In it for the long haul

Transcription

PROJACS INTERNATIONAL
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COMMUNIQUÉ / DECEMBER 2010
ACICO Twin Towers:
A towering success in Dubai
ProMIS:
“Sharing knowledge is power”
CBK:
An iconic bank project in Kuwait
Contents
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Message from the CEO: ...In it for the long haul
4
ACICO Twin Towers: A towering success in Dubai
8
Projacs Kuwait: The focus on governmental projects
10
CBK: An iconic bank project in Kuwait
12
T&D News: Enhancing technical skills, enhancing Projacs
13
Facility Management: Financial crisis reduces demand
14
QOC Program Management: Sporting success in Qatar
16
Celebrating more than 10 Years of Service at Projacs
18
Qatar Entertainment City faces challenges
20
A Palm City in Tripoli
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Projacs has “tremendous opportunities”
22
Projacs Lebanon: Lebanon’s project management challenges
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ProMIS: “Sharing knowledge is power”
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PMCS News: A spirit of independence
27
FACE 2 FACE: Neena Al-Hassan and Lillian Aziz
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Alliances/Joint Ventures
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It’s a YES for NES
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Trident — Partners in Project Management
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Projacs Statistical Data Charts
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Newly-awarded projects
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Staff News & Announcements
Communiqué is the official Projacs International Newsletter.
For further details please contact [email protected]
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Editor: Gerald Butt Assistant Editors: Fadia Shawwa, Aileen O’Donoghue Graphic Designer: Chara Adamidou
Communiqué newsletter is published by Rimal Publications, P.O.Box 14208, Nicosia 2155, Cyprus
T: +357 22 314842 F: +357 22 315991 Email: [email protected] Website: www.rimalbooks.com
Message
from
the CEO
…In it for the long haul
The construction and real estate markets in
the Middle East continue to be soft and apart from
an exceptional growth in Saudi Arabia and recently
Qatar, several projects around the Gulf (our prime
market) were either cancelled or put on hold. Amid
these challenges, Projacs was focused on three fronts:
controlling expenses, diversifying its portfolio of
services and streamlining the operations. Thanks to our
flexible organizational structure, geographic spread and
the commitment of our core teams, all measures that
were implemented have been effective and have shown
results in a relatively short period of time.
As a result, Projacs managed to maintain its growth
in 2009 and 2010 and I am pleased to announce that
our company was recently ranked by ENR in 10th
place among the top 20 non-US firms in international
construction and program management, moving
up the ladder from our 11th rank in 2008. Projacs
continues to take measures, most notably, creating
strategic alliances and planned investments in
sectors that were not part of Projacs’ mainstream
business, mainly in infrastructure and industry. In this
respect, we have completed an acquisition of Nassar
Engineering Services and we have formed operational
business units for Facility Management, CM @ Risk,
Oil and Gas, Water and Power and Heavy Industrial
Projects in partnership with renowned international
experts. With the recent announcement of Qatar’s
success in hosting the FIFA 2022 Games, Projacs has
received a new shot of confidence to its operations
in Qatar. Our company has been an active participant
for the past seven years in Qatar’s sports projects
such as the program management for the Asian 2006
Games, and we continue to provide project and
facility management services to the Qatar Olympics
Committee for all their sports facilities.
It is obvious that governments have turned their
attention to infrastructural projects, including new
Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in water, power,
ports and transportation. On the other hand, the
private sector is still hovering in a status of flux
with few clients offering good project opportunities.
With this in mind, Projacs has come to grips with the
new construction world order and is continuously
investigating opportunities to participate in a
proactive manner on upcoming projects. So far, we
have participated in bids (some of which we have
already won) on mega-water security programs,
port expansion projects, sewage treatment plants,
railway projects, oil & gas projects and an industrial
city program.
We realize that the worldwide crisis and business
challenges will not fade away overnight and the
healing process may have started but will take some
time. We are also confident that the potential is
tremendous and we are prepared to stay in it for the
long haul. We will continue to innovate, invest and
cultivate a corporate philosophy that puts our clients
at the centre of everything we do in an environment
where our teams are valued and challenged.
Luay Khoury
President & CEO
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ACICO
Twin Towers
A towering success in Dubai
A five-star hotel offering luxurious Japanese
hospitality is a major feature of the more than $250 million
ACICO Twin Towers project in Dubai for which Projacs was
manager. The second tower, called ‘Nassima’, consists of a
49-storey office and residential building. The ACICO Towers
contract was awarded in 2005. The complex is situated in
the centre of cosmopolitan Dubai and in a premium location
on Sheikh Zayed Road, near the Dubai World Trade Centre
and opposite the Dubai International Financial and Exhibition
Centre.
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of international restaurants — Japanese, of course,
plus Arab, Asian and others; and a Business Centre,
including conferences and events facilities.
The Nassima Tower has a plot area of 1,858 square
metres. The first 24 floors are devoted to offices, while
the top 21 consist of residential apartments (with four
mechanical floors bringing the total to 49).
Fadi Farah, Senior Projects Manager, UAE, describes
the ACICO Towers as a “prestigious project, with the
Hotel JAL Tower bringing the soul of Japan to the
heart of Dubai.” The 51-storey glass tower has 471
rooms — 31 king-size, 57 twin, 30 junior suites, nine
corner suites, one grand suite, 42 serviced apartments
and 14 luxury apartments. The hotel tower covers a
built-up area of 78,384 square metres. Mr Farah says
the hotel “offers stunning panoramic views of Dubai’s
premier business skyline.”
Other features of the hotel are: High Executive floors
and an appointed Executive Lounge on the 42nd floor
where VIP guests can take advantage of exclusive and
personalized services; a Health Club and Spa; a range
The client/owner of the project is ACICO Industries,
with ACICO International Contractors having been the
main contractor. Mr Farah said that because Projacs
was “the third project management company to the
project and commencing the work when 30 percent
of the structural works were completed, our position
was really challenging. We, the Projacs team, worked
hard to bring the project back onto track to the
current successful completion stage, acquiring the
full faith of the client.”
