Kharafi National Magazine

Transcription

Message from the Vice
Chairman & Managing
Director
Since the last issue of Transmission the
effects of the global recession have started to
bite to a level unsurpassed in recent history
and belatedly we are becoming aware of the
spread of this recession in the GCC.
The questions we must ask with regard to the
Company are ‘Will this affect us? and, ‘If so,
will this be positive or negative?’ My opinion
is yes, we will be affected indirectly. However
I firmly believe that the effect will be positive
for the following reasons:
• We are working in sectors that are not
directly affected by the burst in the real
estate investment bubble, ie, our operations
are, to a major extent, in the Infrastructure
and Oil & Gas sectors.
• Accordingly our strategy of focusing on
Infrastructure projects through IPD, together
with our steady stream of work coming from
Oil & Gas projects in Kuwait, which remain
buoyant, is starting to pay off.
• Our decision to become more involved in
Facilities Management and Operations and
Maintenance is showing, and will continue
to show, positive results, as these activities
weather the storm much better than
construction during times of recession.
• We are also progressing very well through our
ABJ fabrication facilities and our investment
in these is definitely showing benefits.
• An added indirect benefit of the recession
is that the rapid and unrealistic inflation
in salaries and the consequent rise in
overheads, due to the shortage of suitable,
qualified personnel during the ‘boom’ period,
will stop.
• Finally our backlog for the next two years,
the anticipated period of the recession, is
healthy.
In order to secure and maintain our position we
need to focus our energies on the following:
• Timely billing and collection which remains
a key element, particularly in a recession
when banks are unable or unwilling to offer
facilities such as working capital;
• Maintaining a tight control on overheads;
and
• Continuing with our 50/50 strategy to secure
long-term operations, which is an area in
which we are progressing quite well.
Certainly, there are challenges ahead. Our
markets are tough, but so too are we. At
Kharafi National we have toughness born of
experience. We have the best people at all
levels, each with a deep sense of ownership in
everything they do. We have superior systems.
Most importantly, we have the single-minded
sense of purpose that comes from clearsighted leadership at all levels.
Samer G Younis
Vice Chairman & Managing Director
DEC 2008-ISSUE NO-22
PROJECTS
ISTP1 Sewage Treatment BOOT
Project
On the 18th June 2008, Kharafi National
signed into a build-own-operate-transfer
project which is promoting its reputation as a
major player in BOOT projects and is bringing
the company international recognition as an
engineering, procurement and construction
firm.
ISTP1 Sewage Treatment BOOT Project
involves financing, designing, constructing,
testing, operating and maintaining two sewage
treatment plants (STPs) in the United Arab
Emirates under a 25-year concession. The AlWathba STP is being built near the presently
located Al-Mafreq STP, about 40 km from Abu
Dhabi city centre. The Al-Saad STP is located
on the Abu Dhabi side of Al Ain.
Kharafi National is the main contractor
for the engineering, procurement and
construction management (EPCM) during the
construction phase. Once the two STPs have
been commissioned, KN will operate and
maintain them for the duration of the 25-year
concession.
The two projects will be at their peak during
construction, when they will employ 1,400
labourers, technicians, supervisors and
site engineers, 100 support staff and 150
managers, specialists and engineers, ie a
total of 1,650 personnel over the two sites.
Both plants will use combined treatment
processes, including biological and advanced
treatment units, with primary, secondary and
tertiary treatments. Sludge treatment will
utilize anaerobic digestion and biogas cogeneration facilities. (See boxed article and
flow-diagram.) One of the striking features of
the design of the STPS is that the treatment
processes will be able to generate significant
power as a by-product of these processes,
thereby reducing the amount of electricity
the plants will take (and pay for) from the Abu
Dhabi national grid.
Both STPs will produce effluent to a maximum
level of 2.0 nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs),
a very high level of purity. The treated water will
be used for irrigation purposes in the UAE. The
Al Wathba plant will have a total capacity of
300,000 cubic metres per day and the Al Saad
plant will be able to handle
80,000cu m pd.
The project EPCM phase will take 880 days, so
the construction phase has
an expected completion
date of 31st October 2010.
Al-Wathba and Al-Saad
Work began in June and
Success has been built into
together represent one of the
already the basic design
the design philosophy for
largest waste-water treatment
has been reviewed and
these sewage treatment
projects
in
the
Middle
East
…
the detailed design of the
plants. The approach
processes,
mechanical
has been to consider the
and electrical systems, and civil works has
projects as being in the nature of investments
commenced. In addition, both sites have been
that must be commercially viable for all the
levelled and excavated to formation level for
parties involved and, at the same time, protect
the structures, and blinding concrete work
the environment and produce treated water
has started.
suitable for irrigation. These concerns are
The ultimate client is ADSSC (Abu Dhabi
Sewage Services Company), a subsidiary
of Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority
(ADWEA), a government institution. The BOOT
contract for the two STPs was awarded to a
consortium made up of EUCH, Biwater, and
ADWEA itself. Kharafi National’s contract to
design, construct, operate and maintain the
STPs for the entire concession period is with
the EUCH-Biwater-ADWEA Consortium.
EUCH (Emirates Utilities Company Holding)
is a partnership between Al Qudra Holding
PJSC of Abu Dhabi and UDCH (Utilities
Development Company Holding) of Kuwait, a
sister company of Kharafi National. Biwater
Plc is a British water and waste-water
company with operations in 27 countries
and, as the technology provider within the
consortium, will ensure that both plants treat
effluent to very high levels of purity. ADWEA is
a shareholder in the consortium, making the
project a true public-private partnership.
The successful execution of the project
requires the skills, experience and strengths
of several additional players. These include
Al-Ittihad Biwater, a special purpose company
to manage the concession, and international
engineering consultants and financial advisors
such as ILF, the engineering consultants and
designers for the engineering, procurement
and construction, Tebodin, an EPC technical
advisor, MWH, a technical advisor to the
lenders, and Fichtner, the owner’s engineer.
Al-Wathba and Al-Saad together represent
one of the largest waste-water treatment
projects in the Middle East and are already
bringing
Kharafi
National
international
recognition as an engineering, procurement
and construction firm.
Treated Water
Quality from
the STPs
Wathba
Saad
300,000
80,000
310
433
420
437
Average daily
flow (ADF)
– cu m/day
PROJECTS
addressed by the nature of the BOOT contract,
the robust design of the plants, including the
size of the processing units and the materials
used to fabricate them, and the fact that the
power generated through the treatment
processes will be maximized, thus reducing
energy costs.
Biochemical
oxygen
demand (BOS)
– mg/litre
Total suspended
solids (TSS)
– mg/litre
Project Brief
ADWEA BOOT STPs
Client
: Biwater-EUCH Consortium on behalf of Abu Dhabi Sewage Services Company
Main Contractor : Kharafi National
Project Number : 2022
Scope of Work
: Finance, design, construct, commission, operate and maintain the STPs
Start
: 2008
Finish
: 2033
Duration
: 25 years
Employees
: 1,650 at peak
PROJECTS
The treatment
processes at Al-Wathba
and Al-Saad STPs
The treatment processes designed for
both the Al-Wathba and Al-Saad sewage
treatment plants are similar. Waste water
will be conveyed to the plants through main
trunk sewers from Abu Dhabi and Al-Ain
respectively and will be received at the plants’
inlet pumping stations.
The waste water will undergo preliminary
treatment for the removal of solid matter (such
At both sites, foundations are being
prepared for the structures
Process flow-diagram for Al-Wathba and Al-Saad STPs in the UAE
PROJECTS
as grit), sand and grease. The screenings, sand
and grit from the preliminary treatment units,
will be compacted and disposed in landfill.
After its preliminary treatment, the wastewater will flow to the primary sedimentation
stage. In this process, primary sludge is
removed by allowing it to settle to the bottom
of the sedimentation tanks. The waste water
will then be biologically treated by an activated
sludge process using surface aeration. In this
process biological organisms and oxygen
will be added to reduce the organic content
of the sewage and convert it into biomass.
After that, the effluent will undergo secondary
sedimentation during which the active biomass,
ie the sludge, will be allowed to settle.
Foundations for an effluent storage tank
being cast in reinforced concrete
By this stage the effluent will be fairly clean
but not absolutely pure. After being disinfected
it will enter the advanced treatment stage
during which microfiltration will be used
to remove remaining impurities. The waste
water will now have been purified and will be
ready for use in agricultural irrigation.
The sludge from the primary and secondary
sludge removal processes will, after undergoing
odorous air treatment to remove the smell, be
mixed together and will be subject to anaerobic
sludge digestion, a bacterial process that
breaks down organic materials within the
sludge in the absence of oxygen. The resulting
sludge will then be dewatered and dried and
can be disposed or reused.
When organic matter is degraded in the
absence of oxygen, as happens during
anaerobic sludge digestion, biogas is produced.
This biogas contains about 60% methane and
40% carbon dioxide, with trace amounts of
nitrogen, hydrogen, and hydrogen sulphide. At
Al-Wathba and Al-Saad the biogas, after it has
been desulphurised, will be used to generate
power using co-generation units, which will
reduce the costs of running the two plants.
OPERATIONS NEWS
Operations News
Though Construction (Oil & Gas) is extremely busy now that it has secured the construction of
BS #160, it has achieved 11 million man-hours at the Aromatics project without an LTA. Egypt
National has gained OHSAS 18001:2007 certification and two major contracts. In Kuwait, EPCM
MEP Services is participating in the development boom in infrastructure, while in the UAE a few
projects are finishing while several more are starting or reaching their peak.
Construction (Oil & Gas)
While the facilities upgrade project is drawing
to a close, Construction (Oil & Gas) is working
on several newly awarded projects, including
the construction of Kuwait Oil Company’s new
booster station in Kuwait.
KOC Booster Station
#160
Three years ago, the Kuwait Oil Company
implemented a unified change program (UCP)
to streamline the tendering and contracting
process and enhance the lifecycle of projects.
Under the UPC, a lump-sum turnkey project
for the engineering, procurement and
construction of a new booster station (BS
160) in south-east Kuwait was awarded to
Snamprogetti SpA of Italy in June this year.
Worley Parsons are the project management
consultants and KOC representatives for the
project, General Electric and Nuovo Pignone
are the vendors of the specialized equipment
required, while KN is the main subcontractor
for the construction of the booster station.
BS 160 will take three years to build. The new
booster station will be fed by 36in pipelines
from five gathering centres (GCs 3, 4, 6, 7,
and 21). It will produce 500 million cubic
feet per day of dehydrated and condensed
gas, which will be exported through a 10in
pipeline to the Mina Al-Ahmadi port. As the
State of Kuwait has planned to be producing
1 billion cfd of gas within Kuwait by the year
2015, construction of BS160 is vital for KOC.
As the major subcontractor for this prestigious
project, KN’s scope of work includes all the civil,
building, structural steel, mechanical, electrical
and instrumentation works, the erection of
equipment, painting, and insulation works, as
well as pre-commissioning assistance. KN will
also supply all resources required for execution,
including project management, manpower and
construction equipment.
