THE NEWS OF AL HABTOOR LEIGHTON GROUP Dubai - UAE ...

ISSUE NO. 25 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2007 

THE NEWS OF AL HABTOOR LEIGHTON GROUP 

Dubai - UAE • Abu Dhabi - UAE • Doha - QATAR

CEO CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE 

Riad T. Sadik 

As usual, the year end is the time 

for reflection and looking forward. 

It is a time when we all measure 

our progress, remember the success 

stories and learn from the failures. It is 

always important to analyze and assess 

what has made the achievements 

possible and how the failures can be 

restored. 

The year 2007 witnessed the handover 

of several projects and new ones 

awarded. 2007 was also a year of change 

for HEE in numerous ways; among others 

it marked the historic partnership with 

Leighton which promises wider horizons 

for both companies. All this would not 

have been attainable without the key 

ingredient of trust. It has been trust in 

our own capabilities, the team around 

us, our business partners and the vision 

of creating something special together 

with our faith in God. 

The whole is greater than the sum of its 

parts, the power of oneness will unite us 

in moving forward and bringing about 

even greater achievements. On that note 

it is my pleasure to wish you and your 

family a peaceful, happy and successful 

New Year• 

It gives me great pleasure to wish you 

Eid Mubarak and a Happy New Year. 

We are at a time where there are a 

great number of announcements being 

made every day. 

You are aware of the re-structuring 

process that the company has been 

going through. I thank you for trusting us 

to evaluate the best options and to come 

up with the best solutions. Solutions 

that can take Al Habtoor Leighton to 

previously unattainable heights and 

that allow us to grow and progress 

as individuals. Presentations outlining 

the major changes in roles, titles and 

reporting structures for every SBU have 

been made. You will see these new roles 

falling into place shortly. With the latest 

round of meetings, we have been able to 

clearly define other sub-structures and 

the finer detail, so that there is clarity 

among all roles and all departments and 

SBU’s conform to standard guidelines. 

Job descriptions are also being clarified. 

At times like these, we all have 

expectations. We hear things and expect 

immediate changes, quick actions, 

etc. While we believe in quick working 

and swift execution of work, we also 

understand that it takes time for things 

to happen, and that gradual changes are 

more effective. What one needs most at 

a time like this, is patience. Patience to 

wait for what has been communicated to 

take shape, patience to understand that 

well thought out strategies take time. 

And along with all this, your trust that we 

have your best intentions at heart• 

MD MD’S MESSAGE 

David Savage 

Disclaimer 

Akhbar Al Dar is the newsletter of Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises Co. (L.L.C.). Its purpose is only to establish internal and external communication links. 

A bulk of the matter contained herein is based primarily on verbal accounts. Hence, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of data used. Neither Al Habtoor 

Engineering Enterprises Co. (L.L.C.) nor its associates can be held responsible for any inaccuracies arising or implied herein.

THIS ISSUE 

Project In Focus 

592 Business Bay 

Executive Towers 

4 8 12 

Project Update 

JW Marriot Hotel 

Abu Dhabi 

Special Feature 

Al Habtoor Leighton 

Group New Structure 

Project Update 9 

Dubai Tower 

Yas Island 

Convention Center 

Executive Development 

Learning in 

Al Habtoor- 

Leighton 

20 

23 

In and Around HEE 

Management 

Training 

Presentation 

Voices From Within 26 

A New 

Year’s 

Perspective 

Upclose and Personal 10 Hear it from the Experts16 

A Chat with 

The Mechanisms 

Crawford 

of Plants & 

Dunn 

Machinery 

In and Around HEE 22 

8th 

International 

Conference 


Team 

Building 

Activity 

Competition 

Competition 

#25 

24 

27 

In and Around HEE 23 

AHI at 

INDEX 2007 


Green 

Buildings 

25 

Contributors to this Issue 

Farooque Riyad 

Michelle Johnson 

Naschat Issa 

Keith Abbott 

Crawford Dunn 

Team of 592 

Editorial Team 

Lina R. Sadek 

Shahnaz Imam 

Reagan Creado 

Yasaman Tahmasebi 

Nisrine Khadra 

Hootan Zadeh 

Contact us 

akhbaraldar@habtoorengg.ae

NEW Perspecti 

PROJECT IN FOCUS 

592 Business Bay Executive Towers 

“AS BIG AS IT GETS” 

Those who are familiar with the 

history of the UAE and specially 

Dubai know that the legendary 

Dubai Creek was and still is an important 

aspect of Dubai’s trading activities that 

has shaped Dubai from a fishing and 

pearl diving center to an international 

business port. 

That is why through the Business Bay 

project the creek has been extended 

considering its significance as a trade 

centre that harbors the stance of 

Dubai as the business hub of the region. 

Business Bay is a symbol of Dubai’s 

progress as it embodies the crucial 

role the Creek played in Dubai’s past 

as well its future. For over 30 years 

HEE has played a significant role in the 

development and growth of the UAE in 

general and Dubai in particular and the 

testimonies to this statement are the 

locally and globally known landmarks 

such as the Burj Al Arab and Madinat 

Jumeirah. It is not surprising and well 

expected that HEE be a major key player 

and proud partner in the present surging 

development whereby its already existing 

brand name in the construction market 

is strengthening further and further. 

HEE’s growth has been closely related 

and parallel to the development of Dubai 

and was chosen as the main contractor 

24 Tower Cranes 

More than 50 

2,151 

85 Elevators 

FIRST and LARGEST single project in Business Bay 

4 

AKHBAR ALDAR - NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007

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NEW Perspective 

The UAE has become a global commercial and business centre. And 

the Business Bay is a new city within the city of Dubai and is created as a 

commercial and business cluster along the new extension of the famous 

Dubai Creek extending from Ras Al Khor to Sheikh Zayed Road. Dubai’s 

Business Bay is similar in nature to Manhattan New York and Ginza 

Tokyo, making it one of the main business centers in the region. 

Million Man-Hours worked till date 

472,870 m3 of Concrete 

LARGEST ever Aluminum Cladding in MIDDLE EAST 

83,788 T of Steel 

312 Key 5 Star Hotel 

Apartments 

and Escalators 

3 Podiums with 4,500 Parking Spaces 

60 Villas & 8 Boutique Stores 

AKHBAR ALDAR - NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007 

5

NEW Perspecti 

PROJECT IN FOCUS 

by Dubai Properties who are the 

developers. That is why Akhbar decided 

to explore in detail the ongoing project 

in Site 592 and 592a located in Dubai’s 

Business Bay comprising of 11 Towers, 

Podiums, Villas and a 5 star Hotel. 

The Executive Towers was the first as 

well as largest single project in Business 

Bay and represents the beginning of a 

new era and is an impressive cluster 

of towers dominating the Creek shore 

line. The contemporary design and 

architectural theme of the towers 

reflect the modern image of Dubai. The 

Executive Towers and the lifestyle they 

represent are geared towards likeminded 

people that enjoy success and 

an intelligent way of living. This project 

which commenced in the latter stages of 

2005 is unique in many ways, and what 

better way to prove it’s uniqueness than 

to share with you some of the amazing 

milestones the team at 592 have 

achieved so far. It is worth mentioning 

that the sheer size of the project led to 

a lot of challenges whether logistically, 

safety or construction which through 

teamwork and cooperation the team 

The Executive Towers with a built up area of 

highest standard of living with luxury and style 

apartments ranging from studios to four bedrooms, 

with modern amenities, high-tech facilities and 

superb architectural innovation and breathtaking 

and elevated courtyards. The office tower has 176 

villas are located on the plaza. A retail mall, 2 spa 

approximately 360,000 sq ft of landscaped grounds 

The 592 Team 

6 AKHBAR ALDAR - NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007

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was able to overcome these challenges. 

