We chat with … Simon Moon, Chief Operating Officer, Atkins Middle East & India, looking at where the company’s future lies in Qatar.
CM: What is the background to Atkins in the Gulf and Middle East?
Simon Moon: Our first office in the region (Abu Dhabi) was established in 1976 and Atkins now employs around 2000 staff in 11 offices across the Gulf. Over the last 30 years we’ve built up a really impressive portfolio of projects which ranges from iconic buildings such as the Burj Al Arab and Bahrain World Trade Centre to critical infrastructure such as Dubai Metro and Doha-Dukhan Highway.
CM: Qatar has already won the right to host the 2022 World Cup and is looking to also win the right to host the Olympics. Are these key to your work?
Simon Moon: Qatar is looking at far more than these two events, which are really stations along the route. There is a National Vision for 2030 which is providing the framework for Qatar’s huge infrastructure programmes. Lessons are being taken on board from other states so no stone is being left unturned to develop Doha into a truly world-class city.
CM: How is all the work going to be delivered?
Simon Moon: The government in Qatar is doing an incredible job and is making real progress to achieve something which has never been done on such a huge scale before. One of the key challenges is co-ordinating all of the current and future programmes for road, rail, metro and other transport infrastructure across Doha. In response, the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning has appointed Atkins to establish a Central Planning Office.
CM: What do you think are your strengths?
Simon Moon: Atkins is a global organisation employing more than 17,500 people across virtually every engineering discipline. We had less than 100 people in Qatar 12 months ago but now momentum has gathered behind projects and programmes we have grown to more than 300 and in a month’s time we will have over 500 highly qualified staff here. We are able to do this because of our worldwide resources, from where we can draw on staff according to the need. That’s something very few companies in our sector are able to do.
CM: What about the future?
Simon Moon: In addition to our work in Qatar, we are always looking for new markets and we see Saudi Arabia as a core growth area. We already have three offices in the Kingdom and are involved in projects such as King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, which is occupying a team of about 1000 people across the world. There are excellent opportunities for us to support projects in the rail, energy and social infrastructure sectors. However, the importance of Qatar to the Group cannot be underestimated; hence I spend a great deal of my time here.
CM: Mr Moon, Thank you.