Because the planned design life of the new
booster station is 25 years, quality assurance
at all stages during the execution of this
prestigious EPC contract is critical. The project
will take about 7 to 8 million hours from start
to finish and will, at its peak, employ between
1,500 to 2,000 people on-site.
Preliminary resources and temporary site
facilities are already being mobilized. Gate
pass formalities for senior management, site
management staff and vehicles are under
way and site preparation is expected to begin
before the end of the year.
The contract to expand the capacity of
Equate’s polyethylene plant in southern
Kuwait from its current capacity of 600
kilo ton per annum by an additional
223kta was awarded to Heavy Engineering
Industries & Shipbuilding Company. HEISCO
subcontracted the construction management
up to pre-commissioning to Kharafi National.
KN’s scope of work also includes part of the
mechanical works and all of the electrical
and instrumentation works.
The expansion of the plant involves the
installation of new facilities. These include
an
additional
purging-pelleting-venting
recovery unit for the parallel reactor 1 train,
expanded conveying, product blending, silos
and packaging facilities, an increase in the
plant’s ethylene purification capacity, and
Installation of a product purge bin by KN at
Equate’s polyethylene plant
new sea bulk facilities, as well as expanded
internal infrastructure and support utilities
such as air and power supplies. Once the
plant has been expanded to 823kta it will still
be possible to expand it further to an ultimate
capacity of 1,100kta.
Using the team that successfully executed the
ethylene glycol (EG2) project, KN has already
completed more than 60% of the project and
is well on schedule to finish the mechanical
works by March 2009. The total number of
employees involved will reach 1,200 at the
peak.
Aromatics Complex
About 80% of the overall works on the
aromatics complex that KN is undertaking
on behalf of Tecnimont have been completed
successfully and it is expected that the
mechanical works will be ready by the end of
January 2009.
OPERATIONS NEWS
Polyethylene Expansion
Project
As regards the civil works, concrete paving
and the installation of the drainage channels
have been finished. The civil works on the
additional Pygas unit are nearly 50% complete
and are expected to be finished by March
2009.
OPERATIONS NEWS
The new aromatics complex, which is in
Shuaiba, Kuwait, is being built on behalf of
Kuwait Paraxylene Production Company by
a consortium of Tecnimont of Italy and Sun
Kyong Engineering & Construction of South
Korea. KN is undertaking the civil works,
structural steel erection, mechanical and
electrical works, insulation and painting, as
well as providing pre-commissioning and
commissioning support services, for the
Tecnimont portion of the project.
As on all KN projects, safety is paramount.
Though the company is working very hard to
complete its targets in pipe testing, electrical
works and instrumentation, it has, as of the
17th October 2008, achieved a major safety
milestone – 11 million man-hours without a
lost time accident.
Indeed KN’s safety standards at the aromatics
project are stringent. During an audit visit
on the 27th and 28th of September 2008
to measure the site’s compliance with the
standards of OHSAS 18001, the Occupational
Health and Advisory Services (OHSAS) of the
UK gave the aromatics complex a rating of
‘excellent’.
Large-scale Pilot
Steam-flood Project
Installation of evaporator during construction
at the large-scale pilot steam-flood facility
made and field erected tanks about 85%
complete. All foundations for the civil works
are ready, as are all the structural works on
the new control room and the architectural
finishing works are in progress – the control
room is being painted, the plumbing is being
installed and the roof is being water-proofed.
Meanwhile chipping and shimming works
KN’s EPC contract with Joint Operations to
design, supply and install water treatment
plant facilities for the large-scale pilot steamflood project is progressing well with more
than 66% of the work completed without a
lost-time accident, a significant achievement.
The project, which began in September 2007,
is on target for commissioning by the end of
May 2009.
Fabrication of modules, tanks and vessels
is progressing well with about 60% already
Pipe-racks under construction at KN’s new
large-scale pilot steam-flood facility
The purpose of the large-scale pilot steamflood project is to evaluate the response of
the oil reservoir in the Partitioned Neutral
Zone and the economics of developing the
full field to enhance recovery through the
injection of steam (as detailed in issue 19).
Field erected tanks at KN’s new large-scale
pilot steam-flood facility
for the foundations for the equipment are
virtually ready, and the equipment is already
reaching the site.
Painting and insulation works for generator
feed water tanks are progressing and
are expected to be ready by first week of
December 2008. Piping installation on the
N-S Pipe rack has started. An evaporator
condenser approximately 102ft (30m)
in height and weighting 90mt has been
installed. Electrical cable trays are being laid
and the simultaneous installation of piping
is on-going. Two trains are expected to be
commissioned in a few months time, the first
Installing an evaporator tank at the
large-scale pilot steam-flood facility
is a delicate tricky business
KNPC Stand-by Services
Under the stand-by contract between KNPC
and Kharafi National (see Issue 21), KN is
providing services as and when needed by
KNPC at its refineries in Kuwait on an openended unit rate re-measurement basis.
Several work orders have been executed
under this contract and more are ongoing.
The HBSU safety upgrade for units 07A, 63,
07B and 02W at Shuaiba refinery is on track
for its planned completion in December 2008.
PC works for the rich gas injection system at
the same refinery are also on schedule and
will be finished in December 2008. Meanwhile
at Mina Ahmadi refinery, the quenching
facilities at the ARD units low pressure hot
separator (V-023) have just been finished.
OPERATIONS NEWS
by the 30th of March 2009 and the second by
the end of the following May.
Facilities Upgrade
Project
Meanwhile the facilities upgrade or
amalgamation project, which is spread over
nine operating facilities within Kuwait’s
south-eastern oil fields and is being executed
on behalf of Petrofac for KOC, is just about
finished. The last shut-down to enable the
final tie-ins has taken place. Work on the
final punch-list of items and the installation
of additional works in several gathering
centres (GCs #3, 4 and 6) is underway. The
project will be completed in December 2008.
OPERATIONS NEWS
KN – Egypt
The management system of Egypt National
was certified on the 16th September 2008 by
Bureau Veritas, following an in-depth audit,
to be in accordance with the standards of
OHSAS 18001:2007. The certification covers
project management, engineering detail,
procurement, construction, commissioning,
and the operation and maintenance of
installations in the commercial and industrial,
petroleum and chemical, and utilities
sectors.
Accor Hotels
On the 1st July 2008, EPCM-Egypt began
work on the Kharafi Accor Hotels project
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The client for this
multi-million dinar contract is Kharafi Accor
Hotel of Ethiopia Plc and the main contractor
is MAK Construction.
The Accor will in fact contain two international
hotels. The Novotel will have 132 rooms on six
floors, while the Ibis will have 143 rooms on
seven floors, a total of 275 rooms. The hotels
will share a common reception area, as well
as car parking facilities, services and utility
networks.
EPCM-Egypt’s scope of work includes the
supply, installation, testing and commissioning
of the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC
and fire-fighting equipment and systems. KN
will also be maintaining these systems for six
months following completion, during which
time it will train local staff in their operation.
The substantial completion date is 30th June
2009, and the hotel is expected to be fully
operational by the end of June 2010.
Site mobilization at the Allegria infrastructure project in West Cairo
10
Allegria is an exclusive residential complex
in Sheikh Zayed City in West Cairo, which
will be built on 2.4 million square metres of
landscaped hills. More than 90% of Allegria
will consist of parks and pathways. It will
contain a Greg Norman Signature Golf Course,
a top-notch club house, and just over 1,000
villas and townhouses. Four world-class
architects were involved in the design of the
development and the master plan received an
award of merit from the American Society of
Landscape Architects.
The developer is SODIC – the Sixth of October
Development and Investment Company
– one of the largest real estate development
companies in Egypt. SODIC, which is listed on
the Cairo stock exchange, is investing about
EGP 2 billion in Allegria. The project managers
are Turner International, with whom Kharafi
National has worked previously.
The scope of work for EPCM-Egypt on
this project covers the supply, installation,
testing and commissioning of the mechanical
and electrical infrastructure works. The
mechanical works include the domestic water
networks, irrigation networks, drainage
and storm networks, and fire hydrants, as
well as the civil works for the water tanks,
two lift stations and thirty-four transformer
rooms. The electrical works will include
the electrical networks, medium voltage
equipment, landscape lighting, street poles,
and fibre optic cables and panels.
The work, which began on the 7th July,
is scheduled for completion in February
2010, after which there will be a 12-month
maintenance period.
OPERATIONS NEWS
Allegria Infrastructure
More than 90% of Allegria will consist of parks and pathways
11
OPERATIONS NEWS
EPCM MEP Services
Kuwait is currently undergoing a tremendous
development boom in infrastructure and
EPCM MEP Services is involved in the
construction of several prestigious high-rise
buildings.
Arraya Tower
With a height of 263.4 meters topped by a
57m mast, Arraya Tower, which is under
construction in the Sharq area of down-town
Arraya Tower in downtown Kuwait City will have a height of 263.4 meters and a 57m mast on top
12
Arraya Tower is being constructed by
Ahmadiah on behalf of Salhiya Real Estate
Company. The project architects are Fentress
Bradburn in association with Pan Arab
Consulting Engineers. Construction is on
schedule for completion by the 31st March
2009.
Kharafi National’s scope of work covers the
supply, installation, testing and commissioning
of the HVAC, building automation system,
plumbing, fire protection and electrical
works, and includes a two-year maintenance
period following completion. Almost 80%
of these works have been completed and
handed over.
KOC Office Complex
The Kuwait Oil Company’s new office complex
has been designed so that the buildings are
in perfect harmony with KOC’s recently
renovated headquarters and with the village
character of Ahmadi, in southern Kuwait.
The water supply system - water tanks,
expansion tanks and filters - serving the
new KOC office complex
The complex will contain the offices of KOC’s
numerous directorates and departments,
housing approximately 2,200 employees.
The project commenced on the 4th June 2005.
Alamiah Building Company are constructing
the complex, the architects are Gulf Consult
and the project is being managed by Fluor
Corporation. KN’s scope of work includes
the supply, installation, testing, and
commissioning of the mechanical works for
14 office buildings, the external works for
plumbing, and the fire-fighting and HVAC
works. Completion will be followed by a oneyear maintenance period for these works.
OPERATIONS NEWS
Kuwait City, is currently the tallest commercial
tower in Kuwait. A noteworthy feature of the
building is its state-of-the-art external glass
wall which, while providing protection from
the harsh glare of the desert sunlight, gives
exceptionally clear visibility.
All of Kharafi National’s mechanical works
have been completed and most of the buildings
have been handed over. Presently KN is
concentrating on snag works as well as works
which have been postponed due to delays in
preceding works by other contractors.
Al-Hamra Tower
One of the five chillers installed in the plant
room at KOC’s new office complex
Al-Hamra Centre is a mixed use development
of a shopping centre and office tower, located
in down-town Kuwait City at the intersection
of Al-Shuhada and Jaber Al- Mubarak Streets.
