In Conversation with Brian Woodside, Group Chief Financial Officer at Al Masaood Group Al Masaood is one of the leading trading families of Abu Dhabi with a rich diversity of companies and businesses in Abu Dhabi, elsewhere in the UAE and further afield. They were the first company to be registered by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce. Al Masaood Group has been involved in the commercial development of Abu Dhabi, mirroring the Government’s development path with some key ‘firsts’ such as delivering to the country its first gas turbine and developing the UAE’s first desalination plant. The Group is…
Author: Kasun Illankoon
Select Group, one of the leading private real estate developers in the UAE, have announced the commencement of work on their 15th and latest project, 15 Northside in Business Bay. Having successfully handed over their most recent project, Jumeriah Living Marina Gate in July 2020, 15 Northside will be Select Group’s first foray into Business Bay and Dubai’s Downtown district. The award-winning developer has become synonymous with luxurious, waterfront residences since its inception in 2002, and work on this latest property, perched on the waterways of Dubai Canal, has already begun in earnest this month. Rahail Aslam, Chief Executive Officer,…
Brian Woodside, the Group Financial Officer at Al Masaood Group, graces our front cover for the Feb edition. “One of the objectives I set for the Group when I joined is to re-imagine the internal logistics for Al Masaood being such a widely diversified group of companies with branched-out businesses that span many key industries such as automotive, retail, power, and construction. Having worked for long years for leading construction groups, I knew the incredible importance of logistics, including the moving of operations on demand is essential to business turnaround. It is also an area that I consider very close…
Agility, a leading global logistics provider, and its digital innovation arm Shipa, a trusted last-mile delivery and e-commerce logistics player, announced the launch of a bonded, express road freight network to connect businesses and consumers across the GCC. The new service provides customers with less-than-truckload (LTL) and full truckload (FTL) options and a fast, cost-effective way to ship packages, pallets or containers of goods with daily departures and scheduled pickups in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. The service draws on the network and expertise of the Gulf’s leading logistics provider. Agility’s warehousing footprint is the GCC’s largest…
Dubai’s real estate market continued to be attractive to local and global investors in 2020, with the sector recording 51,414 transactions representing a value of over AED175 billion (USD $47.6bn), according to the annual transaction report issued by the Dubai Land Department (DLD). The report revealed that real estate sales reached AED72.5 billion with 35,423 transactions, while mortgages recorded 12,958 transactions with a total value exceeding AED87.7 billion, and grants recorded 3,033 transactions worth over AED15 billion. The report also showed that Dubai attracted 31,648 new investors who concluded 41,571 investments worth over AED73.2 billion. The sector was able to…
In our Feb edition of Construction Business News ME, we highlighted some of the best leaders in the MEP Industry in the Middle East. Roupen Sulahian works with a strong international team of more than 750 MEP engineers and provides strategic direction to sustainably grow the Energy Division and affirm its role in providing world-class technical and management advisory in the energy sector. Under his leadership, K&A spearheaded some of the most influential projects in the Middle East such as delivering power distribution system master plans for various cities, the construction of power generation plants, electricity network and systems for…
GAC, one of the largest integrated providers of shipping, logistics and marine services in the region and the world, has signed an agreement with Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) to establish a contract logistics facility and office in the Ras Bufontas Free Zone. The agreement with GAC will play an important role in expanding the logistics offerings for QFZA and Qatar, strengthening supply chains and bolstering Qatar’s position as a global hub for trade. Virtual ceremony The virtual signing ceremony was attended by H.E. Mr. Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, the Minister of State and Chairman of QFZA. The agreement was…
In our Feb edition of Construction Business News ME, we highlighted some of the best leaders in the MEP Industry in the Middle East. Nathan Hanns has led its growth since 2006 and is a highly capable, results orientated general manager with extensive experience of leading high-performance teams and of successfully increasing efficiency and productivity whilst reducing costs and inefficiencies. Nathan’s 24+ years of experience is a testimony to his commitment to service excellence in the field of MEP. He has proven how to nurture and grow a business, evaluate opportunities and risks and also deliver innovative new solutions to…
In our Feb edition of Construction Business News ME, we highlighted some of the best leaders in the MEP Industry in the Middle East. Ashraf Botros, Managing Director at ASU From a humble beginning, AL SHAFAR UNITED FOR ELECTROMECHANICAL ENGINEERING LLC was a division of ASGC company under the direct supervision of Mr. Ashraf Botros. Having a 40-year solid background in his Engineering career combined with his loyalty and dedication, he carries forward and takes the responsibility to define the company’s success into reality. Now, he holds a prestigious role of a Managing Director he truly deserved. Today, our company…
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and DEG are providing Yellow Door Energy, a leading sustainable energy provider for businesses, with a US$ 10.6 million loan in local currency for the development, construction and operation of a portfolio of eight solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Jordan. The EBRD local currency financing is complemented by a loan mobilised by the Bank of up to US$ 5 million provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a parallel US$ 15.6 million senior loan in local currency from the DEG, the German development finance institution, and an equity contribution from Yellow Door…