Halcrow, a specialist in the provision of professional planning, design and management services for infrastructure development worldwide, has opened its flagship office at Al Bateen in Abu Dhabi.

The opening ceremony was attended by British ambassador to the UAE Edward Oakden, Peter Gammie, Halcrow’s chief executive, David Yaw, regional managing director and Sami Al Qazzaz, Abu Dhabi regional director.

Addressing the gathering, the ambassador said the new office was proof of Halcrow’s commitment to the government’s recently published development plan for 2030.

"There is no doubt about Abu Dhabi’s determination and vision to become a world class city and Halcrow’s commitment and experience sets them apart to become a valued partner in delivering innovative and sustainable development solutions for the area," Oakden said.

“Also, British expertise and know-how have played a vital role in the spectacular growth of Abu Dhabi," he added.

"Present in the Middle East for over 50 years, and with operations in Abu Dhabi dating back to 1963, Halcrow’s name is synonymous with the British contribution to the region’s development,” Oakden observed.

David Yaw said “We want to signal our commitment to assisting the government realise its urban planning vision for the year 2030 with integration, master planning and of course, sustainable development.”

“We have permanent offices in Sydney, Hong Kong, London, New York and other world business hubs so it is entirely logical for us to have a major delivery capability in Abu Dhabi to provide a local and integrated service to our key clients here.”

The new office accommodates some 200 planners, designers and other technical specialists, to support the 250 Halcrow people working on construction supervision at local sites.

Across the Middle East, Halcrow employs 1,500 employees in 11 countries – 1,200 based in the UAE.

Halcrow provides a wide range of design, planning, engineering and management services to public and private sector clients in urban development, transportation, water and power, marine and waterfront development, and buildings.-TradeArabia News Service