The centre will have a foot-print of nearly
11,000sq m, with an additional 7,000sq m for
13
OPERATIONS NEWS
a multi-story car park. With 84 floors and a sky
garden on top, the 412m high Al-Hamra Tower
is expected to be Kuwait’s tallest building
when it is completed in January 2010.
The tower will contain about 195 offices
spread over 77 storeys and have a massive
built-up area of 190,000sq m. The offices,
ranging from 200 to 1,500sqm in size, will
be smart business environments equipped
with optic cabling, advanced security and IP
telephony systems. Abutting the tower will
be a mixed-use complex – Al-Hamra and
Firdous – which will contain a mall with three
basements, three shopping floors and a floor
with nine cinemas. The complex will also
include Al-Hamra Lifestyle Shopping Center,
a unique mixture of high-quality retail shops,
cafes, restaurants, food court, cinemas and
entertainment areas, spread over four floors.
The mall will be connected to a multi-storey
car park, with a built-up area of nearly
54,000sq m and a capacity of 1,800 vehicles,
by pedestrian bridges at multiple levels. Out
front there will be a 6,000sq m landscaped
plaza with marble surrounds and unique
water features.
Kharafi National’s scope of work on this
immense project is to execute, commission
and guarantee the electro-mechanical works
of Al-Hamra and Firdous Mixed Use Complex–
Tower and related service connections.
The work covers the supply and installation
of the HVAC, plumbing, fire-fighting and
electrical services, including first, second,
final fix works and equipment. The scope
also includes pre-installation and auxiliary
activities such as builder’s work, embedded
items and temporary services. In addition, KN
will be performing calculations, evaluating
designs, preparing method statements and
coordinating the MEP works. The Engineering
Department has already completed more
than 600 scheduled shop drawings on time.
The start date was 1st November 2007. Once
work is completed on the 20th September
2010, KN will be undertaking maintenance
for a period of two years.
Construction of Al-Hamra Tower for which KN is undertaking comprehensive MEP works
14
So far in 2008, Trading Operations has
delivered more than 360 kilometres of
ductile iron pipes and fittings in its two most
important markets, Kuwait and the UAE
– 290km in Kuwait and 70km in the UAE. An
additional 40km of pipes to these two markets
is still pending, and by the end of the year, KN
will have delivered at least 400km of pipes, a
staggering amount.
Termomeccanica Pompe
KN has finalized an exclusive agency
agreement for Kuwait with Termomeccanica
Pompe SpA, one of the top five pump
manufacturers in the world, and part of the
Termomeccanica Group of Italy.
Termomeccanica
Pompe
(www.tmp.
termomeccanica.com) has been designing
and manufacturing positive-displacement
and centrifugal pumps for both marine and
industrial applications since 1912. Over the last
High quality pumping solutions from
Termomeccanica Pompe through KN
60 years the company has gained a powerful
reputation by creating innovative pumping
solutions for applications such as power
generation, desalination, irrigation and land
reclamation, dry docks, and general industrial
uses. With installations on five continents,
TMP is renowned for the performance and
operating safety of its pumps for medium-size
and large masses of water.
OPERATIONS NEWS
Trading Operations
In House Testing facility
15
OPERATIONS NEWS
UAE
The United Arab Emirates is KN’s fastest
expanding market and operations there are
very busy. Though several projects are being
wrapped up, others are at their peak.
Dubai Festival City
The Water-front Mall in Dubai Festival City
is located at the inward end of Dubai Creek.
A foot-print of over 500,000sq m means
that it will eventually be one of the largest
leisure malls in Dubai, with 20 international
flagship stores, 550 other shops, 90 cafes
and restaurants, a 12-screen cinema, and
parking for 12,000 vehicles, as well as canalside pavilions and walk-ways, a marina and a
large public festival square.
Dubai Festival City will eventually be
the largest leisure mall in Dubai
KN has been involved in several phases of
this project since its inception and is now
finalizing the MEP works in the Pavilion 1 and
2 areas, which are expected to be opened by
Christmas 2008.
Stunning architectural features at Dubai Festival City
16
Kharafi National’s work as a prime contractor
in the construction and installation of the
central utility complexes for the Cargo Village
(CUC-1) and Dubai Logistics City (CUC-2) at
Jebel Ali Airport City in Dubai is coming to a
close.
CUC-1 & CUC-2 are both part of the Jebel
Ali Airport City Phase 1 (Airfield and
Infrastructure) Development, and will supply
water, chilled water and fire-fighting water to
miscellaneous places in the airport, including
the cargo building, passenger terminal, control
tower, DLC head quarters and fuel farm. The
first central utilities complex consists of four
adjacent rectangular blocks: a chiller hall, an
administration block, an electrical block, and
a gas engine generator complex; while CUC2 has a chillers hall, an administration block
Central Utilities Unit (CUC-1)
at Jebel Ali Airport
and a medium voltage switchgear hall. The
total build-up area is 10,000sq m for CUC-1
and about 7,500sq m for CUC-2.
Kharafi National’s scope of work included
the complete civil construction, architectural
finishing and MEP works for both complexes,
as well as on CUC-1 the installation of four gas
turbine units, and the supply, installation and
OPERATIONS NEWS
CUC – 1 & 2
Cooling towers on the roof of CUC-1 at Jebel Ali Airport
17
OPERATIONS NEWS
relocated from DXB Airport. The gas turbines
will be used to feed the essential system
loads should the power supply from Dubai
Electricity & Water Authority fail.
Partial view of the chillers hall in CUC-1
termination of 110km of 11KV cables to feed
various airport facilities. KN is also testing
the systems, training operators, and starting
up and commissioning both complexes.
The chiller hall in CUC-1 is two storeyed high
and has roof-mounted concrete water basins
for the cooling towers. It is attached to the twostorey administration block and linked to the
electrical block and the gas engine generator
complex through a common basement. All
these buildings have been built of reinforced
concrete frames. KN has installed twelve
water-cooled chillers, each with a cooling
capacity of 2,000 tons of refrigerant, along
with associated cooling towers, chilled and
condenser water pumps, related piping and
ancillaries.
KN has also finished laying 100km of 11KV
electrical distribution network to other
buildings in the airport as part of the CUC1 contract. It has executed the external
services and works for both complexes,
including four steel tanks with a capacity of
6,000cu m each, access roads, paved areas,
car parking facilities, fences and gates, and
soft landscaping. The underground services,
including water supplies, fire-fighting,
hydronic piping, fuel piping, irrigation,
sewerage and storm-water drainage systems,
are also complete.
Now that all installation works have been
executed, CUC-1 is at the testing, training
and commissioning stage, and is expected
to be handed over to the client by the end
of December 2008. CUC-2 is also due to be
handed over to the client shortly.
Besides consolidating KN’s reputation as a
prime contractor in the UAE, these two utility
complexes were notable as the first MEP
projects in the Emirates for which KN used a
3D format for all the shop drawings.
All the electrical power systems for
this complex, including medium voltage
switchgears, transformers, control and
monitoring systems, distribution panels,
switchgear, power transformers, and power
generating units, along with related cooling,
ventilation, fire protection and sound
attenuation systems, as well as the gas
turbine generators, have also been installed
and all ancillary works finished.
The four gas turbine power generating
units, each rated at 6.6KV and 2.9MW, were
18
KN used a 3D format for all the shop drawings
for CUC-1 and CUC-2
Meanwhile activities are in full swing on
the Solid Waste Management project, the
first build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract
awarded by Abu Dhabi Municipality.
KN is providing the design and construction
expertise for the architectural, structural,
civil, MEP and infrastructure works on eight
sites in Abu Dhabi. These include sanitary
landfills, an inert landfill, a green waste
composting plant, a sorting plant at Marfaq
and transfer stations dispersed across the
western region of the Emirate.
At Marfaq, work on the construction of the
sorting plant process building is on underway
and the storage area for receiving the sorting
equipment has already been built. Work
Machinery for analysing waste
being installed
on the transfer stations in Mirfa, Liwa and
Madinet Zayed, cities in the Western Region
of Abu Dhabi, is progressing well.
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, the third
campaign of ‘waste characterization’ was
carried out. The purpose of these campaigns
is to analyse the composition of the waste
from Abu Dhabi city and to see how it changes
seasonally.
OPERATIONS NEWS
Solid Waste
Management
Waste being unloaded for analysis during the waste characterisation campaign in Abu Dhabi
19
OPERATIONS NEWS
Instant Access
Instant Access (Rental) operations are
expanding rapidly. Two new managers
have just joined the unit, Tim Kendall as
the dealership manager for Instant Access
Kuwait, and John Corrie as the senior
sales manager responsible for business
development in new areas and product lines
(see New Faces). Both have massive amounts
of experience with the rental market and join
from Nationwide Access, the largest access
rental company in Europe.
Potain Tower Cranes
Instant Access (Sales) has just delivered its
first Potain Tower Crane to ABJ workshops.
Potain tower cranes are manufactured by
the Manitowoc Crane Group of the USA and
Potain has led the world in tower crane and
self-erecting crane production since it was
founded in France in 1902.
Over 100,000 Potain cranes have been sold
and installed on some of the most prestigious
job sites around the world. With more than
60 models in a variety of product ranges, the
Instant Access sales team is working with
Manitowoc to forge a solid customer base for
Potain cranes in Kuwait.
KN’s Instant Access is forging a solid customer base for Potain cranes in Kuwait
20
Phase II of the development of KN Industrial
City in Mina Abdullah in Kuwait is proceeding
apace. In recent months, several new facilities
have become operational, while others are
undergoing rapid construction. Further
facilities are currently at the design stage.
under construction. These are expected to be
completed shortly. The Benigna observation
tower is partly complete, while the scrap yard
has already been constructed and will soon
be equipped with a gantry crane, weigh bridge
and a control room.
Recently completed buildings that have already
been taken over by end-users include Building
G which contains the welder’s training school,
Building FM which is being used by Facility
Management and which also contains the
site security office, and the perimeter guard
booths. The Equipment Division recently
took possession of its modern repair and
fabrication workshop in Building D1 and of the
cabin for its drivers.
Several new facilities at KN Industrial City are
currently being designed. Building A1 will beef
up the existing ABJ offices where there is now
a shortage of space due to increasing numbers
of ABJ personnel. Building I will house the
Scaffolding Unit’s repair and repainting shop.
Building X will contain an additional store for
ABJ’s workshops, and Building J will be used
for industrial and mechanical maintenance.
Building B1 will be an additional facility
to ABJ’s existing large vessels fabrication
workshop and Building W will be used as a
modular cabin fabrication workshop.
Building K, which will be used and shared
by IMTE and Scaffolding, the extension to
Building G, which has been designed for
theoretical training on the ground floor and
third party inspection offices on the first
floor, the paint and abrasive stores, the Fisia
evaporation block, and the tower crane are still
OPERATIONS NEWS
KN Industrial City
The design of these new facilities is being
finalized by KN’s Engineering Services
Department with assistance from SSH
International Consulting.
