Dubai Municipality awards LINQ modular construction licence

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Dubai-based LINQ, a unit of ALEC Engineering & Contracting (ALEC), has secured a modular construction licence from the Dubai Municipality to start executing the pilot project for a G+6 building.

The licence allows LINQ to pilot the design and build of highly sustainable, customised modular G+6 units for commercial or residential developments, using cutting-edge technology, new systems and materials.

The approval is part of Dubai Municipality’s ongoing contribution to make the city one of the world’s most advanced and sustainable cities.

“The pace and scale of developments in Dubai are truly impressive and in line with H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, we at Dubai Municipality are keen to ensure that this momentum is maintained in the most sustainable manner possible,” said Ahmed Al Salami, Principle Research & Building Studies at Dubai Municipality.

Al Salami said Dubai Municipality seeks to support innovative organisations such as LINQ that are pioneering advanced construction techniques such as modular construction.

The licence was granted at a ceremony held at LINQ’s manufacturing facility – one of the largest of its kind in the GCC region – in Dubai Industrial City. “The license to pilot modular construction of a G+6 unit is yet another demonstration of the vision of the Dubai government and its eagerness to be the global hub for construction innovation,” said Bashar Kayali, general manager at LINQ Modular.

The event was attended by several officials from Dubai Municipality as well as top executives from the Investment Corporation of Dubai, ALEC and LINQ.

Modular construction industry

Meanwhile, the size of the construction market in the UAE was estimated to be $86.7bn in 2022 and is projected to grow at an average annual growth rate of more than 3 per cent between 2024 to 2027.

Dubai Municipality expects modular construction to translate to the more rapid and controlled production of high-quality buildings which can meet the needs of a wide range of stakeholders ranging from the hospitality sector to residential developments to commercial developments such as malls and offices.

Aligning with the UAE’s vision for sustainability and advanced techniques in construction, LINQ offers precision-built, modern buildings with an unparalleled focus on sustainability and the industry’s highest quality standards and best practices.

The company’s modular building designs have been created using BIM (Building Information Modelling) software, ensuring each structure only uses the required amount of material with a minimal amount of waste.

McKinsey & Co said modular production can speed up the construction process by as much as 50 per cent while reducing costs by 20 per cent.

The modular units will be built at LINQ’s 300,000 sq ft. manufacturing facility in Dubai Industrial City. With a workforce of 1,000 employees, the facility can produce 1,900 units per year.

In other news, ALEC signed a share purchase agreement to acquire UAE-based Target Engineering Construction Company in December 2022 as it seeks to enter the oil and gas sector. The company also won the main contract for constructing Wynn Resort, an integrated resort development on the man-made Al Marjan Island, in March 2023.

Read: UAE’s Alec Group furthers regional expansion through acquisition