Drake & Scull International is moving hundreds of jobs from Dubai, where the company is listed, to Abu Dhabi to cope with the increase in projects it has won in the capital.
At a presentation to investors at the Dubai Financial Market yesterday the company said it was in the process of moving "up to a thousand" employees between the emirates due to the shift.
DSI said its workload in Abu Dhabi had increased from 12.2 per cent of its projects in 2011 to 14.3 per cent, while in Dubai it had fallen from 10.8 per cent in 2011 to 6.9 per cent in 2012.
"At one point we used to be 7,000 people in the UAE, 4,000 in Dubai and 3,000 in Abu Dhabi," Zeina Tabari,the chief corporate affairs officer, told investors. "Today I would say we have around 1,500 in Dubai and around 6,000 in Abu Dhabi as we are growing our backlog in Abu Dhabi and moving our staff. Other people are being moved to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to cope with the growth strategy we currently have," she said.
The news follows a similar strategy by Dubai's largest construction company Arabtec, which said in February that it had moved significant numbers of staff from Dubai to the capital after Aabar Investments, a firm backed by the Abu Dhabi Government, increased its stake in Arabtec.
The DSI action also comes amid an increase in the level of cooperation between three of the UAE's biggest contractors; DSI, Arabtec and the interiors contractor Depa.
Last year Arabtec took a stake in Depa and rumours have increasingly been circulating that Arabtec could take a stake in DSI. Last month Khaldoun Tabari, the vice chairman and chief executive of DSI, took a seat on the Depa board on behalf of Arabtec. When asked whether DSI had been approached by Arabtec with a view to a takeover, Mr Tabari said he could not comment.
"I really can't answer that," he told investors. "Will there never be this possibility? All companies have possibilities. Are there discussions today? No."
Mr Tabari revealed that he personally owned a large stake in Depa which he said was "probably worth around 10 per cent" of the company. "Our relationship with Arabtec comes from respect, and from understanding," he added. "We are blessed with a fantastic board which offers guidance. Depa needed that and I was requested to join the board on behalf of Arabtec and I did."
He said DSI was considering listing on the Saudi Arabian bourse. Work in Saudi Arabia accounted for 45.8 per cent of DSI's business in 2012.
Mr Tabari also said that he was considering buying the rights to manufacture petrochemical products in the country, which he said offered "huge potential". "I cannot say yes or no but I like the idea."
He added that he agreed with recently implemented Saudi Arabian measures aimed at increasing the number of nationals in the workforce.
"I would like to see the UAE do the same as Saudi Arabia," he said. "Why do you have nationals in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Dubai not working when foreigners are working? You first have to cater to your own workforce."
lbarnard@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
MO
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Friday's schedule in Madrid
Men's quarter-finals
Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time
Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm
Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm
Women's semi-finals
Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm
Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm
The%20US%20Congress%20explained
%3Cp%3E-%20Congress%20is%20one%20of%20three%20branches%20of%20the%20US%20government%2C%20and%20the%20one%20that%20creates%20the%20nation's%20federal%20laws%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20Congress%20is%20divided%20into%20two%20chambers%3A%20The%20House%20of%20Representatives%20and%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%C2%A0The%20House%20is%20made%20up%20of%20435%20members%20based%20on%20a%20state's%20population.%20House%20members%20are%20up%20for%20election%20every%20two%20years%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20A%20bill%20must%20be%20approved%20by%20both%20the%20House%20and%20Senate%20before%20it%20goes%20to%20the%20president's%20desk%20for%20signature%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20A%20political%20party%20needs%20218%20seats%20to%20be%20in%20control%20of%20the%20House%20of%20Representatives%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20The%20Senate%20is%20comprised%20of%20100%20members%2C%20with%20each%20state%20receiving%20two%20senators.%20Senate%20members%20serve%20six-year%20terms%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20A%20political%20party%20needs%2051%20seats%20to%20control%20the%20Senate.%20In%20the%20case%20of%20a%2050-50%20tie%2C%20the%20party%20of%20the%20president%20controls%20the%20Senate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Third Test
Result: India won by 203 runs
Series: England lead five-match series 2-1
