on
a building of that
height you find that
a large area of the
floor plate has to be
occupied by vertical
transportation. This
means that you have
large areas that are
unlettable.
Bart Leclercq, head
of structures for WSP
Middle East
He refers to the unbuilt 1.4km-high
Nakheel Tower in Dubai, for which WSP
provided structural design. The Nakheel
Tower design had 47 lifts, just to get
people up and down, so you can imagine
the enormous amount of space that this
required. The lettable area is reduced
the higher you go, and thats a problem,
adds Leclercq.
According to AS+GG, Kingdom Tower
will contain one of the most sophisticated
elevator systems in the world, with an
estimated 59 elevators in total. This
will include 54 single-deck and five
double-deck elevators, in addition to 12
escalators. Elevators serving the
observatory will travel
at a rate of 10 metres
per second.
A 1km-tall tower may
seem staggering, but is this the buildable
limit? Most probably not, according to the
chairman of the Council on Tall Buildings
and Urban Habitat, Dr Sang Dae Kim. With
Kingdom Tower we now have a design
that reaches around 1km in height. Later
on, someone will push for 1 mile, and then
2km, adds Kim.
Kim believes that, technically speaking, a
2km might be possible at the current time.
He continues: At this point in time we can
build a tower that is 1km, maybe 2km. Any
Any super tall tower
design must deal
with the issue of wind
load, which increases
with height.
higher than that and we will have to do a lot
of homework.
Yet Kim states that it is highly impractical
to build a 2km-high tower. He adds: In
terms of practicalities, we dont need to built
at 2km, but someone with a lot of money
might still want to do it.
He points out that building at such height
will incur many structural challenges.
There might be constraints for the
structural engineering we dont know
many things. When you go up to one or two
kilometres, we dont have much information
surrounding the conditions. Kim also notes
that there may be issues with floor lean due
to the shortening of columns over time.
For WSPs Leclercq, the technical limit
at the current time is 1 mile. I truly believe
that 1 mile 1.6 kilometres is within range.
Over that, it may be possible if there are
improvements in concrete quality. But 2km
is too big a figure its just a step too far at
the moment, says Leclercq.
DSAs Kelshaw is similarly cynical on the
feasibility of a 2km tower. I dont know why
people would want to build something 2km
tall. From a developers perspective that
cant be feasible. Just to think about that is
mind blowing and I cant see it happening in
my lifetime.
Kelshaw also states that extremely tall
towers may struggle to attract tenants. Is
the market there? Are there people that
want to work and live at that height? That is
an unknown market. Getting people to work
and live in such a tower will be a challenge in
itself, he argues.
Yet Leclercq disagrees and asserts that
there will be always be an appeal to build
and occupy the tallest building in the world,
no matter how high. Is there such as thing
as too high? I think mankind is always going
to be challenged by finding the next frontier.
I think theres also a market - people will
always want to be in the worlds tallest
tower, he concludes. The concept for the unbuilt Nakheel Tower reached 1.4km.
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KINGDOM TOWER: TECHNOLOGY
Higher and faster
The Kingdom Tower may overtake the Burj Khalifa as the worlds tallest
building but it will lean heavily on its technology to do so. By Stephen White
A
rchitects AS+GGs declaration
that the design of the Kingdom
Tower will be twice as high as
the Taipai 101 in Taiwan raises
the bar yet again for both the design and
the construction of super tall structures.
Add on the fact that it has to be finished
within five years the same time it took
to put up the Burj Khalifa it is safe to say
building a tower beyond 1km is going to test
the very limits of what is possible for man
and machine. Fortunately, according to the
people tasked with working out how it will
be built, the good news is the wheel does not
need to be re-invented this time although
it may have to turn a lot faster.
As ever, building high means starting at
the very bottom and the Kingdom Tower is
set to be one of the deepest ever attempted.
Buried in the flood of press releases and
news stories released last week was the
announcement that the tender process for
the foundation work was already underway.
Those that have been following the
project closely say that the foundations were
one of the major factors in determining
the buildings final height. Some have
speculated that plans for a mile-high version
of the tower were abandoned after the soil
of the Kingdom City location failed to take
KINGDOM TOWER: TECHNOLOGY
the massive pilings required after a series of
tests earlier this year.
