Ducab sponsors high-achievers from across the company in overseas immersion course, part of company’s National Development Program

Dubai, August 21 2010: As part of the company’s long-term investment in developing its UAE national workforce, Ducab—the leading manufacturer of power cables in the Middle East—has sponsored a team of six Emirati employees to complete a month-long practices and training course in Perth, Western Australia.  Selected on the basis of their exceptional performance, attitude and commitment, the group was recognized for their demonstrated professionalism with the opportunity to expand their talents at C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE and at various independent businesses and organizations.

According to Dr. Saeed Mohd Al Barwani, General Manager of HR and IT at Ducab, the six employees were chosen in recognition of their drive to explore leadership roles within the manufacturing sector and their excellent performance while at the company.  After reviewing the program’s applicants, Laila Marafi, Amal Bin Ghelaita, Maryam, Al Naqbi, Fahad Khalifa, Abdulrahman Al Mansoori and Aqeel Al Awady were chosen for this year’s journey.  The Australia trainees work in roles from the shop-floor level through to engineers, representing a diversity of internal departments such as QHSE (Quality, Health, Safety & Environment), Manufacturing, Finance, HR, Metals, Technical and Testing.

The Australia initiative is one of the many sponsorship development initiatives within the company’s National Development Program (NDP), and included a comprehensive curriculum aimed at enhancing technical, business and communication skills of employees.  This included tours of local government, manufacturing and engineering companies around Western Australia, enabling the trainees to gain valuable insight into their chosen industry and use it to promote leadership skills upon their return to the UAE.

Dr. Al Barwani says that Ducab’s commitment to attracting local talent has seen a significant increase in the number of UAE nationals among its staff, hence the creation of training initiatives like those in Western Australia.  Founded in 2008, the NDP had its first international posting in Australia during 2009, boosting career prospects for UAE nationals at both the experienced and student levels.

“This delegation won’t be the only ones who benefit from the secondment as this unique opportunity to learn about overseas practices and ethics has equipped them with knowledge that can be shared with co-workers back home, contributing to the further development of a talented local workforce and leaders of the future” adds Al Barwani.  “We are fortunate to have many self-motivated individuals in our organization, and this is but one of the ways for us to reward such leadership within our team.”

Fostering talent among younger UAE generations is one of the specific goals of the NDP, and has seen Ducab team up with a number of leading academic institutions across the country. The objective is to provide work placement training for UAE nationals from various leading colleges and institutions including UAE University, Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), IAT and VEDC

Company recalls an exciting period of landmark ventures and new advancements in UAE manufacturing facilities

Andrew Shaw, Managing Director of Ducab receives ‘Superbrands’ award

Dubai, July 26, 2010- Following a year marked by business expansions, Ducab—one of the leading manufacturers of power cables in the Middle East—has been honoured for the second consecutive year by the Superbrands organisation for its marketing and branding excellence.  The honour is a powerful endorsement that recognizes Ducab’s exceptional work in positioning the brand while strengthening business relationships from its UAE headquarters. Ducab has been chosen for second time as a UAE “Superbrand” against stiff competition and as one of the very few recognised industrial brands.

Andrew Shaw, Managing Director of Ducab, says that as one of the leading companies in the UAE’s manufacturing sector, Ducab is very proud to have been recognised & honoured by the local business community and its industry peers.  “Focusing on client relationships coupled with the development of reliable & high quality products has taken us far in the past thirty years,” comments Shaw.  “As a joint venture between the governments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, our success is a testament to the remarkable achievements that can be realised by mutual cooperation and the visionary leadership of UAE as a whole.”

Ashish Chaturvedy, Marketing Manager at Ducab, says, “Our products are supplied to partners around the world including Middle East, Asia & Africa from a series of UAE factories and business offices.  The company has consistently gained ground over the years, capturing a market share of over 50 per cent in the UAE and with strong ambition to expand within the GCC region over the next few years.” 

With two factories in Jebel Ali—one of which is a cable factory and the other a PVC compounding plant—the company also operates two cable manufacturing facilities in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, and the UAE’s first copper rod casting plant also located in Abu Dhabi.  Looking to the future, Ducab is also preparing to launch a high-voltage cables factory jointly owned by ADWEA & DEWA (known as Ducab HV) which is currently under construction in Dubai and due for completion during 2011.

This last year, Ducab’s advanced cable solutions have laid the foundation for world-renowned projects including the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Metro and the Yas Marina Circuit, amongst many other landmark projects within the region and overseas.