The project also faced difficulties as a result of the
global economic crisis. But, according to Mr Farah,
Projacs “managed to cushion the impact of the sudden
increases in the prices of construction materials
and of supply shortages prevalent in 2008 and 2009
by wisely developing contingency plans, including
the direct import of critical building materials from
suppliers abroad.”
In short, the Projacs team in Dubai are “proud to have
been part of this challenging job”.
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PROJACS KUWAIT
THE FOCUS ON GOVERNMENTAL PROJECTS
Projacs Kuwait is focusing on governmental
projects because the private sector has suffered most
from the effects of the global financial crisis, according
to Sameer Abu Shanab, Senior Vice-President/Area
Manager Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan. “The crisis has
affected the situation for us here because we mostly
depend on private sector developments,” he adds.
“Some projects were put on hold, others cancelled.
Nevertheless, we have managed to get a few private
sector projects.”
Interview with
Sameer Abu Shanab
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Before the crisis struck Projacs Kuwait had secured some
government deals, including Kuwait University, PAAET
and the Ministry of Health. The government has also
committed itself to a huge development plan up to 2035,
providing plenty of potential business. “Currently,” says
Mr Abu Shanab, “we are pursuing several opportunities
– among them sea ports development, airport, power
facilities, and infrastructure and roads projects under
various schemes of consultancy as Technical Advisories
and BOT/PPP.”
Projacs’ Kuwait office, established in 1984, has 128
employees. But Mr Abu Shanab’s responsibilities extend
way beyond that office: “I am in charge of managing
the operations in Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq. I overview
the operations with respect to design management,
construction management and technical support
services, as well as business development, budget
and financial management — and human resources
management.”
Mr Abu Shanab has been a Projacs employee since
1990 — holding a BSc in Civil Engineering from Kuwait
University. Of the many projects that he has been
involved with, he remembers five with particular
pride: the Amiri Diwan; Bayan Palace; Sheraton Hotel;
PAAET Campus; and Zamzam Tower.
Looking to the future, Mr Abu Shanab thinks Projacs
should concentrate on the “continuous updating
of systems in use, and on coordination between
territories for experience exchange and on staff
training. These things will ensure that Projacs’
performance continues to improve.” For anyone
starting out on a career in the company, his advice
is: “Work on yourself, learn from your superiors, and
be patient.”
Mr Abu Shanab is married with four daughters (aged
from three to 21). He lists as his interests: football,
reading and swimming.
As for daily motivation, Mr Abu Shanab says this
comes from always having something new to do. He
is hoping that security will improve soon in Iraq for
him to perform in full his role as manager there. “The
experience in Iraq,” he says, “will be interesting and
challenging.”
“Projacs should
concentrate on the
continuous updating of
systems in use, and on
coordination between
territories for
experience exchange
and on staff training.”
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CBK
AN ICONIC BANK
PROJECT IN KUWAIT
The $420 million project for Central Bank of
Kuwait’s (CBK) new headquarters building is “the most
prestigious and iconic” in the country, in the view
of Mohamed Fathy, Senior Project Manager, Projacs
Kuwait. “It has a unique architectural design which
includes the construction of the system of dia-grid.
CBK is the only project in the Middle East using this
system, as well as the state-of-the-art specialized
services.”
The Office Tower, with a total area of 75,000 square
metres, is organized in 41 storeys, intersected by a
podium that contains the reception, banking halls,
conference facilities and a multi-level concourse
illuminated by translucent marble. Projacs was
awarded the Project Management/Construction
Management contract in February this year. The
project is scheduled for completion in February 2014.
Mr Fathy joined the CBK project in May. At that time,
he says, “there was a lack of coordination between
the main contractor and sub-contractor, along with the
consultant. This was the most challenging problem we
faced. Since we came on board proper arrangements
have been made with project parties, and intensive
meetings held to resolve a lot of conflicts that had
affected progress. Now things are back on track and
going well.”
With a BSc in Engineering from Zagazic University in
Egypt, Mr Fathy (who is Egyptian) came to Projacs
in 2004, having been working in Kuwait for 14 years.
“My first project was Al Hamad Towers,” he says.
“That project and KREIC Towers were interesting as
the clients were actively involved with us in decisionmaking and had a very good understanding of the
business — which in turn brought about the success
of the projects.”
Since joining Projacs, Mr Fathy says, the company
“has been like an extended family to me with deep
loyalty and respect between colleagues.”
While he is full of praise for Projacs’ professional
management, well-organized structure and excellent
working environment, he believes that more could be
done to “strengthen interaction between employees
and management. I also think that Projacs’ staff
should be periodically involved with the current status
of the company.”
Mr Fathy has been married for 12 years and has a
daughter (aged 11) and a son (9). He says “the time
I spend with them is precious, especially during
weekends and holidays. What motivates me each day
is praying before going to work, my children’s smiles
and the cooperation and support of my colleagues.”
His professional ambition is to “upgrade my position
in Projacs and work towards doing the same for my
company.”
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T&D NEWS
ENHANCING TECHNICAL SKILLS,
ENHANCING PROJACS
Nizar Awwad is a firm believer in the idea
that high standards of training will guarantee Projacs’
success in its second quarter century as much as it
did in the first 25 years. As Business Development
Manager, Amman, he sees Training & Development as
“one of the most important divisions in the firm as it
is there to enhance the staff’s technical and soft skills
and help them achieve personal goals — all of which
are ultimately to the company’s benefit.”
Mr Awwad is in charge of all in-house training courses
for all Projacs’ offices, “as well as all our speakers’
database, and also for the annual training plan. I
develop and establish new training arrangements with
speakers, arrange marketing and coordinate training
courses — in addition to taking care of the markets in
Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.”