Instead it is likely that the 60m deep,
7,500m
2
foundation will be based on the
Burj Khalifas a scaled-up high density,
low permeability concrete mat designed to
hold back the corrosive effects of salt water
from the Red Sea. Indeed, it seems the more
the plans for Kingdom Tower solidify, the
more likely that Burj Khalifa will be used
as a blueprint. In the years to come, Dubais
landmark will serve as useful reference
point, which did not exist seven years ago.
With the tender out, companies are working
on the technicalities of meeting the five-year
schedule.
We are already working on it, confirms
Jens Bawidamann of Putzmeister, the
company that poured the foundation
and pumped concrete to an elevation
of 606m for Burj Khalifa. Like many
others, Putzmeister will be hoping that its
experience on that project will hold it in
good stead. Cameron Bellman of BASF (the
company that developed its admixture, the
appropriately titled Glenium SKY) for Burj
Khalifa, explains that his company would
not need major breakthroughs to cope with
the heat and height.
The DNA would be the same and the
concrete technology exists to deliver
the high strength needed. Certainly a
Putzmeister or Schwing could cope with
the pumping, he says. But much will
depend upon the raw materials locally
available to the ready-mix producer.
If the plans demand going beyond the
limitations of the ready-mix and pumps,
he points out that the Burj Khalifa could
again provide a solution: I know Samsung
considered using a platform at 400m for
secondary pumping. But due to the mix
rheology this was not required and the
concrete was pumped the 606m through
one line at the base of the tower.
Ironically one of the major hurdles will
be building the infrastructure required
to support the project, says one of the
contractors on the Burj Khalifa.
The major problem we aced during the
construction was the logistics. The higher
you go, the more problems you face, says
Philippe Dessoy, general manager at Besix.
Even in an oil-rich state like Saudi Arabia
the realities of constructing a sustainable
building in a cash-strapped world also have
to be taken into consideration.
I dont know (when work will be begin).
It will be interesting to see, everything that is
happening in the news at the moment could
have an effect, says Bawidamann alluding
to the reports of financial distress in the
global markets.
According to Andy Smith of Hyder
Consulting, it is the prickly issue of ROI that
is the limitation of building at such height:
The thing to do is build it in a series of
sub-problems and it becomes possible. The
question is how patient is a developer and
how quickly can we turn a building around.
The materials to build twice as high as
the Burj Khalifa exist: theyre not even at the
cutting edge. The secret is to choose pieces
of the puzzle you can reliably deliver and put
them together.
Lessons learned from
Burj Khalifa will be
vital in the construction
of the Kingdom Tower.
When built, the Kingdom Tower will stand
as the tallest tower on earth, but its just
one of 25 proposed towers to exceed
1000m, and the only one of 35 projects
designed to top the Burj Khalifas 828m to
have been given the green light.
Of course, until its built, the Burj
Khalifas record remains intact. That hasnt,
however, stopped architects and developers
from producing concept drawings of mega-
monolithic spires and gleaming shards of
steel and glass to drum up publicity.
Its cheating, of course, but it does get
you bragging rights. Until a project breaks
ground and construction starts, nothing
has been achieved other than a nice set
of drawings and a lot of internet forum
comments. Its a clever ploy, but it robs
genuine projects of their rightful claims
with little more effort than a few hours in
front of a computer.
The most outrageous of the lot is the
mammoth X-Seed 4000, a four kilometre
high behemoth that surfaced in 1995 as a
design concept by the Taisei Corporation for
Tokyo, Japan.
According to experts, it was never
designed to be built but it did prompt
discussion so it served its purpose.
Interestingly, 10 designers felt that the
mile-high mark was achievable, while seven
believed that the 2km mark (or higher)
could be accomplished.