Platform to encourage discussions among industry leaders on how collaboration and “local solutions” can contribute to a vibrant, sustainable infrastructure for the Emirate

Abu Dhabi, June 28, 2010: Ducab, the leading manufacturer of power cables in the Middle East, welcomed more than 250 professionals from across the UAE construction and energy industries to ‘Abu Dhabi Connected’, a networking event taking place yesterday, June 27th, at the Yas Island Rotana Hotel to encourage discussions about ways in which UAE companies can meet the energy demands of an ever growing—and diversifying—construction industry.   

While focusing on Ducab’s strong manufacturing presence in the UAE capital, the event saw many of the region’s most influential contractors, consultants, project directors and senior engineers share Ducab’s perspective on how the emirate’s latest projects will unfold as the Abu Dhabi government continues to pursue its Economic Vision 2030. 

The evening event was also marked by a glitzy colour-themed fashion show hosted by Ducab in partnership with the United Colors of Benetton, featuring a rich blend of Ducab colours incorporated into the Spring Summer Collection from Benetton.

Ducab itself has been active in the Emirate for many years, and since 2001 has been managed as a 50/50 joint venture between the Governments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.  Andrew Shaw, Managing Director of Ducab, said that the company’s Abu Dhabi partnership has contributed greatly to the development of both the company and the local economy. 

Such ventures have increased substantially during the past two years as Ducab opened its third cable manufacturing facility in Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD).  Currently, over 60% of Ducab’s capacity is manufactured out of Abu Dhabi as three out of the five Ducab facilities are located there.

Although the last 18 months have been a tough period for the regional construction industry, Shaw said that the Emirate has shown enormous dedication to building a society based on both environmental and economic sustainability, with the local supply of resources and expertise adding significantly to the maintenance of healthy market conditions. 

“Thought leadership is a very important part of doing business in the capital, especially when it comes to infrastructure,” said Shaw.  “It is our hope that encouraging business-to-business dialogue will ultimately bring to light new innovations in the market.”

Ducab has been supporting infrastructure development in Abu Dhabi by supplying cables to some of the Emirate’s most recent landmark projects, including Yas Marina Circuit, Reem Island, Emirates Palace and a Green Diesel project with Takreer.

Leading power cables manufacturer aims to support best practices and encourage innovation as a partner in Abu Dhabi’s future development

Dubai, June 3rd, 2010 Ducab, one of the leading manufacturers of power cables in the Middle East, has sponsored the Best Property Development category at the Best in Abu Dhabi Awards 2010, being hosted by ITP at Rotana Yas Hotel. The event was attended by some of Abu Dhabi’s foremost social and business personalities, featured 23 awards and an ITP Special Achievement Award.

Ashish Chaturvedy, Marketing Manager at Ducab, says that supporting events like the Best in Abu Dhabi Awards 2010 helps to encourage innovation in the market and recognize those who have contributed to Abu Dhabi’s extraordinary growth.  “In the field of property development especially, businesses in Abu Dhabi have benefitted from healthy competition in the market while showing great leadership in advancing projects never before seen in the region.  All of the nominees this year have done exceptional work, and Ducab remains a proud partner in the development of Abu Dhabi’s future.”

The nominees for the Best Property Award this year were Yas Marina Circuit, Airport Terminal, Sheikh Khalifa Motorway, and the Yas Hotel. Through the nomination, the award went to Yas Hotel in recognition of its excellence and unique development.

Looking forward in 2010, Ducab is poised to benefit greatly from its recent investments in capacity expansions, especially the construction of the UAE’s first high-voltage factory in Jebel Ali, Dubai. Some of the major UAE projects that Ducab supplied cables to in the last few years include the Burj Khalifa and the F1 Yas Marina Circuit, involving collaborations with companies like ETA and Siemens. For the F1 Yas Marina Circuit alone, nearly Dhs100m worth of power cables solutions were sourced from Ducab.

Nearly 2.5 million visitors set to attend the world’s oldest and largest power & industrial exhibition in Germany as construction industry there is set to grow to $148 billion by 2014

Dubai, April 19, 2010- Dubai Cable Company (Ducab)—one of the leading manufacturers of power cables in the Middle East—is sending a delegation of its top executives and marketing team to Hannover, Germany, this week to identify new opportunities for the UAE manufacturer to expand into burgeoning markets in the EU and abroad.  It will be the first time in 2010 that Ducab exhibits its energy cables, cable accessories, and copper products in Europe, connecting with nearly 2.5 million visitors at Hannover Messe 2010—the world’s largest power, industrial and energy exhibition—which begins today from April 19-23.

“We have gone the extra mile in making sure our products follow BICC and international standards like BASEC and LPCB, making them competitive with the best supplies offered the world over,” says Andrew Shaw, Managing Director of Ducab.  “Furthermore, Hannover is an exceptional opportunity to identify the collective advancements in the power and energy industry while sharing our own experiences during the past year.”   