Construction of KN Industrial City in Mina Abdullah, Kuwait, is proceeding well
21
OPERATIONS NEWS
Equipment Division
Using their newly-purchased Nicolas multiaxle trailer (see Issue 21), the Equipment
Division transported several massive pieces
of equipment during October and November
2008. ED’s rigging and heavy-lift team
professionally planned and led these complex
activities with an emphasis on total safety
throughout the operations.
Evaporator sump to
Wafra
On the 21st October, a massive evaporator
sump was carried from the ABJ workshop
facilities in Mina Abdulla to the site of the
large-scale pilot steam-flood project in Wafra
in southern Kuwait.
The evaporator sump weighed a total of 36mt.
It had a length of 17m and a diameter of 7m.
ED’s rigging and heavy-lift team moved the
long vehicle through Road 40 and along Wafra
Road at a speed of just 20km per hour – a
journey of four hours.
The height of the consignment was the major
challenge for the transportation team, as
the over-road bridges in Kuwait are only five
metres high. To solve this challenge, the team
had to find a round-about route that avoided
the need to go under bridges.
Evaporator sump being moved from ABJ to Wafra
22
35 meter Py-gas column on its way to the
Aromatics project
Py-gas column to
Shuaiba
By way of contrast, length was the major
challenge when ED’s rigging and heavy-lift
team recently transported a Py-gas column
from ABJ to the Aromatics project in Shuaiba
on behalf of Technimont.
During the second week of November 2008,
ED transported two electro-static coalescer
vessels from ABJ Workshops to KNPC’s Mina
Abdullah refinery on behalf of Natco-UK. Here
width was the problem.
Each vessel weighted 95mt and was 29m in
length and 6m in diameter. The six metre width
meant that the load on the Nicolas multi-axle
trailer extended over two lanes of the highway,
which only had two lanes in each direction.
ED arranged for special permission from the
traffic police and was provided with a police
escort for the entire journey, and another
massive transport exercise was undertaken
in complete safety
OPERATIONS NEWS
Electro-static coalescer
vessels
As can be seen from the photograph, the
column was extremely long – 35m. It also had
a diameter of 2.5m and weighed 35 tonnes.
Detailed planning and astute teamwork meant
that the whole operation went off without a
hitch.
Transporting an electro-static coalescer vessel to KNPC Mina Abdullah refinery
23
CORPORATE DEVELOPMENTS
Spend Analytics at KN
Spend analytics helps KN to make its
Around 80% of our procurement spend
procurement spend visible and improve
is categorised as high value–high risk.
the level of the sourcing services delivered
These materials include project specific
to projects and cost centres, as Corporate
engineered
Manager
materials. However, the spend analytics
of
Procurement
Ali
Sakkijha
explains.
products
and
prefabricated
on suppliers indicates that 23% of these
suppliers contributes more than 80% of the
Procurement and Supplier Spend Analytics
procurement spend and interestingly the
is a systematic methodology for analysing
trend continues every year. Our strategy to
what a company spends on procurement.
reduce the risk in this category is to develop
Spend analytics (and the visibility it enables)
long-term relationships with these suppliers
provides the necessary foundation for making
and ensure availability of supply through
more informed sourcing decisions.
collaborative procurement.
KN deals with more than 1100 suppliers every
About 2 to 3% of our procurement spend is low
year for material procurement, and the new
value–high risk. The materials in this category
ERP system has provided our procurement
include items such as spares parts and safety
team with the ability to access, organize and
materials. To ensure the instant availability
analyse spend data. We use spend analytics
of these items, we use ‘vendor managed
to categorize our purchases according to the
inventory
‘value’ and ‘risk’ attached to the materials
replenishment planning’. Under these forms
we buy and then adopt suitable sourcing
of inventory management, suppliers maintain
strategies for each category to minimize the
stocks on KN premises, enabling us to meet
risks of procurement.
our requirements for these materials without
agreements’
or
‘continuous
having to buy in advance, thus reducing our
To do so, we use a procurement spend matrix
cash out-flows.
(see illustration) based on the spend data
24
for KN Kuwait. This divides our purchases
High value–low risk materials constitute 8 to
into four categories based on combinations
9% of our procurement spend. These items
of risk and value: high value–high risk; low
include steel and bulk construction materials.
value–high risk; high value–low risk; and low
We aggregate the demand for these items
value–low risk.
from different projects and create ‘hyper
Research by industry analysts indicates that
the procurement savings and achieve cost
one-third of all enterprises do not have a formal
avoidance.
programme to manage their procurement
and supplier spending. At KN, however, by
Low value – low risk items make up 10 to 11%
using spend analytics – analysing our spend
of our spend. This category includes general
and classifying it into four categories, and
consumables, tools and other less complex
then deploying the procurement strategies
materials. We use procurement automation
appropriate to each category – we have
and e-procurement to minimize the time spent
managed to reduce material costs and
on procuring these items which allows us to
improve procurement efficiency.
concentrate time and effort on expediting and
TACTICAL
ACQUISITION
Low
Low Value – Low Risk
10.32% of Value
Low
High Value – Low Risk
78.81% of Value
TACTICAL
PROFIT
High Value – Low Risk
8.25% of Value
VALUE
Develop
Partnerships,
Ensure long
term Supplier
Relationships
Low Value – High Risk
2.35% of Value
STRATEGIC
CRITICAL
Aggregate the
Demand, Create
Reverse Auctions
and Create Hyper
Competition
STRATEGIC
SECURITY
Automation, Use
Online Catalogues,
e-Procurement
RISK
High
Create VMI and
ensure the
stock availability
order execution.
competition’ among suppliers to maximize
High
25
ERP now live in Kuwait
The implementation of Oracle’s ERP system
in Kuwait is virtually complete, and the next
step is to bring UAE operations onto the
system. IT Manager (MIS Unit) Bilal A Manna
reviews progress to date.
After several years of hard work Oracle’s
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system
is now fully live in all Kharafi National
companies in Kuwait. These include ABJ,
KN, IPD and UDC. Though data verification
and reconciliation is still on-going due to the
volume of data, it is expected to be completed
before the end of 2008. The fine tuning of the
system and the rectification of errors is also
progressing well. All legacy systems have
been switched off.
Implementation of ERP is now beginning
at KN sites in the UAE. All key users have
been identified and the necessary training to
ensure a smooth transition to the new system
has been delivered. The preparation stage
has been launched and the IT department is
working with the various units in the UAE, in
coordination with key ERP users in Kuwait, to
clean and migrate the master data from the
legacy systems to the ERP system. The IT team
is now fully experienced in the implementation
of ERP and, though there are more than ten
KN companies in the UAE, major problems
are not anticipated.
To serve the increasing load on our system in
Kuwait, the ERP hardware was upgraded with
the latest technology. The ERP applications
were also upgraded. The new ERP structure,
encompassing both hardware and software, as
well as the creation of workaround solutions
for worst-case scenarios in the unlikely event
that they might be needed, helped push
final implementation and user acceptance
immensely.
Reaction from users has been extremely
positive (see box). The new ERP system is
working smoothly and users are very upbeat
about the functionalities they now have which
were not available in the old legacy systems.
26
Reaction from users of the new ERP system
has been very positive.
The generation of management reports can
now be done quicker and more efficiently.
Indeed report development is on-going and
hundreds of new reports are being created to
support KN’s activities and the requirements
of users and managers. As the new systems
bed-in and end-users become more familiar
with their potential, further improvements
in the efficiency of service delivery are
expected.
In a recent informal poll by email, only one in
eleven end-users expressed dissatisfaction
with the new system, a remarkable degree
of acceptance for what is essentially a totally
novel way of conducting business for KN. This
minor degree of negativity merely serves to
emphasize the importance of training users in
how to get the best from ERP and appreciate
its benefits.
‘We are the only company in the Middle East to
deploy a comprehensive fully-functional ERP
system,’ says Corporate Director for Human
Resources & Information Technology Antoine
El-Khoury. ‘Increased efficiencies, reduced
operating costs and better accessibility to
the exact information we need to run our
businesses are already giving us a decided
advantage over our competitors.’
For me, ERP is the same as looking at a cube,
not from one angle but from different angles,
as it allows us to analyse our company’s
performance on multiple dimensions, not on
one dimension only.
Sherif El Shenawi,
Project Controls Manager – Cost Control
The new ERP system has drastically reduced
the work load and time necessary to complete
payrolls as well as reducing errors.
Tom Finby,
Corporate Director (Finance)
ERP is the right solution to support and make
our versatile equipment operations much
easier.
Rafiq Mikhail,
Operations Manager, Equipment Division
ERP helps me to monitor and control my
project expenses on a daily basis and I no
longer have to wait till end of month to find it
out what’s going on.
Khaled Yamin,
Project Manager, EPCM – MEP Services
ERP avoids the need to search for information.
It is faster and saves time. ERP makes my job
easier by reducing the paper-work I have to
handle. Once ERP is implemented throughout
the company, we will be able to avoid constantly
circulating and accumulating paper-garbage.
Wilson Chacko,
Executive Secretary, KOC Facility Upgrade
Oracle ERP is providing me with quick access
to our data and the ability to retrieve what I
need – accurate, consistent and up-to-date
information – in a short span of time.
Syed Ghouseuddin,
Human Resources Department
ERP makes my work easier by the speed at
which I can retrieve accurate information.
Lory An Soriano,
Senior Secretary, Facilities Management
It’s extremely user friendly and easy to
navigate for non-technical savvy persons.
Yasmeen Sayed-Gindodiya,
Office of Antoine El-Khoury, Corporate
Director – HR&IT
ERP makes striving for accuracy and perfection
so much easier.
A Mujeer Khan,
Secretary, Scaffolding Operations
ERP is providing a user-friendly automated
work environment in supply chain management
which is helping our procurement and material
control units improve the overall efficiency of
their processes and the level of services they
deliver to projects and cost centres.
T Bala,
Procurement Unit Head (Corporate)
The Human Resources Management System,
a component of ERP, is facilitating HR
managers in making timely and effective
decisions. In particular, it is enabling us to
manage by fact with immediate access to
current, accurate and consistent information,
manage employee eligibility for benefits, and
maintain changes in employee deployment,
grades and classification.
Alaa Noufal,
Human Resources Manager – Non-Manual
Unit
ERP has been misleading me up to now.
Mohamed Hassan,
Project Manager, Facility Management
Thanks, ATS
With the implementation of ERP throughout
Kharafi National, the ATS system, which
helped KN run its businesses for more
than a decade, is being retired.
ATS was, in its day, one of the most
advanced systems available and it is
doubtful whether KN would be in a position
to successfully implement Oracle ERP
without the experience gained through
ATS. When it was first used, ATS was the
equivalent of what Oracle ERP is today and
put KN far ahead of the competition.
What users are saying
ATS played a significant role in providing
the information that supported KN’s
decision-making during a time of hectic
growth and expansion in its areas of
operation. It enabled the company
to develop its current organizational
structure, to experiment in the creation
of very successful operating procedures
and supported the continuous changes
that have been taking place within the
company over the last ten years.