A number of certification programs are sponsored
by Projacs — most, according to Mr Awwad, certified
from global organizations and universities such as PMI,
ACCEI, Houston University, University of Washington,
University of Waterloo and SAVE International. These
programs are offered as public and in-house courses,
but once a trainee attends one, he or she will notice
the benefit. They will also get a certificate from one of
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Interview with Nizar Awwad
the respected organizations and a Projacs attendance
certificate.”
Armed with a BSc in Economics from Yarmouk University
in Jordan, Mr Awwad joined Projacs in 2004. What
he enjoys most about his job is “meeting different
people and continuing to build new professional and
social relationships. I also enjoy the challenges we
always face in our work.”
In his spare time he likes to swim some lengths in the
pool or sweat it out on the squash court. He also likes
reading — and from the book he finished recently he
might have picked up some tips to help his career
at Projacs. It was The 21 Indispensable Qualities of
a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to
Follow, by John Maxwell.
Mr Awwad, who is unmarried, offers this advice to those
joining Projacs: “Be smart, creative and aggressive
in your work.” And listen to and act on what “our
great T&D team” tells you, he might have added. But
perhaps he feels that goes without saying, given the
indisputable role of T&D in Projacs’ success.
The global economic crisis has “reduced
demand on FM services and increased the competition
in the market,” according to Ramzi Qumsieh, Assistant
Vice-President, Facilities Management, adding that
several projects had been cancelled or put on hold.
Mr Qumsieh’s duties include overseeing the
implementation strategy for the FM Unit, as well as
the FM services plans, procedures and policies. It is
his task, too, to align the FM Unit strategy within
the overall organization strategy. He also conducts
meetings and presentations for potential clients
related to Projacs’ FM capabilities and services, and
prepares tender documentation.
FACILITY
MANAGEMENT
FINANCIAL CRISIS REDUCES DEMAND
Interview with Ramzi Qumsieh
It was at the suggestion of a relative that Mr Qumsieh
joined Projacs in 2006 — “and it turned out to be
a very valuable piece of advice. Projacs has a
unique, friendly and family working environment
that encourages each member to contribute to the
overall success.” He cites the loyalty of clients and
the company’s good reputation as Projacs’ main
selling points. To achieve higher global exposure, Mr
Qumsieh believes Projacs should “improve its public
relations strategy and emphasize more the quality of
the delivered services.”
He also suggests that the company could “send out
questionnaires to employees to find out their needs
and complaints. It should also focus on social activities
and training for employees.”
Mr Qumsieh is based in Projacs’ Doha office, but as
a single man he would be happy to move to “any
region or country, since FM services can be promoted
anywhere.”
A keen footballer, Mr Qumsieh also enjoys reading —
although the last book he read was hardly chosen as
a means of escapism from work: How to Understand
Business Finance by Robert Cinnamon. Perhaps, though,
the book will have given him tips on how to meet his
own two goals for the upcoming year: to win projects;
and achieve Six Sigma Certification.
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QOC Program Management
SPORTING
SUCCESS
IN QATAR
Projacs’ recent success in being awarded two
project management contracts with major developers
in Qatar shows that the company has been able to
ride out “the commercial and financial crises harshly
affecting its competitors,” according to Abdelhakim
Abdulla, Senior Project Manager/Operation Manager,
Doha. “Recently there was a noticeable growth in the
local market, and Projacs’ decision to invest in its
Qatar office was a wise one.”
Mr Abdulla is Senior Project Manager and Technical
Consultant for the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC)
project. QOC’s Engineering Projects Department
(EPD) is heavily engaged in the planning, construction,
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“Projacs’ decision
to invest in its Qatar
office was a wise one.”
operation and maintenance of sports facilities. Projacs
assigns personnel to the EPD and the Maintenance and
Operation Department (MOD).
The contract was first awarded “in 2005, but our
scope has evolved over the years,” Mr Abdulla says.
“A total of 30 Projacs staff have been seconded
to QOC/EPD and MOD.” As QOC developed over
the years “the services provided by Projacs were
extended. At the beginning our service was limited
to writing procedures and organizing the engineering
and maintenance departments. It was then extended
to provide project coordinators/managers to several
design, construction and maintenance projects, as
well as quantity surveyors, contract managers and
facility managers to the Maintenance and Operation
Department.”
As for the challenges Projacs has faced with the QOC
project, Mr Abdulla says that “being the team leader
and with the diversity of service we provide it was
necessary to create and adopt a system to monitor
the quality of service provided by our staff in EPD
and MOD. Staff training was provided by Projacs, and
the procedures for the handing over of works were
written and implemented to coordinate the process
between the two departments.”
Mr Abdulla, who has a BSc (Honours) in Building
Surveying from the University of Luton in the United
Kingdom, joined Projacs at the end of 2005 — having
heard about it from a friend already working for the
company. Mr Abdulla was impressed from day one: “I
had been in the construction industry for more than
15 years, but I had never experienced the degree of
professionalism, the warmth and the friendly working
atmosphere.”
Working on the QOC project is apt for Mr Abdulla who
says he likes “sports in general, and enjoys swimming
and water sports.” Married, with six children (five
girls and one boy), he says he is motivated each day by
“providing the best for my family, producing quality
work, and knowing that I will be awarded at the end
of this life or the next—or better still, both.”
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CELEBRATING MORE THAN 10 YEARS
OF SERVICE AT PROJACS
Name
Office
Position
length of
service
Join Date
Category
Nabil
AlQaddumi
Corporate
Kuwait
Chairman
26.9
October-84
Corporate - Technical
Luay Khoury
Corporate
CEO
26.9
October-84
Corporate-Technical
Fuad Saud Al Saleh
Riyadh
Vice Chairman
17.9
January-93
Technical
Sebastian Joseph
Plamthottathil
Kuwait
Senior Finance & Accounting Manager
17.4
July-93
Support
Mohammed Ashraf
Rahman
Kuwait
Office Assistant
17.3
July-93
Support
Mohammed Ashraf
Veerasseril
Riyadh
Executive Secretary
Grade 2
17.2
August-93
Support
Arif Hameed Khan
Dubai
Public Relation Officer
16.9
January-94
Support
Yousef Shaban Al
Halwani
Riyadh
Vice President
16.7
February-94
Training & Development
Ihab Ahmad Loutfy
Kuwait
Senior PCS Manager
16.0
November-94
Technical
Kalappurathara
Hussein
Riyadh
Officer
14.7
March-96
Support
Ziad Kamel Issa
Kuwait
Senior Project Manager
14.5
May-96
Technical
Nedungeril Mohd.
