Bechtel sets up regional office for mining and metals business in Dubai
New hub to capitalise on burgeoning mining and metals sector in the GCC
RELATED ARTICLES: BACS consortium awarded $10bn Riyadh Metro contract | Qatar Airways head slams Bechtel over Doha Airport delays | Bechtel to conduct pre-feasibility study for multi-billion dollar smelters Bechtel, one of world’s leading engineering, procurement and construction companies, announced on Tuesday that it has set up a regional office in the UAE for its mining and metals business, as it seeks to improve service to clients in the GCC. The GCC mining and metals sector has been identified as one of the main pillars of industrial diversification in the region and this trend is reflected in the scale of awards made during the last 12 months, which reached around $6 billion. Two other factors that have driven growth of the sector are urbanization and industrialization of the GCC economies. “We recognise the growing importance of the Gulf region as a strategic hub for our business. The opening of a regional office for our mining and metals business is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to this region,” said David Welch, president of Europe, Africa and Middle East at Bechtel. “Our mining and metals business has a rich history here. Bechtel has been present in the region for around 70 years. We are optimistic about the business opportunities in the region and we believe the outlook is strong. In addition, the region has excellent connections to European and North African markets. The regional office puts us closer to our customers,” he added. The new regional office will draw upon Bechtel’s global experience and expertise in Mining & Metals and will offer services from master planning studies through to engineering execution. Bechtel has completed several hundred major mining and metals projects and more than 1,000 studies across six continents around the world. Some of their projects have included 26 aluminium smelters, 42 major copper projects and 36 major coal projects. The company is currently constructing one of the world’s largest greenfield aluminium smelter projects – Ras Al Khair – for the Ma’aden Alcoa joint venture in Saudi Arabia. Bechtel, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in the UAE in 2012, opened a centre of engineering excellence in the UAE in May of this year.
