Author: Stephen White

Volvo CE provided the first look at a pre-production model of its new EC500 excavator at the CONEXPO trade show in Las Vegas, North America. This heralds a new generation of excavator, with improvements across cab design and operator interface, safety and productivity, says the firm. A successor to the Volvo EC480E, the EC500 is a new 50-ton crawler excavator for the toughest applications, from building and construction, road construction, utilities, quarrying and aggregates to agriculture and landscaping and is the ideal partner for the Volvo A25G to A35G hauler.  The biggest change can be seen in the cabin design…

Bauer International has been as one of two contractors appointed for the development of the Wynn Resort in Ras Al Khaimah by Marjan, which is developing the integrated gaming resort in partnership with RAK Hospitality Holding and Wynn Resorts. ALEC Engineering and Contracting (ALEC) was awarded the main contract for the construction of the integrated resort development, while the German foundation specialist will undertake the piling and enabling works and has already begun construction preparation on the project site, located on the man-made Al Marjan Island, which is the flagship project of master developer Marjan. “Well-known for their cross-sector capabilities…

When Mammoet was approached by Globalink Logistics to assist with the transportation of heavy items for the construction of a new power plant in the city of Shirin, Uzbekistan, it certainly wasn’t a case of “let’s cross that bridge when we come to it” when rising to the engineering challenge. Developed by ACWA Power, the new 1.5GW combined cycle gas-turbine (CCGT) power plant is part of the Uzbekistan Government’s plan to improve efficiency and capacity of its electricity production, while boosting economic growth and reducing environmental impact. Uzbekistan doesn’t have sea access, so typically Caspian Sea ports are chosen for…

Leading regional design-build contractor AMANA says it is “consolidating its leadership in modular construction” with a new factory in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia. The factory is a response to the surging demand in the Kingdom for offsite manufacturing technologies enabled by DuBox and is vital to successful project delivery for the Kingdom’s raft of ambitious hospitality and entertainment projects. DuBox shifted 85% of construction from its Saudi megaproject sites such as Qiddiya and Red Sea Global’s tourism destinations to its Rabigh factory. AMANA has been at the forefront of disrupting the construction sector, making it faster, safer, greener, and smarter, by…

The team at Byrne Equipment Rental have had a busy start to the year with multiple product open days held at their depots across the GCC. First up was KSA in February and March, with three successful open days held in the hub of the global O&G industry, Yanbu and Jubail as well as their facilities in Riyadh. In Yanbu and Jubail, the KSA teams welcomed prospective and existing clients to their facilities to demonstrate their product offering for the upstream and downstream O&G industry and had a wide range of equipment on display from temporary buildings and cargo containers,…

Auction house Ritchie Bros says its latest online auction in Dubi features a large line up of excavators after its 2022 online Timed Auctions saw a 24% increase in excavators sold at the Dubai site compared to the previous year. Ahead of the 21-22 March, 2023 event, the firm said confidence from overseas bidders remains high due to the numerous photos, videos, inspection reports, and other details on the online listings. Bidders can also come to the Jebel Ali auction yard in Dubai to inspect items in person. Having these two options helps buyers understand the equipment they are bidding…

Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden), the largest multi-commodity mining and metals company in the Middle East – and based on market capitalisation, one of the top five mining companies globally – has been granted a captive license by Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Captive insurance is a risk financing mechanism in which a company is able to insure itself against potential losses. In a captive insurance arrangement, the insured brings its risk in-house by creating a licensed company that provides insurance to its parent organisation. With 17 mines and sites and 6,000 employees, Ma’aden is said to be among the…

FM contractors and experts from across the access and handling sector have called for greater industry cooperation to protect lives and ensure construction and building maintenance are more sustainable.  The Access and Handling Summit took place this week at the Habtoor Polo Club in Dubai,  with a series of panels taking a deep dive into the challenges facing the sector. A forum featuring representatives from facilities management firms Emrill, Farnek and Gracko sectors highlighted how effective collaboration early in the construction process is essential. Other talking points during the day included equipment and team mobilisation best practice, planning for working…

I’ve never been a believer in the saying that you should never go back, and so when the opportunity came to return to Construction Machinery Middle East halfway through January – I naturally jumped at the chance. For those who started reading the magazine in the last few years, that line may make absolutely no sense at all. For the unitiated, my time with Construction Machinery Middle East dates all the way back to the start of the magazine which was, unbelievably, over a decade ago after I made the jump from another well-known title in the equipment world. From…

Women, who have historically been underrepresented in the logistics industry, are now taking center stage. In 2022, women accounted for 19% of C-level positions in the average supply chain organization, up from 15% in 2021. Successfully recruiting women, advancing them into leadership roles, and retaining them in supply chain positions are now considered essential components of an organization’s strategy. We are not just discussing traditional administrative roles here; the new generation of women employees who have been joining FedEx in increasing numbers over the past few years has proved that their fresh perspective can enhance all parts of supply chain…