1 X-Seed 4000 - Tokyo- 4002m
2 Ultima Tower - 3214m
3 Dubai City Tower - Dubai - 2400m
4 Hexahedron City - Scottsdale - 2101m
5 Houston Tower - Houston - 2092m
6 Try 2004 - Tokyo - 2005m
7 Aeropolis 2001 - Tokyo - 2001m
8 Houston Pinnacle - Houston - 1611m
9 The Illinois - Chicago - 1609m
10 Mile High Tower - Jeddah - 1609m
11 New City Tower - London - 1501m
12 Pyramid-In-Pyramid - Singapore - 1501m
13 Mother - Tokyo - 1321m
14 Bionic Tower - Hong Kong - 1128m
15 Bionic Tower - Shanghai - 1128m
16 Orbita Residence - Sao Paulo - 1112m
17 Murjan Tower - Manama - 1022m
18 Mubarak Al Kabir - Madinat Al Hareer - 1001m
19 One Dubai Tower A - Dubai - 1000m
20 Nakheel Tower - Dubai - 1000m
21 The Spiral - Tokyo - 1000m
22 Sky City 1000 - Tokyo - 1000m
23 Super Pyramid - (JP) - 1000m
24 Europa Tower - Brussels - 1000m
25 Kingdom Tower - Jeddah - 1000m+
Head in the clouds
KINGDOM TOWER: REACTION
Re: Binladin lands deal to build
worlds tallest tower
Of course, yes, I would definitely be
interested in climbing the tower. The
only issue is time: I have been told it
will be at least 10 years before it is
finished, and by that time I will be in
my late 50s. That doesnt mean I cant
make it: I know within myself that I can
definitely make it.
ALAIN ROBERT
We can see the positive aspects of
this investment. The construction will
provide thousands of jobs, and the
construction-related market will be
developed, which will provide a definite
economic boom. We should feel proud
of this investment in our country.
ABU ZAFAR SADRUL HAQ
Tourism, what tourism? I have been
knocked back for a Saudi visa every
time I have applied, and I cannot be the
only one. I would love to see the Makkah
Clock Tower and other architecturally
significant places, but Saudi must open
up its borders to more than business-
men and Hajj pilgrims if it wants to
begin to enjoy the fruits of tourism.
AHMAD
For sure this might create job opportu-
nities for many, but is this the only way?
Whatever happened to the Palm islands
and other projects in Dubai? Everyone
knows the end result pity the poor
Indian labourers who will have to sweat
out in the desert heat to build this tower
for meagre pay!
TINA KHAN
The building is just a front; it is really
an attempt to speed up the economy,
increase spending ... and encourage
further debt downstream, which is
where the money really is.
JOHN REIGERT
All that flat sand and they go up? How
many miles of canals and shoreside vil-
las and restaurants could you build with
the same money? Oh dear!
JONATHAN
It is great to have the tallest building,
but as we all know, the higher we go,
the higher the cost. Instead of spending
such money on one building, why not
develop an area around Jeddah with a
great number of buildings that could
really expand the city and ease traffic
congestion.
MAJD TURKY
Sheer extravagance. Such lavish
projects are not required near our holy
lands! Instead the money could be used
to save people dying in African countries
from hunger and disease.
MOHAMED
Re: How long will Kingdom Tower take
to construct?
Being the tallest, biggest and longest
does not lend personality to the archi-
tecture of a place. As architects, we
have to convince the Middle Easts elites
and ourselves that the optimistic con-
cept of importing ideas of progress will
only kill the character of a place and its
public realm. The future of architec-
ture desperately lies in logical design,
Opinion: what
people think
Readers of ConstructionWeekOnline.com react to the
Kingdom Tower contract announcements
KINGDOM TOWER: REACTION
controlled urban growth and in the
acceptance of ones own cultural roots.
Lets go back to these roots then.
ROMI SEBASTIAN
Re: Kingdom Tower is next step in
skyscraper design
I wonder at which level the observatory
decks will be located. At Burj Khalifa,
they are almost midway. If the position-
ing is similar at the Kingdom Tower, say
at 800m, a director elevator travelling at
10m/s will take more than 80 seconds.
SAMSON RAJAN BABU
Re: Besix: we expect Binladin to win
Kingdom Tower
I am sure Jeddah will become one of
the best cities to visit in the GCC, but at
the moment it is not, hence the reason
why there is a lot of city regeneration
going on. With regard to the Binladin
Group, this company has a sufficient
control over a particular sector, i.e. the
construction market in Saudi Arabia.