27
LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
Learning & Development
in the UAE
During August 2008, KN and EUCH employees
The course explained the transition to IFRIC
in the UAE, as well as several employees
12 from existing accounting standards, and
from KN’s head office in Kuwait, attended a
included a practical discussion on how IFRIC
three-day workshop on IFRIC 12, a reporting
12 affects the business of EUCH, using case
standard issued by the International Financial
studies developed by EUCH staff and focused
Reporting Interpretations Committee, which
on BOT and BOO arrangements.
will become effective on the 1st January 2009.
The course was delivered by accounting firm
Summer Internships
KPMG at the Millennium Hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Four engineering students took part in the
The workshop was aimed at imparting a
Learning & Development Unit’s seven-week
practical understanding of IFRIC 12 and
summer internship programme in the UAE,
other
standards
from the 28th June to the 21st August. Three
concerning construction contracts, property,
of the students were from AUC, the American
plant and equipment, leases, and financial
University in Cairo, and the fourth was from
instruments.
Alexandria University, in Egypt.
international
reporting
UAE training session in IFRIC 12
28
personnel also supported the students by
visiting them at their projects on a weekly
basis.
L&D’s summer internship programme was
rated a great success by the students who
praised the practical experience they gained
Students enjoying the summer internship
programme in Kuwait
of life in the engineering world and the
mentoring and coaching they received.
Two of the students are assigned to KN’s Solid
Meanwhile, 28 students from Egypt, Jordan
Waste Management Project, the management
and Lebanon took part in KN’s summer
and disposal of solid waste on eight sites in
internship programme in Kuwait, which
greater Abu Dhabi, and the other two students
was also conducted from the 24th June to
joined the ADWEA Project, the construction
the 28th August 2008. The students were
of two mega-scale waste-water treatment
assigned to different projects according to
plants in that emirate. On each project a
their engineering disciplines which enabled
mentor was assigned to work closely with the
them to gain ‘real life experiences’. Summer
students throughout their internships.
trainees also visited other projects to
enhance their knowledge and experience. The
When they first arrived the students underwent
cooperation and support extended by KN staff
HR and safety orientation and attended training
and engineers was very much appreciated by
in KN’s quality management system. To
the students and was clearly exhibited in the
provide them with broad hands-on experience,
quality of the interns’ final reports and work
they were rotated around several work sites.
books.
Under the supervision of their mentors, each
explaining their activities and progress. L&D
student was given several assignments to
complete, which were reviewed by their project
managers. The students also attended three
in-house training courses on interviewing
skills, teamwork, and delegation skills.
As part of the program, the students used a
workbook, developed by L&D, to record their
assignments and the required reading they
undertook, and to submit a weekly report
Smiles of enthusiasm from summer
internship students in the UAE
29
Tell Me More
Selected KN employees can now access an
are from the Middle and Far East. TELL ME
English online highly interactive program that
MORE provides them with the opportunity to
will improve the quality of their English.
improve their English vocabulary, grammar,
writing, listening and speaking skills. Indeed
TELL ME MORE is an English online training
it covers all the skills needed in every day and
program, which contains a variety of tools and
business language use.
activities to help enhance English vocabulary
and grammar for greater effectiveness in the
The program offers 37 types of activities, with
workplace and personal life.
up to 2,000 hours of learning exercises that
are personalized to the needs of individual
English is not the native language of a
learners. The software evaluates the student’s
majority of KN employees, most of whom
progress as they learn, and uses the results
TELL ME MORE Speech recognition screen
30
The technology automatically detects and
suited to their needs, just as a teacher would.
corrects speech errors. The student listens to a
chosen word being vocalized in the system and
The program is simple and easy to use. The
then speaks the same word into the microphone.
online training is flexible, as it is a self-paced
The system detects the pitch and tone of the
learning tool which the user is able to access
student’s pronunciation by recording his or her
any time, which reduces stress in learning. It
voice and scoring it on the right hand side of the
consists of four basic components: reading,
screen. The recognition of pronunciation errors
writing, listening and speaking, customized
allows students to target their weaker points
to suite the unique needs and skill levels of
for improvement. The user’s pronunciation
individual students. The user can choose
is helped by 3D animations which illustrate
the level at which they feel comfortable –
the movements of the lips and mouth when
beginner, intermediate or advanced. They can
speaking particular words.
also take a test before beginning the course
to determine which level best suits them.
TELL ME MORE is a simple and effective tool
which individuals can use to strengthen the
One of the most interesting aspects of TELL
communication skills they need to be effective
ME MORE is the assistance it provides in
at their jobs in Kharafi National by expanding
the pronunciation of English. The program
their language abilities. There is no doubt that
contains one of the most advanced speech
KN users will take great pleasure in achieving
recognition technologies available. Indeed,
successful results and benefiting greatly from
Auralog, the software designer, was the
this superb learning experience.
first company to use speech recognition in
language learning software.
Enjoy the language journey!
to suggest the activities and exercises best
E-learners at KN concentrate on enhancing their language prospects.
31
HEALTH & SAFETY
Reducing Physical Injuries
Despite
some
amazing
advances
in
technology, accidents that result in injuries
are still all too common at work or in the
home. So how can you reduce the likelihood
of suffering a serious injury?
….. Don Brown, Corporate H&S Manager
The most common results of accidents these
days are injuries to the head, eye, hand or
foot. I’ll look at each of these injuries in turn
and show you how to minimise your chances
of experiencing a severe injury.
Wearing the correct safety gear at all times
is only common sense
Head Injuries
To protect your vision:
Head injuries are the leading cause of death
• Never take chances with your eyes. Wear
due to trauma. Your brain is composed of a
the appropriate eye protection when cutting,
soft material protected by the skull. If the skull
grinding, or handling chemicals.
is struck hard enough, the brain can smash
• You may be tempted to close your eyes, or
against it, causing blood vessels to bleed and
look away for a second or two, when grinding
creating pressure on the brain. Sometimes,
or cutting materials. This will not protect
surprisingly little force is needed to cause this
your eyes. Wear proper eye protection.
damage. So you have to protect your head.
The best way to do this is to wear the
appropriate head protection for the activity
you’re participating in. This has proved to
greatly reduce injury and death.
• Keep safety equipment in good condition
and make sure it is close to hand and ready
for use.
• Read the safety directions before using any
chemicals, and wear goggles and gloves
when handling any kind of chemicals.
• If you do get a chemical in the eye, flush
Eye Injuries
the affected eye for at least 15 minutes
Your vision is one of the most precious gifts
the unaffected eye.) Speedy removal of the
you have. It’s all too easy to damage your eyes,
chemical is crucial in this type of injury.
causing permanent disability. No one wants to
lose their eyesight.
32
with water. (Avoid running the water into
• Never attempt to remove objects that are
imbedded in the eye. Seek medical attention.
• heavy objects that fall on feet;
welding, the symptoms can take hours to
• sharp objects that puncture them; and
show up. There will be extreme pain and
• ankle twists that sprain or break them.
eyes will become very sensitive to light. Seek
medical attention immediately.
You can prevent most of these injuries by
wearing safety footwear that is approved by a
Hand Injuries
Many tools that are used at work can cause
you to injure your hands or fingers. Serious
injuries to the hands are common when
using portable powered tools or working
with machinery. It takes only one second of
inattention or carelessness when using a hand
or power tool to cause a serious injury.
certifying agency. Please note:
• Steel-toed shoes and boots can prevent
many injuries. Wear them at work.
• Keep your boots laced up all the way and
replace laces when they are worn.
• Regularly inspect your footwear for wear
and tear, and replace as needed.
• Keep your feet away from rotating or moving
machinery.
• Be careful when walking on uneven ground.
To protect your hands:
• Pay attention to the job you’re doing. Use the
safety guards provided with the tools.
• Know when to use safety gloves and when
not to. It can be dangerous to use gloves on
rotating machinery; the glove might pull your
hand into the machinery if it gets caught.
• Avoid wearing long, loose sleeves when using
A sprained ankle is a very common injury.
HEALTH & SAFETY
• If you get flash burns to the eyes from
Most injuries can be prevented by being careful
during work, ie by paying proper attention to
what you are doing. So whether you are at
work or at home:
Make Safety a Habit
Make Safety a Way of Life
rotating tools. They can snag and entangle
your arm.
• Never approach your fingers into machinery
or tools where they can become caught, cut,
11m Man-hours
without an LTA
chopped, or pinched.
• Keep knives and the blades of other cutting
Congratulations to everyone working on
tools sharp. When using them, cut away
the Aromatics Complex (Project 1265).
from you.
This project has achieved an amazing
eleven million man-hours without a lost
Foot Injuries
Feet are also easily injured. Foot injuries are
time accident.
Safety Pays!
commonly caused by:
33
QA & QC
IMTE Calibration Laboratory
KN’s IMTE Calibration Laboratory pioneered
properly calibrated and maintained so that
delivery of calibration services and the
the instruments meet required standards
maintenance of inspection, measuring and
for accuracy. It delivers them to projects as
test equipment in the Arabian Gulf region.
required and takes them back after use.
The unit has laboratories in Kuwait, the UAE
and Egypt.
IMTE Calibration Laboratory provides KN
… by Pajak Kazimierz, Unit Head, IMTE
projects and third party clients with a high-
Calibration Laboratory
quality, low cost service with quick turn-around
times. It has well equipped laboratories
and experienced staff. All its calibrations
are traceable to national and international
standards and comply with manufacturers’
specifications.
The main purpose of the unit is to support
KN projects in the evaluation of their IMTE
requirements and arrange delivery of IMT
equipment
in
accordance
with
project
schedules. Each of KN’s main operational
area – Kuwait, the UAE and Egypt – has its
own laboratories, whose main tasks include:
Kharafi National’s IMTE Calibration Laboratory
provides calibration services and maintains
inspection, measuring and test equipment
(IMTE) for a wide range of applications. It
provides these services to KN projects and
also to external customers, in either its own
environmentally-controlled multi-laboratory
facilities or on sites.
• providing
technical
assistance
in
the
selection of the correct IMT equipment;
• delivering selected IMT equipment on time
to projects;
• providing prompt services for instruments
being re-calibrated or repaired;
• providing on-site calibration services for KN
projects and third party clients;
Founded in 1994, IMTE Calibration Laboratory
• assisting the Tendering Department in the
is the sole custodian of all inspection,
correct cost calculation of IMTE items; and
measuring and test equipment used on
KN projects. IMTE keeps this equipment
34
• delivering
technical
assistance
to
KN
projects during testing and commissioning.
Currently, IMTE Calibration Laboratory is
instruments covering mechanical, electrical,
preparing the initial documentation required
thermal and other applications, which allow
for the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation process.
it to inspect, maintain and calibrate a very full
It is also in the process of shifting its base
range of instruments and provide specialized
of operations to KN Industrial City in Mina
on-site services such as infra-red thermal
Abdullah where it will have facilities that are
imaging (IRTI – see next article) and the
four times their current size in East Ahmadi,
analysis of underground utilities using a
enabling it to satisfy the on-going growth in
ground penetration radar system (GPRS).
demand for its services.
