Dubai Gossip

[dubaiflo]

agree.
though there are 8 unlimited height plots as far as i know.
there have been some rumours one has been bought by the same german investor building the cube in dubai sports city.

[Dubai-Lover]

this fits perfectly
another big name settling in dubai

WSP hits the big time and moves to the GCC



Christopher Cole: “We are leading high-rise designers and managers, so we are well-placed to advise on tall buildings here [in the GCC].”
How does WSP compare in size to the other international consultants operating in the Middle East?

As a business we are among the top three in the UK, the top six in Europe and the top 20 in the world.

We employ nearly 6000 people worldwide. We carry out work in the area of property, transportation and infrastructure, as well as environmental — so these are our three
main strings.

We currently have a hugely- regarded presence in the UK, similarly in Europe and Scandanavia, South Africa and Asia — so there was a gap on the map, namely the Middle East.

What sort of track record does the company have in the region?

I originally came here more than 20 years ago to look after the Al Ghurair Centre in Deira, so as a group we have been here in a low-key way for some years but we weren’t making
real progress.

We also left for nearly ten years between the mid-eighties and the mid-nineties, which wasn’t the best idea, so we came back in the late 1990s to do the Mirage Hotel; and I came out last year to see how we could present ourselves in
a much more meaningful way, knowing that Dubai would be the focal point of the other territories. That led us to identify PHB as an acquisition opportunity.

What benefits has the merger brought to the enlarged organisation?

They are a company that was well known in the market, but equally, people looked upon them as not being well enough resourced to take on the larger jobs.

So we came along to tap into their client base and that
suddenly presented a whole new business, as we support
it financially.

We also bring huge knowledge. We are the designers of the Freedom Tower in New York, which is the world’s tallest building, so we are pretty well-placed to advise on tall buildings here as well.

Do you think consultants are valued as they should be in the procurement chain?

I think that is a good question and I think the answer is probably ‘no’, but it is up to us to change that and I don’t
think we are materially undervalued either.

But I do think that some procurement routes in this market do not position the consultant where I think the consultant should be positioned.

What type of projects will WSP be chasing in the UAE and the wider GCC region?

We will be looking at major projects where clients believe they need an international consultant on board and one that has a good CV. We are leading high-rise designers and we are certainly the UK’s most experienced retail consultants.

We lead on both of those in terms of being a designer and manager. We are also doing an incredible amount of work in the healthcare sector and we are designing some of the largest hotels in the world.

We are already working on Mall of the Emirates and Festival City and with City of Arabia and Motor City coming up, these are projects that will help put us on the map further.
I also think big jobs breed big jobs, and we have a stable of
major projects.

Do you think the level of development we are currently witnessing is sustainable?

I don’t know, but it has sustained itself to date, so why shouldn’t it keep going? I ask the question all the time and I get answers that vary from five years to ten years. We don’t even know which way the dollar will move, so if we can’t even get currency movements right and we can’t get the oil price forecast right, who knows?

How do you eat into the market share of the other big consultants operating here?

The market is very large, and as long as we do what we do
well, there will be plenty of room for us here in the
Middle East.

Outside of Dubai, we are currently working in Doha on the new library and we are also doing the new equestrian centre. We are about to do so some work in Abu Dhabi as well.
Our current turnover in the Middle East is about
US $8.8 million (AED32.5 million) and we will double that in the next eighteen months.

[AltinD]

... We are the designers of the Freedom Tower in New York, which is the world’s tallest building...

... Our current turnover in the Middle East is about US $8.8 million (AED32.5 million) and we will double that in the next eighteen months.

[malec]

[dubaiflo]

this will be a really important company for dubai.
thank god we got em...

Outside of Dubai, we are currently working in Doha on the new library ..

these guys are even important for the whole middle east...

[Dubai-Lover]

read the title
it's just too hilarious, i had to post it

"""""""""WSP hits the big time and moves to the GCC""""""""""


miauuuuuuu

[Dubai_Boy]

BOWAHAHAHAHAHA

[dubaiflo]

Originally Posted by Dubai-Lover

miauuuuuuu

[AltinD]

^ Evil miaaaaaaauuuuuuuuu

[Dubai_Boy]

Good god !! better smell than stink

[dubaiflo]

this is really dubai gossip here.

[Skoulikimou]

funny very funny ,that i could laugh

[kiwioperatr]

hi i am a towercrane operator from new zealand and i am going to work in samoa this wednesday coming 4 10 months i really want to work in dubai as i love the city i luv change n i luv travelling ive only been to australia as far as travel goes but now im bitten by the travel bug which is y i am going to samoa ....travel....and towercrane thats me sorted fully but i can only imagine the scale of building in dubai that would rok im a good worker team player get on with people no prob friendly guy good crane operator and also a gun dogman id luv the xperience and would always work smart and hard i have towercrane ticket so if n e 1 interested in a hard working kiwi or if u no n e 1 who is ....im ur man and im in there thanks guys

[Dubai_Boy]

you sound like a very decent fellow but sorry , i for one cant help you

And you must understand Kiwi , the majority if not all the crane operators in the UAE / Dubai are indians or pakistanis who are paid almost nothing compared to what you would get in NZ , and they wouldnt accept you becasue you will demand atleast the salary you used to get in NZ and thats something they are not willing to do

[SA BOY]

I have seen the future and its on SZR road. Its 3 towers of 85,75,65 on a common podium and its a fantastic new fresh design for Dubai. Towers over 300m and the big news is enabeling works starts in 3 weeks.
Site next to Capital Towers

[Dubai_Boy]

[IMG]http://************/f0opyo.jpg[/IMG]


= )

[Dubai_Boy]

That sounds great , what would we do if you werent with us

[smussuw]

Originally Posted by SA BOY

I have seen the future

[Dubai-Lover]

Originally Posted by SA BOY

I have seen the future and its on SZR road. Its 3 towers of 85,75,65 on a common podium and its a fantastic new fresh design for Dubai. Towers over 300m and the big news is enabeling works starts in 3 weeks.
Site next to Capital Towers

i'm afraid of you now

are you referring to any project which has been mentioned here
or is it something completely new we have not yet heard about?!

lol, what about height restriction??????

[dubaiflo]

yepp , no more restrictions, please tell us this is true

it must be a new projects , no three towers at the moment with "fresh design" and next to capital towers so far!?
anyway this could be another supertall oh i love it.
thanks.
btw what else will the future bring