Dubai – Daring architectural projects, different building methods than the ones used in Brazil, innovation, and planning were a few highlights for the group of Santa Catarina state businessmen who visited construction sites in Doha, Qatar, and in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. The mission of the Federation of Industries of the State of Santa Catarina (Fiesc) to the region, backed by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce , will end this Friday (9th). The mission head, businessman Marco Antonio Corsini, claims that what they have learned will help them innovate in their projects.
“In terms of construction here, be it public works, offices, or houses, what’s surprising is innovation, the uniqueness, and the attractiveness. We saw a curved building in Abu Dhabi that is an engineering challenge. Many companies refused to build it on grounds that it would be impossible, and yet one company did it. That’s what innovation means. What we saw in Masdar City (a sustainable city under construction in Abu Dhabi) shows what can be done in terms of sustainability-oriented civil construction,” he said.
In Doha, they went to the Qatar University construction site, Education City, the Pearl, and the Lisail, neighbourhoods which are being built from scratch. In the Qatari capital, they also met with the director general of the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex), Sidney Alves Costa, and with engineers from contractors OAS and Odebrecht, which are bidding in local tenders.
In Dubai, they had a meeting with the owner of contractor Engeprot, the Brazilian Omar Hamaoui, who told them about local regulation and contracts. They also attended the seminar “Invest & Trade in Brazil,” held by the Arab Brazilian Chamber and publishing company CPI, and visited the Big 5 civil construction fair.
“The reality here is different than ours but some of it can be applied. We were surprised to witness the level of planning and the quality of public works here. Even the overpasses here are built with care for aesthetics,” said Corsini.
The businessman said, however, that everything made here is not necessarily better than in Brazil. The construction sites in Doha, for instance, are not as well-organized as Brazilian ones, and construction waste is not properly cared for, except for Masdar City, where it is reused in construction.
“I am positive that we will use a bit of everything we have seen. Be it a different material, a different building method, or a different procedure than the one we use today,” he said.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
