Staff Report
Dubai – The UAE won eight regional awards at the recently concluded 2017 MEED Quality Awards for Projects, the region’s premier recognition programme for completed projects in the Gulf region.
The UAE was the best-performing country in the GCC with its eight awards, an improvement from last year’s performance when it took home three regional awards and is a testament to the country’s robust projects industry.
According to the latest MEED Insight GCC Construction Outlook 2017 report, the Emirates had one of the strongest construction markets in the region in 2016.
Dubai Airport’s T1-CD Automated People Mover Project (entered by Bombardier Transportation), was awarded the Besix GCC Innovation Project of the Year trophy, while Roads & Transport Authority’s (RTA) Dubai Water Canal Project (entered by Parsons) was recognised as the best in the region when it won the GCC Leisure & Tourism Project of the Year award.
Another RTA scheme, the Etihad Museum Project (nominated by ASGC) received the GCC Building Project of the Year trophy, while Dubai World Trade Centre’s One Central Phase 1, The Offices 1 Project (entered by Al Futtaim Carillion) won GCC Commercial Project of the Year.
Meraas Holding’s City Walk Phase 2 Retail Development Project, submitted by Al Futtaim Carillion, was recognised as GCC Retail Project of the Year; while its The City Walk Project, a joint award nomination by Parsons, Arcadis, WSP, Parsons Brinckerhoff in conjunction with Meraas Development, was awarded the GCC Mixed-use Project of the Year trophy.

Other UAE winners were Chef Middle East’s HQ and Food Cold Storage, Production & Distribution Facility Project (entered by McLaren Construction) which received the GCC Small Project of the Year award; and the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) Phase 3 Project (nominated by Dewan Architects & Engineers) which was voted the GCC Education Project of the Year.
“We salute these projects for their successful completion according to strict international quality standards, proving that these schemes are comparable to the world’s best in terms of engineering and construction excellence. Equally important, these projects were recognised as the best in the region for having proven their worth in making signification contributions to the wider socio-economic, environmental and cultural development of the region,” says Richard Thompson, editorial director, MEED.
The 2017 MEED Quality Awards for Projects recognised a total of 21 outstanding projects throughout the region. The most coveted award of the programme, the MEED Quality Project of the Year, was given to Saudi Arabia’s Sadara Project, a JV between Saudi Aramco and the Dow Chemical Company, which also scooped the GCC Oil & Gas Project of the Year award.