All the towers are being constructed and 

completed concurrently with horizontal 

and vertical construction at the same 

time with over 9000 manpower and 24 

cranes at site so one can imagine the 

significance of the logistical and safety 

issues. Approximately 500 office staff 

are continuously working non stop in 

order to complete the project before the 

planned delivery time of third quarter 

of 2008. In order to demonstrate the 

sheer volume of the project and how the 

milestones were met, the picture has 

been marked to present the statistics. 

approximately 9.3 million square feet offer the 

highlighted as the key words. The 2151 residential 

terrace and duplex apartments come equipped 

internationally designed interior spaces that embody 

views of the meandering Creek, landscaped gardens 

office studios and 60 villas along with 8 boutique 

and health clubs, 4500 car parking spaces and 

make up the 3 podiums. 

By the trust vested on them by the 

management, the construction team by 

means of trust in each other along with 

cooperation and teamwork are doing their 

outmost to come up to management’s 

expectations. Their efforts are in line 

with the high standards HEE sets out for 

all the projects it undertakes under the 

slogan of “construction excellence”. 

Akhbar would like to thank the 592 team 

for their contributions in the compilation 

of this article• 


7

NEW Perspecti 

PROJECT UPDATE 

JW Marriot Hotel 

Abu Dhabi 

HEE recently signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi 

National Hotels (ADNH) to construct the second phase 

and final touches of JW Marriot Abu Dhabi Resort and 

Spa. The project which is expected to finish by the end of 2009 

will have of 10 nos. Hotel Blocks, 88 chalets, venation village 

including 33 apartments, SPA building, Staff Accommodation, 

Ancillary buildings, service building, security building, 7 nos. 

new substation, 86 pergolas, 11 gazeboes, 3 nos. shades 

to swimming pools, tennis building and car park along with 

external works with a total built up area of 177,791 m2. It will 

be the first JW Marriot brand in the UAE’s capital and will be 

constructed on the Abu Dhabi water canal opposite the Grand 

Mosque. Chairman of ADNH his excellency Khalifa Nasser Bin 

Huwaileel Al Mansoori, said: ‘We chose Al Habtoor Engineering 

Enterprise to complete the construction work of JW Marriott 

resort based on their expertise and reputation both in the UAE 

and the Gulf region. JW Marriott resort is slated to be one of the 

major landmarks in Abu Dhabi for business and tourism.’ Riadh 

Tawfiq Sadik, Chairman of HEE also commented that: ‘We are 

extremely happy to be working with ADNH, which is a pioneer 

in the UAE’s hotel and hospitality sector. We look forward to 

a long-term relationship and other mutually-beneficial projects 

with ADNH in future.’ With its unique design and location 

together with the executive and uxorious detail that will go into 

making this landmark, the JW Marriot hotel will surely be a 

huge attraction for tourists and locals alike• 


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“The Largest Pour” 

Dubai Tower - Qatar 

What’s the largest concrete pour that you’ve heard 

about? This is a pour that started on a Wednesday 

and finished on a Sunday. In short, it went on for 5 

days. Over these five days, a total of 15,000 cubic meters of 

concrete was poured into a giant crater. In the preceding two 

months, 5,000 tonnes of steel was installed in the foundation 

area. This task kept the site working twenty-four hours 

continuously. It then took two weeks of preparation before 

the final pouring operation. The challenge was to cast this raft 

without a cold joint. While an operation of this scale usually 

has concrete pumps pouring in concrete from all sides off the 

site, the unique location of this site meant that it could only be 

approached from one of the four sides of the fence. So all the 

concrete mixers had to come to this one side of the fence and 

pour over an area of 6000 square meters, and upto a depth of 

3.5 meters. A whopping 1,785 individual trips had to be made 

by concrete trucks to the site to supply all the concrete. This 

led to a logistical nightmare for those involved, and was really 

a challenge to control. The project is a Joint Venture between 

Al Habtoor Engineering and Al Jaber Engineering, and upon its 

completion, it will be the tallest building in Qatar. Al Wataniya 

Concrete, which is a subsidiary of Al Jaber, was the sole 

supplier of concrete for this job and carried out the pour. It also 

arranged for all the cement and the washed sand to be made 

available. The Concrete Consultants were GHG, and high-flow, 

self-compacting Grade 75 Concrete was used for the job• 

Yas Island Hotels 

Abu Dhabi 

HEE has been awarded the contract to build two hotels 

on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi worth a total Dh506 million 

by Aldar. The project comprises of the construction of 

two separate four-star hotels on adjacent plots on Yas Island 

in Abu Dhabi. The first hotel comprises of 400 rooms and 30 

suites; the second hotel will consist of 200 rooms and 10 

suites. Also included is a ballroom, function rooms, food and 

beverage outlets and recreational facilities. The construction 

will commence immediately and will be completed in September 

2009• 

The New JAFZA 

Convention Center Dubai 

HEE has secured the Dh1.9 billion contract for the 

construction of the new Jafza convention centre in 

Dubai for the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority. The Jafza 

convention centre complex will comprise the twin towers 

for the convention centre, a food court, a 33-storey office 

complex and seven-storey hotel. “These new contracts are 

further evidence of the tremendous opportunities for growth 

for Leighton International in the Arabian Gulf region, and the 

UAE in particular,” said David Savage, managing director of Al 

Habtoor Leighton Group• 


9

NEW Perspecti 

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL 

A Chat with Crawford Dunn 

Up Close and Personal attempts to get to know the 

person behind the designation. This month we have 

chosen Crawford Dunn, the Commercial, Legal and 

Risk Director for the Al Habtoor Leighton Group. Many do not 

know that, outside of his work, he is also a dedicated sportsman. 

In this feature we actually see how one man’s passion for sport 

and the outdoors has made his whole family go getters and 

individuals who push their limits for the sports that they love. 

Tell us about your childhood and your family 

I was born in Northumberland in the North of England, and went 

to school in Newcastle upon Tyne. My father was a butcher 

with a chain of businesses throughout the Newcastle area. My 

mother ran the business during the Second World War and 

later went on to be a passionate golfer, playing her last round 

three months before she died at the age of 89. I have a brother, 

Maxie, who is two years older than me, and a sister, Judy, who 

is nine years older than me. 

I met my wife, Barbra in 1970 while I was competing on the 

Scottish International Rally and we married in 1974. She is 

a horse-riding and skiing enthusiast. We had our first child, 

Amanda, in February of 1976, and she was just nine months 

old when we first moved to Dubai. A qualified physiotherapist, 

she and her husband Paul now live in New Zealand and are elite 

Tri-athletes, both competing at the highest level with a number 

of top placings at all distances including Hawaiian Ironman. Our 

son Fraser was born in 1979. He is consumed by speed and 

in his early years represented Great Britain in downhill skiing. 

Having qualified as an automotive engineer he now follows 

a more sedate life with Aston Martin Special Operations, 

developing their race cars! It’s a hard life, but someone has 

to do it. 

What is your educational background? 

I did all my secondary education in Newcastle where I attended 

Dame Allan’s School. We lived immediately behind the school 

which was very useful – especially in the winter when the playing 

fields were water logged and we would be sent out on a run – I 

was able to nip into the house and have a cup of tea while the 

rest of the guys slogged it out. 

Where and when did you begin your career? 

My original career was to have been in the Hotel and Catering 

Industry. I had been accepted at Strathclyde University to read 

Hotel Management with the outline strategy that, following 

qualification, the family would purchase an hotel, which I would 

run and which would be supplied by the other parts of the 

family business. Just prior to taking my place at University I 

was working with my father when he died suddenly at the 

age of 52. My brother and sister had left home to pursue 

their careers and I found myself in the difficult position of not 

wishing to leave my mother on her own in what were extremely 

trying circumstances. In the next five days, I found a job at a 

construction company. I knew nothing at all about construction, 

( some say I still don’t!) but it was a job that enabled me to stay at 

home. For the next five years 

I worked on a ‘block-release’ 

programme, whereby I 

would work for two months 

and study for one month. 

The downside of these 

programmes is, of course, 

while you are away at college 

nobody else covers your 

work, so there is a lot of 

catching up to do when you 

return to the site. Eventually, 

in 1972, I qualified as a 

Chartered Surveyor. 

