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Local NewsOptimistic outlook for Arab hospitality design

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Local NewsUDC General Assembly Meeting Approves 2009 Strong Financial Results

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Local NewsLaws and regulations and their effect on construction risk

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Local NewsFirst phase of New Doha Port to be ready by 2014

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Issue No.33,Mar 2010, Doha-Qatar

the most of the opportunities available to them. Managers at any level have to be aware of these ‘soft issues’, such as motivations, emotional impacts and cultural influences as these can dramatically effect how a team works. The great irony and problem here is that oftentimes the person responsible can be the most reluctant to make the change. Unfortunately this is when the marketplace, the cli-ent or authorities must drive change forward.It is relevant to point out that this preference for methods and products that have been used for longer pe-riods of time has resulted in demonstrable losses and nega-tive impacts on an array of proj-ects, which have suffered every problem from falling victims to thieves, to installing huge quan-tities of inferior products.A proportion of the blame for this must, sadly, rest on the actions of proponents and representa-tives of those aforementioned more established practices. It is understandable for people to wish to safeguard their own business and hold on to their existing clients; however, when the people to suffer are the us-

ers of a facility their actions are inexcusable. Conducrete has been regularly attacked and de-famed by proponents of other measures of creating earthing systems, but thankfully their concerted efforts have proven fruitless. FM Sudafix has long acknowledged that it is proud to demonstrate Conducrete to bona fide customers. Despite the initial inertia of the wider GCC to specify Condu-crete, finally the efforts of Qatar have broken the stranglehold of other parties and Condu-crete is now being sought out throughout the region. Due to the continued prefer-ence in Qatar for Conducrete other countries have now start-ed to follow suit. The demand for this product extends from Australasia to Saudi Arabia, from Oman to America; all of these countries now possess projects witnessing the para-mount benefits of Conducrete and that is ultimately thanks to the pro-active and responsible projects in Qatar. But what are the benefits of Conducrete conductive con-crete? Certainly the most im-portant is high performance

electrical conductivity, which effectively enhances any earth-ing system provision by increas-ing its surface area without the requirement for substantial quantities of copper. Indeed many earthing systems specifically designed incorpo-rating Conducrete require only trace amounts of copper. As Conducrete is a conductive concrete it offers impressive protection from thieves who may seek to steal the valuable copper elements, also as the previous paragraph highlight-ed, the tangible need for cop-per is reduced therefore offer-ing token quantities of material present to steal. The usage of Conducrete in remote loca-tions for power or telecommu-nications applications is vast because of this fact alone.Conducrete should not be used for structural applications as the sole method of support, however if it is actively incor-porated into this process it will undoubtedly enhance the electrical safety performance of the site. The tangible com-pressive strength of Condu-crete is certainly impressive unlike alternative earthing

system compounds and aggre-gates; however this still does not recommend it for structural applications. We live in an en-vironmentally conscious age, and any attempt to preserve the natural world is widely ap-plauded. This is a further attribute of Conducrete that impresses constructors, clients and au-thorising bodies alike; it is envi-ronmentally safe and has even been installed where the avoid-ance of aquifer contamination is critical.The applications of Conducrete as currently seen are by no means exhaustive; It is a versatile and robust prod-uct and its versatility is one of the many reasons customers cite when they return time and again for more. Ultimately the product alone may have experienced resis-tance and difficulties in estab-lishing itself in the Middle East if not for the open-mindedness of the Qatari construction in-dustry and there is no doubt that Qatar will continue to prove itself vital to the future successes of this outstanding product.

ing out the latest technologies and best methods. The actions within Qatar have a dramatic effect in the wider Gulf region. Qatari projects have an estab-lished tradition of representing some of the highest construc-tion standards anywhere in the world, however, whilst we acknowledge that the world is watching the ongoing success-es of the Qatari construction industry it does not mean that the rest of the world is learn-ing from it. This may come as a surprise to the prudent and pro-active people of the Qatari construction industry, but the construction sector in so many countries seem resolutely un-able to embrace the best prac-tices even when they have been demonstrated and proved in a country such as Qatar. Indeed, even in the face of overwhelm-ing evidence some parties almost have to be forced by their clients to accept advance-ments. This is due in no small part to the reluctance of people to accept change; it seems a normal part of human nature to prefer to hold on to the prac-tices with which they are used to adopting rather than making