Other companies (whether local or
international) should also be awarded
big projects in Saudi Arabia to reduce
the monopoly in the market and
increase competition.
ASIF
Re: Tallest tower needs guts to do,
says Alwaleed
I agree. Guts is when you take a risk.
Monopoly is not a gutsy move. What
Dubai did in the early 1990s was a
clever and gutsy move. Building the
Burj Khalifa when the market was full
of product is gutsy. But building a tower
in a deliberately starved market is not
gutsy, it is a matter of having the money.
ADRIAN
Without Sheikh Maktoums vision, the
whole Gulf would be where they were in
the 1980s. He started it and they copied
it, which is a good thing. Like I said
when they announced the Burj Khalifa,
the tallest building will be in Saudi
Arabia, because every record in the Gulf
belongs to the Saudis by default. No one
else is allowed to have that.
AL SHEIKH Picture courtesy of Getty
I dont know how
difficult it will be
to climb because
I have only seen
some pictures.
If the height is
1000m, then that
is achievable.
French Spiderman
Alain Robert, on the
possibility of scaling
the Kingdom Tower.
PROJECT UPDATE
WANT TO UPDATE YOUR PROJECT'S PROGRESS, OR HAVE IT INCLUDED HERE? Email: gerhard.hope@itp.com
ON SITE CW provides a collection of its most recent site and
plant visits to keep you up-to-date with project progress
Deerfields Town Square has been an
active, complex construction site for the
last two years, and aims for full delivery in
a little over a year. The mixed-use project
is a shopping mall in the Bahiya district
outside the capital, an area under-serviced
in terms of retail outlets. The rectangular
mall will have a built-up area of 22ha, with
a central causeway of shops and a podium
in the centre flanked by two anchors at
each end.
DEERFIELDS TOWN
SQUARE
Location
Abu Dhabi
Visited
June 2011
$191m
Total value
of Deerfields
Town
Square
While Downtown Dubai is graced by the
828m-high Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest
building, the other end of the city, Dubai
Marina, is host to an equally impressive
record: The Tallest Block in the World.
Here a bunch of super-tall towers are
clustered together in a single block,
ranging from 250m to 500m in height. One
of these is Princess Tower,
DUBAI MARINA
Location
Dubai
Visited
July 2011
The CMA Tower, at its final height of 385m,
is arguably the stand-out structure of the
near 50 skyscrapers rising from the site of
the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD)
in Riyadh. It will be the centre of the KAFD's
Financial Plaza, which incorporates the
five tallest structures in the development,
including the CMA Tower, over a spac
of 50,000m
2
. It is a focal point and a
landmark development.
CMA TOWER
Location
Riyadh
Visited
July 2011
PROJECTS
Al Falah is a $2.5bn, 1,200ha housing
development for UAE nationals near Abu
Dhabi, with 4,857 villas and an expected
population of 60,000. About 20% of the total
number of villas are due to be delivered
in the first quarter of 2012, with the
remainder scheduled for handover at year
end. Al Falah forms part of a larger plan by
the Abu Dhabi government to build 13,000
new homes for locals in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain
and the Western Region.
AL FALAH
Location
Abu Dhabi
Visited
May 2011
$2.5bn
Total value
of Al Falah
project
The skyline of Qatar's capital, Doha, could
ne transformed by the 2022 FIFA Football
World Cup. CW looks at some of the major
projects underway. The Barwa Financial
District (BFD) in West Bay has a total site
area of 71,600m
2
. It features an outer ring
of six office towers ascending clockwise
from 20 to 35 storeys, and an inner ring
of towers, comprising three office towers
and a hotel tower ascending counter-
clockwise from 31 to 50 storeys.
DOHA CENTRAL
BUSINESS DISTRICT
Location
Qatar
Visited
June 2011
Conceived in 2008, Burj Rafal combines
both hotel and apartments, and is one of
the most anticipated tall towers in Saudi.