QA & QC
In Kuwait, IMTE has around 6,000 in-house
IMTE’s equipment even includes nuclear
surface moisture density gauges.
Experienced staff at work in IMTE Calibration laboratory
35
QA & QC
The internal parts of high-voltage electrical
Infrared Thermal
Imaging
equipment, such as breakers, bus bars, and
transformers, can be inspected easily with
Infrared thermography is a superior approach
to predictive and preventative maintenance
because it allows the insides of plant and
machinery to be seen as two-dimensional
thermal
images
without
disturbing
the
equipment by opening it up.
Trained and certified technicians at IMTE
use a FLIR ThermaCAM P60, a state-of-theart thermal imaging camera, for the on-site
inspection, analysis, and trouble-shooting of
a wide variety of equipment and machinery, as
can be seen in the illustrations.
the camera. It can also be used to find hidden
problems in thousands of connections and
terminations in control panels, low voltage
panels, motor windings, shafts and bearings,
as well as over-heated conductors on printed
circuits boards.
The thermal imaging camera is equally useful
in finding mechanical defects in machinery,
including flange leaks in pressurized tanks
and pipelines, and misaligned pump bearings
and couplings. It can indicate mechanical
friction, show up sediment in tanks and along
the length of a pipe and isolate defects in
insulation. It can also be used to inspect valve
This advanced tool in predictive and preventive
conditions in petrochemical plants and to find
maintenance is used to inspect electrical and
fluid flow problems.
mechanical equipment for internal damage.
Infrared thermal imaging being used to check the condition of process pipelines
36
INFRARED VIEW
NORMAL VIEW
QA & QC
Isolating problems using a thermal imaging camera
Problem in busbar termination
Problem in motor fan bearing
Thermal Imaging Camera
For
building
maintenance,
the
FLIR
ThermaCAM P60 is used to find where losses
Problem in motor coupling
of heat and coolness are occurring and to
isolate HVAC problems.
When new or just-repaired equipment is
installed, IMTE collects base-line data, ie the
LV fuse carrier problem
operating parameters under ideal working
conditions, and then monitors the condition
of the equipment, using non-invasive thermal
imaging, so that maintenance can take place
before the equipment breaks down. This
Problem in pump coupling
approach makes thermal imaging a very
cost-effective approach to predictive and
preventative maintenance.
Problem in LV termination
37
EVENTS
Arab Environment 2008
Conference
Kharafi National was a gold corporate
President of the General Commission for the
sponsor of the first annual conference
Protection of Marine Resources, Environment
of the Arab Forum for Environment and
and Wildlife in Bahrain, and supported by the
Development, Arab Environment 2008.
OPEC Fund for International Development and
the United Nations Environment Program,
One of the main goals of the Arab Forum for
was to debate the report Arab Environment:
Environment and Development (AFED) is to
Future Challenges commissioned by AFED.
bring together all major parties concerned
with environmental matters in the Arab world
Eighteen
experts
in
environmental
and to engage them in a meaningful debate on
matters contributed to Arab Environment:
better solutions to manage the environment
Future Challenges, an independent non-
while achieving sustainable development.
governmental policy-oriented report that
evaluates progress towards the realization of
The purpose of the AFED’s Arab Environment
sustainable development targets in the Arab
2008 conference, held under the patronage of
World, assess current policies, and examines
HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa,
the Arab contribution to endeavours in
The Kharafi National stand at Arab Environment 2008 displayed the environmental aspects of KN’s operations
38
EVENTS
global environment concerns. The report
proposes alternative policies and remedial
action in most environmental areas, including
development planning, consumption and
production patterns, the quality of the
environment, waste management, food safety,
climate changes, education and awareness.
The conference was an excellent stimulant to
the serious discussion of these matters. With
15 ministers and heads of national agencies
or councils, 35 media organisations, 22
The conference was an excellent stimulant
to serious discussion of environmental
issues in the Arab World
regional and international organizations, and
18 non-government bodies, in attendance, it
Kharafi National is an active corporate
has generated on-going debate on the twin
member of AFED and was a gold sponsor of
themes of the environment and development
Arab Environment 2008. A large delegation
in the Arab World. The conference noted that
from KN, headed by MD Samer Younis,
poverty is the main obstacle to development
attended the conference and participated in
and that the success of environmental projects
the discussions on environmental challenges.
will depend on the involvement of both public
In addition, KN had an interesting stand
and private sector organisations. AFED will be
displaying the environmental aspects of its
publishing a report on climate change in 2009.
operations.
Better solutions to manage the Arab environment while achieving sustainable development
were debated at Arab Environment 2008
39
SPORTS
NEWLY Launched KN Cricket
Team WINS Maiden Tournament
Kharafi National in Kuwait recently formed a
and the meticulous selection process, using
corporate cricket team to officially represent
the services of an external selector, took four
KN in cricket tournaments – and the team
weeks. The team is being coached by Farukh
has amazed every one by winning the first
Butt, Iqbal Dawe and Arun Davidson who
tournament it has ever entered.
have been actively involved in KN’s cricket
tournaments over the last three seasons.
For the last three years Kharafi National has
been successfully conducting annual cricket
The KN Cricket Team has been signed up
tournaments. These have proved very popular
for tournaments organized by KOC and the
and an increasing number of players have
Kuwait Cricket Association, which is affiliated
been participating each year, many of whom
to the Kuwait Olympics Committee and the
have demonstrated the talent and skill needed
Public Authority for Youth and Sports. In these
to compete in cricket matches outside the
matches, KN cricketers will be playing against
Company. As a result, the Kharafi National
major teams such as Gulf Consult, Mercedes,
Cricket Team was launched on the 3rd October
Alghanim, Al-Sayer, Al-Sahel Sports Club,
2008.
and Kuwait Airways.
The team consists of a pool of 28 players. A
Needless to say, all members of the team are
total of 99 employees applied to join the team
expected to abide by a strict code of conduct, ie,
Triumphant KN Cricketers after winning their maiden tournament
40
adhere to cricket’s traditions of gentlemanly
behaviour. In addition, they must uphold the
The 28 members of the KN Cricket
Team are:
Lasantha Dimuthu Kumara (9134)
image and reputation of Kharafi National when
Umar Faruk (9125)
representing the Company in matches and
Damith Nirosha (9185)
tournaments against rival companies.
Chamara Prabath (9185)
Shams Raza Ghulam (1307)
When KN Cricket Team was launched, the
Noorshed Khan (1286)
team managers thought that their players
Siva Prasad (9119)
would require several years experience
Mohammed Rafi (9185)
before they would begin to make their mark
Mohammad Ejaz (1323)
in cricket in Kuwait. To everyone’s delighted
Syed Faisal (9128)
surprise, the team reached won the Twenty20
Arunachalam Suresh (1001)
Challenge organised by KOC – KN Cricketers
Pramod V Kunjumon (7107)
maiden tournament in which they beat AMEC
Subbiah Suresh (1276)
in a closely contested final.
Prasad Francis (1279)
SPORTS
to play cricket in the true spirit of the game and
Sathish Govindan Kutty (9140)
Perhaps one of the reasons the team is doing
Rajesh Kumar (1265)
so well is that it has its own flood-lit cricket
Dennis Fernandes (1371)
grounds in KN’s Sulaibiya Camp where the
players can practise at night. These facilities
will soon be grassed over. Not many companies
in Kuwait are as generous as KN in providing
their staff with superior sports facilities.
The KN Cricket Team has the whole-hearted
support of everyone in Kharafi National,
especially the Equipment Division which is
generously arranging free transport for the
players for practices and matches.
Abdul Razzak Malik (1265)
Mistry Ratishkumar (1043)
Salih Khader (9140)
Arun Andrews (1265)
Raman Velmurugan (1324)
Raju Dashrath Salvi (1265)
Abdul Waheed (9119)
Alwin Patel (1265)
Kalla Anil Kumar (1324)
Siyad K Kassim (1324)
Vipin B S (9171)
The formal line-up of KN Cricket Team
41
SPORTS
KN Tigers Savour Triumph
The first annual cricket tournament organised
The tournament was organised by a committee
by Kharafi National in the UAE was won by
comprising Chairman Ibrahim Fares, Vice-
the KN Tigers Team who beat HRD by 38 runs
Chairman Dr Mohamed Rizk, and members
in a hard-fought final and took home a trophy
Mohamed Akl, Mohamed Sadoun, Mohamed
and medals.
Elleithy, and F S Kingsley.
Javed Baig of KN Tigers performed an
outstanding performance in the final game
which was one of the key factors for their win.
He scored 63 runs and captured two major
wickets from HRD to secure victory for his
team. He was awarded the title Man of the
Match for the final, while Khalid Painda of HRD
was designated Player of the Tournament for
his astonishing performance throughout the
series.
KN Cricket Teams in the UAE
ADIA FM
Danet
DFC Youngsters (DFC)
Dream Eleven
Eagles Group (CUC – 2)
Equipment Division – Dubai
ESD
HRD Cricket Team
The tournament was held during Ramadan,
from the 5th to the 26th September 2008, at
Al-Fara’a Cricket Grounds in Al-Ain. Twelve
teams from within KN (see box) participated in
the league which went through four rounds.
KN Tigers (CUC – 1)
Popular Front (Equipment Division –
Abu Dhabi)
Royal Challengers (QA/QC – 2)
Royal Champions (QA/QC – 1)
KN cricket teams, umpires and organizing committee members in the UAE
42
SPORTS
Petroleum Golf Day
Kharafi National was one of the premier
sponsors of the inaugural Petroleum Golf
Day which was held on the 10th October 2008
at the Sahara Country Club in Kuwait.
In a 4-ball Texas Scramble, the KN-3 team –
Rob Fogelman and Ian McCullagh – acquitted
themselves fairly well by coming second in
the A Division.
Nearly 200 players took part in what was
the largest golfing event ever in Kuwait
accommodated by the Sahara Country Club.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day, which
was rounded off with a delightful meal around
the Sahara’s superb pool.
The KN-3 team came second in the
A Division in 4-ball Texas Scramble
A thoroughly enjoyable day was rounded off with a delightful meal at the Sahara Country Club in Kuwait
43
HUMAN RESOURCES
Competency-based
Interviewing at KN
The success of any business depends on
particular job. For example, if an interviewer
having the right people in the right jobs
wants to test a candidate’s ability to deal with
with the right skills. To ensure that KN has
stress, he might begin by asking how he or
a workforce par excellence, the Human
she handles stress generally, and then ask
Resources Department uses competency-
for an example of a situation in which the
based
candidate has worked under pressure. The
interviewing
when
assessing
underlying concept is that past behaviour is
candidates.
the best predictor of future behaviour.