Chart out for us the career 

path that you have taken 

The first company I worked 

for was Brims, a small to 

medium size contractor 

based in Newcastle. I was 

at first involved in heavy civil 


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engineering and one of my earlier assignments was with the 

completion of the Tyne Tunnel. After eight years I left Brims to 

join Dowsett Engineering who were one of the top road building 

companies in the UK during the 70’s. We had recently moved 

to Yorkshire and I was able to work on the York By-Pass heading 

up the claims team. 

In 1976 I came to Dubai and joined Al Futtaim Wimpey where 

I worked on the construction of Mina Seyahi harbour and the 

breakwaters for Jebel Ali Port. Construction at that time was as 

hectic as it is today. I remember the Company being awarded 

a huge project one day and mobilising a complete site with 

cabins, etc the very next day. Time for completion was just as 

tight then, but at least you could concentrate on the job in hand. 

Not only were there no mobile phones, we didn’t have landlines 

either! After leaving Wimpey I joined John Laing International 

and spent 4 years in Jordan and then a further 4 years in the 

Sultanate of Oman before returning to the UK in 1987. After a 

short period working within the building division of Laing in the 

UK I rejoined John Laing International firstly as Chief Quantity 

Surveyor before becoming Commercial Director, a position I 

held for 10 years. I then spent a further 4 years as Commercial 

Director for Jarvis Construction before deciding to go overseas 

again, before hanging up my boots. 

What brought you to HEE? Tell us about your role here 

I had been speaking to David Knowles about wanting to get 

involved with a major ‘signature’ type contract and to be based 

on site. I suppose there is an element of reliving your youth, but 

there is something incredibly satisfying about working in a site 

team. So I joined HEE as the Project Commercial Manager at 

Business Bay (Site 592). A few months later, the company’s 

Commercial Manager left and I was asked to take over his 

role. It is a fascinating job made all the more so by the recent 

alignment with Leighton. The major challenge in this region 

for the Commercial Department, is recruiting the right senior 

people in sufficient quantity. With the ever increasing demand 

with each new project that we are awarded, we are constantly 

on our toes to have our teams in place. 

Take us through your schedule of a typical workday 

I typically get in to the office at 7am and spend the first couple 

of hours dealing with ERP approvals and email.I never fail to 

be amazed at the way email traffic has increased over the last 

12 months, a fact which probably reflects the total growth in 

our business. A typical month will involve at least 14 separate 

meetings, some of which will last all day, some may take place 

in Abu Dhabi or Qatar and some of which involve our strategic 

partners – Murray and Roberts. Lunch varies from a rapidly 

grabbed sandwich at my desk or a slightly more relaxed trip 

to the Bin Sougat Mall with Richard Corish. Those afternoons 

when there are no meetings are used to catch up on other 

paperwork and correspondence. After work I normally put 

in about an hour of exercise, three times a week, followed by 

dinner, and then its off to bed at 11pm. 

What are your hobbies and how do you spend your leisure 

time? 

Cycling is my passion. I started racing when I was 15 and 

continued doing so until I was 22. The nearest I got to anything 

significant was a trial for the 100 kilometre Team Time Trial 

for the Mexico Olympics. Needless to say I didn’t actually go! 

I became disillusioned with cycling at that time, probably as 

a result of the huge effort required for minimum recognition, 

together with a realisation that there were other things going 

on in the world around me. I got into motor rallying through my 

brother and became absolutely hooked. I competed at National 

and International level for over 18 years with such results as 

2nd in the 1986 Middle East Rallying Championship, 3rd in 

the 1972 Motoring News Championship and 6th in the 1973 

RAC National Championship. My last event ever was the 1986 

Dubai International Rally which we were leading at the half way 

point, only to have the prop shaft fly out at high speed in Jebel 

Ali, thus gifting the win to Mohammed Bin Sulayem. 

When I went back to the UK, I did nothing for four years except 

putting on weight. I eventually persuaded myself to take out an 

old bicycle for a ride, and over a period of time got back into 

the swing of it. After doing 7 years of cycling, specifically for 

weight control purposes, 4 years ago, I began racing again in 

the UK. The changes that had taken place over the intervening 

30 years in training techniques, dietary control, bike design, 

aerodynamics and technology is staggering. At the age of 57 

I was able to ride a 40 kilometre time trial in a time only 25 

seconds slower than when I was 17! I now spend about 4 hours 

cycling each weekend in Dubai with a group that has been in 

excess of 120 on some Fridays and includes such luminaries 

as Graeme Dunn and Neil McKay from Gulf Leighton. My next 

major event will be L’ Etape du Tour which takes place in France 

in July at the same time as the Tour. 

What are the values that you cherish and live by? 

One of my key beliefs in my working life is ‘A problem shared is 

a problem halved’. I can never understand why people would 

want to keep problems to themselves. Once you share the 

problem, you have more minds working on trying to solve it, and 

therefore have a much better chance of reaching a solution. I 

try, whenever possible, to develop an understanding amongst 

the staff that nobody is going to shoot the messenger. The last 

thing management wants is surprises at the last minute, and 

it’s in everybody’s interest to get the issues out in the open as 

quickly as possible• 


11

NEW Perspecti 

SPECIAL FEATURE 

Al Habtoor Leighton Group 

The New Structure 

Getting the structure 

right is the first step to a 

successful international expansion, 

and part of this is providing senior 

management with suitable 

autonomy and responsibility. 

Following the Habtoor Leighton partnership, the last 

issue of the Akhbar Al Dar attempted to familiarize the 

readers with Leighton International’s history and global 

presence. The goal was to enable readers to understand the 

background and ascertain the synergy that will arise when two 

industry leaders join hands. This issue will discuss the internal 

changes that are taking place as a direct result of the merger 

and the marketplace impact. 

A noteworthy aspect is that the marriage of these two brands 

will not lose their individual brand equity. Both companies will 

maintain their individual markets and clientele. Thus it will 

retain the individual brand strength and assets. 

A challenge nevertheless the Management has created a 

non commercial entity known as the Habtoor Leighton Group 

(HLG). Its nature is that of a holding company. It will provide 

guidelines, procedures and support to the operations of each 

individual entity. 

Internal Structural Changes 

A new management structure has been introduced within 

the organization. Under this structure a Board of Directors 

has been established. This includes Riad T. Sadek, the Group 

Chairman; Mohammad Al Habtoor, CEO of Al Habtoor Group; 

David Savage, Managing Director of Al Habtoor Leighton; 

Nigel Poole, Deputy Managing Director of Al Habtoor Leighton; 

Wal King, the Group Managing Director of Leighton Holdings 

and Michael Connolly, the Chief Financial Officer of Leighton 

International. As Chairman, Riad T. Sadik will preside over 

all board meetings. David Savage will manage the day to day 

operations of the Habtoor Leighton Group. 

The Group comprises four separate operating divisions based 

on the geographic areas of responsibility. It will continue to 

acquire business and promote growth under the HEE brand. 

Leighton’s individual market expansion will be progress under 

the Gulf Leighton brand. All four divisions are supported by 

HLG corporate team. 

Nigel as the Deputy Managing Director controls and manages 

the Group’s Associated Businesses, consisting of all the 

associated companies e.g. HSSG, Habtoor Specon, AHI and AHS 

and new business expansions. Abdullah Muwahid continues as 

head of Abu Dhabi operations as GM HEE Abu Dhabi, Nasr A. 

Nasr also continues as head of Qatar operations as the GM 

HEE Qatar and Tony Saadie has been appointed as the GM for 

HEE Dubai. 

Graeme Dunn is the GM for Gulf Leighton’s operations. Each 

division will function independent of the other with their own 

business development and profitability within the corporate 

guidelines. The divisions report directly to the Managing 

Director. Adel Lafi has been appointed as the General Manager, 

Finance and Administration of Leighton International. 

David Leonard has joined the Group as Chief Operating Officer. 

David will control and manage the group corporate support. 

Together with the Corporate Affairs team, these all form a 

part of the Al Habtoor Leighton Group. The Corporate team 

includes: 

• Procurement led by Ibrahim Huneidi. 

• Commercial, Legal and Risk led by Crawford Dunn. 

• Human Resources and Administration led by Hassan 

Bazzi. 


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• Planning led by Jafar Khair. 

• Information Technology led by Naghman Akhtar. 