Designed by Dubai-based P&T Architects
& Engineers (which this year opened a
Riyadh office), it is a 62-storey structure
sitting atop a six-floor podium, on a
20,000m
2
plot area in the Assahafa District
along the King Fahad Highway. Dubai
Saudi Arabian Contracting Company
(DSACC) is the main contractor.
BURJ RAFAL
Location
Riyadh
Visited
June 2011
PROJECTS
The $163m Park Towers mixed-use
project at the Dubai International Financial
Centre (DIFC) is due for completion this
year. Both of the 49-storey towers are fully
glazed, and are reminiscent of London's
iconic Gherkin tower, except there are
two of them side by side. The twin towers
comprise three basement levels, seven
podium levels and 42 additional floors
housing penthouses and one-, two- and
three-bedroomed apartments.
PARK TOWERS
Location
DIFC, Dubai
Visited
May 2011
Where Lamar Tower and Jawrarah
Tower, two upcoming structures, reflect
the demand for hotels, the Galleria
project aims to exploit the opportunities
in the retail sector as a new shopping
venue. The Galleria will eventually boast
a classical faade and a contemporary
core. Main contractor United Constructors
ContractingCompany (UCCL) has been
working on the project since November.
THE GALLERIA
Location
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Visited
May 2011
$550m
Total value
of Galleria
project
A mixed-use project of a type becoming
increasingly common in Saudian Arabian
cities, Lamar Tower is two towers of
residential units sitting atop a curved
podium that will, for the first time in the
region's history, contain a hotel, shopping
mall, restautant, conference centre,
ballroom, spa and other facilities.
LAMAR TOWER
Location
Jeddah Corniche
Visited
April 2011
A $10bn development overseen by the
publicly-listed United Development
Company, Pearl Qatar is a statement
of intent for the country's anticipated
population growth, and the
complementary demand for new living
choices, hotels, shops, restaurants and
office space. It is situated about 20km
north of downtown Doha, jutting out about
8km into the sea, with 40km of reclaimed
coastline and 20km of beaches.
PEARL QATAR
Location
Qatar
Visited
May 2011
PROJECTS
Located in the heart of Dubai Sports City,
Champions Tower III is one of a series
of residential developments by Memon
Investments. At just 16 storeys and with
no extravagant architectural features, it
is not your typical Dubai high-rise. The
overall development features four different
buildings on four different locations,
namely Champions Towers I, II and III and
Frankfurt Sports Tower. The no-frills
design has speeded up construction and
reduced costs.
CHAMPIONS TOWER III
Location
Dubai Sports City
Visited
February 2011
16
Number of
storeys in this
Dubai Sports
City tower
The Regent Emirates Pearl Hotel is
surrounded by other hotel developments
in a dense, fenced-off hub of construction
activity, off the roundabout at the end of
Corniche Road. Main contractor ACC
has been coordinating construction
of the 47-storey hotel tower since last
March. The client is Emirates Pearl for
Development and Investment.
REGENT EMIRATES
PEARL HOTEL
Location
Abu Dhabi Corniche
Visited
March 2011
UEMedical has split the project into two
phases. Phase One, due for completion
in 2013, will include construction of an
11-storey, 59m north tower and service
block, covering 48,000m
2
and providing
182 beds and general in-patient services,
with a focus on maternity and delivery. The
second phase will involve construction of
an 11-storey, 59m south tower connected
to the first by a bridge, providing mostly
out-patient care and covering 222,000m
2
.
DANAT AL EMARAT
Location
Abu Dhabi
Visited
February 2011
The Al Jawharah Tower represents
the beginning of something big for
the coastline of Jeddah. The Damac
Properties project, started last year and
currently at ground level, is the first that will
be constructed in the wake of a relaxation
of building rules that will allow structures
as high as 350m along the Corniche.
AL JAWHARAH TOWER
Location
Jeddah Corniche
Visited
April 2011
350m
Height
regulation
for Corniche
buildings
Upon completion, Damac's first luxury
serviced-apartment project will offer
39 residential floors , three mechanical
floors, a lobby or ground floor, a leisure
floor (at the top of the podiums), five floors
of car parks and a basement. Thus, with as
many as 49 floors above ground level and
351 apartments, the building will reach a
height of 168.4m and have a total built-up
area of 63,754m
2
. The main construction
contract is valued at $54.5m.