Competency-based interviewing is a highly
effective form of interviewing as it focuses
Competency-based
questions
make
the
on gathering evidence of the required skills,
interview process as standardised and
experience and personal qualities required
productive as possible. Because of the
for a particular job position. These are known
probing nature of the questions, the interview
collectively as competencies.
will last for at least an hour, perhaps much
more.
Traditional unstructured interviews often
produce
poor-quality
information
about
Competency-based
interviews
are
being
job candidates. Instead of evaluating their
increasingly used in large organizations,
skills and abilities, these interviews focus
where they may be known under names such
on questions for which interviewees can, and
as skills-based, behavioural, situational or
often do, memorize the answers.
structured interviews. They have been found
to be the most practical and effective type of
competency-based
interview, because they enable the collection of
interviews focus on whether a candidate has
more accurate information relating to specific
the core competencies required for a particular
job requirements in the least amount of time.
job and uses ‘behavioural’ questions to find
They are also much fairer for candidates
this out.
as they have made interviewing more of a
On
the
other
hand,
science.
Before
conducting
a
competency-based
interview, the interviewer must have a list
The results of competency-based interviews
of the competencies required for the job
have proved to be remarkably reliable across
vacancy. HRD has developed a competency
time and interviewers. At KN, these interview
tool in which the essential criteria or core
techniques have helped reduce staff turnover,
competencies required to be successful in 328
recruitment and training costs, and have
non-manual positions have been identified.
delivered improvements in the productivity
of newly-hired staff. The Company is also
44
Each question is designed to test one or more
experiencing better long-term performance
specific skills. The answers are then matched
and increased returns on its investment in
against the pre-determined criteria for the
training and development.
The winners of the employees of the quarter awards for the third quarter of 2008 were:
Sajith Kumar M V, an electrician in cost
centre 1325, for undertaking safety duties
and preparing related documentation in a
professional manner in the absence of a fulltime safety officer, and for coordinating the
attendance of personnel at safety training
courses.
Vasu R Poojary, a mechanical superintendent
in cost centre 1389, for his commitment,
competence, excellent task coordination,
ability to manage people and equipment,
adherence to safety and quality procedures,
and outstanding performance overall.
The runners-up were:
organizational abilities and comprehensive
knowledge to ensure the smooth running of
the office and to handle additional projects.
Non-manual employees:
Walid M Hosny, a civil site engineer in
cost centre 9171, for maintaining excellent
relations with clients, for the many letters of
appreciation from clients that have praised
his efforts and reflected well on KN, and for
always having a good safety record.
Reddy Srikanth, a secretary in cost centre
1352, for being, despite the short time he
has been with KN, a very hard worker who is
showing great capabilities in the handling of all
paper work and for preparing and controlling
time sheets in a timely manner.
Virgilio Tan Garcia, a storekeeper in cost
centre 1325, for his professional and
systematic collection and disposal of scrap
from construction sites thus saving time
and money, and for his efficiency in stores
documentation and record keeping.
P M Augustian, a senior secretary in cost
centre 1307, for his cooperative character
and organizational abilities, his productivity
and the high quality of his work in following
up project correspondence, sub-contract
agreements and other official issues.
Santhosh Varghese, a senior secretary in cost
centre 1178, for being an able, productive,
cooperative administrator, who uses his
Macha Surendar, a civil supervisor in cost
centre 1323, for being a sincere, enthusiastic,
hard worker who performs his duties with
OUR PEOPLE
Employees of the Quarter
45
OUR PEOPLE
commendable accuracy, for continuing to
work long after normal working hours and for
his good relations with client supervisors.
M Jayaraman, a secretary in cost centre 1608,
for his dedication to his duties and for his
overall performance, for never refusing extra
work, and indeed for handling three projects
at the same time as well as covering for
colleagues who are on vacation.
Javid Shaikh, an office administrator in cost
centre 9448-9100, for being a dedicated,
honest employee who assists others, for the
quality of his work and for his ability to manage
all administrative and document controls and
to coordinate with colleagues.
Henriques Sequeira, a secretary in cost centre
1285, for coordinating well with project staff
on all the jobs which are assigned to him and
for the good efforts he is making to develop
his administrative skills.
Edgardo Santiago, a project engineer in cost
centre 1264, for his outstanding performance
during the shut-down of a gathering centre,
GC-23, during which time he handled the
work-load of two persons by working extended
duty-hours.
Binu Koshy, a department administrator in
cost centre 9407, for being extremely diligent
in his duties and, in particular, for monitoring,
registering and filing correctly and properly
all correspondence and other documents for
UDC.
Arthur Hilary Pinto, a general foreman
in cost centre 1280, for his experience,
professionalism, leadership and management,
for always being well organised and in control
of his manpower and materials, and for always
completing jobs on time.
46
Adrian R Resoco, a supervisor in cost centre
1265, for introducing an innovative, cost
effective, efficient yet simple method for
containing debris during high velocity airblowing operations, for training foremen and
workers, and for his excellence in planning.
Manual employees:
Abou Elhegag Farouk A Rehim, a senior firealarm mechanic in cost centre 1338, for being
a good, dedicated employee and a hard worker
who, whenever he is given a new job to do,
does it with the utmost care and attention.
Ahmed Mahmoud Abdel Raham, a labourer
in cost centre 1281, for his understanding of
his job, his high productivity and good quality
work, his dependability and ability to work
unsupervised, his cooperative nature, and his
willingness to work with others.
Anantha Padmanabha, a mechanical helper
in cost centre 1352, for being a hard worker
who always responds to emergency works no
matter what the circumstances or time, for
his good relationships with his co-workers
and his willingness to learn and develop.
Jayapulavan Vaithyanathan, a shop fitter
and mechanic in cost centre 1293, for being
hardworking and dedicated, for being an
excellent communicator, for maintaining good
relations with his co-workers, and for his
awareness of job and safety procedures.
Kishori Rai Yodha, an insulation foreman in
cost centre 9448-1001, for being extremely
hard working and punctual, for his consistently
excellent performance, and for always helping
his co-workers and teaching them how to
finish their work on time.
Lin Thongpratoom, an electrical foreman
in cost centre 1389, for being a hard worker
Mohamed Abdel Monem, a labourer in cost
centre 1344, for being honest in all his workrelated activities, and for always striving
to finish his work while, at the same time,
maintaining good relations with his coworkers and Ministry of Public Works staff.
Sasidharan Mampalli, a senior piping
foreman in cost centre 1323, for his sincerity
and hard work, his excellent performance and
attendance record, his good communication
skills, and for maintaining effective working
relationships with his supervisors.
Selvam M, a welding foreman in cost centre
1264, for his high productivity that averages
60 diameter inches per day during peak times,
and especially for competing more than 100
tie-ins on heavy-wall flow-lines without a
single repair being needed.
Siva Murugesan, a tea-boy in cost centre
1280, for his hard work and faithfulness, for
always executing his work on time, and, most
especially, for learning enough on the job that
he now undertakes the duties of an office-boy
and assists in routine clerical tasks.
Suresh Babu, a millwright foreman in cost
centre 1265, for his sincerity, hard work
and excellent performance in executing
assignments in line with safety and quality
procedures, and for his good communication
skills and effective working relationships.
Suresh Kumar T S, a lead mechanic in cost
centre 1307, for being an excellent team
leader, for his accurate interpretation of
instructions, for his knowledge of his work
and his adherence to safety rules, and for his
discipline, obedience and commitment.
Tarun Kumar Naginbhai Patel, an electrician
in cost centre 1385, for his efforts during breakdown work in Customs-Air Cargo, including
the laying and termination of power cables,
and for his initiative in undertaking electrical
and other works in variation orders.
V A Prasad, a plant operator in cost centre
1285, for being a very good, hard worker,
especially during emergency situations, and
for showing positive support for the goals of
senior staff by developing his skills as a plant
operator.
OUR PEOPLE
with an excellent knowledge of his job, and
for his loyalty to KN which is reflected in his
commitment to finishing jobs on time while
following all safety and quality procedures.
Babu Kutty, a foreman in cost centre 1315,
for his intelligence and his diligent approach
to his work, for always tackling a job in the
correct manner and sticking with it until it is
finished, for cooperating with his colleagues,
and for his adherence to safety procedures.
Mohamed Mohamed El Wassif, a civil
supervisor in cost centre 1344, for taking
special care to follow all KN, Ministry of Public
Works and Traffic Department regulations,
and for always mobilizing his crew as soon as
he is entrusted with a work order.
Mosad Ahmed Mohamed, a civil supervisor
in cost centre 1281, for the quality and
productivity of his work, his ability to work
without close supervision, his knowledge of
specialized techniques, and his creativity and
willingness in communicating ideas.
Abdalla Hamed Abdelaal Osman, a civil
supervisor in cost centre 1385, for undertaking
plumbing and electrical maintenance works
in addition to his civil duties, for leadership,
and for maintaining corporate best practices
whilst ensuring timely delivery.
47
OUR PEOPLE
Keralite Employees Celebrate
Onaghosham 2008
Kharafi National was the main sponsor of
Dr.
Narayanan
the festival of Onam which was organized
president of IDF-Kuwait, inaugurated the
by Oruma, the cultural wing of KN’s Keralite
Onagosham
employees, at the Marina Auditorium in Jleeb
address. The proceedings began with the
Al-Shuyoukh, Kuwait, on the 29th August
national anthems of Kuwait and India, which
2008. More than 1,500 employees and their
were followed by a traditional prayer song
families enjoyed the cultural programme and
from Miss Vrinda Venugopal. While Chairman
the traditional Onam feast that followed.
Sam
and
Namboori,
delivered
Pynammoodu
the
the
presided
founder
opening
over
the
meeting, Convenor Krishna Kumar welcomed
Onaghosham began with a colorful procession
the gathering. Felicitations were delivered
to welcome the great king Mahabali. In this
by Pancily Varkey, the general manager of
fantastic display of the cultural heritage of
the UAE Exchange, Malayil Moosa Koya of
Kerala, traditional art forms such as kadhakali,
the Kuwait Times, and Philip Thomas, KN
ottenthullal, chendamelam, pulikali, kavadi
Finance & Accounting Manager. General
and thalappoli were accompanied by men
convener Jomon Cherian presented the
and women dressed in ceremonial outfits that
report and Jockin Lawrence extended the
reminded everyone of the good old days.
vote of thanks.
Onaghosham 2008 at the Marina Auditorium was colourful and vibrant
48
was released by COO Nicola Coccioli when he
handed the first copy to the conveners of the
souvenir committee, Baby John and Sathish
Nediyodath.
The cultural programmes began with the
rangapooja – vadhyanjali performed by Shikha
Santhosh and her party. Residents of KN
Sulaibiya Camp staged cinematic dances,
COO Nicola Coccioli released the
commemorative souvenir for
Onaghosham 2008
employees from the Equipment Division
Gillen, Biju, and other famous singers and
rendered a group song, and KN Shuaiba
artistes from Kuwait.
Camp residents performed the Nadan Pattu.