This marks Ducab’s second participation in Hannover Messe following a positive experience from last year in which the company introduced Ducab products to the German and wider global markets.  According to Business Monitor International’s (BMI) Germany Infrastructure Report for Q2 2010, the German construction industry alone is predicted to grow to approximately $148 billion by 2014.  While the report puts Germany’s energy sector behind industries such as transport development, the macroeconomic outlook is reportedly one of the strongest and most developed in Europe. 

“Looking to international markets is one of the ways that Ducab has managed to maintain a strong revenue flow, and this will be particularly important as global economies start to recover from the financial downturn,” adds Shaw.  “While the last twelve months have presented many challenges to the construction industry both locally and internationally, Ducab is optimistic about the future of UAE companies in the energy market.” 

This year’s Hannover Messe exhibition is being launched under the motto Efficiency - Innovation – Sustainability, and will include over 1,800 lecturers in 13 parallel trade shows featuring international contractors, suppliers, and construction clientele.

Company capitalizes on new opportunities in GCC and Asian markets while increasing UAE market share to 50%

Dubai, March 23, 2010- Following a series of recent expansions within the GCC market, Ducab—one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality power cables in the Middle East—has announced achieving global sales of AED 2.4 billion during 2009, increasing their UAE market share by 10% from the previous year.  The wholly-UAE owned company now possesses a local market share of around 50% and aims to gain 25% of all cable manufacturing business in the GCC in the near future.

Although 2009 was a tough year for the regional construction industry as a whole, Andrew Shaw, Managing Director at Ducab, says that the company managed to utilize this time to focus on customer service, commit additional resources towards operational excellence, and expand the company’s capacity in order to penetrate new international markets.  

In terms of capacity expansions, Ducab saw the completion of several landmark ventures during 2009, including the establishment of a Special Cables Unit dedicated to the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical sector, an expansion of the Ducab Connect range, and widening the product portfolio of Ducab copper rods.  The most significant announcement however was the formation of the company Ducab HV (high voltage cable systems) jointly owned by DEWA & ADWEA.

Sales during 2009 were positive in countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and India.  Ducab’s copper manufacturing and marketing activities were particularly successful in these GCC and Asian markets, with the company recently overtaking competition in India to become the largest provider of imported copper rods in the country.   This has resulted in over 25% of the cable and enameled wire manufactured in India with imported copper now using Ducab copper; a result of Ducab’s exceptional customer service and world-class product quality.

“This last year was a very challenging period worldwide, although infrastructure projects can be counter-cyclical in a downturn as governments spend money in order to stimulate economic activity,” says Shaw.  “The Middle East as a whole remained a strong market for Ducab in 2009, and today we believe that customer service is without a doubt the most important aspect of our business.  By investing in our products and our partners alike, Ducab will continue to offer reliable cables solutions to its clients whilst contributing to the growth of the national economy,” adds Shaw. 

Some of the major UAE projects that Ducab supplied cables to in the last few years were inaugurated in 2009, including the Burj Khalifa tower and the F1 Yas Marina Circuit, involving collaborations with companies like ETA and Siemens.  For the F1 Yas Marina Circuit alone, nearly AED 100 million worth of power cables solutions were sourced from Ducab. 

Looking forward in 2010, Shaw says that the company is poised to benefit greatly from its recent investments in capacity expansions, especially the construction of the UAE’s first high-voltage factory  in Jebel Ali, Dubai (due to be operational by early 2011).  The Ducab HV company had an official ground breaking ceremony on November 24th, 2009, by H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and Chairman of the Higher Corporation of Specialised Economy Zones (ZonesCorp), and H.H. Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.  According to the newly-appointed CEO of Ducab HV Jon Vail, projected sales of cable (up to 400,000 volts) and cable solutions for the company are estimated at AED 1 billion annually once the factory becomes fully operational. 

The joint-venture between Ducab, DEWA and ADWEA appoints Jon Vail as CEO

Dubai, March 9, 2010- Ducab—one of the leading manufacturers of high quality power cables in the Middle East—has announced at WETEX 2010 the appointment of Jon Vail as the CEO of a new company Ducab HV Cable Systems. This comes exactly one year after announcing the formation of the joint venture company in which Ducab has a 50% share with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) each holding an additional 25%. 

The new company will sell cable systems in the voltage range of 66kV to 400kV, covering the highest voltage currently used in the GCC and operating as the first dedicated high-voltage facility in the region. Once fully operational, the company plans on selling over AED 1 billion of cable and associated services annually, approximately 60% of which will be consumed in the UAE.

