Untitled - Consolidated Contractors Company
Transcription
Untitled - Consolidated Contractors Company
From the desk of... This year we have achieved a significant milestone by securing more Civil and Building projects than Mechanical projects. Market dynamics has played a major role in this achievement and there is no reason to assume that this is the beginning of a sustainable trend. However, considering the intense competition in the Civil segments, this achievement is remarkable in many ways, not least in demonstrating the resilience of CCC business performance. While some of us may perceive this achievement as a tug-of- war as this Bulletin issue suggests, senior management see these statistics as a result of healthy internal competition directed towards achieving strategically defined goals and the achievement of the best results possible consistent with CCC capabilities and market conditions. It shows clearly that CCC Group family has the flexibility and agility on corporate and on personal levels, when the will exists, to achieve goals, believed by some, as being unreachable. I have carefully read and reviewed many of the recent Bulletin articles submitted by our employees, seniors and juniors, as a "soul-searching" exercise for why CCC is successful. Here below is a list for some of the shared common factors that I detect. • Deep rooted employee loyalty and sense of belonging to CCC. Our employees feel that they are owners. This is a compliment to us owners in that the strong beliefs and the positive and humble examples of Chairman Hasib Sabbagh and President Said Khoury have imparted a healthy regime of enthusiasm and self-confidence in the corporate ranks. This exuding employee confidence encouraged the owners in turn to maintain a dynamic and more daring risk-taking organization. “Yes, CCC can,” was our answer when faced with additional complex client requirements. • Humanistic and compassionate approach to complex and sensitive issues. CCC is not a "hire & fire" shop and never will be. We appreciate our employees' hard work and contributions and re-train them constantly to equip them with new skills required by market dynamics or fuelled by their desire to assume higher responsibilities. The total welfare of our employees is the ultimate concern of the owners. • A high sense of corporate integrity in tandem with devoted teamwork. This has produced high quality standards in project development and execution, in safety and in corporate social responsibility and citizenship. Let us all work hand in hand to keep alive this distinct culture, our growth strategy and our leadership in the market place, alive and well. I can assert that each one of our employees is a contributing and positive asset of the CCC family. To all of you, our thanks, appreciation, and support. Tawfic S. Khoury Executive Vice President EDITOR’S VIEW Athens, an early discovery by CCC as its home for our Managing Office, is proving to be the jewel in the crown. This year, Greece won the Euro2004 Football Cup and is hosting the Olympic games as this Bulletin goes to print. Athens has managed to transform itself into a first-class capital with enviable facilities and efficient transportation networks. Yes, there will be big costs, overruns and debates associated with the Olympics’ costs and budget blow-outs, but the truth is that every economy needs a vitalizing shot in the arm every now and then and that is what Greece has experienced. At CCC, we are proud to announce that 17 of our Athens staff have been given leave to participate as volunteers with the Athens2004 Olympics work force. Well done, volunteers and very well done, Athens. Relating this to Bulletin material, the gold medal of construction this year goes to CIVIL, as you will hear views about this from our rejuvenated civil engineers. In any case, whether Civil or Mechanical CCC blooms and booms. Nafez Husseini Front Row (left to right): Vasso Tselentis, Sue Lazariotou, Anna Hussein, Evy Sylamianakis, Evanthia Kaperoni, Jeannette Arduino Back Row: (left to right) Christina Ioannou-Griplas, Sleiman Abdo, Godfrey Soans, Samir Sabbagh, Elias Parchas, Penny Xenakis, Tony Abi Karam, Jose Philip and Fadi Rafoul. Missing (in Action) Maria Athanasopoulou and Natalie Rifai. Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 1 RECENT AWARDS Sohar Port & Industrial Area Infrastructure Oman Construction of a dual and single carriageway port access road (including street lighting and electrical services, drainage channel, fencing, etc.), seawater cooling water return canal with the related bridges and culverts, flood protection channel, administration and customs buildings. The Client is the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The duration of the Project is 24 months. Works started in August 2004. Capital Towers - Main Construction Works Project - Dubai - U.A.E. The Project is a multi-use development on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, consisting of two towers on a podium with two underground basements. One tower will comprise a hotel and serviced furnished apartments of 35 levels above ground. The second tower was intended to be furnished apartments of 42 levels above ground and was changed to an office building. A separate multi-storey car park with 13 floors will be constructed on the adjacent plot. The Client is Capital Investment International - Abu Dhabi. The Project Manager is Hill Group and the Consultant is RM-JM. The contract effective date is July 1st, 2004 with a duration of 20 months. Dubai Airport Expansion Phase II Airwing Facilities Project - Dubai - U.A.E. The Works include Architectural, Finishing and Electromechanical works to eight Hangars and an Administration building, Ground Support Engineering building, Royal Terminal and Main Gate House. The Client is The Government of Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and the Consultants are Dar Al-Handasah. The Contract start date was June 20, 2004 and the duration is 300 days. 2 Cairo North Power Station 750 MW - Module II Project - Egypt The scope of work comprises the design verification, supply, construction and testing of the Civil Works for the Cairo North Power Station. The design scope involves the verification and development of the conceptual design prepared by the Client, which is at a very advanced and detailed stage, into a working and final design, including preparation of workshop and as-built drawings. The facility will be designed to include a power block consisting of two 250MW combustion turbine generators and one 250 MW steam turbine generator. The Client is Cairo Electricity Production Company and CCC is in joint venture with Hassan Allam Sons. The Project award and start date is June 20, 2004 and completion date is July 10, 2006. Mina Al Fahal - Sohar Crude Oil Pipeline Project- Oman Construction of 266 km of a 24 inch Pipeline, 12 Block Valve Stations, Pig Launcher at Mina Al Fahal and a Pig Receiver at Sohar. Also the construction of Telecommunications / E& I Facilities. The Client is Oman Gas Company for Oman Refinery Company and the Consultant is Mott McDonald. The award and start date was May 29, 2004 and completion date is December 17, 2005. New Intercontinental Hotel Project, Construction Management Services - Aqaba, Jordan Construction Management for the completion of the Finishing, Interior Design, ElectroMechanical, FF&E and Commissioning of the new Intercontinental Hotel in Aqaba. This is a fast-track project and completion is anticipated by the end of January, 2005. The Client is the National Company for Tourism Development. Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 CURRENT PROJECTS Sonatrach Building, Algiers Segment Date of Completion Building Feb ‘06 Segment Oman Algeria Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil PL Pipeline South Caucasian Gas Exp. PL Pipeline Aug '04 Aug ‘05 Kanye Ph. IV Infrastructure Aug ‘04 Azerbaijan Roads Botswana Egypt Golden Pyramids Plaza, Ph1&2 Cairo North Power Station I Sonatrach Car Park ALG. Nubaria 2x750MW Pow. Station Sheraton Heliopolis Extension Cairo North Power Station II Buildings Heavy Civil Buildings Heavy Civil Buildings Heavy Civil Oct ‘04 Jan ‘05 Apr ‘05 Apr ‘05 Jul ‘06 Jul ‘06 Alba Phase 3 - Site Prep., Bioko Mechanical Supply of Aggregate for LNG Train 1, Project, Bioko Island Heavy Civil Dec ‘04 Feb ‘06 Equatorial Guinea Grenada Kuwait Int’l Rds Dhakh.,Sharqia,Dahera Remedial Works/Bridges Muscat Rech. Dam at Wadi Bani Kharus Tana’am Ramlat Khailah Rd Wadi Andam Road Mahout Link to Nizwa - Thamarit Rehab. of Nizwa - Thamarit Oman - India Fertilizer Plant Mina Al Fahal - Sohar Crude Oil Sohar Refinery Sohar Infrastructure Roads Roads Hevy Civil Roads Roads Roads Roads Mechanical Pipelines Mechanical Networks Jun ‘04 Sep ‘04 Oct ‘04 Nov ‘04 Dec ‘04 Jun ‘05 Jul ‘05 Jul ‘05 Dec ‘05 Apr ‘06 May ‘06 Dukhan Gas Al Dakhira Area Sewerage Sports Hall at Khalifa Sp.Ci. Doha Ras Laffan Com Clng Water Syst Ras Laffan Onshore LNG Plant Al Khaleej Gas Develp. Phase 1 Doha South Sewage Treat.Works Ras Laffan / Mesaieed Sweet Gas 32” Main Supply Pipeline Mechanical Networks Heavy Civil Mechanical Mechanical Mechanical Networks Pipelines Pipelines Sep ‘04 Oct ‘04 Oct ‘04 Mar ‘05 Sep ‘05 Dec ‘05 May ‘06 Oct ‘06 Jan ‘07 Road Development Program Tertiary Rd Rehabilitation Roads Roads Apr ‘05 Nov ‘05 Saint Lucia Bridg. & Rds Impr. Proj., Con 3 Bridg. & Rds Impr. Proj., Con 1 Bridg. & Rds Impr. Proj., Con 2 Crusher and Asphalt Plant Road Impr/ent & Rehab. Works Roads Roads Roads Roads Roads Feb ‘05 Jun ‘05 Aug ‘05 Oct ‘05 Nov ‘05 Rawdatain ‘C’, Burgan ‘B’ Subst. Subiya Water Treatment Plant Kifan ‘B’ & Rawda ‘A’ Substations Booster Station 