Shihabuddin
Riyadh
Training Coordinator
14.1
October-96
Jihad Abed
Al Rahman Usta
Lebanon
Senior Vice President
13.9
December-96
Technical
Tarek Ahmed
Mohamed
Riyadh
Vice President/ Area
Manager
13.4
July-97
Technical
Mustafa Mohammed
Al Mohammed Saleh
Riyadh
Officer
13.3
July-97
Support
Gabriel Maxi
D’costa
Kuwait
Driver
13.2
August-97
Support
Rami Thoulkifl
Ghosheh
Kuwait
Department Head
13.1
September-97
Technical
Veerasseril Mohd.
Kutty Ajimon
Al-Khobar
Secretary Grade 2
13.1
September-97
Support
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Mohammad Ayham
Fahmi Al Shawa
Kuwait
13.0
December-97
Technical
Sonjit Niranjan Deb
Kuwait
Office Assistant
12.8
February-98
Support
Ashraf Algarf
Corporate
Kuwait
Deputy CEO
12.5
June-98
Corporate - Technical
Lilibeth Cabarlo
Aljentera
Dubai
Executive Assistant
12.1
October-98
Support
Moutaz Mahmoud
Lattouf
Riyadh
12.1
September-98
Technical
Ashraf Gomaa
Seoudi
Dubai
11.9
December-98
Technical
Imran Akhtar Lalldin
Riyadh
Executive Secretary
Grade 2
11.7
March-99
Support
Sohair Farahat
Al-Khalil
Kuwait
Business Development
Manager
11.6
April-99
Anthony Raj
Joseph
Kuwait
Driver
11.5
May-99
Support
Raghida Ghazi Azar
Kuwait
Training Coordinator
11.5
June-99
Arshad Ur-Rahman
Anees
Riyadh
Quantity Surveyor Level 2
11.4
July-99
Technical
Michael De Leon
David
Riyadh
Engineer - Electrical
11.4
July-99
Technical
Mohd. Abdul
Majeed
Riyadh
Project Manager
11.1
October-99
Technical
Yara Shawki
Abdullah
Corporate
Kuwait
Manager
10.7
February-00
Corporate - Support
Ziad Mohammad
Al Awadi
Kuwait
Project Manager
10.5
May-00
Technical
Yasser Hussein
Khreis
Kuwait
Head of Unit
10.3
August-00
Corporate - Support
Ahmed Mohamed
Osman
Egypt
Vice President / Acting
Area Manager
10.2
September-00
Technical
17
QATAR ENTERTAINMENT CITY
FACES CHALLENGES
Interview with Dr Hani Fidawi,
Senior Project Manager, Qatar
The “most challenging” aspect of the $70
million Qatar Entertainment City project is the global
economic crisis, which has made everyone “cautious
with their expenditure,” says Projacs’ Senior Project
Manager, Doha, Dr Hani Fidawi.
The project was awarded in August 2008 and is
scheduled for completion in the second quarter of
2011. Projacs is providing PM/CM and Design Review
for the roads, bridges and infrastructure works for the
venture at Lusail. Specifically the deal entails enabling
and grading, and work on canals, roads/hydraulics
and bridges, and electrical and IT installations, plus
landscaping and gas/district cooling.
“Initially the progress of the project was generally
smooth,” Dr Fidawi says. “But we then encountered
challenge from the Lusail Master Developer in
completion of the underground Light Rail Train
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activities passing below part of our road network.
This will prevent us meeting the target completion
date. However, there is close coordination with the
master developer to minimize the delay.”
Dr Fidawi, who joined Projacs in 2007, has a PhD
in Civil Engineering from Loughborough University
of Technology in the United Kingdom. Before Qatar
Entertainment City, he worked with Projacs on two
projects in Dubai: Jewels – Residential Twin Towers;
and Emirates Saray, Hotel Resorts and Residence.
What he enjoys most about his job is “the productive
work environment where all my staff works as one
professional team to reach their assigned objective.”
He thinks, though, that more could be done to
improve performance: “In addition to the bonus
scheme, I would say that special incentives need
to be introduced. Giving employees shareholding
opportunities is also something worth considering.”
Dr Fidawi and his wife have two daughters (aged 6
and 16) and a son (12). His personal interests are
walking, listening to music and reading. The last
book he read was Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung
Chang and Jon Halliday.
Looking ahead over the coming year, Dr Fidawi is
looking forward to more success for Projacs, while
“on the personal level I am working on losing some
weight!”
“However, there is close
coordination with the
master developer to
minimize the delay.”
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A PALM CITY IN TRIPOLI
Interview with
Ahmed Farahat, Libya
For Ahmed Farahat, the luxurious Palm
City Residences project in the Libyan capital,
Tripoli, has been the main focus of attention since
he joined Projacs in 2006. During that same year
Projacs was appointed Cost Consultant for the $92
million venture which was completed this year.
“This was a very exciting project to work on,”
he says. “The whole complex is quite amazing —
with 413 residential units supported by extensive
leisure and recreational facilities. There are also
two commercial buildings.”
As for challenges that Projacs faced with Palm City,
Mr Farahat says they included the need “for cost
saving as a result of a value engineering analysis.”
Now, Mr Farahat is involved with another major
residential project in Tripoli: Janzour Alrraki.
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Projacs was appointed Project Manager for this $73
million venture in April 2008 — and completion is
scheduled for February 2012.
