Gilbane win Saudi building contract

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Gilbane win Saudi building contract

US-based international construction company, Gilbane Federal, has been awarded a $166 million design and build construction project for the Royal Saudi Air Force.

The project at King Khalid Air Base, which has been awarded by the US Department of Defence (DoD), aims to provide facilities necessary to support the modernisation of the F-15SA aircraft at the air base, said a statement from the wholly-owned subsidiary of Gilbane Building Company.

The project requires the design and construction of new facilities, renovation of existing facilities, demolition, and infrastructure upgrades.

It features the construction of King Khalid Training Centre, which will provide academic and hands-on training for F-15SA aircraft maintenance within a campus environment; a new avionics and pod facility; and a variety of renovations to existing facilities, it stated.

The scope of work includes building a two-storey academic wing, a one-storey auditorium, a one-storey task training wing, a maintenance hangar with two hangar bays, a headquarters and administration facility, four dormitories, a dining facility that seats up to 700 personnel, a multi-purpose room for private dining and presentations, a mosque, a student centre, a library and utility infrastructures, said the US firm.

Gilbane Federal has been appointed by Air Force Installation Contracting Agency (Afica) under an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Single Award Task Order Contract (Satoc).

The project, which is funded by the Saudi Arabian government, is a joint initiative between the United States Air Force and the Royal Saudi Air Force and is managed by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Centre.

Source: Trade Arabia

More info: http://tinyurl.com/mgnv5ps

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.