Business & Money | Saturday 16 February, 2019 4:00 am |

Al Naboodah Construction Group (ANCG) – the construction division of Al Naboodah Group Enterprises – will lead a record time 45-day renovation upgrade to resurface the south runway at Dubai International Airport’s (DXB), which welcomed more than 89.1 million passengers in 2018, making Dubai International Airport the busiest in the world by passenger traffic. The renovation will take place from the 15th April to the end of May 2019 and will significantly increase the safety, capacity and scalability of DXB.

 

Supporting and contributing to the country’s economic future, the project commissioned by Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) will further facilitate the arrival of the expected 25 million Expo 2020 visitors next year through Dubai’s critical aviation infrastructure.

Under DAEP’s supervision and support, ANCG successfully completed similar renovations across DXB’s runways in record time, the most recent being its 80-day turnaround of South and North Runaways in 2014. The meritorious vision of the senior management at DAEP aided in accomplishing this milestone for Dubai and the success of the 2014 project is a testament to DAEP’s excellence in executing projects of this calibre.

 

ANCG has already undertaken strict planning and pre-closure works prior to commencing the main closure works in order to guarantee the enhancements are completed successfully and without delay. The company’s association with Dubai Aviation City Corporation runs deep as it was also responsible for the construction of Concourse A structure in DXB’s Terminal 3 in 2010, the world’s second-largest building by floor space and home to Dubai’s iconic carrier, Emirates Airlines.

“We are proud to support one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the exemplary foresight of the UAE leadership. Expo 2020 promises to be an exciting time for Dubai and our industry as we welcome global businesses to showcase their value propositions. DXB is a central hub for activity and our renovation project will need to be a high-precision, hour-by-hour operation, with standby resources available for every item of major plant and equipment. DAEP are instrumental in driving this vision forward and accounting for contingency plans to ensure that any unforeseen circumstances do not impact the schedule of the project.” explained Mr. Senan Al Naboodah, Managing Director of ANCG.

 

“As an organisation our holistic offering guarantees high-quality materials like concrete, wet mix and asphalt through our internal batching production facility ARCON, coupled with modern high-tech plant and equipment from our in-house plant supply company National Plant. We are honoured to be entrusted with the delivery of this project on one of the world’s busiest live airfields. Furthermore, contributing to the UAE’s vibrant vision to attract visitors to the city while cementing its position as a world-class hub for business, tourism and development, truly embodies our shared goals.”

 

The high-intensity construction project will require work scheduled around the clock 24/7 for 45 days while adhering to strict deadlines. Details of the project include:

Removal of 6,000 existing inset runway lights followed by milling 407,000m2 of runway and taxiway surfaces.

Stage 2 comprises the laying of 158,000 tonnes of wet-mix, 106,000 tonnes of asphalt, installation of 6,000 new LED lights, 245 guidance signs plus 12,000 new transformers and components.

Stage 3 entails the configuration of the components and software to the control tower.

In the final phase, ANCG will test, commission and handover the entire runway and precision landing systems back to Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects by May 31st, 2019.

The 80-day runways programme in 2014 required a workforce of 4,500, utilising 1,225 items of plant. The scope comprised the removal of 410,000m² of asphalt from existing runways, full new runway construction using 400,000 tonnes of wet-mix and 500,000 tonnes of asphalt. Airfield lighting and signage entailed laying 1500km of primary & secondary cabling, installing 12,500 lights and 500 airfield directional guidance signs. Phase 1 (South Runway) was completed 4 days ahead of schedule on May 26th 2014, and Phase 2 (North Runway) was completed on schedule on July 20th, 2014.