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Tabari: Business remains operationally and
financially robust

Drake & Scull H1 revenue falls 23pc

DUBAI, August 15, 2016

Drake & Scull International (DSI), a regional leader in the construction sector, reported a revenue of Dh1.83 billion ($498 million) for the first half of the year, marking a 23 per cent decline compared to Dh2.39 billion achieved in H1 2015.

The fall in revenue is due to the significant contraction and prolonged volatility in the regional construction sector, the slow progress on ongoing projects, a decline in new project awards and adjustments across key markets in the GCC, a company statement said.

The net loss for H1 2016 was Dh216 million as compared to a net profit of Dh34 million in H1 2015. The loss is specifically attributable to project cancellations and additional one-off provisions taken in light of the challenges in the sector, the statement said.

A majority of these provisions emanate from Saudi Arabia, with the total impact on the bottom line amounting to Dh192 million. These cancellations were executed by clients on individual one-off projects with minimal bearing on DSI’s ability to continue operations in Saudi Arabia and other markets.

DSI’s ongoing projects order backlog stood at Dh9.37 billion as of 30 June 2016, as compared to Dh13.24 billion in H1 2015. The decline in the projects’ backlog reflects the adjustments carried out in Q2 2016 pertinent to project cancellations in KSA.

Despite the slowdown in the regional project awards, DSI managed to secure Dh570 million worth of new project awards year to date including the Dh343 million Doha Metro Depot and Stabilising Yards contract as well as the Dh227 million Zubair Oil Field project in Iraq. These key wins further reinforce the company’s strategic decision to concentrate on sector-specific, core engineering projects with high operating margins.

DSI has also remained on track with its cost-reduction programme which will improve operational efficiency and reduce overheads. The company has implemented a number of measures and initiatives to optimize its capital structure, including the sale of non-core assets to generate cash and improve liquidity. The cost-reduction programme is progressing on schedule and is expected to realize significant cost savings by the end of 2016.

Khaldoun Tabari, CEO and vice chairman of Drake & Scull International PJSC, said: “Our financial results have been impacted due to the substantial provisions for project delays and cancellations over the last six months, brought on by clients principally based in Saudi Arabia. We believe that these developments reflect the considerable challenges we have been facing across the region due to a very challenging macro-economic environment.”

“We are in the process of embarking on a new strategy to reposition ourselves as a leader in the market. We will also initiate fundamental changes to our group and leadership structure which will be supplemented by a reorganization and realignment of senior management roles as part of our efforts to enhance and streamline our operative framework.

“Despite the challenges, our business remains operationally and financially robust. Due to our longstanding partnership with major international and local banks, we continue to retain strong lines of credit and secured access to funding to deliver our ongoing projects backlog. We remain committed and focused on running efficient, low-cost and sustainable and cash generating operations and are confident about the medium- and long-term prospects of the regional industry,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service




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