131 Rawdatain Oilfield Al Khiran Infrastructure Works Heavy Civil Mechanical Heavy Civil Mechanical Mechanical Roads Jul ‘04 Nov ‘04 Nov ‘04 Feb ‘05 Mar ‘05 Apr ‘05 Mururani Gate & Rundu Roads Feb ‘05 Qatif Gosp 1 Project Mechanical Congestion Proj. at Berri Gas Plant Mechanical Sep ‘04 May ‘05 Jebel Ali 87/3 Hydrol. Study, Ph6 3 nos. 132/11 kV Substations Exp. Nadd Al Hammar/Beirut Rds Dubai Airport Expansion Ph2 Jebel Ali Power & Desalination Capital Towers on Sheikh Zayed Northeast Bab Project, Phase 1 Networks Buildings Roads Buildings Heavy Civil Roads Pipelines Jan ‘05 Jan ‘05 Mar ‘05 Apr ‘05 Dec ‘05 Feb ‘06 Aug ‘06 LAM 10 Platform Upgrade Offshore Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Jul ‘04 Turkmenistan Namibia Dualization of Onitsha - Oweri Roads Bajil Sanitation Project, Con1 Networks Sep ‘05 Jul ‘05 Yemen Nigeria Sheikh Zayed Township Palestine Qatar Date of Completion Buildings Mongu - Kalabo Road Apr ‘06 Roads May ‘05 Zambia Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 3 PROJECT PROFILE R as L affan Main Elements • • • • • • • 4 Seawater Intake Cooling Water Pumphouse Supply & Return Pipelines Power & Control System and related building Sea Water Outfall Roads and Road Crossings Auxiliary Facilities Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 PROJECT PROFILE Common Cooling Water Project March 31, 2004 was unforgettable in the memory of all those who participated in CCW Project, as it was the day of successful completion of the Project including handing over of all documentation along with the calibration of achieving more than 10 million man-hours without lost time accident. The occasion was marked by a ceremony attended by QP, RLIC, CCIC and Chiyoda Management and covered by the press in recognition of a major successful national project. For CCIC, an EPIC Contractor, the Project objective was to provide 296,000 M3/Hr of cooling water to various consumers in Ras Laffan Industrial City and an infrastructure capable of handling a total requirement of 966,000 M3/hr, this flow rate to be distributed to various consumers and returned to a common outfall all in 29 months. The main elements of the Project and the major construction quantities can be summarized as follows: Major Quantities We faced many challenges during the project, the major one being the IPP completion milestone, which is the complete supply and return of water to Ras Laffan Power Plant within 21 months from the project start date. The same involved commissioning of more than 65% of the project components 8 months ahead of the project completion date. Due to the great importance of this milestone to the client, we took all necessarysteps along with our primary Engineering Subcontractor M/s. Chiyoda Corporation to build the plant accordingly, starting with Project detailed design through expediting delivery of all long lead material and equipment, installation and commissioning of all facilities required to meet this essential milestone. As an EPIC Contractor driving all phases of the job, we were able to see a clear picture at all stages and to take major decisions Main Qualities • Reinforced Concrete • Cooling Water Piping (Sizes ranging from 1.5 M to 3.5M) • Equipment Installation • Fire Water Line • Structural Steel and supports • Cable Pulling • Excavation & Backfilling • Dredging • Breakwater 160,000 M3 52 KM 24 KM 8000 Tons 900,000 LM 1.5 Million M3 2.0 Million M3 3.0 KM when required, for example design modification, air freight and material substitution. Accordingly, we could also plan our site activities ahead. CCIC/Chiyoda qualified staff, teamwork and fighting spirit reinforced by objective and wise management were behind the successful achievement of this milestone as well as all other project milestones. Here we have to say that even in construction projects, early and deep involvement of Project key staff during design and material procurement stage is one important factor towards the success of major projects. Due to safety access restrictions of 100 LM gap between welding and application of Glass Flake Lining in addition to the maximum allowable distance of internal sand blasting and lining application of 50 LM from the nearest opening, the pipe welding / glass flake lining interface was one of the major problems at the early construction stages. However, with careful consideration piping team reached the most efficient procedure which is the progressive pipe laying/welding and glass flake lining application from two different points in between manholes and to meet each other keeping the last joint close to manhole at the middle. Design and constructability of the 3.5 M size GRP manifold downstream pumphouse, which is the largest GRP pressurized pipe in the world, was another major engineering, planning and construction job. As we have been through many experiences