BURJSIDE BOULEVARD
Location
Dubai Downtown
Visited
February 2011
Asymmetrical and extremely slender for
a building of its height, the Pentominium
Tower is actually one of the most
architecturalloy significant projects being
built in Dubai at present. Designed by
Aedas, it features six hanging gardens
and several apartments down just one
side of the structure at the high levels, and
a 604m
2
penthouse on every floor. The
516m-high tower will have a total built-up
area of 163,720m
2
.
PENTOMINIUM TOWER
Location
Dubai Marina
Visited
March 2011
This is one of five school projects awarded
to specialist contractor the Sammon
Group by ADEC as part of its Future
Schools Programme. These are located
at Al Towaya, Al Jahly and Al Khazna in
Al Ain, and at Al Khatem and Abu Dhabi
West. The 20,290m
2
project is on track for
completion in August 2011.
ABU DHABI WEST SCHOOL
Location
Abu Dhabi
Visited
March 2011
20,290
square
metre
project
Upon completion, the Yasmeen Rotana
will not only be tne second international
five-star hotel in Damascus, but also the
newest five-star hotel in the capital, and
the flagship development for new Syrian
developer Bena Proeprties, part of Cham
Holding. There are three packages:
enabling works, raft foundation and main
construction work.
YASMEEN ROTANA
Location
Damascus, Syria
Visited
March 2011
PROJECTS
After 25 years in the formwork business, and the
last 12 year as MD of Doka subsidiaries in the Middle
East, Geir Jensen has retired. His last successfully
completed assignment was establishing Doka
Muscat LLC, and introducing the company into the
Omani market. During his tenure with Doka, Jensen
has been the backbone of the companys growth in
the region. Effective 16 July, another MENA veteran,
Harald A. Hartung (pictured), assumed the role of MD Doka Muscat
LLC. Graduating as a civil engineer in 1979, Hartung brings with him
multinational professional experience in the construction industry. He
joined Doka in 2001 as GM of Doka Saudi Arabia. In 2005 he took over
various tasks in the Doka headquarters in Amstetten, Austria, leading
to stints in Iran, India and Libya. In 2006-07, he founded and managed
several Doka company subsidiaries with offices in Tunisia, Algeria,
Egypt, Libya and Morocco. Woods Bagot Middle East has welcomed
Karim Benkirane as Managing Principal of the Dubai studio. Benkirane
has been working with Woods Bagot at a global level, most recently
spending seven years in the London studio. He is an experienced
project director with a proven track record in the successful delivery of
major projects across both the UK and other regions.
TIPS FOR JOB
SEEKERS
Shuffle
APPOINTMENTS
3 TOP JOBS
For more jobs visit constructionweekonline.com/jobs. Please apply directly to the listed consultants.
Every new graduate coming
out of college should focus
on career building. This is a
process which involves great
efforts and hard work, and it
starts from seeking a job. In
terms of your resume, start
with your name and address
in clear, bold format. Add your
qualifications in a systematic
manner. Fresh job seekers
should highlight any special
training received in college,
even for extra-curricular
activities.
Mention your experience
in a separate paragraph or
format. This should include
any formal or informal training
received after finishing col-
lege. This can form the first
part of experience for all fresh
graduates. There are several
websites that cater to the as-
pirations of new job seekers.
Some of these sites also assist
in sprucing up your resume
in a professional manner.
Although there can be many
sites offering jobs globally, it
is better to visit and join those
sites that provide local jobs
for candidates in your area.
Hence, all those wanting to
find a job in Malaysia can visit
some of the sites listed below.
It is better to visit and join all
of them and post your resume
there. Some employees have
a procedure of eliminating
candidates in the initial round
by calling them in for a test.
It is important to take such a
test seriously in terms of your
future prospects.