• QHSE led by Ian Ratcliffe in an acting capacity. 

Corporate Affairs is led by Lina Sadek who will report directly 

to the MD and will be supported by the Leighton International 

Corporate Affairs Team. The corporate team members will 

work on systems and policies that will define processes and 

guidelines executed at the divisional levels. They will thus 

maintain the strategic control while the divisional counterpart 

will manage the operative control. 

What the merger means to the employees 

The company is undergoing a transition phase including 

reshuffling of people with the right expertise into the right 

places. This has given rise to speculation about job security 

and company management as would occur in any merger 

and acquisition situation. Queries about how the merger 

would function and what would be the impact on the merged 

company’s internal and external environment are being raised 

from all sides. As a result management is taking various 

steps to announce and communicate the new systems and 

plans. One of the important aspects of this partnership is 

that all employees have positives changes to look forward 

to. The Al Habtoor Leighton merger necessitated some 

changes to encourage further growth. These include 

organizational restructuring to manage the current growth 

and encourage further development. Management believes 

that people perform better when given greater autonomy 

and responsibility. This was a key factor in the restructuring 

distinct market and areas of experience which includes multi 

use buildings structure. Gulf Leighton’s primary expertise lies 

in civil infrastructure works. Thus both operate as two distinct 

brands in this market – Al Habtoor and Leighton – but they 

are part of the same group. Both brands attract very different 

clients, so HLG stands to benefit by having both brands operate 

here. 

David Savage pointed out that, “Robust systems are an 

essential ingredient in moving into a new market, as are clear 

and concise policies and procedures. Having strong systems 

makes it significantly easier for new recruits to assimilate 

into an organisation and begin operating as the company 

expects them to. When systems and procedures are clearly 

documented, new staff quickly learn what they are required to 

do, and how they are required to do it, and are able to adapt 

with much less supervision” David further explained, “Getting 

the structure right is the first step to a successful international 

expansion, and part of this is providing senior management with 

suitable autonomy and responsibility. The keys to successful 

international expansion, includes systems, flexibility, marketing 

and branding, patience, presence and, most importantly, 

people trust and confidence in our people, providing them the 

opportunity to grow and enhance themselves is one of the 

major focuses of the company. 

Communication Plan 

Internal 

To communicate the new structure, presentations were 

conducted in Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Each General 

process of the organization. Stronger systems and enhanced 

policies are being developed. Staff development programs 

are being introduced. More details of these programs will be 

discussed in the forthcoming issues. 

What the merger means to the Industry 

A critical element of the restructuring process is that there is 

no change in the Al Habtoor brand and logo. HEE has its own 

Manager was formally introduced. Their roles and 

responsibilities were communicated to all. Each division 

explained their responsibilities and accountabilities to their 

respective teams. 

The first session was held in Qatar with Nasr A. Nasr, the 

General Manager of HEE Qatar, giving a presentation to his 

team. He also introduced David Savage who spoke about the 


13

NEW Perspecti 

SPECIAL FEATURE 

changes taking place. Staff were assured of their jobs and 

positive career movement. The session was held on the 20th 

of November at Rydges Plaza Hotel in Doha, and was followed 

by dinner. About fifty members from the Qatar division, some 

members from the corporate team and the Deputy MD, Nigel 

Poole attended the meeting. 

The second session was held in Dubai. The attendees included 

Corporate Managers, HEE Dubai Division Managers and most 

of the Project-Directors and Project Managers operating within 

Dubai. The meeting began with the MD’s address, explaining 

the new structure. It was followed by Nigel’s expression of 

faith and trust in the employees for their continued support. 

Finally the new General Manager for Dubai, Tony Saadie was 

introduced. Tony has 24 years of work experience in various 

strategic roles. The last session was concluded in Abu Dhabi. 

Mr. Abdullah Muwahid, General Manager of HEE Abu Dhabi 

organised a meeting for key staff members in the recently 

constructed ADNEC facility. The new structure was presented 

by David Savage and Nigel Poole. It was followed by question and 

answers. Recently the HLG Corporate team also met to discuss 

and analyze their corporate and divisional functions. Detailed 

procedural guidelines are being devised for smooth operations. 

Hopefully these meetings and face to face discussion forums 

will continue. For more queries and information please send a 

mail to corporateaffairs@habtoorengg.ae 


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Industry 

To the market, the partnership between HEE and Leighton 

International will be known as Al Habtoor Leighton Group. Al 

Habtoor Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar Division will maintain the 

Al Habtoor Engineering brand and bid tenders and acquire 

business under its own banner. Existing Clients will continue 

to do business with the respective General Manager of HEE. 

Gulf Leighton as a division of HLG will develop and acquire its 

own civil infrastructure projects. All Clients and Consultants 

can look forward to increased expertise and technical knowhow. 

They will continue to receive the same high standards as 

before. 

Media 

All projects will be announced to the media as Al Habtoor 

Leighton Group, indicating the division under which it would 

operate. Although the last issue of Akhbar explained in detail 

Leighton’s history however the diagram below will reflect 

Leighton and Habtoor relationship. 

This article serves to fulfil the initial queries of readers. More 

articles will follow that will explain the various procedures 

and systems that the company will be introducing. A market 

communications program for the next six months is being 

developed• 


15

NEW Perspecti 

HEAR IT FROM THE EXPERTS 

The Mechanisms of 

Plants & Machinery 

Plant Manager - Nachat Issa 

This division was established parallel to 

HEE’s inception in 1970. It used to be 

a single office room with an adjoining 

small workshop. It is successfully 

managed by Naschat Issa till date. 

Naschat Issa proudly displays the log 

systems and database that are updated 

at frequent intervals to guarantee an 

error-free processing. It is a pleasure 

to speak to him as he recounts his 

various experiences and solutions 

given during critical issues. He is the 

living history of the company and still 

enjoys a direct control on activities. 

The department is largely responsible for managing the 

entire plant and transportation equipments relevant 

to the business. It is like a huge workshop functioning 

nonstop. However a closer introspection reveals an elaborate 

and structured system of management. It is divided into four 

divisions. These include: 

1 Plant and Machinery Management 

This section provides relevant equipment to all project sites. 

They ensure machinery is fixed and replaced within the 

stipulated timeframes. It also provides support to sites from the 

beginning to the very end, for example, shifting the port cabins, 

providing various vehicles, power-generators, machines, tower 

cranes and lift hoist. 

The division is also responsible for arranging the external 

machinery hiring required at sites, such as buses and mobile 

cranes including maintenance and diesel supply. In addition 

the department is responsible of arranging the cranes, the lift 

hoists, placing booms, erecting, maintaining, and dismantling 

them at the sites. 

2 Transport and Vehicle Management 

This section although under the strategic control of the Plant 

Manager is managed by the Assistant Manager Bedros 

Bedajikian. Mr. Bedros explained the services that transport 

division offers which range from providing staff and labour 

commutation facilities to materials’ transportation. Pickups 

and mobile cranes are allocated for shifting and transporting 

materials from the Store department to the respective sites. 

A proper roster is maintained to control delays and optimize 

costs. 

3 Electric Workshop 

This workshop includes three core functions which are carried 

out in separate workshops. This includes: 

a. Power electrical workshops: Provides temporarily 

power supply to the sites, by providing them with 

generators, power and cable connection from DEWA 

(Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) and complete 

maintenance. It also carries out routine day to day 

maintenance of electrical hand tools, e.g. drill machines, 

angle grinders and other power tools. 

b. AC Workshop: This workshop is dedicated to the 

maintenance and repair of AC units (window and split) 

at all offices including the Head- Office, site offices and 

labour camps. 

c. Plumping Workshop: The plumbing workshop provides 

connections for water supply at all locations. 

d. Mechanic Workshop: As the name indicates all 

mechanical services, tyre repairing, steel fixing, repairing, 

denting and painting are managed here. 

4 Plant Stores 

Spare parts for vehicles and machines are purchased and 

stored here. However another plant store is located in the 

main yard as a huge land area is required storing the tower 

cranes and lift hoists. 

