Egypt's state-run construction firm, Hassan Allam remains in a buoyant mood, despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and even looks forward to expanding on its current work, Daily news reported on Sunday. In an interview with Daily News Egypt, Hassan Allam, Chairperson of Hassan Allam Construction, discusses the current projects across various sectors that are in the pipeline. Hassan Allam also outlined the company's major projects in the New Administrative Capital (NAC), which it has been working on since 2016. Despite the recent fallout from the pandemic, Allam remains positive that the construction industry, which is an important economic driver, and that his company will continue to grow. What major projects are you are currently working on? And what major projects have you recently delivered? Hassan Allam Construction is currently working on tens of major projects in various sectors, including the Sphinx Airport Expansion, the New Capital Water Treatment Plant with a capacity of 250,000 m3/day, the 6th of October Water Treatment Plant with a capacity of 400,000 m3/day, the New Address Hotel in Marassi, Egypt's largest data centre, and a new 5 star hotel in Algeria, among many other projects. Recently, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated a number of strategic projects that Hassan Allam Construction is very proud to be part of. These include the Al Mahsamma agricultural drainage treatment, recycling and reuse plant in Ismailia governorate. The $100m project has been developed by a joint venture comprised of Hassan Allam Construction and Metito, and under the supervision of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. There is also the Bernice Project, that includes Berenice International Airport, that was built over an area of 2,550 feddans with a capacity of more than 2mn passenger per annum. We are also working on the Berenice Military Base that was built over 250,000 feddans, and other vital facilities. Can you tell us about Hassan Allam Construction's expansion strategy? We have been very successful over the past decades in delivering complex infrastructure, industrial, power and water projects. As part of the diversification strategy the company is adopting, we have expanded our footprint not only in new sectors, but in new geographies as well. Today we have a number of ongoing projects in Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Libya and sub-Saharan Africa, and we are exploring other countries as well with a focus on sectors like power, water and wastewater treatment, and special complex buildings. Adding to that, Hassan Allam Construction is capitalising on Hassan Allam Holding group's capabilities that provides our clients with a one-stop shop for fully integrated construction services. It enables us to deliver large-scale turnkey projects that capitalise on our different business lines and broad expertise in engineering and construction, manufacturing of building materials, electrical and mechanical turnkey solutions, and utility investment and development. Can you give us more details about your work in the NAC? Hassan Allam Construction has been working on several major projects in the NAC since 2016, from infrastructure projects to landmark complex buildings. Our first project was Al Masa Conference Center, followed by many vital projects like the New Capital Airport with capacity of 1.75 mn passenger annually, main water transmission lines and sewage systems, the New Capital Water Treatment Plant with a capacity of 250,000 m3/day, and main ministry buildings. Did you cut employment due to the current COVID-19 outbreak? Not at all, on the contrary at the beginning of this outbreak we decided on a complete one-week halt at work sites, with paid leave for all staff and our labour force to elevate our safety precautions and add more stringent measures on sites before we resume works on sites. Now work has resumed at our project sites with extensive safety precautions applied across the board. What are the precautionary measures you have undertaken for employees and workers considering that your scope of work is labour intensive? Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, HAH has been working to continuously update its health and safety measures across the group, and effectively communicate them with all employees and workers in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus and promote responsible behaviour. These measures include but are not limited to deep cleaning and sanitisation of all company facilities including transportation, dissemination of health and safety protocols during the site and office closure period, the requirement that all staff and workers wear face masks provided by the company at all times, redistribution of workers across staff housing to enforce social distancing and minimise the possibility of infection. What are your expectations for the construction industry in the coming period? The construction industry is a leading industry when it comes to improving employment rates and boosting economies in general. I think that once this pandemic is under control, governments will want to bolster their economies and inject some liquidity and to get people back working again. Therefore, I expect the macroclimate to benefit the construction industry in the coming period.
