Major projects in the hospitality, rail and the infrastructure sectors are progressing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the CEO of a leading regional construction company said Tuesday. "Tenders for major projects in the hospitality, rail and the infrastructure sectors are underway in quarter two and we are currently bidding across all our business lines. We anticipate rising pressures on pricing levels given the severe competition and the costs associated with the sourcing of the necessary human and technical resources to cater for such large scale projects," said Khaldoun Tabari CEO of Drake & Scull International PJSC (DSI). The company has secured AED1.3 billion in project awards across the MENA region in the first quarter and expects its local Qatari arm to increasingly contribute to the growth of the company especially with the recent establishment of its rail and civil divisions which will complement its existing MEP and water power operations. "The construction boom in Qatar serves as a major incentive for engineering specialists to invest in more advanced and innovative construction solutions to cater to the fast-changing needs of the construction industry as tender activities and project awards momentum picks up. While Qatar increasingly generates global attention, the quality, reliability and sustainability of the projects being undertaken across the country are likewise being subjected to greater scrutiny exerting momentous pressures on contractors to comply with international quality and safety standards," Tabari added. Leveraging its operation in the country and its unique ability to adapt to the complexities and dynamics of the Qatari market, DSI Qatar has a large number of ongoing and completed high-profile projects and is equipped to take part in other developments that are critical components of the government's roadmap to the FIFA World Cup 2022. Moreover, DSI Qatar has civil, MEP, rail and water and power divisions that are well established, well structured, and most importantly financially secure, making it the preferred provider of integrated design, engineering and construction solutions by governmental entities and private developers in the country. Saleh Muradweij, Managing Director of Drake & Scull Construction, the civil contracting arm of DSI, said "DSI Qatar has worked on several major projects in Qatar since early 2006, including the Four Seasons Hotel, the Qtel Tower and the Doha Land project. We have solid history of consistent growth and our integrated civil, MEP and water and power capabilities, give us a competitive edge in Qatar's highly dynamic construction market. The energetic pace of construction activities in Qatar has certainly opened a huge window of opportunity to accelerate our growth plans and further expand our scope to cater to a much broader range of projects, including upcoming mega-projects across the country. Qatar becomes one of the more lucrative project markets in the world”
