CEO Today Middle East Awards

47 www.ceotodaymagazine.com CEO Today Middle East Awards 2018 QATAR URBACON TRADING & CONTRACTING UrbaCon Trading & Contracting (UCC) was founded in 2011 and since then has grown from an initial turnover of a few millions to billions by 2015. UCC’s heritage stems from its affiliate company, Al Khayyat Contracting and Trading (KCT), which was first established in Syria in 1983 and grew to be one of the largest and prominent players in Syrian Construction and Development Projects. UCC draws professional ethos in quality of service and works, and in the ethics and standards from its predecessor, which in 2016 has already amalgamated into UCC to make it by far the largest contractor in the country. The foundations then laid has helped UCC to set up a controlled growth in Qatari construction market and develop a leadership position in fast-track Design & Build projects in the country. UCC is at the forefront of a new generation of contractors, which utilize local expertise and international best practices in contracting to establish a strong market position in Qatar and rapidly growing presence in the international market. UCC is a 100% Qatari owned Grade “A” licensed contractor. UCC’s growth and development has been primarily in the building, heavy civils and marine sectors, whereby it specializes in delivering fast-track design and build projects that provide shorter delivery timelines along with a close focus on the budget. This is achieved through parallel functions being undertaken such as design, procurement and construction processes, which result in project handovers in shorter time, and at a less cost than conventional construction programs. Although UCC’s vision is globally driven, its partnerships are local. By uniting its professional specialism with internationally renowned consultants, it continues to provide world-class sustainable developments that meet the demands of its customers. The company has earned recognition for undertaking large, complex projects, fostering innovation, embracing emerging technologies and making a difference for their clients, employees and community. As a strategy of expansion and to again advantage over the peers, UCC opted to self-perform at least 80% of the works related to each project. This enabled UCC to enhance its reputation as a contractor who can deliver on a design- build turnkey basis building trust with its clients all in line with the company’s vision and commitment. Building upon this philosophy, UCC substantially developed its resource strength since its inception and in parallel has resulted in its sustained growth through independent affiliate companies from internal divisions. All the affiliate companies operate in the market independent of UCC but provide a crucial subcontract service to UCC to ensure critical project requirements are achieved. In addition to the above, UCC has developed its in-house resources to cover certain core activities such as concrete works, formworks, reinforcement scaffolding, block and plaster, and paving works. These in-house resources operate on a unit rate basis under the name of Workshops, and strictly maintain a supervised team formation which enhances productivity together with safety and quality control. All operations are further supported by UrbaCon PMV, which has a fleet of over 2,000 equipment inclusive of cranes, excavators, trucks, vehicles, etc. UCC’s construction and business development plans are strategically positioned to grow in its developing world and develop the business in unison with the growth of emerging markets. UCC places significant importance upon supporting these initiatives by striving for global standards of environment friendly best practices, smart eco-friendly development and construction methods, and by complying with the local QSAS and LEED. UCC’s impressive footprint of projects is made possible due to its ability to mobilize ample resources immediately and accommodate demanding schedules anywhere in the region and beyond.