Mr Farahat graduated from Cairo University with
a BSc in 1982. He acquired a Project Management
Professional Certification in 2004 and an Associate
Value Specialist Certification four years later. He
acted as a Trainer for Projacs on a freelance basis
before becoming a full-time employee. What he
particularly enjoys about his job is “the way you
can see at once the effects of your work. Each day
I set out to achieve what I planned to do — that’s
what motivates me.” While he is happy to work on
more projects in Libya, he would also welcome a
spell in Egypt.
Married with two sons, Mr Farahat says his ambitions
for the coming year are to work for more growth
for Projacs Libya — and “give my children the best
education possible.”
PROJACS HAS “TREMENDOUS
OPPORTUNITIES”
“The future of Projacs is very promising
and the opportunities are tremendous.” This is
the upbeat assessment of the company’s position
today that comes from Dr Ali Al-Fraiji, Operations
Manager, Riyadh. “It is very clear to me that the
corporate management is doing all it takes to
motivate and lead the staff to achieve their best
and for Projacs to become the undisputed project
management leader in the region.”
While all markets in the region have been affected
negatively by the global recession, Saudi Arabia has
suffered less than other Gulf States. There is still
plenty of work going on in the Kingdom. Dr Fraiji is
in charge of the “operational activities pertaining
to the 13 active projects we are handling at the
present time in the Riyadh area. In some, our
scope is to supervise the construction activities,
in others we are providing construction or project
management services. We have several projects in
the design stage and we are acting as the design
manager on behalf of the client.”
Dr Fraiji joined Projacs in 2007, holding a DSc
in Civil Engineering from George Washington
University in Washington DC, having gained his
master’s and bachelor’s degrees in the United
States. In his Projacs career he has been involved
in a string of projects: Al-Fardan Office Building,
Riyadh (2007); Industrial Gate, Riyadh (2008); GOSI
Office Park, Riyadh (2009); Saudi Investment Bank
branches, Riyadh (2010); and King Abdallah Military
City, Al-Ahsa Province (2010).
“When I started at Projacs I really felt a strong family
environment,” he says, “which I feel now, four
years later, even stronger. Everyone is working and
Interview with
Dr Ali Al-Fraiji, Riyadh
cooperating as a team.” He had a good opportunity
to “take a look at the real Projacs family picture”
during the 2007 company retreat at the Dead Sea
resort.
Having worked in project management for 15 years,
Dr Fraiji says he has learned most of the techniques
and tools. But he believes firmly that “the learning
process is endless. One should keep learning as long
as there is something new, and with information
technology and other rapid changes, learning and
acquiring new techniques is a must for all levels of
the organization.”
Away from work, Dr Fraiji likes to spend time at
home with his four children, whose ages range from
six to 20 — “I hope to continue to be a better father
to my family and children and enjoy watching them
grow and prosper,” he says when asked about
personal ambitions for the year ahead.
As far as work goes, Dr Fraiji loves to be part of a
firm with “tremendous opportunities”. In fact, he
says, “it is a pleasure to be part of Projacs’ team.”
21
PROJACS LEBANON
LEBANON’S PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES
Interview with
Jihad Usta
Projacs’ Lebanon office, established in
1998 but inactive until 2003, faces several specific
challenges in Lebanon that are not encountered
elsewhere, according to Jihad Usta, Senior VicePresident, Beirut. “The whole project management
philosophy as applied in the Gulf region or
internationally is not known in the Lebanese market,”
he says. “Being influenced by the French system, the
Bureau Technique approach is commonly adopted.”
A second challenge comes in competition with
individuals. Having highly skilled engineers available
in Lebanon, with international experience, means
“there is a high trend in appointing directly an
individual project manager to perform the task.”
Other challenges arise from competition from
international QS firms that are promoting the role
of project management in addition to cost control,—
and from the fact that “most real estate developers
in Lebanon have an engineering background. They are
playing the role of developer and project manager at
the same time.”
But Mr Usta is not daunted by the difficulties Projacs
faces, and says he finds it personally fulfilling to be
involved with managing and developing the Beirut
offices of NES and Projacs, which together now
employ approximately 20 staff members. He enjoys
22
“The opportunity for
continuous learning is
the main driver in
enjoying the work.”
facing up to the difficulties each day and has decided
that “for me it is time to focus and settle in Lebanon.
The opportunity for continuous learning is the main
driver in enjoying the work.”
Mr Usta joined Projacs in 1996, having acquired nine
years earlier an MSc in Construction Management
from Loughborough University in the UK. He also
holds an IATA Airport Planning Certificate and a Value
Engineering Mode 1 Certificate.
Projects on which he has particularly enjoyed working
during his Projacs career include: Qatar Asian Games
City in 2006 (“its scale and complexity offered a good
learning experience”); the Beirut Gate Master Plan
in 2005 (“dealing with four international and local
consultants was very demanding on the professional
and personal levels”); Infinity Tower in Dubai in 2006
(“the structure was as important as the architecture to
shape up the building and resolve its complexity”).
As an experienced Projacs executive, Mr Usta’s advice
to newcomers would be to follow his example and “aim
for a long-term commitment to the company and build
their careers as members of the Projacs family.”
As for his own family, Mr Usta is married with a son
and daughter, Joud (15) and Jinane (8). When he is not
working, he enjoys playing tennis — and travelling.
In the year ahead he is looking forward to his twoweek vacation (“with my mobiles closed”), while for
the other 50 weeks he will be motivated by tackling
those project management challenges in Lebanon and
“creating a strong base for Projacs” there.
23
24
ProMIS:
“SHARING KNOWLEDGE IS POWER”
The potential of the ProMIS system to give
Projacs competitive advantage over its rivals was one
of the conclusions of a ProMIS workshop held on 16-18
May 2010 at the Sheraton Hotel, Manama, Bahrain. It
was attended by all area managers and department
heads from local offices — as well as the Baracci Solutions team. The workshop was led by Ali Shawwa,
AVP MIS & Corporate Communications, and Joselito
Figueroa, ProMIS Coordinator/Senior PCS Engineer.
