NEWS, DATA, ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS FOR ARCHITECTS IN THE GCC

DECEMBER 2011 / VOLUME 5 / ISSUE 12An ITP Business Publication

The region’s largestarchitecture fi rms

25Power

CASE STUDYLeigh & Orange’s impressive

Equestrian Academy in Qatar

ANALYSISAdrian Smith delivers keynote

speech at Green Build Congress

INTERVIEWdwp’s new design director on working in ‘danger’ markets

PLUS

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Top spot goes to Kuwait-

based fi rm KEO, with its

whopping team of 2,190

staff in the GCC.

The multi-disciplinary

practice boasts regional

offi ces in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al

Ain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,

Bahrain and Oman.

Key projects include the QP

District in Doha (pictured) and the

Kuwait Investment Authority’s new

headquarters in a 200m-tall tower

In Abu Dhabi, KEO is working on

Nation Towers on the Corniche,

and is also behind several school

projects for ADEC.

In addition, KEO provided full

design and supervision services

for 23 Marina in Dubai Marina,

which is now recognised as the

tallest residential tower in the

world at 395m.

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KEO2,190 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 240 ARCHITECTS

This year’s runner up is UK-based

Atkins, a company behind some of

the Gulf’s most postcard-friendly

buildings such as the Burj

Al Arab (pictured) and

the spiky Bahrain World

Trade Centre.

The fi rm has been

working in the region for

more than 40 years and has

10 offi ces in the UAE, KSA, Qatar,

Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Atkin’s yearly revenue for the

Middle East, as of March 2011,

totalled US$218.5m.

ATKINS1,770 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 200 ARCHITECTS

One of the surprise fi nds

this year is local fi rm

Eng Adnan Saff arini

(EAS), which boasts 550

staff and an undisclosed

number of architects.

The company was formed in

1968 and has offi ces in Abu Dhabi,

Sharjah, Ajman, Al Ain, Ras Al

Khaimah and Qatar.

A key project involves the

provision of two 400-bed General

Education Hospitals for the

Ministry of Health in Iraq. The

complex covers 10,000m2 and

construction is underway.

EAS550 STAFF IN THE GCC

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FEATURE | POWER 25

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Founded in 1966 as the fi rst

architectural and engineering

consulting fi rm in Qatar, Arab

Engineering Bureau (AEB) took off

in 1991 when it was acquired

by current managing

director Ibrahim

Mohamed Al Jaider.

The fi rm has regional

offi ces in Doha and Abu

Dhabi with further bases in

Manila and Kuala Lumpur. Key

projects include the tallest hotel

in Qatar, the 62-level Kempinski

Residences and Suites, and Doha’s

Al Sharq Village & Spa resort.

AEB404 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 70 ARCHITECTS

With offi ces in Dubai, KSA, Qatar,

Iraq, Libya and Egypt, Dewan

has taken major strides since its

formation in Baghdad in 1971.

The company has grown from a

two-man fi rm in 1984 to one of the

DEWAN246 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 90 ARCHITECTS

region’s largest practices

with 246 staff and 90

architects in the GCC.

Led by founder Mohamed

Al Assam and executive

director Ammar Al Assam,

the total consolidated revenue in

2010, in the Middle East, totalled

AED108.7m (US$29.6m).

The company was behind the

jaw-dropping Al Bateen School for

Aldar Academies, which recently

opened in Abu Dhabi and featured

as a Building Focus in MEA’s

October issue.

Dewan also designed the 750-

key Fairmont Hotel and Resort

(pictured) for Breakwater Island

in Abu Dhabi. Elsewhere, it is

working on a 28-fl oor tower in Al

Khobar, KSA.

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Headquartered in Lebanon, MZ

Architects has further offi ces

in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Libya, and

Morocco. The company has an

impressively large workforce in

MZ ARCHITECTS200 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 70 ARCHITECTS

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the GCC, with a total of 200 staff

comprising 70 architects.

The practice’s most famous

design is undoubtedly the

curvaceous Aldar Headquarters

building in Abu Dhabi, one of

the most quirky and distinctive

buildings in a country that’s

known for audacious

developments.

Aldar HQ was voted the ‘Best

Futuristic Design’ by The Building

Exchange (BEX) Conference held

in Spain.

The shape of this project

- the fi rst circular building of

its kind in the Middle East - is

achieved through the use

of a structural diagrid, a

diagonal grid of steel.

Another key scheme

for the company is

Eko Atlantic City in

Lagos, Nigeria, in which

MZ Architects provided the

masterplan.