Role: Contract Administrator,
Qatar
Agency: Adept Personnel
The client is a leading main
contractor operating within
Qatar. It currently has an urgent
vacancy for an experienced
contract administrator with
highway experience to join an
existing project in Doha. The
initial position is a project-
based role, which will last for
about two years. However, it
is a healthy order book and,
based on your performance,
this position could be extended
past project completion. You
will have a minimum of seven
years experience within
contract administration,
degree-educated within
either quantity surveying or
civil engineering and fully
conversant with FIDIC.
Role: Chief Resident Engineer,
Jordan
Agency: Halcrow

This is an exciting opportunity to
work in the thriving Middle East
engineering sector. We have
clients from the public and pri-
vate sectors. Halcrow employs
over 1,000 people across the
Middle East, working on projects
ranging from highway drain-
age schemes to multi-million
dollar infrastructure projects,
submersible pumping stations to
complete waste water treatment
plants and much more. We are
currently undertaking the role of
Owners Engineer on a pipeline
project in Amman. The principal
function of this position is the
overall leadership, management
and direction of all the owners
engineers site supervision
overview staff at site.
Role: MEP Manager, Saudi
Arabia
Agency: ICDS Constructors

The client is a leading Middle
East main contractor. Due to
continued success, it currently
has a requirement for an expe-
rienced MEP Manager for its
Riyadh office. Candidates must
have: ten to 15 years experi-
ence in MEP management, ex-
perience gained with well-know
main contractors, high project
value experience, a degree in
mechanical engineering and
ideally have some Middle East
experience. This is a fantastic
opportunity to join a progressive
and fast-moving organization,
with great opportunities for fu-
ture career development. ICDS
specialises in the recruitment
of design, PM and site-man-
agement personnel.
For directory information visit
constructionweekonline.com/directory
SPECIALIST SERVICES
TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL +971 4 444 3570 OR EMAIL ANDREW.PARKES@ITP.COM
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Dubai International Airport
Modern Terminal 3 boasts world record for largest internal floor space
P
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When it comes to setting records, airports
are fairly good places to start. The sheer size
of the aircraft required to haul people around
the globe means that terminals need to be
incredibly big if theyre to cater for millions
of passengers every year and none more so
that Dubai International Airports Terminal 3.
Home to Emirates airlines expanding fleet,
Terminal 3 handles a bulk of the airports 40.9
million passengers annually (2009 figures)
and, with its dedicated Airbus A380 Concourse
3, is able to handle 75 million travellers every
year. Terminal 3 alone will have a maximum
annual capacity of 43 million travellers.
Not surprisingly, the terminal boasts the
largest interior floor space of any building in
the world: its 1.456 million m
2
easily beats
nearest rival, the Aalsmeer Flower Auction
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2
) in Holland.
Terminal 3 was opened in 2008 after an
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million man hours were worked on the project
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of 0.17. At one stage the project accumulated
a record 32 million man hours without a lost
time accident.
STATISTICS
Building: Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3
City: Dubai, UAE
Completed: 2008
Client: Department of Civil Aviation, Government
of Dubai
Main contractors: Al Habtoor Leighton Group,
Murray & Roberts and Takenaka
Floor space: 1.456 million m
2
Maintaining Standards,
Exceeding Expectations
P.O. Box 120780, Dubai, UAE
Tel : +971 4 351 8871
Fax : +971 4 351 8873
www.kele.ae Kele Contracting LLC
Born of an Australian heritage spanning two decades, Kele
was established in the United Arab Emirates in 2005 as
a partnership between Australian rm Kele International
Holdings & the UAE-based ENSHAA. From this promising
foundation, Kele has combined the best construction and
contracting practices of both continents & emerged as a
signicant force in the Middle East construction industry.
Kele is proud to set standards in the construction industry in
addition to maintaining a strong commitment to Corporate
Social Responsibility.
ISO Certied Company: ISO 9001 Quality Management
System, OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health & Safety
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Expertise :
Q Large scale residential developments
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Q Amusement parks
Q Commercial Fitouts & renovations

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NEWS ANALYSI S I NTELLI GENCE PROJECTS CONTRACTS TENDERS

JAN 15-21, 2011 ISSUE 352

is a high performing, corrosion resistant

Middle East / Europe

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