One aim of the workshop was to discuss the challenges
faced in Phase I of ProMIS and to review the outcome
of a survey conducted by more than 100 handpicked employees and ProMIS users to evaluate and
assess the progress of the system thus far. Another
aim was to pave the way towards the second phase of
the system, the Enhancement Strategy.
Projacs’ President and CEO Luay Khoury opened
the workshop with a brief introduction in which he
described his vision for ProMIS and the importance
of users’ full involvement in aiding the progress and
development of the system. Mr Shawwa then explained
that the Phase II Enhancement Strategy was based on:
further analysis and assessment of existing tools and
features; feedback acquired through meetings with
department heads and key personnel in each unit; the
comments from employees; and the survey results.
Mr Shawwa mentioned the enhancements that would
be applied to all departments and modules with
the ProMIS system. An open discussion followed,
covering:
• A review/update on access rights and privileges for
each Projacs business unit.
• A review of the Super User List and updates with all
department heads.
• A definition of the areas/sections with ProMIS for
Champion Assignment — led by Mr Khoury.
• The selection and assignment of Champions with
responsibilities per section to manage and validate
data.
The workshop ended with an address by Franco
Zegarelli, head of Baracci Solutions which designed
and built the ProMIS system based on the vision of
Mr Khoury. According to Mr Zegarelli, ProMIS “is
developed in an Open Architecture Technology
Platform, which means that there is no limit to where
we can take the system. We are not limited by other
Technology Frameworks, and we have full flexibility
and expandability as we wish.”
Mr Zegarelli stressed that “any system is only as good
as its content. So the quality of the content and the
collective usage of that content are crucial.” Asked
to identify the key feature of ProMIS, Mr Zegarelli
said it provided “competitive advantage because
while information is knowledge, sharing knowledge
gives you power.”
“...there is no limit
to where we can
take the system.”
25
CORPORATE
OPERATIONS
HUMANÊ
RESOURCES
FINANCE
TRAININGÊ &
DEVELOPMENT
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
SUPPORT
PMCS NEWS
A SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE
Interview with Nael Al-Ashy
The relative independence enjoyed by those
working with online systems is a key reason why Nael
Al-Ashy is happy in his job as a PMCS System Engineer
based in Doha. “My work basically is not limited to
a room, desk, cube or office,” he says, “and I like
that.”
Nael, who graduated with a BSc in Computer
Engineering at the University of Balamand in Lebanon,
first heard about Projacs from friends working in the
construction industry in the Gulf. He finds the work
environment at Projacs Qatar as “one of the best I’ve
known, very friendly and social, but at the same time
professional. It’s rare to find this kind of environment
in other companies.”
As a member of Projacs’ PMCS Unit, Nael’s brief covers
standard support, such as auditing, procedures,
forms and templates. But he is now also responsible
for the testing, troubleshooting, developing and
administering of the newly designed online control
system, ‘ProMIS-PMCS’. This web system, Nael says,
“allows project users to control the flow of the
progress, tasks, risks, finances and documentation for
all stages of their projects, from tendering to testing
and commissioning. And I am also responsible for the
training and support of the users of that system in all
Projacs’ branches.”
ProMIS-PMCS is deployed in four projects in Qatar:
the World Trade Center; Mena; Kahramaa; and Qatar
26
Entertainment City. It is also deployed in the Central
Bank project in Kuwait.
The new PMCS system is accessed by the same
username and password as the ones for Projacs’
ProMIS system. PMCS consists of different modules:
documents control; financial control; and projects
control. Nael says his unit “provides the training
needed. This is very simple because we developed
the system to be very simple and user-friendly.” The
introduction of the new PMCS system, Nael believes,
has made his unit “more involved with the daily
work, issues and problems of the various projects. We
can closely monitor the progress and status of each
project to different levels of management.”
Nael cites the developed and up-to-date online
systems at Projacs as one of the main selling points of
Projacs’ services — along with its years of experience
and the variety of services it offers. He also has a tip
for newcomers to the company: “First of all, read
about project management, and then make use of the
experience of senior Projacs employees.”
As a single man, Nael has plenty of time and opportunity
to pursue his two favorite sporting activities: football
and swimming. But on a daily basis — at work or at
play — he is motivated by listening to music. Nael is
clearly happy in his job, and his short-term professional
target is to “succeed in my current tasks and goals in
the unit.” But in the longer term, he would “like to
find a way to set up my own business.” Nael Al-Ashy
really is a man with a spirit of independence.
MASTER
ADMIN
Face 2 ecaF
Neena Al-Hassan
Lillian Aziz
As a Human Resources Manager, Ms Neena
Al-Hassan, who joined the Projacs International
family end of 2009 and is currently based in Bahrain,
administers and implements all aspects of human
resources to ensure the smooth operation and growth
of the company from the HR perspective.
As an Executive Secretary at Projacs Egypt,
Ms Lillian Aziz, who has been a member of Projacs
International since 2008, manages all office-related
issues and requirements. She manages the daily
schedule, travel arrangements and correspondence
for VP/Area Managers and team members.
When asked what she enjoys most about her job,
Ms Hassan said that the problem-solving aspect
and the constant motivation to create a peaceful
environment for employees and improve productivity
in the company where “we as a company, like many
others, can continue our success with no obstacles.”
Asked what she likes most about her job, Ms Aziz says
that she enjoys meeting new people and “the sense
of teamwork amongst Projacs’ Egypt staff.” She also
enjoys maintaining “a good working relationship with
various stakeholders.”
She hopes to one day “work hand in hand with Projacs
International not only to meet the professional
standards when it comes to the HR department but to
successfully move forward.”
Ms Aziz’s ambitions for the future are twofold: on the
professional level, she is “always looking to improve
my capabilities and skills” to be able to perform at
higher levels; on a more personal note, she wants to
help her son become a “champion in basketball.”
27
Alliances/Joint Ventures
Projacs has formed several strategic
alliances and joint ventures with international
companies that will better position Projacs on
major projects and in particular in the water,
power, infrastructure and oil & gas industries.