There are two other important activities that are performed by 

the Plant department: 

i. Managing the Accounts: Plant department has its own 

asset management system through renting and leasing 


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vehicles and machinery to the projects. Some projects 

have their own tools and machines which are charged 

for any mechanical or repairing services. 

ii. Purchase: The department is also responsible of issuing 

LPO’s from accounts, supplying spare parts and external 

hiring for tools and machines. 

The new facility at Al Quoz Yard No. 2 

The new plant facility, constructed at Al Quoz yard No.2, is a 

bigger and more sophisticated. The construction has recently 

been concluded as a result minor works are still in progress. 

Shifting from the current location will commence in January. 

The total area is 22,630m2 including the open areas; the 

shaded area is 9,771m2. The offices area is 1,230m2. This 

consists of 40 new offices. Mr. Nachaat Issa showed us the 

art work and layout of the new office and area design. The 

place looks massive, well organized and well designed. The new 

sections added include: 

1. Fuel Station, with a system of electronic cards for each 

vehicle to trace the cost and number of times filled. 

2. A sand blast machine that has been imported from 

Holland and follows the environmental rules. 

3. Modern washing system: All vehicles from now on will be 

washed and cleaned from dust and concrete internally 

by using modern equipments. The washing area will 

include a Hydraulic Jack which will be able to lift a 25 

tons car for under cleaning purpose. 

4. Modern painting system has also been implemented. 

5. Upholstery work room 

6. Net air pressure 

7. Massive service area 

8. Main store, for storing all needed spare parts with big 

quantities and different sizes. 

The Plant Department Team 

The team is a group of 1293 dedicated professionals who work 

round the clock. They keep track of each and every vehicle and 

have developed very efficient systems to keep check and control. 

Nachat Issa, in a discussion with the Akhbar team, shared all 

his memories and fulfillments during the last 20 years of his 

tenure with HEE. He explained in details about the function 

of each division related to the Plant 

department and how proud he was of 

the efforts and great lengths that his 

team goes to for the achievement of 

excellent results. 

Jawdat Shawwa, Deputy Plant 

Manager, assists and manages all 

the Plant activities such as, tower 

cranes supply mobilization of new 

projects and lift hoist; he provides the 

sites with all machinery requirements. 

He spoke about the challenges the 

plant department faces, “the most 

challenging projects were the JBR 

and Business Bay Projects. The 

company wasn’t used to such massive 

projects, but we succeeded with our 

limited resources because of proper 

management”. We are implementing 

international standard facilities and 

manpower to be able to give better 

support to the future projects. 

Moeen Maarouf, Transport Supervisor 

is responsible for the daily schedule 

of the buses and trucks (logistics 

in transport), he takes care of all 

the drivers, their work hours, their 

problems, overtime, and he controls 

their tasks. He mentioned some 

statistics within five years as detailed 

in the chart below. 

Bedros Bederjikian, Assistant 

Transport Manager, heading 

transport department for all its 

activity, reports directly to the Plant 

Manager. He organizes all the 

Labourers and staff transport from 

camps accommodation to different 

sites and vice versa. He is responsible 

Jawdat Shawwa 

Moeen Maarouf 

Bedros Bederjikian 

Emad Sabti 

Ahmad Issa 

Transportation Statistics in the last 5 years 

Light Duty 

Drivers 

Pickups 

Mini Buses 

Heavy Buses 

0 

100 200 300 400 500 

Year 

2002 

2007 

Heavy Buses 

43 

166 

Mini Buses 

4 

38 

Pickups 

60 

123 

Light Duty 

Drivers 

165 

443 


17

NEW Perspecti 

HEAR IT FROM THE EXPERTS 

Kabel Al Abbsi 

Ali Shour 

Khaled Abazly 

Hussam Naghi 

Ayad Al Kaissi Nasser 

of organizing material delivery related 

transport vehicles schedule, allocating 

the mobile cranes to the sites and 

locations as per requirement, leading 

a team of 10 offices staff including 

transport supervisor, Assistant 

supervisor transport, transport 

coordinator and assistant coordinator, 

fleet tracking controller, secretary and 

clerks. He controls the fleet tracking 

management system which is an 

advanced technology through which 

they can monitor the movement and 

the tracking of all the vehicles which 

leads to accurate revision for require 

traveling time and getting better 

performance of a vehicles during 

its duty. It is a software with a GPRS 

system and locators (small device) 

which is mounted in each vehicle 

separately. E.g.: we insert the vehicle 

number (fleet number) then we be 

able to get all details related (vehicle 

location, address and map), as we can 

also get tracking reports for maximum 

60 days from the same system for 

each vehicle. Another activity that he 

controls is the vehicles registration, 

renewal, updating insurance renewal, 

organizing light vehicles drivers and 

related matters are also part of his 

responsibilities. We asked him about 

the new plant department area and he 

said, “I believe it will be beneficial, the 

new facilities are equipped with new 

equipments, as it’ll reduce the repair 

cost of some kind of jobs in the local 

market, especially in the washing area 

service sector. We will be having 2 car 

wash areas, one automatic for small 

vehicles, and another one is manual 

for heavy buses and trucks. 

Ali Shour, Assistant Transport Supervisor, enjoys calling himself 

the middle man, between the transport and the plant. A man 

with a great sense of humour highlighted the importance of the 

vehicles management program that the company implemented 

to control their movement. An average of 80 cars light vehicles 

are moving around at all sites. He is in charge of light vehicles 

renewal registration, services and its updates, as he follows 

up all regulations with RTA. He spoke about the degree of the 

accuracy required by him and contingency provisions as urgent 

situation occurs anytime and a swift action is called for. “The 

company is growing fast, we have a lot of cars but fewer drivers, 

because of the difficult rules of allowing a driver with a new 

driving license to take the responsibility of a car, and they have 

to be trained well to be able to drive to different destinations”. 

Eng. Hussam Naghi, Electrical Engineer, coordinates between 

the Plant Department and the sites. He is responsible of Tower 

cranes, lift hoist, placing boom and generators in all sites 

(fixing, repairing and maintenance). He is so proud that he is 

a member of HEE family; especially that he is part of the Plant 

Department. He always says, “We are the unknown soldiers of 

HEE”. 

Eng. Khaled Abazly, Electrical Engineer, is in charge of providing 

support to all sites from the start to finish of a project. He 

provides all equipments needed for construction job and offices 

at the sites, by providing water and electricity. He arranges 

water supply and plumbing provisions, the air conditioning and 

water cooling systems to the sites. The systems they install are 

temporary and last for 6 months maximum, till approval from 

DEWA is obtained for installing the official system provided by 

them. He spoke about the circulation of the machines from 

one site to another, taking into consideration the stages of 

the different projects, “my responsibilities give me high level 

experience and qualification, it is so challenging”. “The systems 

I mentioned are the nerve of each project, without water and 

power a project will never be able to start”. 

Ayad Al Kaissi Nasser, Technical Engineer is responsible for 

the service and maintenance in general and accidents reports 

in specific. Everyday at 6:00am he is responsible for sending all 

service pickups to the sites, as he controls the services from 

Service areas in the new plant department 

The facilities in the new Plant Department in Al Quz 


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the head office. For accident and insurance management, he is 

responsible for taking photographs, preparing orders for spare 

parts for cars if needed, arranging the claim for insurance, 

follow with mechanical workshop, dental and painting. He orders 

different kinds of oil for the company’s engines and vehicles and 

all services requirement. 

Ahmad Issa, Sr. Plant Accounts in charge, is in charge of 

monitoring and recording monthly internal hire including 

repair charges / invoices for transportation, machinery and 

equipment for all HEE and Joint Ventures Sites. He takes care 

of the timely submission of a driver’s monthly timesheet. His 

other responsibilities include reconciling supplier’s statement 

to ensure all invoices are forwarded to the Accounts 

Department for processing payments. Finally he also prepares 

all the outstanding LPO’s (Local Purchase Orders) and monthly 

payables reports. 

Erwin Roque (Accountant): He is responsible of checking 

LPO’s, reconciliation of suppliers accounts, and making 

monthly approvals payable, transmittal of LPO’s to Accounts 

Department. Erwin spoke about the wide experience he 

acquired since he joined HEE internally and externally and he 

said, “I learnt how to communicate, coordinate and cooperate 

to our suppliers as well as to my colleagues”. 

