Feature
ACE announces new chair
and secretary for Middle
East group.
Mott MacDonald’s Ian Clarke has been appointed
chair of the ACE’s Middle East group. Simon Harden
of Waterman PLC will serve as the group’s secretary.
A
CE is supporting member helps to make that happen as
companies operating in the Middle we deal with issues such as late
East by establishing its new payment and onerous contracts.”
network to help represent them in the Ian Clarke worked as Mott
region. Informally set up in April 2009, MacDonald’s country manager
the group is composed of more than for Abu Dhabi before taking the
a dozen member companies, and also lead in running the firm’s business
includes non member firms in the region. across the whole of the Middle
The group holds monthly meetings in the East. Since then he has dealt
UAE, alternating between Dubai and Abu with transport, energy, buildings,
Dhabi. management services, education, industry, especially during these difficult
ACE chief executive Nelson health and water projects. times. I am keen to take up the challenge
Ogunshakin commented: “Ian Clarke and Mott MacDonald is currently and to help position ACE as a proactive
Simon Harden both have experience in working on significant projects in reference point for quality service delivery,
the engineering sector in the Middle East. the region, ranging from Palm Jumeirah working closely with my colleagues in the
Their expertise will be invaluable as we Monorail in Dubai, Masdar city in Abu profession.”
establish a significant role for the group in Dhabi, and Dilmunia Health Island in The ACE MEG was created in order to
the coming year.” Bahrain. They are also working on large influence the commercial environment in
Simon Harden has worked in scale power projects such as the Ras which ACE members operate in the GCC
international projects across Europe and Laffan Power and Desalination Plant in region. The group’s aim is to improve the
China, as well as helping to develop the Al Qatar. business performance for its member
Raha Beach development in Abu Dhabi. Clarke arrived in the UAE in 1987 firms and increase the opportunities
He was a long standing member of ACE’s and took an exclusive focus on available to them, as well as provide
International Business Group before he Middle Eastern business in 1999. He support to members on ground. It was
moved out to the United Arab Emirates in commented: “The level of development particularly apt that it formed in the year
2006. His efforts helped to get the ACE here is quite exceptional and there are that Dubai World’s financial troubles
Middle East group (MEG) going over the a huge variety of innovative schemes rocked markets around the world,
past year, and he hopes to develop the underway.” illustrating the global significance of the
group strongly in the year ahead. From his position as a longstanding region’s affairs.
Nelson Ogunshakin explained: “The expert and figure in the region, Ian is The new group has been proactively
UAE is a key market for engineering pleased to have been elected chair. He involved with the annual ACE GCC
projects and we need to ensure the sector said: “The increased presence of ACE Conferences to endorse relevant training
is fully supported there. This new group in the region is very welcome for our for professional engineering staff. It
also seeks to ensure that ACE is kept
abreast and ahead of regional changes
and spending plans, while identifying
key priorities facing ACE members’
businesses in the region. A key issue
over the past year has been to promote
the standardisation of fair contracts
throughout the region with particular
emphasis on FIDIC terms and conditions.
There is particular need to raise the
principles of equitable risk sharing and
Simon Harden Ian Clarke prompt payment for services.
February/March 2010 | 9
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