King Sturge's project management arm has won its first contract in the Middle East, writes Roxane McMeeken.

The firm will programme manage the roll-out of 12 Mercedes-Benz showrooms and workshops for Gargash Enterprises, which distributes the cars in the Middle East.

The deal emphasises the growing strength of property agents within the project management business.

King Sturge is growing its PM division aggressively. It recently hired a new partner in project management, Graeme Foreman. He joins from Clarson Goff, where he was a director with expertise in the retail sector.

Miles Thompson, head of PM at King Sturge, said the hire signalled a bid to expand the firm's retail business.

Gargash Enterprises has instructed King Sturge on the first project, a 100,000 sq ft development in Dubai. It combines a retail showroom with industrial workshop space.

The Dubai project is to be followed with 11 further roll-outs in locations such as other emirates within the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

King Sturge will run the project from London. It has no plans to open an office in the Middle East, but Thompson said other parts of the firm outside project management could now start to look at the region.

Source

QS News