Amer Siddiqi, Transport Coordinator, assists the transport 

supervisor by controlling and organizing the labourers’ 

transportation to and from all construction sites. He checks 

the vehicle progress, the Labourers transport progress which 

should be achieved a 100% on time perfection ratio. 

Eng. Emad Sabbti, Mechanical Engineer, controls the vehicles 

and tools tracking system, and coordinates between the Plant 

Department and the sites. He checks the needs of each site 

and provides them with the tools and equipments needed 

to make sure that the work is on its right track. Equipments 

are: (concrete mixers, cranes, bar cutters, compressors, 

generators, block cutting machines). 

Kabel Al Abbsi, Mechanical Engineer, is responsible for the 

vehicles’ maintenance and passenger cars (Heavy & Light 

vehicles). Also he controls the 

maintenance for the civil construction 

machines, such as, air compressors, 

rollers, and plate compactors. 

He receives the job card for each 

vehicle from the transport section, 

then he checks up for the vehicle, if 

spare parts are required, then he 

orders the part through a material 

requisition, after receiving the parts, 

he fixes them and transfers back the 

repaired vehicle to the transport, after 

this the job card is closed. He spoke 

about how maintenance take place 

at the sites also, by saying, “When we 

receive any complain from any site, 

we send mobile service pickup to do 

the service and test there as per the 

service program for all machines at 

the sites”. When questioned about the 

new workshop in Al Qouz, he said, “It is 

completely different! It is a wide area 

with modern tools and equipments. It 

gives our technicians ability to be more 

productive, especially that we are 

following all safety and environmental 

regulations”. 

Erwin Roque 

Basel Soudah 

Amer Siddiqi 

Basel Soudah, Purchaser, is 

responsible for receiving MTO 

(Material Transfer Order) from 

engineers, after getting the approval 

of the Plant Manager; he seeks 

Raghunathan 

quotations and accordingly issues 

the LPOs, for a purchase. To him his job is so exciting; he 

is in a direct contact with the suppliers and the machinery 

field, updated for all new materials in the market. 

Raghunathan, Executive Secretary is one of the earliest 

employees at HEE, and assists the Plant Manager in all 

administrative works. He is the right-hand of the manager and 

supports all projects by providing machines and vehicle• 

The new plant will be bigger and better 


19

NEW Perspecti 

EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT 

Learning in Al Habtoor-Leighton 

Keith Abbot, Group Manager 

Organisational Development & Learning 

The future success of our business depends on our 

ability to continually develop our employees’ skills 

and abilities. Successful companies understand that 

supporting the ongoing learning and development 

of employees is a competitive advantage. 

Al Habtoor and Leighton have made commitments to 

their employees’ development, even prior to the merger. 

These commitments include initiatives such as Habtoor 

Engineering Enterprises Training School (HEETS) and Leighton 

University. Learning and development at Al-Habtoor-Leighton is 

underpinned by a belief that learning; 

• Is a key to our long term competitive advantage 

• Is a shared responsibility of the employee, their manager 

and the organisation 

• Improves employee job satisfaction 

• Is supported by, but not limited to, training programmes. 

Significant learning occurs on the job. 

So what can you expect in regard to your development with 

Al-Habtoor-Leighton? 

Everyone can expect to be involved with some or all of the 

following: 

• An individual development plan agreed with your 

manager 

• Regular feedback from people you work with about what 

you are doing well and where you can improve 

• Significant opportunities for learning on the job 

• Attendance at technical/professional development 

courses, seminars and workshops 

• Participation in leadership and management 

programmes 

• Involvement in team building. 

What do I do to ensure my development? 

Every employee, supported by their manager, should have a 

development plan. A comprehensive development plan should 

include the following steps; 

1. Assess 

2. Plan 

3. Implement 

4. Review 

1. Assessing development needs 

There are many things that can be the focus of someone’s 

development, and determining learning priorities is paramount 

to ensure energy is directed towards the right areas. To identify 

these areas requires both an assessment of your capabilities 

and an evaluation of your current and future role requirements. 

There are several tools that can assist with identifying your 

strengths and development needs. These include structured 

feedback (e.g. 360º assessment and aptitude tests) and 

informal feedback from colleagues, clients and manager (e.g. 

“Can you tell me how I can improve?”). Similarly discussions with 

your manager to clarify the key deliverables of your role, the 

skills required, expectations about who you need to work with 

effectively and other expectations about conduct and behaviour 

will inform you where to focus development to optimize your 

performance. 

2. Development planning 

Effective development planning is about finding effective ways 

to enable the improvement of knowledge, skill development 

or behavioral change. A common assumption is that training 

courses are the best, or even the only way people learn. A 

study of learning in corporations indicated that 70% of real 

learning actually takes place on the job. People learn largely 

by doing, or practicing the skills and competencies required 

in “live” situations. Approximately 10% of learning occurs 

in a formal training setting. That is not to say that training is 

not effective, but it requires on the job application to ensure 

learning is retained. The most effective development plans 

include identifying workplace opportunities to learn. 

There are other ways people learn. We all learn from the 

people around us, and finding a suitable role model or coach 

can be an integral part of a development plan. Learning from 

others can be done informally - observing others, and formally 

- agreed coaching and mentoring programmes. You should 

also consider reading (magazines, journals, and books), various 


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multi-media (the internet has a wealth of knowledge on just 

about every topic ever imagined) and peer/industry networking 

opportunities (seminars, industry networking evenings etc). 

Effective development planning is ensuring that learning 

goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant 

and timely). Successful learning is a combination of having a 

specific goal, the resources and motivation to achieve it, and 

a time frame by when the goal should be achieved. Shared 

responsibility for identifying development needs with your 

manager ensures learning outcomes are relevant. 

3. Implementation of development plan 

Successful implementation requires the discipline and support 

to follow through. Review your development plan frequently 

and plan ahead to ensure the day to day ‘urgent’ issues do 

not swamp your development actions. Treat each learning 

goal as seriously as you would a job related goal. Celebrate 

achievements and share your learning achievements with your 

manager regularly throughout the year. 

4. Reviewing learning and development 

Reviewing learning should be a continuous and ongoing event. 

Planning regular discussions with your manager is a good way 

to seek formal feedback on your development progress, reevaluate 

your plan, note achievements, and make adjustments 

where required. Your manager and the organization also 

have a shared responsibility for reviewing and recognising 

your improvements. 

Where to from here? 

The merger of Al-Habtoor and Leighton provides opportunities 

to support and encourage the development of our people over 

the next twelve months; 

• HEETS will continue to focus on further developing the 

skills of our labourers and trades. 

• We will revise and further develop our induction 

efforts, 

• More structure and resources will be provided for 

ongoing professional and technical development 

• Additional leadership development programmes, such 

as the Management Development Programme. 

When each individual takes responsibility for their development 

this ensures the growth of the individual and the organization. 

We encourage you to look for opportunities to learn in your 

workplace everyday• 

Al Habtoor Engineering launches its first publication: 

“Building Services Planning Manual” 

Al Habtoor Engineering’s Planning Department recently 

announced the distribution of its first “Building Services 

Planning Manual”, a comprehensive guide to building 

services. As explained by the Chairman, this is the first of its 

kind in the entire UAE and is the result of a year’s research 

and planning. The Planning Department had been working on 

the research and spade works for more than a year. 

In the third week of May 2007, a brainstorming seminar was 

organized and was attended by several industry stalwarts 

including Dubai Municipality, renowned Developers, Project 

Managers, Clients and Consultants, leading Contractors, MEP 

Specialists and other industry giants in order to address the 

common needs and find appropriate solutions for them. 