Andrew Shaw, Managing Director at Ducab, affirms that Vail’s history of working in diverse fields ranging from technical to product development as well as business management make him the ideal candidate  to lead the launch of the Ducab HV Cable Systems.

“It is an honour to be able to serve as CEO of such a young and promising venture,” comments Vail.  “Providing a reliable, local supply of strategically vital HV cables to the Middle East is our ultimate goal, and we look forward to being the only high-voltage facility in the region dedicated first and foremost to reducing GCC dependency on foreign suppliers.”  Vail also confirmed that construction of the new dedicated factory is in progress at the Jebel Ali site and the machinery will start to be installed later in 2010.

Vail will be joining representatives from Ducab and DEWA as the companies showcase their latest technologies and projections during WETEX 2010—Dubai’s foremost water, energy technology and environment exhibition. 

Company announces launch of new range of products and hosts joint seminar with Dow Wire & Cable on building reliable MV cables in the Middle East market

Dubai, February 10, 2010- Ducab, the leading manufacturer of high quality power cables in the Middle East and winner of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Business Excellence Award for their achievements in the manufacturing sector, is showcasing its latest technologies in cable manufacturing at this year’s Middle East Electricity Exhibition (MEEE) held at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from February 9-11.  Items on the company’s agenda include the display of state-of-the-art products produced in the Special Cables Unit, the launch of a new range of Ducab Connect products, and a series of joint seminars in cooperation with Dow Wire & Cable and FM Sudafix.  Senior staff including Ducab’s Managing Director and General Managers will be at the event to connect with stakeholders as the entire range of Energy and Instrumentation Cables, Copper and Connect accessories are on display. 

“This year Ducab is celebrating 30 years of powering the region as a manufacturing leader, and we look forward to meeting our customers in person during this week’s events,” comments Mr. Andrew Shaw, Managing Director at Ducab.  With a new office in Qatar and a number of planned expansions outside of the UAE market, Shaw believes that MEEE is the ideal platform for the company to network with the best in the industry. 

So far Ducab has updated stakeholders on the new Ducab HV plant opening by the end of 2010, the launch of a Special Cables Unit in fall 2009, and new production processes in its cable and copper manufacturing.  Ducab’s copper rod plant—the first of its kind established in the UAE in 2008—has become so successful that the company now sells the copper commercially to other manufacturers in the region in addition to using the material for internal consumption.

Ducab also welcomed international delegates to a seminar jointly hosted with Dow Wire & Cable on Feb. 9 titled A Value-Chain Approach to Long Lasting Cable Lifecycle.  The program addressed challenges of increased load levels for utilities in the Gulf, internal benchmarking standards for product suppliers, and how companies can build reliable supply chains in the region.  Mr. Hassan Omar, General Manager Technical at Ducab, and Mr. Jon Penrice, Global Marketing Director of Dow Wire & Cable, led the joint seminar as they brought their own extensive experience to the floor.

Ducab is also set to unveil a new range of Ducab Connect products during a presentation later today—the final day of the exhibition.  Mr. Roy Heatherington, Sales Manager of Ducab Connect, will be joined by fellow industry colleagues including Mr. John Maher, Technical Director of FM Sudafix Group, in a discussion highlighting the application of such products in infrastructure projects around the Gulf.   Ducab spokespersons say that the expanded product range will offer a comprehensive selection of cable-connecting solutions previously unavailable through local distributors, including products for control and instrumentation applications. 

These and other discussion at MEEE 2010 take on an even greater significance this year following the Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) announcement that the UAE has earmarked almost a third of its 2010 budget—approximately AED 10.7 billion—to infrastructure projects. 

Last year over 1000 companies from around the world attended Middle East Electricity—now in its 35th year—and event organizers say that approximately 98 countries are represented at this year’s conference.

Official launch of Ducab’s Special Cable Unit (SCU) in honour of company’s 30th anniversary

Left to right: Ahmad Al Shaikh -Chairman of Ducab, H.E Saeed Al Tayer - Managing Director & CEO of DEWA , H.H. Sheikh Hamed binZayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu DhabiCrown Prince's Court and Chairman of the Higher Corporation of SpecializedEconomic Zones, H.H. Sheikh Majid BinMohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, H.E Eng. Ahmed AlMureikhi, representative from ADWEA

Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, UAE Prime Minister and Vice-President, and Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Read the full story

Ducab thanks partners, distributors and contractors at Suhoor evening at Atlantis Hotel

Ducab marked the Holy Month of Ramadan by celebrating its annual networking event with its key partners and customers. The event was held on September 10th at the Ramadan Tent at the Atlantis Hotel. Read the full story