Airolink, a leading UAE-based design-and-build construction conglomerate, said it has won new project contracts worth Dh2.8 billion ($760 million) across the region during the first quarter.

With this, the total value of the company's current order book has risen to Dh4.4 billion ($1.2 billion), from Dh1.6 billion ($435 million), stated Airolink in its statement.

Among the ongoing projects, the Al Mamzar Centre tops the list, followed by the Emirates College of Technology, the Bloom School, the Art Centre and the Dubai Heights School, are of significant value. Among others, Airolink has been involved in the construction of five schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it stated.

The new construction contracts reflect a growing confidence of clients on Airolink’s project delivery capacity and demonstrate its growing strength in project management and construction, remarked Dr Anil G Pillai, the chairman and managing director of Airolink.

“The projects demonstrate a strong pipeline of construction projects that are being executed by clients and developers,” he stated.

“We have been quite strong in developing many educational facilities, shopping centres, hotels, residential and healthcare projects etc. and our strength comes from undertaking projects on turnkey basis,” observed Dr Pillai.

“We are able to undertake the full development responsibility – including educating the clients on construction technology and financial discipline, feasibility study of the project, consultancy, design, detailed design, construction and delivery of the complete project to the client. So, we are not just a contractor,” he added.

The company, which has a strong presence in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ireland markets, employs 2,000 employees including the recently hired workforce.

Airolink traces its origin back in Europe whereby Airolink was set up in 2001 to cater to the specialised needs of a booming construction industry in Ireland (2001-2008).

It was during this period that the company cemented the foundations of its legacy, through comprehensive management controls, highly competitive pricing and a bottom line commitment to quality.

As a result of the company’s professional endeavour, Airolink became synonymous with speed, quality and price competitiveness, particularly within investment circles eager to start recouping their investments at the earliest possible stages, said Dr Pillai.

The company was subsequently awarded many large scale commercial, industrial and residential projects which it consistently executed to a very high standard, he added.

Having established in Europe, Airolink expanded to Middle East with some of the prestigious contracts in UAE in 2008 establishing Airolink Building Contracting LLC in Dubai.

“We are a sustainable business with healthy cash flow situation. This allows us to undertake greater risks. Besides, we are very disciplined business when it comes to financial discipline,” stated Dr Pillai.

“Second, we are very quality and cost conscious business. We deliver projects as per the planned quality, with minimum interference. Third, we make and keep our employees happy. This is important. The productivity of a happy employee is higher than the unhappy ones,” he added.

According to him, the UAE’s construction industry is undergoing a major change with market becoming tighter and more professional in nature.

"Although the country has a strong project pipeline despite the low-oil price environment that reduces government spending capabilities in the oil-rich Gulf countries, lack of liquidity and stiff competition among contractors could impact the industry," he added.

Airolink pointed out that the market had come a long way since the global financial crisis of 2009-10.

"The contractors have matured and have tightened their belts by streamlining the management and processes," said Dr Pillai.

"Dubai’s construction market is quite modern and it incorporates all the best international practices. There are enough projects in Dubai to keep most contractors busy for some time and more projects are being planned and tendered out as we speak," he stated.

"This will continue for some time, definitely till the end of Expo 2020. Since Dubai economy is not dependent on oil, the low oil price will not affect the emirate’s economy or construction sector," he added.-TradeArabia News Service