By CW staff www.constructionweekonline.com
‘Fast-track solutions with no compromise on quality’ is the message from Innovative Building Solutions (IBS), the UAE subsidiary of Italian adhesive and chemical products giant Mapei, which is showcasing its skills for the fifth consecutive year at The Big 5 this week.
It’s been a good month already for the company, which won a silver medal at the Gaia Construction Environmental Awards held in Dubai at the beginning of November, and Mapei is clearly building on this achievement by welcoming all comers to its sizeable stand in Hall 7.
A list of the latest projects in which Mapei has been involved reads like a roll-call of the GCC’s most high-profile developments. Aside from previously carrying out work on the Burj Al Arab, the Atlantis Resort and the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, the company has more recently completed work on the Metro Red Line, Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport, and is even now putting the finishing touches onto the Burj Dubai, set to be the world’s tallest building when it opens in early January.
“With regard to the Burj Dubai, we’ve carried out a lot of work in the Armani Hotel, where as you can imagine, an exceptionally high standard of finishing is required,” said Laith Haboubi, business development manager at the Mapei subsidiary. “And we’ve also been working on everything from substrate floor preparation, self-levelling and screed-work, as well as adhesives and grouts.”
Another of Mapei’s major highlights of the year has been the successful completion of its work on some of the surrounding infrastructure for the Formula One Grand Prix on Yas Island in early November. Given the tight deadlines put down by the Abu Dhabi authorities, on-time completion was of vital importance.
“We managed to complete our work for that project – the Marina Bay Hotel – on time, which proves that even when fast-tracking finishes for major clients, it’s still possible to meet difficult timelines without compromising on quality,” Haboubi added.
Whereas in past events, Mapei has tended to concentrate on areas where the company is stronger – such as tiling installation systems, plus installation and finishes – this year is slightly different. “For The Big 5 this year, we really want to show the market the full range of products we provide,” Haboubi remarked. “We have a genuinely comprehensive portfolio of solutions, which includes water-proofing, building products and even concrete admixtures.”
Haboubi is particularly proud of the Gaia recognition, which comes at a time when sustainability is becoming one of the construction industry’s core buzzwords. “It just emphasises that even in the current situation, clients can still obtain a quality of product that won’t break the budget and can still be a green solution as well,” the Mapei executive added.