in this unique job, we can summarize a few lessons learned for future EPC projects as follows: • Clear and well-defined Feed Package will help to eliminate disputes. • Early constructability studies especially at critical areas are essential for successful and timely completion of the project. • It is always better to clear all Client comments on engineering documents as early as possible. Finally, as CCW was another successful project for CCC, we as Project Team are all proud to have participated in such an achievement. Nasser Ali Project Controls Manager Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 5 QUALITY MANAGEMENT Introduction to uality Q Introduction Quality Management has been attracting increasing attention from industrial and service organizations. Customers have adopted a new approach that encourages organizations to study and implement quality improvement strategies. Continued financial pressures and growing recognition of inadequacy of the old approaches to assessing and improving quality have reinforced this trend. Many organizations have adopted a quick fix approach through partial implementation of quality improvement principles: such attempts are likely to fail. Successful implementation requires that managers develop a thorough knowledge of the core ideas of the quality improvement process and actively work to lead others in learning and applying these ideas. Historical Perspective David Garvin in his book "Managing Quality" distinguishes 4 separate eras: Management • Create constancy of purpose toward improving product and service • Learn the new philosophy • Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality • End the practice of awarding business based on the price tag • Improve constantly the system for production and service • Institute training on the job • Institute leadership • Drive out fear • Break down barriers between departments • Eliminate numerical goals • Review work standards to account for quality • Remove barriers that rob people of pride in their workmanship • Institute a vigorous program for training people in new skills • Put everybody in the organization to work to accomplish the transformation. Core Aspect of Successful Implementation • Inspection Inspection era referred to early efforts of the industry to monitor quality based on after-the-fact review of manufactured products. This caused an increase in inspection cost and did not prevent defective products from reaching the market. • Statistical Quality Control Implementation has proved to present a serious problem for organizations. The following items represent the core aspect for successful implementation. EMPOWERMENT Reduce layers of Management Responsibility for decision-making. More information to workers. ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING Learn new concepts. Look outside the organization. Work in teams, learn from each other. Make and accept changes. INNOVATION / EXPERIMENT Encourage experimentation. Tolerate failure. Encourage fast response. Customer Feedback. Statistical Quality Control was introduced in the 1930's allowed inspectors to select and production rather than to test the entire output and to distinguish variation in products and signaled problems. • Company-Wide Quality Improvement This approach has been mainly implemented in Japan. Japanese companies were convinced that quality improvement will provide means to achieve goals and they supported large-scale training programs to support this initiative at all levels of the organization. • Strategic Quality Management Edward Deming first introduced strategic quality management. While his philosophy was initially rejected in the USA, it was accepted widely in Japan. Deming’s approach to management provided major contribution to the success of Japanese industries. Deming condensed his philosophy into 14 points, which became action items for top management to adopt: 6 Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 QUALITY MANAGEMENT The ISO Approach Creating a Quality Culture Many companies worldwide have implemented the above-mentioned philosophies. However, industry lacked a unique international standard to guide organizations in this process. This was provided by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) by creating the ISO-9000/2000 series of standards. ISO-9000 series represents a guideline for the development of a quality management system, and also offers recognition by certification. The implementation of the Quality Management System is a strategic decision in our organization and part of long-term planning. The introduction of the Quality Bulletin will help in creating a quality culture. The Quality Bulletin covers the following items: • Overall view of the Quality Management System • The basic philosophy of ISO-9000 / 2000 standards • Elements of ISO-9000 / 2000 standards with parallel examples related to our organization. • Other topics of interest. The first Quality Bulletin was issued in April 2004 and will continue on a monthly basis. Quality issues will be also covered in the CCC quarterly bulletin. ISO-9000 Quality Management Systems: fundamentals and Vocabulary ISO-9001 ISO Quality Management Systems: requirements ISO-9004 Guidelines for Performance Improvements The ISO-9000 series of standards was published in 1987 and was subject to major revision in the year 2000 driven by the need of industry. The new standard is based on the following concepts: • System / Process approach to management • Customer focus • Continual improvement The biggest impact is restructuring operations into a series of processes, and using them to generate performance improvement. Also, we may take the opportunity to re-evaluate our processes and to remove activities of no added value REFERENCES • Managing Quality by David Garvin • Deming "Founder of total quality management" Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 Henry Tadros 7 FEATURE CIVILS R BACK Civil is booming again. "Civil" is no more the "underdog" of the "hugely successful mechanical-orientated Company". CCC is now a budding aggressive competitor in the everexpanding civil circus of Dubai. Civil in Dubai had started with the landmark development of the "BurJuman Center" (Bur= land or coast, Juman is a name of pearls) some 15 years ago. For the readers who are not familiar with Dubai, it is a city where only the main throughfares are named and, therefore, to navigate around the city one does it by landmarks (must have something to do with the past Bedouin lifestyle in the desert having to navigate by the stars.) Soon after, CCC constructed part of another landmark, the Sheikh Zayed Road. It is the main road traversing modern Dubai and along which are more landmark establishments. We are looking forward to seeing (or rather delivering) those that are yet to be born: Dubai Mall, Dubai Tower, Dubai Land… This road project was naturally followed by the development of the area linking this road with old Dubai through 3 off-grade intersections; underpasses, a round about and flyovers. This Trade Center Roundabout Project was also constructed by CCC. The roadworks market became so aggressive in the early 90's with a lot of hungry competitors and an almost unique Client; the Dubai Municipality. CCC had to aggressively compete again to maintain its presence in this very promising area. During this period CCC constructed the second phase of Al-Aweer Sewage Treatment Plant - Dubai with Mannesmann (subsequently owned by Technip) as M&E subcontractor, followed by 2 sewerage jobs comprising of pumping stations and house connections. It is worth mentioning here the recent completion of phase-6 of Sharjah Sewage Treatment Plant in conjunction with the CCC sister company "ACWa". It was so successful 8 Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 that it even had media coverage by all the local media of Sharjah. Well, if it isn't a landmark, it definitely was a "milestone" for ACWa. By that time, this little "Civil" came of age and was no longer the "Offshoot" of the Mechanical Company, there, which was needed to do civil jobs of plant foundations and ancillary buildings … it was time to branch out into bigger and better landmarks. FEATURE Now, on a more serious note, in March 2003 CCC was awarded the contract to build the longest tunnel in the Middle East. This was a cut and cover operation, including flyovers at tunnel ends, valued, at $187 million and with a 24-month construction period. It was to go right across the heart of the existing International Airport. The project was a part of the overall expansion of Dubai's very busy airport. The original airport had been finished a few years before, but due to a huge unexpected increase in passenger traffic, it was already getting congested. At the last air-show in Dubai, Emirates Air announced its plans to enlarge its aircraft fleet with the purchase of the new megacarrier, the A-380, which of course needs longer runways and extended facilities. It so happens that a main road traverses the proposed new runways!! No problem, build the road under the runway! That is where we came in on the scene. Another aspect of the expansion project was the relocation of the Royal Air Wing. This project comprises eight new hangars, a royal terminal building, support buildings and yes … a horse-loading facility. Dubai has major roots and investments in thoroughbred horses, a close association to its folklore and past. This project is worth $132 million and is to be constructed in ten months. Both of these projects are running concurrently and are very fast track with risky and demanding logistics. So CCC has joined forces with joint venture partners on both