A variety of dances such as the mohiniyattam
were presented by Miss Shwetha, Shyam
Kumar’s
daughter.
Miss
Alina,
Joseph
Mathew’s daughter, performed a folk dance.
Indeed various Punjabi dances, cinematic and
other dances were staged by the young and
talented artistes in KN and Kuwait.
OUR PEOPLE
The commemorative souvenir for the occasion
The highlight of the day was Fusion Music from
the famous violinist and composer Balabhaskar
and his band, which included drummer Nirmal
Xavier, keyboardist Prakash Ulliyeri and
thabala-player Mahesh Mani. The music was
a perfect blend of classical and western styles
and thrilled the crowded auditorium. Chairman
Sam Pynammodu honoured Balabhaskar in
The day’s programme included a musical
the traditional way by presenting him with the
orchestra lead by KN artistes Kishore, Joyal,
ponnada on behalf of Oruma.
Cultural dancers at Onaghosham 2008 sponsored by KN
49
OUR PEOPLE
Sizzling Summer 2008
This great social event was a wondrous
Hall in Al-Watya Complex in Kuwait City. The
evening of fun-filled partying, raffles and
festivities began at 7pm and lasted well into
games for Filipino employees of KN and their
the night.
friends and the proceeds were used to help a
very worthy charitable cause.
… by Lory An Soriano
When a great number of Filipinos employees
supported KN’s First Basketball Tournament
it was realised that there was a need to
The main purpose of this delightful event was
provide all Filipino employees with the
to gather as many as possible of KN’s Filipino
chance to meet and get to know their fellow
employees together to have fun and, at the
countrymen in the Company and to bridge the
same time, promote the unity and cultural
gap between Filipinos and other nationals.
values of Filipinos. The fun-filled evening
Thus the idea of organising Sizzling Summer
took place on the 31st July 2008 at the Royal
2008 was born.
A great time was had by everyone at Sizzling Summer 2008
50
The proceeds of the event were used
donating cash, logistic support, transport
to assist distressed overseas contract
facilities and give-aways that indeed played
workers sheltering in the Philippine
a significant role in the success of the event.
Embassy in Kuwait.
The distinguished guests included, among
others, Nicola Coccioli, Alan Britton, Yasmeen
Sayed-Gindodiya, and Leopoldo DeJesus, the
labour attaché at the Philippine Embassy in
Kuwait, who was accompanied by staff from
the Philippine Labour Office.
Highlights of the evening, of which there were
many, included song and dance numbers
performed by some talented employees from
various departments – singers Monico Santos
and Rowena Dewan, and dancers Henry
Estrada, Jojie Butaslac, Renato Salazar, Ruth
Mooney, Mary Irene Supetran, and Wilma Cano.
The entertainment was followed by a huge
buffet and a series of raffles in which the first
prize was a return ticket to Manila. The party
ended with everyone dancing on the floor.
Other Sponsors of Sizzling
Summer 2008
Kuwait Automotives Imports Company
Western Union
Mediacom Burgan Bank
National Exchange Company
OUR PEOPLE
Kharafi National was the main sponsor,
TFC – The Filipino Channel
Al Zaben Shipping – Concord Cargo
Emirates Airlines
Mr Baker Nadec Juice
Mario’s Restaurant
Dunkin Donut
Arab Times GMA Network
Talented dancers performing at Sizzling Summer 2008
51
OUR PEOPLE
Onaghosham 2008 Celebrated
at Camp Sulaibiya
Kharafi National also sponsored an Onam
Indeed the theme of the festival this year was
celebration in Sulaibiya camp on the 22nd
Unity in Diversity, and non-Indian residents
August 2008, which was organised by the
participated in all the events, especially the
camp residents and was a resounding
sports and other game activities which were
success,
included in the celebratory programme.
Camp
Boss
Sunny
Thomas
Peruckonil writes.
The festivities kicked off with a colourful
Two and a half thousand residents of KN’s
procession which was followed by a cultural
state-of-the-art accommodation facilities in
programme. The residents also enjoyed an
Sulaibiya organised their own celebration of
entertainment programme, which was staged
Onaghosham this year. The festivities were
in the camp auditorium by KN employees who
sponsored by Kharafi National and were
performed dances, sang songs, presented
enjoyed by all nationalities living in the camp.
mimes, and put on a humorous Miss World
Onaghosham 2008 at Camp Sulaibiya opened with a colourful procession
52
served to an audience of over 1,500 residents
and guests.
COO Nicola Coccioli represented Kharafi
National at the event. Onam 2008 was enjoyed
at Camp Sulaibiya by everyone thanks to
the efforts of the organizing committee and
everyone who pitched in to make the day a
success, and, not least, the generosity of KN.
The dancers were in fine form at
Onaghosham 2008
OUR PEOPLE
competition. Sadhya, a traditional feast, was
Great King Mahabali being welcomed at Onaghosham 2008 at Camp Sulaibiya
53
OUR PEOPLE
New Faces at KN
has
joined
Abdelaziz Rezk has joined
Ali Achour
Equipment Operations as
Construction
an operations specialist
Gas) Unit B as deputy
in cranes. He has a BSc
operations manager. He
in
power
has a master’s degree
El-
in civil engineering from
University
Cleveland State (Ohio, USA)
mechanical
engineering
from
Mansoura
(Oil
&
lift
and 23 years experience in civil engineering,
management systems, heavy lifting and
project development and management, risk
cranes, and 15 years experience in the
management, and engineering feasibility
inspection, testing and certification of lifting
studies. Ali joined from Nakheel in Dubai
systems. Abdelaziz joins from Al-Wasit in
where he was a senior project manager.
(Egypt),
technical
certificates
in
the UAE where he was deputy manager.
Anwar
Alyson Harris is the new
UAE
services manager for Office
management team as a
Management. A graduate
construction manager for
in business administration
the ADWEA project. He has
from Glamorgan University
a bachelor’s degree in civil
(UK),
engineering
training
Alaa
has
Eldin
joined
the
from
Cairo
she
has
several
certificates
in
University (Egypt) and 25 years experience
administration and safety and 13 years
of civil works in sewage and water treatment
experience
plants for multi-national organizations. He
services, and training and development in
has worked previously for several companies
the UK and Kuwait. Alyson joins from Access,
as a construction manager.
Kuwait, where she was a quality assurance
in
administration,
customer
manager.
Alexe Danut has joined as
the technical office manager
on the construction of BS
160. He has an engineering
degree in machine building
technologies
(material
fabrication) from BARSOV
University (Romania) and two decades of
experience in oil and gas construction. Alexe
joins from CCIC, Ras Laffan, Qatar, where he
was the senior piping engineer.
54
Ashok
Kumar
Brahma
has joined the Engineering
Unit as a lead engineer.
With a degree in electrical
engineering
from
Utkal
University (Orrisa, India),
he has 12 years experience
in water supply and power generation,
construction, and sewage treatment plants.
Ashok last worked for KAME in Muscat, Oman,
where he was a senior electrical engineer.
Palmieri
has
Jayendrakumar Arunbhai
joined Private Financing
has joined the Corporate
Development
Proposals Department as
Operations
as a project development
a
manager. With a BSc in
With a BE in mechanical
electrical
engineering
engineering from Saurashtra
from the University for
University (India), he has 23
Applied Technology (Germany), he has 14
yearsexperienceinthemaintenance,modification
years experience in power technology and
and commissioning of petrochemical and gas
development. He joins from ABB AG Power
plants. Jayendrakumar joins KN from the
Technology Systems in Kuwait where he was
Arabian Construction Company in Qatar where
the general manager.
he was a shutdown engineer.
proposal
coordinator.
Elias El Habre has joined
John Corrie has joined
in the UAE as the senior
Instant Access (Sales) as
project manager for the
the senior sales manager
project to capitalise new
responsible for business
facilities at Mussafah. He
development.
has a bachelor’s degree
professional
in
With
a
certificate
management
from
Armour College of Engineering and 25 years
the Open University in the UK, John has 23
of experience in construction. Elias joins
years experience in aerial access, material
from Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises
handling and earthmoving equipment. He
Company
joins from Nationwide Skylift Ltd, where he
LCC,
where
he
was
senior
construction manager.
OUR PEOPLE
Claudio
was a general manager.
Enda Joseph Sherry has
John
joined as a senior project
has joined as the senior
administrator for Project
contract
Controls in the UAE. He has
in
a BA in quantity surveying
Department in the UAE.
from the University of Ulster
With a bachelor’s degree
(Ireland) and a diploma
in quantity surveying for
in civil engineering from the North-West
the University of Salford (UK), he has 11 years
Institute (Ireland) and eight years experience
experience in construction in Ireland. John
in the valuation of PQS. Enda joined from Glan
joins from Bennett Construction Ireland where
Development in Ireland where he was a senior
he was senior project quantity surveyor.
the
James
Buckley,
administrator
Project
Control
contract administrator.
55
OUR PEOPLE
Mahmoud Habib Issa has
Nabil Nassar has joined the
joined KN in the UAE as a
UAE management team as
construction manager on
a construction manager for
the ADWEA 2022 project.
the ADWEA project. He has
With a bachelor’s degree
a BSc in civil engineering
from Mansoura University
Damascus University, he has 20 years wide-
(Egypt) and 18 years experience in civil works
ranging experience in construction in Syria,
and engineering in the Middle East. He joined
Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Mahmoud joins Nael
from DAMAC, Abu Dhabi, where he was a
& Bin Harmal Hydro Export WLL where he
construction project manager.
was a project manager.
Mohammed
Asimullah
Robert William Griffiths
has joined as a proposal
has
rejoined
as
the
coordinator in the UAE.
manager of the Equipment
With a BSc in mechanical
Workshop. He has a City &
engineering from India, he
Guilds certificate in motor
has 14 years experience
engineering from Derby
in planning, vendor evaluation, cost control,
Technical College (UK) and is a member
tender specification proposals and tender
of the Institute of the Motor Industry (UK).
submissions. Mohammed joined from Control
He has 38 years of broad experience in
Contracting and Trading Company, UAE,
equipment, transport, workshop operations
where he was a tendering and proposals
and maintenance. In 2003/04 he was KN’s
coordinator.
equipment area head for southern Iraq and
rejoins from DHL Logistics.
Mohd Ahmed El Sayed is
Roberto Estrada Poliran
the new lead engineer in
has joined the Corporate
the Engineering Unit. He
Proposals Department as
has a bachelor’s degree
a proposal coordinator. He
in
has a BSc in electrical and
mechanical
engineering
56
from
power
Cairo
mechanical
engineering
University (Egypt) and 14 years experience in
from the Cabu Institute of Technology
fire-fighting and plumbing in Egypt, Lebanon
(Philippines) and 24 years experience in
and Qatar. Mohd last worked for Mercury
the estimation of HVAC, electrical and
Engineering in Doha where he was the
plumbing works. Roberto joins from Codest
section head for fire-fighting and plumbing
International in Kazakhstan where he was an
engineering.
MEP superintendent.

Kharafi National Magazine

Transcription

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