Through these JVs, Projacs was able to pre-qualify
for and submit several proposals in the region. A
summary of these alliances and efforts include:
EllisDon Corporation:
Founded in London, Ontario in 1951, EllisDon has grown
to become a major international firm completing
more than $2 billion dollars in new construction
projects annually, with approximately $5.0 billion in
construction projects underway. With its executive
offices in Mississauga, Ontario and regional offices
across Canada and in the United States and UAE,
EllisDon provides services in Construction Management,
Project Management, Design Build, Public-Private
Partnerships (P3) and General Contracting.
The joint venture of Projacs-EllisDon has recently
won the contract for Project and Construction
Management services of the Central Bank of Kuwait
Headquarters.
Hatch:
Hatch is an employee-owned multidiscipline firm that
provides custom process design, business strategies,
technologies, and project and construction management from 65 offices around the world for clients
in the Metals, Infrastructure, and Energy market
sectors. Programs and projects under management
by Hatch have an aggregate value of US$35 billion.
They have projects in more than 150 countries and
8000 professionals working worldwide.
Projacs-Hatch has already submitted proposals on
a number of water, ports and other infrastructural
projects in Kuwait and Qatar, and is currently prequalifying for major oil & gas programs in Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia.
28
Bovis Lend Lease:
Bovis Lend Lease is one of the world’s leading project
management and construction companies operating in
more than 30 countries worldwide and employing over
7,500 people. BLL’s operations span six continents and
hold strong market positions in the commercial, retail,
residential, industrial and pharmaceutical sectors and
also work closely with governments to deliver health,
education and defence projects amongst others.
Projacs has developed a strong association with BLL
since 1988 and as a joint venture it has successfully
completed several prestigious projects including Kuwait
Petroleum Company headquarters, Nissan facilities and
Black & Decker facility. Projacs-BLL recently signed the
Project and Development Management contract for a
major industrial city project in Riyadh and submitted
proposals for the Qatar National Museum and the new
Abu Dhabi airport.
Turner International LLC:
Turner International LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary
of The Turner Corporation and is listed among the
top 3 in the ENR’s list for the largest construction
management companies in the US. Internationally,
Turner manages projects in excess of eight million
square meters in building area valued at over US $12
billion. Among their clients are many Fortune 100
firms with building projects that shape the skylines
of major cities. Headquartered in New York, Turner’s
staff is actively providing professional building
services in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and
Latin America and the Caribbean.
N
In 1986, Projacs had formed a joint venture with
Turner International and have jointly completed
a number of landmark projects in the Middle East
including the Amiri Diwan and Council of Ministers
project in Kuwait, which is Kuwait’s GCC conference
centre, Applied Education and Training Campuses,
Ritz Carlton Hotel in Qatar, Dreamland Hilton Hotel
and Beverly Hills City in Egypt.
Currently, Turner-Projacs is working as the PM/CM
for the $10 billion new Kuwait University project at
Shadadiyah, PM services for the $180 million design of
facilities for PAAET and CM services for $400 million
PAAET Shuwaikh Campus and Al-Jahra.
Genivar:
Genivar is a one of the largest engineering firms
in Canada. For 50 years, Genivar has provided
private and public sector clients with a full range of
professional services for all phases of the project,
from planning to commissioning. Genivar employs
4,500 professional engineers and managers who work
in more than 60 offices in Canada and overseas and
operate on projects in 85 locations worldwide
Projacs-Genivar is currently pursuing opportunities in
transportation and infrastructure projects in Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
It’s a YES for NES
services while simultaneously focusing on specialized
engineering, master planning and quality control/
audit services.
Trident –
Partners in Project
Management
Trident with its expertise in the field of CM @
Risk and Facility Management services is considered
an asset for Projacs, providing services such as general
assessment, due diligence, development, design, and
administration/monitoring services, to name a few.
That is why in 2004 Projacs partnered with Trident
and currently owns 49 percent of the company.
In the Middle East, Trident was introduced as a
construction contractor providing the services of CM
@ Risk and Facility Management to our clients. We
feel that by combining Trident’s U.S.-based resources
and expertise with Projacs’ network of offices and
local know-how, Trident will be better positioned
to become a significant player in the construction
market in the Middle East.
NEWS
A decision by the board in early 2009 to
commence the search for firms in similar or related
fields that could add value to Projacs’ existing
operations resulted in its acquisition of consulting
firm, Nassar Engineering Services (NES).
After the sudden demise of Mr Nabil Nassar, the
founder and owner of NES, the bereaved family
requested that Projacs assist in managing the
company’s current project portfolio and study the
viability of acquisition.
After thorough studies, NES was acquired, offering
Projacs a comprehensive reach to a number of good
resources and new clients while maintaining NES’
brand and identity. The objective of this acquisition is
to streamline NES’ operations to complement Projacs’
29
Staff breakdown by nationality
Projacs staff by year
30
Staff breakdown by age
Total staff breakdown
31
On-going projects by country
On-going projects by category
32
On-going projects by stage
NEWLY-AWARDED PROJECTS
Al Fayhaa Company, Syria
Projacs Syria was assigned a new PM contract by AlFayhaa Al-Gadida Company, a subsidiary of Kuwaiti
Syrian Holding company. Projacs will manage the new
residential complex project in the Ya’four district.
The total site area is around 67,302 square metres
and the project’s scope covers finished residential
buildings, a finished club house, relevant roads,
infrastructure and landscaping.
Beirut Terraces, Lebanon
Projacs Lebanon has been awarded a new contract
for the project management services (Design and
Construction) of Beirut Terraces. Located in the
prestigious Beirut Central district, it is expected to
raise the bar in architecture and design, both on the
national and regional levels. The aim of the concept
is to revive the Beirut urban lifestyle by extending
the village living experience from horizontal to
vertical, blending the indoor and outdoor, views
and privacy, and landscape with architecture. The
tower will have four separate entrances, unified
through a central core, leading the residents to their
apartments in utmost privacy. The tall structure,
reflecting the spirit of future Beirut while drawing
inspiration from the city’s layers of history, will have
130 different apartments, each offering an individual
living experience.