The development consists of

business, residential, commercial

and leisure areas spread on

17,000m2 of reclaimed land. The

scheme will be home to a quarter

of a million people.

As well as masterplanning, MZ

Architects will also be responsible

for architectural, engineering and

construction management of a

number of towers in the city.

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Scotland-based fi rm RMJM

has long been a regional

stalwart, although its

GCC staff numbers have

shrunk since the downturn.

It is currently working on

two mixed-use towers in the King

Abdullah Financial District in

Riyadh, a luxury commercial offi ce

in Manama, Bahrain, a shopping

mall in Abu Dhabi and a fi nancial

education facility in Bahrain.

Its Middle East offi ces are located

in Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Bahrain

and Muscat.

RMJM was presented with the

‘Overall Project of the Year’ and

‘Commercial/Mixed Use Built

Award’ at the 2011 Cityscape

Awards for Architecture in

Emerging Markets, for Capital

Gate in Abu Dhabi.

The much-anticipated project,

which is the world’s inclined tower,

is due to open this month.

RMJM178 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 65 ARCHITECTS

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Acquired by the Stantec Group in

December 2010, US-based Burt

Hill is another fi rm to have

cut GCC staff numbers in

recent years.

Nevertheless, the fi rm

still makes the top 10,

with 140 employees in the

UAE including 34 architects.

Burt Hill’s Dubai branch opened

in 2003 to tap into the emirate’s

emerging real estate market.

Among the fi rm’s UAE projects are

the multi-billion dirham Al Mafraq

BURT HILL140 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 34 ARCHITECTS

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Hospital, ADEC Headquarters,

and the masterplan for Union

Properties’ 3.5 million m2 Motor

City in Dubai. Key components of

the project are Dubai Autodrome

and UpTown Motor City.

The Stantec Group off ers services

in planning, engineering,

architecture, surveying,

environmental sciences,

project management

and project economics

for infrastructure and

facilities projects, with

approximately 11,000 operating

out of 170 locations worldwide.

Its acquisition of Burt Hill is part

of its quest to become one of the

world’s leading design practices.

RW ARMSTRONG126 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 30 ARCHITECTS

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Founded in 1961 in Indianapolis,

RW Armstrong has 18 offi ces in

the USA, UAE, Libya, Egypt, Guam

and Azerbaijan.

Its UAE offi ces, in Abu

Dhabi and Dubai, were

established in 2006 and

now employ a total of 126

staff with 30 architects.

Key individuals in the regional

fi rm include vice president Mona

Salem, development sector

leader Jeff rey Decker and Zaky

Abdulrahman, BD regional leader.

In addition to architecture,

the fi rm off ers planning,

design, interiors, programme

management, project

management and construction

management.

Its expertise includes building

services, infrastructure, aviation,

transportation and water services.

RW Armstrong’s Sun and

Sky Towers (left) won the GCC

Residential Project of the Year at

the Construction Week Awards

2011. The project was acclaimed

for its innovative technical

strategies to solve complex

construction challenges.

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Winner of Large Architecture

Practice of the Year, at the Middle

East Architect Awards 2011,

Woods Bagot is behind some of

the GCC’s most recognisable

landmarks such as the

stunning Qatar Science

and Technology Park in

Doha (right).

The fi rm was established

in Adelaide by former

architect-in-chief for the South

Australian Government, Edward

John Woods.

Since then the fi rm has grown

into a signifi cant multi-disciplinary

practice operating in Asia,

Australia, the Middle East and

North America.

WOODS BAGOT120 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 100 ARCHITECTS

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Established in 1938, Norr

has 900 professionals in

25 cities globally. In the

GCC it employs 110 staff

including 44 architects.

Over the past 20 years,

the group has worked on icons

such as Atlantis-The Palm, Burj

Khalifa, Emirates Towers and

the National Bank of Dubai

Headquarters.

Its signifi cant projects in Abu

Dhabi include Le Meridien Hotel,

Sir Baniyas Island Resort and the

expansion of the UAE Central

Bank. In Qatar, the practice

completed the striking Al Hitmi

complex, which has become a

symbol of the nation.

NORR GROUP110 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 44 ARCHITECTS

11Naga Architects was founded

by Dr Shams Naga in 2000 and

has experienced steady growth,

currently employing 110 staff

including 42 architects. This year

the practice claimed the inaugural

Building Information Modelling

Award at the Middle East Architect

Awards, for its exciting Sawari

Residences project in Al Khobar,

Saudi Arabia.