The eyes of construc-tors all over the world are once again focused upon Qatar. Regular

readers of this publication will have no doubt encountered articles discussing the revolu-tionary impact that Conducrete is having upon the market. The numbers of enquiries feeding back every time any such ar-ticle appears are considerable as people wish to learn more about its properties. Condu-crete is a superior conductive concrete, which is now widely used throughout the GCC re-gion, however the first country to really embrace this product in the Middle East was Qatar. At the recent Middle East Elec-tricity exhibition in Dubai Con-ducrete was the most discussed product in the entire show, and many who sought out more in-formation on this product did so due to having heard that Con-ducrete is being used exten-sively in Qatar. Those interested parties who visited FM Sudafix and Ducab representatives be-tween the 9 to 11 of February at the Middle East Electricity ex-hibition were delighted with the potential savings of time, bud-get, and lives that Conducrete offers. A range of consultants, constructors, and authorising bodies hailing from a huge va-riety of projects sought out Con-ducrete by name; the projects they came to discuss ranged from substations and power projects, infrastructure projects and prestige build programmes and they were pleased and re-lieved when they discovered that Conducrete could be in-stalled on their sites. It will come as no surprise to parties working in the Qatari construction industry that Qatar is often regarded as something of a trend setter, a pioneer seek-

Qatari earthing systems lead the way in the Middle EastQatari projects have an established tradition of representing some of the highest construction standards anywhere in the world

2 Local News

Concepts Middle East 2010 was the region’s leading interior design congress designed for time-restricted design professionals to network, establish new contacts, debate the future of the sector and most importantly – conduct business

Jeffery Ornstein, CEO and founder of J/Brice De-sign International, was the keynote speaker at

Concepts Middle East 2010. The conference was held at Le Cigale Hotel, in Doha, on Feb-ruary 23 and 24.J/Brice Design, based in Bos-ton, the USA, and Dammam, Saudi Arabia, is a leader in establishing a unique look and brand identity for the luxury ho-tel sector in the Middle East. Ornstein discussed Brand Ara-bia – the future of hospitality in the Middle East, at the industry congress, which was organized by business information com-pany, naseba.Last year, Ornstein addressed naseba’s Kingdom Hotel Ex-pansion & Investment World Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Ara-bia. In his remarks at the Doha conference, he stressed: “The region must and will maintain its distinct identity and well-earned luxury position despite a global recession. Hospitality design in the Arab world has evolved tremendously, from derivative neo-modernist Euro-pean architecture, to a distinc-tive world class esthetic that is now emulated and admired in the EU, north America and Asia.”Ornstein called for a new con-cept in hotel design, which he

described as hotel fashion. “Unlike design, fashion places the focus on the guest experi-ence and the property’s social, economic and geographic con-text. For a property to resonate with its guests and succeed ec-onomically, the designer must interpret the heart and soul of the location. He must be a cul-tural spy.”He advised delegates: “Great designers, like the great ho-teliers, serve the guest first, enhance the guest experience in every sense and never lose sight of the fact that the prop-erty is inextricably woven into the fabric of its location and community – especially in the Arabian Peninsula.”J/Brice Design International has designed hotel, office tow-er and large-scale residential project interiors developed by the Al-Othman Holding Com-pany of Saudi Arabia and the Al Thani Family in Qatar. Addition-al international engagements have been in Dubai, India, Bah-rain and Zanzibar. Since 1989, J/Brice has won commissions by the world’s leading hotel groups, including Marriott International, Hilton Hotel Corp., Starwood Hotels, Trump International, Intercon-tinental, Hyatt and TAJ Hotels, among others.Ornstein called the Concepts Middle East 2010 an “exciting

platform for hospitality profes-sionals and business lead-ers to discuss latest projects and innovations in light of the Middle East’s position as the world’s hospitality design bell-wether”.Ornstein, whose firm ranks among the three largest in the New York-New England mar-ket, has received numerous accolades. He was named one of Boston’s 12 Most Influential People by Scene Boston maga-zine and received the InterCon-tinental Hotel Group Renova-tion-of-the-Year award for the Chicago Mart Plaza in 2009.Concepts Middle East 2010 was the region’s leading inte-rior design congress designed for time-restricted design pro-fessionals to network, estab-lish new contacts, debate the future of the sector and most importantly – conduct busi-ness. The congress featured strategic, business-focused face-to-face meetings, panel discussions, case studies and presentations as well as five-star networking opportunities.According to naseba (www.naseba.com), the total spend-ing on interior projects in all GCC countries last year was estimated at $47.1 billion, with industry experts predict-ing it to rise to $56.9 billion in 2010. Official figures show that imports of furniture and interi-

