High-end projects abundant
Interview with HE Brigadier Ahmed bin Mohamed Al Suwaidi,
President, Al-Suwaidi Establishment Group
Founded by retired brigadier of the Abu Dhabi
Police Force, HE Brigadier Ahmed bin Mohamed
Al Suwaidi, Al-Suwaidi Establishment Group is no
stranger to high profile projects.
of their projects is the Marina Dome in the Marina
Mall, Abu Dhabi, the largest of its kind in the Middle
East. The beautiful sky dome in the Oasis Mall,
Dubai is another.
Having established a joint venture with a Dutch
company to form EDSE, the enterprise now
specialises in high end steel structures such as domes
and membranes.
The company is also responsible for the construction
of the dome for the VIP lounge at the National
Cricket Stadium. This one is particularly unique as
the glass was hung within the frame.
A landmark project recently executed was the
chairman’s staircase inside the newly opened Burj
Khalifa, Dubai – the world’s tallest free standing
building. Notably, the staircase has no central
column, instead it is suspended by steel rods for
support.
Brigadier Al Suwaidi is enthusiastic about his work
and accomplishments; “Our features are always
very unusual. We have accomplished some unique
engineering feats”, he says.
Making Abu Dhabi stand out, in terms of striking
steel structures, is what Al-Suwaidi Establishment
Group does best. It has worked on projects such
as the shading for the gravity defying Capital Gate
building adjoining the ADNEC Exhibition Centre.
Indeed it may seem strange to those of us from colder
climates that a building has a need for such a shaded
structure, but in the high temperatures of the Arabian
sun it is a necessity for this glass and steel building.
The company is to the forefront of utilizing the latest
engineering and architectural techniques in building
its structures.
Steel domes are the primary area of expertise for
the enterprise. Among the most widely recognised
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As well as steel structures, the company specialises
in membranes – the tent-like canopies that readers
will be familiar with from modern shopping malls
throughout Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Many of their membranes have no column inside
for additional support. It is held up instead by a
‘spider design’, as Brigadier Al-Suwaidi explains, “the
weight is distributed on the outskirts on each of the
‘spider’s legs’ rather then central support which was
traditionally the norm”.
International projects take the company as far as
Baku, Azerbaijan. It seems however, that Brigadier
Ahmed’s immediate concerns are closer to home
where he aspires to construct a big wheel similar to
that of the London Eye.