Abu Dhabi has rapidly emerged as one of the Middle East region’s most important construction markets, said an expert.

“Abu Dhabi is establishing itself as a key destination for major construction and infrastructure based projects in the region,” added Rizwan Shaikhani, managing director, Shaikhani Contracting, a part of the Shaikhani Group, a multimillion dollar international business conglomerate with interests in real estate development, trading, manufacturing and IT.

“The continuous entry of new projects demonstrates the effectiveness of the implemented initiatives and programs that are part of the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision.”

“We are confident that the UAE capital will continue to attract more projects as the rest of the Middle East region has also shown vibrant activity,” he continued.

“We will soon be opening an office in Abu Dhabi to become closer to our partners and customers and help address their demands and requirements faster while at the same time develop new partnerships with like-minded companies and organizations and create key solutions and services for Abu Dhabi’s ongoing projects.”

Shaikhani has revealed its plans to open an office in the UAE capital as part of its current move to reinforce its market presence in the region and to remain closer to partners and customers who are involved in different projects in Abu Dhabi.

The move to set up an Abu Dhabi office follows the company’s strategic expansion initiatives, which also includes the opening of offices in Qatar and other developing GCC countries. The expansion also serves to highlight the company’s aim to maintain its leadership and strong market presence in the Middle East region.

Further, the contractor has expressed interest in possible opportunities in Africa, which according to company officials is the continent to watch for and is expected to enjoy annual growth over the next 20 to 25 years.

In addition, Shaikhani has revealed plans to expand its brand portfolio while at the same time increasing its footprint into newer markets.

“As we embark on our initiatives to create a stronger market presence in key developing economies of the region, Shaikhani is also aiming to create new strategic partnerships with companies that are already involved in the major projects that are currently ongoing,” Rizwan Shaikhani said.

New projects worth $39.8 billion will be coming to Abu Dhabi during 2011, according to an industrial report released by Ventures Middle East, one of the region’s leading communications and research firms.

To date, the total current value of all projects in Abu Dhabi has been pegged at $562.8 billion, according to the report. – TradeArabia News Service