Critical aspects of mechanical, electrical and plumbing have 

been discussed with detailed guidelines ensuring technical 

gaps in the current environment are bridged. This is the 

beginning of several other publications in the future, which 

will relate to various technical and engineering aspects of the 

construction industry. This publication is available for anyone 

from the industry to order from the company by sending a 

mail to corporateaffairs@habtoorengg.ae• 


21

NEW Perspecti 

IN AND AROUND HEE 

8th International Conference on 

Multi-purpose High-rise Towers and Tall Buildings in Abu Dhabi 

In the 8th International Conference on Multi-purpose Highrise 

Towers and Tall Buildings which was held in the Le 

Royal Meridian hotel in Abu Dhabi, Al Habtoor Engineering 

Enterprises was one of the proud Bronze sponsors. The 

theme of the conference was “Innovations in Conquest of 

Vertical Space – Reaching for the Skies” with hot topics 

such as structural analysis and design, sustainable and eco 

architecture, foundations, earthquakes and smart buildings. 

Organized in association with The International Federation 

of High-Rise Structures (IFHS), with previous venues being 

Bangalore, Singapore, London, Kuala Lumpur, Madrid, Toronto 

and more recently Dubai in 2005. The decision by the IFHS to 

choose Abu Dhabi and stick with the UAE as the 2007 host, 

is out of recognition of the Emirate’s emergence as one of 

the fastest growing cities worldwide in terms of towers and 

tall buildings and HEE’s presence and sponsorship further 

enhanced and confirmed its paralleled development with the 

UAE. The conference lasted for two days (10th and 11th of 

December) with distinguished local and international guests 

and speakers getting further equated with HEE’s history, its 

landmark projects, current and future projects and the recent 

Al Habtoor stand at the conference hall 

partnership with Leighton International through our stand in the 

conference hall. The stand was organized and maintained by the 

Corporate Affairs department in Dubai and the senior figures 

in Abu Dhabi participated in the conference. The feedback was 

very productive and the conference was a complete success• 

Al Habtoor Engineering participants in the Abu Dhabi Conference 

A Visit to Thiess Leighton India 

The Corporate Affairs Department embarked on its first 

Leighton International assignment. Shahnaz Imam was 

sent to Theiss Leighton India to assist them in their 

corporate communication strategy. Theiss Leighton India 

specializes in mining, infrastructure and related construction 

activities• 

Marcus Carroll - Executive Manager HR, Deepak Chitgopekar - General Manager, 

Corporate Affairs, his wife and other members of Thiess Leighton India 

Genan Sijercic - Business Systems Manager, Shahnaz and Marcus at TLI 


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AHI at INDEX 2007 

Delegates visiting the AHI stand 

The Impressive AHI stand at INDEX 

On the 17th of Dec HEETS conducted a Project 

Management training presentation in site 590. The 

presentation was prepared and presented by Mr. 

Mahmoud K. Irsheid the project manager at the site. The 

attendees who were mostly project engineers become more 

familiar with market demands and perceived needs, planning, 

construction, pre-qualification, contracts and different team 

members responsibilities. Even management issues such as 

cost, change management were discussed. An interesting 

method used by Mr. Mahmoud was to propose different 

challenges and scenarios for the attendees and they would right 

down the solutions and strategies they would find appropriate 

and double check with the instructor. In the end all the covered 

topics were reviewed and the feedback was very positive. The 

team who attended the training session will receive certificates 

from Habtoor Training School• 

Every year, Al Habtoor Interiors (AHI) sponsors students 

from various universities at INDEX, the largest exhibition 

for Interior Design in the region. INDEX 2007 was held 

at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from the 1st to the 

5th of November. AHI sponsored a large stand called the UAE 

Student Pavilion. There were students and professors from 

four Universities in the UAE, where Interior Design is taught, 

namely, Ajman University of Science & Technology, American 

University In Dubai (AUD), Zayed University and American 

University of Sharjah (AUS). The stand was strategically 

located in the main-concourse area of the exhibition, which 

always draws a large number of visitors. Each university was 

given their own space on the stand, with adequate wall space 

to hang up the designs and projects of students. In the centre, 

AHI displayed its products and expertise in Interior Design 

work. The stand was constructed in house by AHI. The GM of 

AHI, Basel Ahmed and the Project Manager of AHI, Ibrahim Al 

Saheb, were keenly involved in the exhibition. The objective of 

AHI in sponsoring these students, is to enable them to be seen 

by industry professionals. Students get to meet the decision 

makers in their industry and can interact with them on a oneto-one 

basis. They were delighted with the visitors, and many 

students received on-the-spot offers for work, internship or 

implementing their projects. Not to be left out, AHI also received 

a few serious offers for Interior work on large projects in the 

region• 

Project Management Workshop organised by HEETS 

Project Management workshop in progress 

Mahmood Irsheid with Project Managers, Senior Engineers and others 


23

NEW Perspecti 

IN AND AROUND HEE 

Team Building Activity 

In today’s business world, due to the huge projects and vast 

operation area in every field and industry, many projects are 

divided into smaller tasks, each being performed by different 

people and sum total of all leading to the final result. Though 

this process might seem very simple it has its own challenges 

in terms of task synchronization and follow-ups, coordination 

and communication of required actions and results. To carry 

out all of these the main ingredient is a properly defined 

and interlinked system among the individuals called “Team”. 

David addressing the participants 

The word “Team” is one of those words that has countless 

definitions and denotations - all of them more or less the same; 

on the contrary it is “How teams are built” that needs time, 

effort, planning and understanding of roles and responsibilities 

among the people involved in the project. 

Different short term and long term educational methods have 

been introduced and tested to create teams, but the most 

effective ones are the ones that can be practiced and rehearsed 

among the individuals to create the link and understanding 

to one another’s mind set in a simulated environment with 

controlled outcomes. 

One such event was planned and executed by Corporate 

Affairs Department for the new Al Habtoor Leighton Group 

to strengthen the bond and connection among key managers 

and directors. Over 160 different managers and director 

from different locations and sites were invited to the “Chariots 

Challenge” which was held in Zabeel Park on 28th November 

2007. The event commenced with a casual conversation for 

people to introduce themselves followed by a warm up exercise 

to know each person capability of bonding and team spirit. 

The main exercise was building chariot using the equipments 

and the guide manual provided. To this, all invitees were 

randomly divided in 12 different teams each differentiated by a 

color. Each team had to coordinate with one another through 

the whole process; right from planning, assigning tasks, forming 

smaller teams for cutting parts, building each piece and finally 

assembling all pieces to complete the chariots. 

The last phase of the team building exercised was to put these 

into test; which boosted a sense of competence and proficiency. 

All twelve teams had to assign a rider for the chariot and some 

chariot men to pull it in a race. 

The day winded up with a lot of excitement and stronger team 

spirit among all. Company Managing Director, David Savage and 

Deputy Managing Director Nigel Poole awarded medals to the 

first three teams for their efforts and proven team synergy• 

*more pictures available on the company intranet. 


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“Green Buildings and Construction Industry in the UAE” 

- Seminar organized by HEETS 

Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency 

of buildings and their use of energy, water, and materials, 

and reducing building impacts on human health and 

the environment, through improved building envelopes, high 

performance glass, increased insulation, significant open office 

space plans, using daylight and alternative energy sources such 

as Fuel cells and wind. Nowadays construction development at 

any cost is not an option, it has been made very clear with recent 

rules and regulations that green buildings and sustainable 

construction are the only way forward. Right from the design 

phase which will be green architecture and green design, up 

until the completion everything will be done with preserving the 

environment and its priceless resources in mind. 

Habtoor Engineering has always been a pioneer in new methods, 

procedures and achievements, and you might be interested 

to know that before the recent hype of green buildings in the 

UAE, back in 2005 HEE was one of the founding members of 

Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC). Very recently Habtoor 

Engineering training school conducted a training seminar on 

“Green Buildings and Construction Industry in the UAE”, with 

the aim of keeping HEE engineers and architects up-to-date 

with recent developments. 

The venue of the seminar was Habtoor Grand and the 

conductor and speaker was Mr. Mario Seneviratne, who is the 

founder of Emirates Green Building Council and the director of 

Green Technologies. Mario’s association with HEE goes back 

to nearly 30 years when he worked as a project manager on 

Metropolitan Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. A postgraduate 

from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA, Mario has 

specialized in HVAC design and construction and has been 

recognized as a Member of ASHRAE, IEEE, and as a Fellow of 

the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. He is now the Director 

of Engineering, Green Technologies, U.A.E, a company of 

mechanical and electrical engineers committed to Sustainable 

Development. 

