Middle East: Special update

Parsons lands Abu Dhabi airport

US firm Parsons International is the programme manager on the construction of a new runway at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The UK’s Halcrow is also consulting on the $272m scheme. The building contract has been awarded to Al-Jaber Group and Odebrecht of Brazil.

Davis Langdon rakes in Middle East deals

Davis Langdon has won a string of new contracts in the Middle East. The Lebanon office has been appointed client representative for Malcro Group on a $26.6m factory and office complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The same office is providing project management on the Canadian embassy building in Dbayeh, Lebanon. The firm’s London and Dubai offices are meanwhile working on a new airport for Abu Dhabi, designed by KPF. The Bahrain branch is project managing the new AMA International University campus in Salmabad, which covers 13,600m².

Dubai plans biggest hotel

The world’s largest hotel is planned for Dubai’s Barwadi complex, which is aiming to offer the heaviest concentration of top hotels on the planet. The construction of the Asia-Asia is being led by Tatweer, a subsidiary of Dubai Holding.

Hadid to design Business Bay towers

Zaha Hadid Architects has won a competition to design three towers at Dubai’s new financial district, Business Bay. Others understood to have been in the running were Morphosis Architects, US practice RUR Architecture and the Office of Metropolitan Architects, Rotterdam.

EADS builds research centre in Qatar

Aerospace firm EADS, which owns 80% of the troubled company Airbus, is to build a centre for training, research and development in Qatar’s Science & Technology Park. Plans include 1000m² of laboratories, training rooms and offices. The scheme is due for completion in mid 2007.