projects. Back to our landmark navigation in Dubai. The Trade Center Roundabout where the first skyscraper on the right hand side as you exit from the underpass is a first-class hotel. This is about to be eclipsed by a new hotel and apartment buildings complex called Capital Towers. The development comprises two towers at 42/35 levels respectively. This is going to be the first building on this prestigious stretch and will be built by CCC. A $125 million project to be completed in 20 months. Dubai "Danat al Dunia", the pearl of the world, is becoming a real wonder, which hopefully will coincide with another milestone in CCC construction history. Munif Mahmoud Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 9 FEATURE civil BOOM again! In CCC during the last decade or so we got used to getting non-civil projects with tight but reasonable construction durations and at "civilized" prices. The recent trend however has been quite different. We are awarded a barrage of large civil projects at extremely tight prices, and more critically with "uncivilized" execution durations. How else would one characterize the task of completing a luxury hotel complex (Capital Towers) in 20 months, handing over 8 large aircraft hangars, an administration and terminal building complex (Royal Airwing Hangars) in 10 months, and building a giant sports complex (Khalifa Sports Hall, and the main subject of this article) in 16 months, with average monthly payment certificates in the range of $ 10-20 million? Securing such projects is certainly a source of satisfaction and heightened sense of achievement to the sales/revenue "junkies" in the Managing Office, but is also a major contributing factor for increased ulcers and high-bloodpressure cases within the project management community… Seriously though, the Khalifa Sports Hall is one of the most challenging projects undertaken by CCC. The part of the project that includes athletic track, football field, swimming and diving pools, many small arenas for different sports, spectator facilities, changing rooms, parking and general circulation areas etc. are quite routine with tens of thousands of M3, M2 and LM of different civil and associated E & M trades. The complexity and the chal- 10 lenge of the project centers on two fully air-conditioned half shells covering the entire complex, and the time pressure under which the works have to be accomplished. The main roof for the Sports Hall consists of two shells. The surface of each shell is part of a large sphere of 325meter radius, appears as a nearly complete semi-circle in the plan view. The radius of the semi-circle is 128 meters. 19 tubular steel columns, called lattice towers, support each shell along its circular perimeter, and a 256-meterspan arch supports the edge of the shell along the main diameter chord. The main arch is inclined 20 degrees off the vertical and is supported on a massive concrete abutment at each end. The main arches and the rib trusses feature extensive use of pipe sections as structural members. Roof purlins carrying the cladded roof are supported almost perpendicularly on the rib trusses. Lateral loads on the structure are resisted by the main arch in the direction of arch span (the main chord of the semicircle), and by the portal frames formed by the rib trusses continuous with the lattice towers in the perpendicular direction (I think this much description should be enough to tickle non-civil imagination…). Part of the challenge was to design the roof structure, size the structural steel tubes and sections (about 10,000 Tons), perform a wind-tunnel analysis, place orders for the material within weeks of the award, and establish a structural tubular steel Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 FEATURE fabrication yard to build the structure on site in a very short time. In our profession, besides money, time is the most important factor governing the performance and the outcome of a project. The projects that we have delivered on time usually have ended up being also commercially successful. Time pressure, especially for technically complicated projects, compromises adequate constructability reviews, hinders wide-angled commercial evaluation of alternatives, tends to erode the resilience to overcome difficulties, and reduces the boldness and the courage to introduce important changes. Currently the Khalifa Sports Hall Project is halfway through completion. It was a very difficult first half full of problems that should provide valuable topics for discussion in one of our future "lessons learned" meetings. The second half will not be any easier than the first one. Every day will be as challenging as the ones the project experienced so far till the expected completion date of the project early 2005. We should not let what we cannot do interfere with what we can. CCC is lucky to have people like Youssef, Ahmad, Mahdi, Ehab, Marwan, Imad, Hisham, Loui, Joseph, Samir and others carrying the burden of completing this project along with our JV partner. Once a mind is stretched to new ideas, it can never return to its original dimensions. Projects like the Khalifa Sports Hall help separate CCC from the crowd of other contractors. And when this project is successfully completed it will be one of many pillars carrying the professional pride of CCC. Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 Leon DerOhannessian 11 FEATURE Civils on the High Ground! The recent surge in civil works tenders and jobs is nothing new to CCC; civil works were always there. The great civil jobs in the mid seventies/early eighties were the major successes that shaped the company and were in fact the breeding grounds or the school that produced many of the current professional management. Furthermore, these jobs and the experience gained in their construction and in interfacing with the construction giants of that time was the catalyst that helped set the systems and organization that distinguish CCC. "The great civil jobs" are jobs similar to the Jubail Commercial Harbour, University of Petroleum and Minerals and Jeddah Power plant in Saudi Arabia; Zayed Sports City and Umm el Nar power plant in the Emirates; and Nizwah Thamarit Road in Oman as well as many others that are landmarks in their area. The need for rapid development in the Gulf area initially was the reason for the abundance of these major civil infrastructure jobs at the time. The area was badly in need of roads, harbors, airports, power and desalination plants … etc. 12 As an example, Saudi Arabia's road from Dharan to Jubail in the late seventies was very dangerous and had only two lanes compared to the modern highway that exists now. This requirement and abundance of civil jobs led also to the abundance of civil contractors and an increasingly competitive civil works environment, so when the initial basic jobs were completed there were too many civil contractors hungry for the too few available civil jobs which in turn led to a sort of recession in terms of sales in the mid-eighties. During the period that started in the late eighties, lucrative Oil & Gas and Petrochemical projects bloomed and overshadowed the limited number of good civil jobs that were awarded to CCC. The main reason for this boom was that the Gulf countries needed to modernize their plant and to have major industries to diversify their income. With these jobs the recession was over and everybody enjoyed this success. Recently and due to many economic changes in CCC's main working area (The Gulf), we were overwhelmed with civil and buildings tenders and were also able to secure many jobs. The reason for that could be the flight of Arab capital from the west, followed by a boom in real estate in the Area. CCC is now following segments in some Areas that were abandoned many years ago, such as buildings in Saudi Arabia and roads in Kuwait. CCC's clients are now looking for more prestigious jobs and elegant architectural concepts as well as landmarks. Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 FEATURE The Tower, which will be the centerpiece of the Burj Dubai development, will be the tallest building in the world and by a good margin. The Faisaliah and Kingdom Towers in Riyadh as well as the marvelous strip of high-rise building along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai are clear examples of this trend. Even aircraft hangars that used to be simple structures similar to a warehouse are now very stylish with a futuristic concept as our recently awarded Air Wing Facilities in Dubai. Civils are on the high ground again, and sales up to the end of July, are more than eighty-two percent civil. However, and especially in Dubai and Qatar, our clients seem to be racing against time. They want their projects "yesterday". As an example, when we received the tender for the Burj Dubai Mall, which will be the largest in the world, we were initially given less than ten days to prepare technical and commercial proposals, and the total construction period to build more than one million one hundred thousand square meters, ready to be opened to the public, is just twenty-eight months. These tight schedule jobs are a major part of what is available in the market. We are not in a position to dictate our conditions to the Clients. Although sometimes many of these conditions do not seem right or achievable, they are still imposed by clients and it appears that others are accepting and probably meeting these requirements. The number of tower cranes and construction activities around the clock, particularly in the Jumeirah Area in Dubai and the West Bay Area in Doha, are the best proof of this. CCC has met the challenge in performing and