Al-Khor Downtown Development, Qatar
Projacs Qatar was awarded a new contract for full
Project Management and Construction Management
Services which includes: Pre-Design Development,
Design, and Pre-Construction and Construction
Phases. The project, Al-Khor Downtown Development,
is located in Al-Khor City, approximately 50km from
Doha. It covers around 30 hectares of land and
comprises various types of building and infrastructure
works such as commercial and governmental spaces,
mosques, parks/landscapes, roads and infrastructure.
The project is expected to be completed in June
2016.
33
Staff News & Announcements
New staff
Name
Location
Title
Joining
date
Atif Abdel Hamid
Metwalli
Jeddah
Inspector
01-Aug-10
Muna Ahmed Al-Amer
Jordan
Planner
01-Aug-10
Mohammed Nazir Malik
Jeddah
Quantity Surveyor Level 1
02-Aug-10
Abdul Jaleel
Chemmala
Jeddah
Document Controller
28-Aug-10
Mohammed El-Nady
Abdel Fattah
Jeddah
Engineer Civil/Structural
28-Aug-10
Shaikh Gyasuddin
Jeddah
Document Controller
01-Sep-10
Karen Leanne
Aquino Francia
Libya
Secretary Grade 1
01-Sep-10
Mahmoud Hussein
Salah El-din
Jeddah
HSE Engineer
04-Sep-10
Ayman Abdel
Rahman Ibrahim
Jeddah
Document Controller
18-Sep-10
Syed Shafi Ahmed
Jeddah
Contracts Administrator
21-Sep-10
Cheryl P Dias
Kuwait
Secretary Grade 1
01-Oct-10
Fahad AbdulRazzak AlSaleh
Riyadh
Engineer - Civil/Structural
03-Oct-10
Tarek Ahmed
Mohammed Jad
Riyadh
Engineer - Electrical
10-Oct-10
Ahmed Mohammed AlHawari
Jeddah
Secretary Grade 2
17-Oct-10
Muna Al Rashed
Kuwait
Project Engineer
17-Oct-10
Mohammed Ghaleb
Al-Ibrahim
Jeddah
Site Engineer
23-Oct-10
Staff relocation
Nader Kamal Operation Manager Jeddah relocated from Dubai.
Obtaining special certificates
Mr Luay Khoury, CEO became PMP certified.
34
Contact Information
Corporate Office
Projacs KSA – Jeddah
Projacs Kuwait
Projacs KSA – Al Khobar
Tel: + 973 17228066
Fax: + 973 17228099
Manama Centre, Suite 607
P.O Box 21674, Manama, Bahrain
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: + 965 22439255/6/7/8
Fax: +965 22409897
P.O.Box 25944 Safat, 13120 Kuwait
Projacs Qatar
Tel: + 966 2 6689231
Fax: + 966 2 6689235
Al-Aqeel Building, Al-Hamra District,
Palestine Street, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Tel: +966 3 8932638/9
Fax: + 966 3 8932644
Habitat Building, Khobar 31952,
Saudi Arabia
Tel: + 974 44420902, 44320815
Fax: + 974 44420857
3rd Floor, Al-Faizalia Bldg.,
Al-Sadd - Suhaim Bin Hamad St.
P.O.Box 7286, Doha, Qatar
Projacs Libya
Projacs Dubai &
Northern Emirates
Projacs Jordan
Tel: + 971 4 3439122/3432339/3439122
Fax: + 971 4 3439771/3432098/3439771
P.O.Box 31155, Dubai, UAE
/[email protected]
Projacs Abu Dhabi
Tel: + 971 2 6429000
Fax: + 971 2 6429300
P.O.Box 108222, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tel: + 218 214870062/4
Fax: + 218 214872346
Palm City Residences, Sidi Abdul Jalil
Janzour, Tripoli, Libya
Tel: + 962 6 5544344
Fax: + 962 6 5544345
P.O.Box 1667, Um Al-Sumaq,
Amman, Jordan
Projacs Iraq
Tel: + 964 790 1882669
Al-Mansour District, Area 617
Block 18, House 202, Baghdad, Iraq
Projacs Lebanon
Tel: + 973 17225593
Fax: + 973 17225594
Manama Centre, Suite 605
P.O. Box 21674, Manama, Bahrain
Tel: + 961 1 301741/2
Fax: + 961 1 301743
Sabbah Center,
Korniche Al-Mazraa,
Beirut, Lebanon
Projacs KSA – Riyadh
Projacs Egypt
Projacs Bahrain
Tel: + 966 1 4640345
Fax: + 966 1 4658562
P.O.Box 93401, Riyadh 11673,
Saudi Arabia
Tel: + 202 27924674/5/6
Fax: + 202 27924672
20 Aisha Al-Taimoria St., Garden City,
Cairo, Egypt
Projacs Syria
Tel: + 963 11 6110328
Fax: + 963 11 6110329
Al-Salam St. B20, Mazzeh,
P.O.Box 12600,
Damascus, Syria
Projacs Pakistan
Tel: + 92 51 2654316
Fax: + 92 51 2653863
177-A, Gomal Road, E-7,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Projacs Morocco
Tel: + 212 522 473439/40
Fax: + 212 522 204759
5 Mohamed Fakir St,
Casablanca, Morocco
Projacs Oman
Tel: + 968 24564499
Fax: + 968 24563338
Flat No. 51 (Fifth Floor),
Al Harthy Complex, Qurum,
Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Projacs Canada
Tel: + 1416 3639290
Fax: + 1416 3638705
141 Adelaide Street West,
Suite 110, Toronto, Ontario,
M5H 3L5
Projacs USA (Trident)
Tel: +16038986110
Fax: +16038901070
155 N Broadway, Salem,
New Hampshire 03079
35
36

In it for the long haul

Transcription

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