Elsewhere the company is

working on the Al Khobar Hotel

in Saudi Arabia, a 21-storey

residential scheme called

Octavian Tower in Dubai,

Ajman University Housing

and a blimp terminal

building in Dubai.

NAGA ARCHITECTS110 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 42 ARCHITECTS

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With a total of

107 staff in the

Gulf region,

dwp employs 59

professionals in its

Dubai offi ce and 48 staff

in Bahrain.

It recently appointed Qasim

Mansoor as general manager and

Fariborz Hatam as design director

for its Dubai offi ce.

Key projects include the FTV

Hotel in Dubai, the Maysan Towers

in Abu Dhabi and the Makkah

Cultural Gateway project.

Led by CEO Brenton Mauriello,

dwp’s Dubai offi ce was formed in

2007 while the Bahrain base was

established in 2005.

DWP107 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 24 ARCHITECTS

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GAJ is one of the longest-

established UK practices in the

UAE. It is behind several of Dubai’s

modern gems, such as Dubai

Creek Golf Club, Bab Al Shams,

Arabia Court, Residence & Spa at

The One and Only Royal Mirage.

The fi rm is also working on

multi-million dollar projects in

GAJ105 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 38 ARCHITECTS 14

Egypt, Tunisia and Oman

that are in various stages

of development.

With new offi ces in Al

Barsha, the management

consists of six partners, fi ve

associate partners and eight

associates. Managing partner

Brian Johnson won Principal of the

Year at the Middle East Architect

Awards 2011 and was described

by the judging panel as “an icon

of the Middle East architectural

landscape.”

AEDAS 100 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 70 ARCHITECTS

15Aedas’ Dubai offi ce was

established in 2004 and

the company now has

offi ces in Abu Dhabi,

Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi

Arabia. Its expanding

portfolio in Dubai includes the

82-storey Ocean Heights, the

twin offi ce towers at Boulevard

Plaza (above) and the 123-storey

Pentominium in Dubai Marina.

It is also working on

New Doha International

Airport in Qatar. Middle

East turnover for 2010

totalled US$10m.

HOK100 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 20 ARCHITECTS

HOK appears to have

expanded its presence in

the Middle East, with a

total of 100 staff in Dubai,

Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

Notable projects in the region

include the massive US$10bn King

Abdullah University for Science &

Technology (KAUST) in Thawul,

Saudi Arabia, which is being built

for Saudi Aramco.

The fi rm is also the design

architect for the US$2bn New

Doha International Airport, the

New Kuwait Central Bank (above)

and the ADNOC headquarters in

Abu Dhabi.

HOK was established in St.

Louis, Missouri in 1955. The name

derived from the surnames of its

three founders: George Hellmuth,

Gyo Obata and George Kasabaum.

The fi rst offi ce in the GCC was

established in Dubai in 1999 and

annual turnover in the region is

estimated at US$20m.

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Formed in 2002 in Dubai, DSA

has delivered several landmark

hospitality projects in the region.

Its key schemes include

Madinat Jumeirah’s Mina

A’ Salam and Al Qasr,

Park Hyatt, The Palace,

Qamardeen and Al Manzil.

It is also behind Old Town

Residences, Fairmont Hotel

and Residences and Golden Mile

Residences on Jumeirah Palm,

as well as the One & Only Royal

Mirage and the new One & Only

The Palm. The offi ce is led by

managing director Steve Kelshaw.

DSA 80 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 48 ARCHITECTS

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BSBG70 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 22 ARCHITECTS

Under the guidance of group

chairman John Mills, BSBG has

been operational in the Middle

East since 1976.

Having completed IKEA on

Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, BSBG was

awarded the design of the IKEA

store in Doha, which has recently

begun construction.

In addition to the IKEA

projects, BSBG is involved

in the City of Lights - a

mixed-use development

under construction in

Reem Island, Abu Dhabi - that

comprises a 60-storey commercial

tower, a 26-storey hotel and a

34-storey residential block.

It also worked on the

refurbishment of the previously

BSBG-designed Emirates Golf

Club (below), one of Dubai’s most

elegant leisure schemes.

18P&T54 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 11 ARCHITECTS

Based in Hong Kong, the

P&T Group has a history

stretching back 140

years. It has actively

been involved in the

Middle East since 1998 and

established an offi ce in Dubai back

in September 2004.

Currently the fi rm employs 54

professionals in the GCC with a

total of 11 architects.

