The global professional services consultancy Turner & Townsend has increased its Middle East turnover by a quarter, and its profits by nearly a third, in the year ended April 30, 2016.

The company’s strong performance in the Middle East – which saw regional turnover grow by 24 per cent to £32.2 million ($42.24 million) and operating profit climb 32 per cent to £5.1 million ($6.69 million) – helped drive its global revenue to a record £409 million.

Turner & Townsend Middle East managing director Mike Collings commented: “Despite the abrupt fall in oil prices, this has been a very strong year for our Middle East operation. We saw significant growth in real estate and built momentum in infrastructure, with clients still demonstrating the desire to invest in the region despite the low price of oil.

“We built on our reputation for our full breadth of services this year, securing major real estate commissions and significant new wins with Unilever, Galeries Lafayette and the passenger terminal extension at Al Maktoum International Airport.

“Our aim in the year ahead is to increase our footprint with new offices in Saudi Arabia and continue to exceed our clients’ expectations as they invest in the region.”

Turner & Townsend employs nearly 4,300 staff across 97 offices worldwide, and has now recorded six successive years of growth. Its profit after tax of £30 million has almost tripled in five years.

Vincent Clancy, chief executive officer for Turner & Townsend, said: “Our achievements are a testament to the strength of our business, despite a backdrop of significant volatility. The past year has seen us become the partner of choice for many of the world’s largest capital programmes and our diversified business model continued to serve us well, giving us the flexibility to adapt to changes in individual markets.

“We’ve grown our global footprint, supporting our key regional hubs and strengthening our operations around the world, to better serve our clients wherever and whenever they need us,” Clancy said. - TradeArabia News Service