Buildings have a profound effect on the environment, which 

is why green building practices are so important to reduce 

and perhaps one day eliminate those impacts. However, the 

environmental impact of buildings is often underestimated, 

while the perceived costs of building green are overestimated. 

Here in HEE with the backing of our Chairman and Managing 

Director we are making it part of our professional duty to 

conserve the worlds diminishing resources, while at the same 

time help shape the future of Dubai and the region• 

Mr. Seneviratne receiving a certificate of appreciation 

from the HEETS Manager Mr. Shahid Imam 

Project Directors & Managers along with other 

senior staff participating in the Seminar 

The presentation was about the different benefits of green 

buildings, how they can be implemented, why they should be 

implemented and how they are rated. Green buildings are 

scored by rating systems, such as the Leadership in Energy 

and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system developed by 

the U.S. Green Building Council, Green Globes which Mr. Mario 

happens to be an accredited Professional. In this rating scale 

building are ranked using a medal scheme with platinum being 

the highest and bronze being the lowest. The target is that 

when a building is rated as high as a gold or silver building, 

energy savings will go up by 30%, carbon savings by 35%, water 

savings by 40%, raw material by 50% and electricity savings 

by 60% in an instantaneous time frame. Not only is it about 

environmental responsibility, from an economic perspective 

it also makes sense. with lower operational cost and many 

business opportunities especially for mechanical and electrical 

engineers. 


25

NEW Perspecti 

VOICES FROM WITHIN 

A New Year’s Perspective 

Michele Johnson 

General Manager Human Resources Leighton International 

The word Trust is defined as placing confidence 

and having faith in somebody or in somebody’s 

good qualities, especially fairness, truth, honor 

or ability. Do you find it easy to trust others? Do 

others find it easy to trust you? 

Have you ever thought about how your life or work could 

be impacted positively if you extended more trust in your 

relationships? I recently read a book which was given to 

me by some friends as a going-away present as we departed KL 

and headed to Dubai. It’s called “The Speed of Trust”, written by 

Stephen M. R. Covey, the son of the Stephen R. Covey, author of 

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. The Speed of Trust is 

an interesting book, and given the recent merger of Al Habtoor 

with Leighton, its key messages are noteworthy. Covey says 

that trust is “The one thing that changes everything” and he 

starts the book with the following passage: “There is one thing 

that is common to every individual, relationship team, family, 

organization, nation, economy, and civilization throughout the 

world – one thing which, if removed, will destroy the most 

powerful government, the most successful business, the most 

thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest 

friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love. 

On the other hand, if developed and leveraged, that one thing 

has the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity 

in every dimension of life. Yet, it is the least understood, most 

neglected, and most underestimated possibility of our time. 

That one thing is trust.” When I first read this I thought “that’s 

nice, but what has trust got to do with the word in the title of 

the book itself, speed”? 

The author demonstrates a linkage of trust with speed and 

cost, and argues that high trust increases speed and therefore 

lowers cost. Conversely, Low trust decreases speed and raises 

cost. He gives a macro level example of this in the current state 

of world affairs and how it impacts air travel. Since 9/11, it is 

fair to say that our trust in flying has decreased. If terrorists are 

trying to harm people, then obviously we need a better system 

of ensuring passenger safety. Now that new safety procedures 

are in place, we have to arrive at the airport earlier than before, 

and go through increased security procedures. So it takes more 

time for us to travel (the speed has gone down). These new 

security measures, such as bomb scanning technology, placing 

liquids in clear plastic bags, increased security personnel and 

checkpoints also cost more (the cost goes up). Can you think of 

a time when extending a high degree of trust made something 

happen faster and cost less? 

Let’s take an example that applies at work. If you carefully teach 

a subordinate how to complete their tasks, put simple control 

mechanisms into place and then entrust them to carry out their 

job, you will spend less of your valuable time checking their work 

(decreasing cost) and you will gradually be able to entrust them 

with more complex tasks, thus aiding in their development. Get 

the idea? 

Covey warns however that we should not give trust blindly. He 

defines “zones” of trust in the below matrix. He emphasizes the 

advantages of extending “Smart Trust”. The matrix is based 

on two main factors – your “propensity to trust” (the degree 

to which you give trust based on your personal beliefs and 

experiences) and “analysis” (your ability to evaluate a situation 

and make good decisions). If we are in Zone 1 (gullible) we will 

surely be taken advantage of. In Zone 2 (the sweet spot), we 

are using good judgment and enjoying the benefits. If we are 

plagued by indecision (in Zone 3) we feel we can’t trust anyone, 

not even ourselves! But Zone 4 (suspicion) is the worst place 

Continued on Page 27 


ve 


COMPETITION 

Competition 

Competition # 24 Results 

Hazrat Bilal 

The last competition was very interesting but difficult. That 

is why there were only a few entries and people were left 

confused by the elaborate and cryptic challenges. 

As always, the answer had to be decided by random selection 

from among those who gave the right answers. We have two 

winners of AED 500 each in Carrefour vouchers. 

Shaikh Altaf Ali K 

They are: 

Shaikh Altaf Ali K, is an Assistant Accountant in the Audit 

Department in our Head Office in Dubai. 

Hazrat Bilal, is an Accountant/Document Controller in Al 

Habtoor Specon 

Competition # 25 

We all know that Dubai is the City of Gold. Most 

cities around the world are known for something 

special. For our 25th Competition, we would like 

you to tell us what these cities from all around the world are 

know for. Match the following names of cities with the names 

they are known best by. Send in your answers to akhbaraldar@ 

habtoorengg.ae or mail them to Corporate Affairs at the HEE 

Head office by the 10 th of February 2008. All the best. 

What cities are most commonly known by these nicknames? (There is more than one answer for some):- 

1. City of Magnificent Distances 

2. City of the Angels 

3. City of Love 

4. City of Peace and Justice 

5. The Eternal City 

6. Stab City 

7. Crescent City 

8. Empire City 

9. The Fair City 

10. Forbidden City 

11. Granite City 

12. Emerald City 

13. Monumental City/Charm City 

14. Orchid City 

15. Quaker City 

16. Soul City 

17. The Stampede City 

18. Windy City 

19. Motor City 

20. The Steel City 

Continued from Page 26 

to be… people here only trust themselves and in their effort 

to verify every detail they can become a victim of “analysis 

paralysis” which leads to missed opportunities, and ultimately 

decreased speed. Because people in this zone only trust their 

own analysis, they don’t tend to collaborate and may not realize 

that they are missing out on the valuable perspective of others. 

So as you are pondering your new year’s resolutions, why not 

give some thought to this concept of trust. Think about which 

zone you operate in. Think about your personal and work 

relationships. Think about your new colleagues in Leighton. You 

might find that a difficult or awkward relationship could be due 

to lack of trust. Consider whether the lack of trust is on your 

side or their side, and once you determine where it is, think of 

what you could do to increase the trust level and therefore the 

benefits. A little forgiveness goes a long way, and in the words 

of Mahatma Gandhi “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness 

is the attribute of the strong”. The Speed of Trust is written 

by Stephen M.R. Covey, copyright ©2006 published by Free 

Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 

The above is merely a flavor of its content. If you are interested 

in reading it in its entirety I’d be happy to lend you my copy and I 

trust you will return it when done! Happy New Year! 


27

AL HABTOOR LEIGHTON GROUP 

Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises - Dubai 

P.O. Box 320, Dubai – United Arab Emirates 

Tel: 2857551 – 2857215 – 2857555 

Fax: 2857479 – 2852843 

Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises - Abu Dhabi 

P.O. Box 4284, Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates 

Tel: 6262036 – 6263114 

Fax: 6263073 

Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises - Qatar 

Area Office, P.O. Box 22478, Doha - Qatar 

Tel: 00974-4130044 – 4130549 

Fax: 00974-4130055 

Gulf Leighton Dubai (L.L.C) 

P.O.Box: 123065, Dubai – United Arab Emirates 

Tel: +971 4 3046 333 

Fax: +971 4 3046 369

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