An Abu Dhabi offi ce was

opened in January 2007, to

coincide with the awarding of a

major scheme in Reem Island. In

the same year it started work on

the Al-Dana project in Raha Beach

and two hotels in the Mina al-Arab

resort in Ras al-Khaimah.

Elsewhere in the GCC, P&T is

working on the 70-storey Burj

Rafal tower in Riyadh.

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In 2011 the UK’s Broadway Malyan

celebrated the opening of seven

schools designed for the Abu

Dhabi Education Council (ADEC),

including the Abu Dhabi West

School (right).

This year, Broadway Malyan

also delivered the concept

masterplan for the ‘10x10’

project in Baghdad, Iraq,

comprising a 17km2 urban

regeneration and extension

of Sadr City.

The project is named after

its US$10bn value and 10-year

delivery timeframe.

Other projects include the

masterplan and design of the Al

Bandar residential project on Al

Raha Beach, and the Mina Zayed

masterplan, also in Abu Dhabi.

BROADWAY MALYAN48 STAFF IN THE GCC WITH 28 ARCHITECTS

Founded by Dr Mohamed

Alaa Mandour, KMA

established its Cairo

offi ce in 1990, followed

by a UAE offi ce in 1995.

The fi rm subsequently

opened offi ces in KSA and Oman,

and has built up a total workforce

of 45 with 12 architects.

Key projects include the Makkah

Gate aff ordable housing scheme,

the Icon development in Al

Khobar, the urban development of

Barkah City in Oman, the Ras Al

Hamra development in Muscat and

a Seven Seas complex, also in the

Omani capital.

KMA 45 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 12 ARCHITECTS

Established by Canadian-Iranian

Amir V. Rahbar and UAE national

Dr Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al

Banna, Dubarch has three

architectural and interior design

offi ces in the GCC.

The Dubai offi ce was set up in

1986 while an Abu Dhabi practice

followed in 2007.

This year, Dubarch opened an

offi ce in Qatar, bringing the total

number of staff to 43 with nine

architects.

One of the company’s

key projects is Bayswater,

a commercial scheme in

Business Bay, Dubai.

DUBARCH43 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 9 ARCHITECTS

This year’s

runner up for

the Boutique

fi rm of the

Year at the MEA

Awards, Drawlink

Group has a total of 40 staff in the

GCC, with 20 architects.

Recent projects in the Gulf

region include the Radisson Royal

and Hues boutique hotel, both

located in Dubai.

The company recently

celebrated the opening of

the convention centre for the

Radisson Royal, located on Sheikh

Zayed Road.

DRAWLINK GROUP40 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 20 ARCHITECTS

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Formed in January 2008,

Abu Dhabi’s Bead

Architects is led by

managing director/

partner Muhannad Assam

and comprises 35 staff with

26 architects.

In 2010 the fi rm recorded a

turnover of AED13.7m (US$3.73m).

Bead recently picked up a gong

at the 2011 Cityscape Awards

BEAD ARCHITECTS35 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 26 ARCHITECTS

for Emerging Markets, for its

Mangrove Elite Residence in Reem

Island. The scheme was lauded in

the ‘Residential-Future Category’.

Another key project is

an under-construction

residential scheme in

Danet Abu Dhabi.

Bead has also designed

Al Nasser Tower, a Class A

offi ce scheme in the Emirati

capital city.

The project is most notable

for its column-free fl oor space

spanning between vertical steel

support trusses.

Winner of the 2010 MEA

Award for Boutique Firm

of the Year, X-Architects

was founded in 2003 in

Dubai by Ahmed Al-Ali and

Farid Esmaeil.

The company currently employs

30 staff , including 16 architects,

which was just enough to make it

into the top 25.

Since its inauguration, the

company has won a further two

MEA Awards, for Best Mixed-use

Project in 2009 and Principal of

the Year in 2010.

Key scheme include the Mosque

for 2000 Prayers in Abu Dhabi

(below), which incorporates an

existing sculpture plaza to create

an attractive public space.

One of the fi rm’s most radical

projects is Xeritown, which is

currently on hold in Dubai. The

scheme for 7,000 residents looks

at the desert and local climate and

works with it rather than against it.

X-Architects has also carried out

the urban design masterplan for

Al Nasseem in Al Ain. The under

construction scheme has been

chosen by the UPC’s Estidama as

one of its fi rst pilot projects.

X-ARCHITECTS30 STAFF IN THE GCCWITH 16 ARCHITECTS

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