Keeping cool earns Middle East contract
A TEES Valley engineering company has clinched more multi-million dollar contracts in the Middle East.
K Home International, of Thornaby, has designed and developed a pipework system to deliver chilled water cooling systems to thousands of homes in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The company, which was recently named project manager of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre - a $2.5bn development in the city’s centre - has also launched a new apprenticeship scheme in Dubai on the back of a growing workload.
Trevor Arnold, managing director, said the company’s team in Thornaby had redesigned the cooling system for Palm Utilities in Dubai - which had led to a 75% saving in steel costs and 25% saving in civil costs.
It is now also working with utilities giant PAL on a design and installation project to 3,000 homes in Abu Dhabi, worth $2.5m to K Home.
“It’s great that the expertise of our team in Thornaby has developed this system,” said Mr Arnold. “That makes me very proud.”
He added: “As well as the contract in Abu Dhabi we are working on cooling systems in Dubai.
“At the moment we are working on the first stage - but we’re hopeful of winning more work on this development, which could take 15 years to complete.”
K Home now employs about 100 staff in Dubai after securing a string of contracts in recent years.
The recently announced contract for the DMCC will comprise of 13 towers and include a business park, hotels, residential property and shopping malls.
It will also be home to gold refining and diamond cutting.
The development will cover 13.8 hectares and feature a 34-storey office tower, and a 28-storey business hotel.
The company is also managing the building of the 2,300-bedroom Atlantis hotel on the Palm development in Dubai.
It will be the world’s largest hotel covering 60 acres and will be the world’s second seven-star hotel when it opens in 2009.
But Mr Arnold said a shortage of new talent meant the company was now establishing its own apprentice scheme in Dubai.
“We already have an apprentice scheme on Teesside,” he explained.
“We take on four apprentices every year plus graduates.
“But we’re now extending the scheme out to Dubai.
“Initially we’ll be taking on one apprentice. Finding new people for this industry is vital,” he added.