tional: All Full service Proper-ties, Renaissance, and Court-yard properties, Starwood: All Full Service Sheraton, Westin, and 4-Points properties, In-tercontinental Hotel Group: All full service Intercontinen-tal Hotels, Crown Plaza, and Wyndham Properties, Trump International Beach Resorts, Best Western and Holiday Inns Worldwide. International cre-dentials include work for Taj Hotels in India and Dubai, the Al Thani Family in Qatar and the Al Othman Holding Com-pany in Saudi Arabia.The firm’s recent signature en-gagements include the fabled HMS Queen Mary, the 1934 luxury ocean liner, and The Helmsley Hotel, an urban land-mark in New York City. Naseba has worked in part-nership with leading media

or products to the Gulf region are rising at a significant rate, with the Middle East market nearly on par with established markets in Europe, the United States and Japan.Founded in l989 by leading hospitality design authority, Jeffrey Ornstein, J/Brice De-sign International is a global interior design firm. In 2009, J/Brice ranked as one of the top 10 design firms in the New York/New England region and has twice been cited as one of the 10 fastest growing design firms in the US - once in 2000 and once in 2008 by Interior Design Magazine. J/Brice has won awards in every major category of hotel design, including Best Upscale Design of the Year, Renovation of the Year, Most Ambient Hotel Lobby, and Best Luxury Suite. Its award-winning staff has worked on over 200 hotel and restaurant projects, in addition to boasting a diverse portfolio of corporate and residential interiors. Its international ex-perience lends great diversity to its design perspective and implementation with respect to regional, cultural, operational and brand parameters.J/Brice is the preferred design group for Hilton Hotels: All Full Service Hilton, Doubletree Ho-tel/Guest Suites, and Hampton Inn properties, Marriott Interna-

and local authorities such as Time, CNBC Arabia, BBC World, Zawya, Council of Saudi Cham-bers and the Principality of Mo-naco. “The secret to our success is that we understand that all participants, sponsors, execu-tive clients and partners, must have a return on investment - whether that investment is time or money. Our high re-booking rate of both execu-tive delegates and sponsors is proving that we are delivering this ROI to our clients,” says naseba Chairman Scott Rags-dale.Since inception in 2002, nase-ba has organized over 350 business events, opening five strategically located offices throughout the world, including in Monaco, Dubai, Bangalore, Singapore and Cairo.

Optimistic outlook for Arab hospitality design

Jeffery Ornstein addressing the conference

Ashghal (Public Works Authority) has opened Al-Sanie In-terchange near the

Umm al Amad zone for traf-fic. Service roads extending from Sannie Interchange to Sannie zone towards north and to Umm al Amad and Umm Abiriyya zones towards south are also open along with the interchange.This new interchange is ex-pected to ease traffic flow to the nearby townships, includ-ing Sannie, Umm al Amad, Umm Abiriyya, and to the farm areas in the region. It provides new exit routes for road users to turn to Doha or Shamal (Ruwais), replacing old exit points between Sta-tion No 21 and Station No 23, improving traffic safety. This stretch represents the second and third phases of the North Road project un-dertaken by Turkey’s Tekfen Company at a cost of QR2 billion and QR181 million re-spectively. The phase II and III are two of the most important projects being carried out in Qatar’s road sector. They include nine bridges with a single track in each direction, 11

New interchange eases traffic flow

single ways, two underpasses (one single track and another dual carriageway), a four-lane dual carriageway of 93 kilometers, a three-lane dual carriageway of 5 kilometers,

a double lane dual carriage-way along seven kilometers and a two-lane one-way road along 48 kilometers. In addition, there will be a number of connection routes and service roads. The proj-ect includes construction and renovation of existing infrastructure with commu-nication network system, street-lighting columns and landscaping. An intelligent traffic system, which includes traffic signals, four weighing stations, five camel crossings and drainage, will be put in place.The second phase consists of a 33-kilometer road from the North Bridge to Al Khor Inter-change through Semeisma. It will be a four-lane dual car-riageway with service roads in addition to nine multi-level

interchanges, a weighbridge, infrastructure network and landscaping. Upgrading Se-meisma Interchange along the North coastal road is part of this phase.

The stretch extend-ing from Al Khor Inter-change to Al Ruwais forms the third phase of the project which will have a total length of 61 kilometers. This road will

link Al Khor Interchange and Al Ruwais towards north. It will be a four-lane dual car-riageway with service roads, 11 multi-level interchanges, five underpasses for camel crossing, a protection fence and two weighbridges in ad-dition to infrastructure and landscaping. The fourth phase of North Road will extend from Al Zabara Interchange to Ras Usheirej, connecting to the proposed causeway between Qatar and Bahrain. This 35-kilometer stretch will have a four-lane dual carriageway, service roads, six multi-level interchanges, three camel underpasses in addition to infrastructure network and landscaping. This phase is presently in the design stage.