delivering on time mega jobs in the past, whether Civil ones in the late seventies/early eighties in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman or the Mechanical ones in the nineties, and will definitely meet the challenge of the tight schedule jobs now. All it needs is hard work and as our big boss used to say when we complained about our workload: "Hard work never killed anyone". Antoine Haddad Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 13 AREANEWS EVP VISITS BS - 131 NORTH KUWAIT PROJECT Kuwait Panoramic View of the BS -131 Main Pipe Rack Our Executive Vice President, Mr. Tawfik Khoury, visited the BS 131 project in Kuwait on April 18, 2004, conducting a full-scale site tour, meeting the Project Team and Snamprogetti Management. The EVP was briefed on the project status and the forecast completion date. BS-131 is the largest construction project in North Kuwait at the moment. The project was awarded in 2001. A few months later and due to a huge explosion in the existing GC 15 and BS 130, the scope of work was radically revised at the request of KOC. After the completion of the revised Engineering, the work quantities increased by about 60%, and a revised SCOW and turnover date were established. The major achievements to date include completion of pipelines erection, all major foundations, Building structures and Pipe racks steel erection. The current percentage completion crossed the 50% benchmark and forecast project completion date is end-April 2005. Saher Hamza Mr. Khoury at the Gas Compressors Area EVP, Sr. AM and Project Team CHIYODA VISITS CCC MOA A delegation comprising Chiyoda's Top Management visited Managing Office, Athens on July 26, 2004 and was received by Mr. Said Khoury. The delegation was headed by the President of Chiyoda, Mr. Nobuo Seki and included Mr. Fumio Nagata and Mr. Hiroshi Kobayashi. Both Chiyoda and CCC re-emphasized the importance of working together as partners in the Middle East and discussed how we can look at ways of optimizing EPC costs. Samer Khoury Executive Vice President - Operations 14 Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 AREANEWS SAID KHOURY IT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE Palestine Objectives For many years to come, the Said Khoury Information Technology Center of Excellence at Al-Quds University will serve Palestine's future generations in the field of Information Technology by providing them with access to opportunities for income generation. It will contribute to Palestine's ability to build a significant Information Technology industry. SKITCE will provide the facilities, resources, and tools to develop both a research and development culture and activities on campus in a rich environment for innovation and creativity. The IT Business Incubation Service at the Center will enable people with good ideas in IT to find a place to work and develop their ideas. SKITCE will build on the current Al-Quds highly qualified IT staff. Professors from Computer Science, Information technology, and the Computer Engineering departments will join the staff. Certified Training Programs Career Development With the continued demand for skilled workers across Palestine and in the local business community, SKITCE is offering a full career development solution that enables students to build successful careers with 21st century skills. As a member of several of the best leading programs in the world of computer professional training, SKITCE offers basic through advanced IT training designed to fit the diverse needs of its students. From desktop skills essential for today's workforce, to networking and programming skills for IT professionals, students are empowered to realize their potential with the skills gained. SKITCE has established relations with the leading IT companies and is an active member in the following programs: • Cisco Networking Academy • Sun Java Center • Intel: Teach to the future program Dynamic Application Development provides students with the fundamentals of Web application site implementation by using PHP. This course focuses on creating a PIP Web application that delivers dynamic content to a Web site. CCC ATTENDS 10TH PMI UAE CCC participated in the Dubai Project Management Institute Conference & Exhibition May 25-27, 2004 represented by three of its managers, Hamed Amin, Mazen Qaddoura and Mohammad Al-Haj. We were continuously busy explaining our company structure, affiliates, business activities, know-how, projects, capabilities, locations of work and so on. Visitors were happy to learn the details, which were new to many. We had a well-organized booth that attracted a majority of the participants and visitors, despite being built in a small area of 3x4m. Mohammad A. Al-Haj Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 15 AREANEWS A LONG SAFE JOURNEY UAE On December 28, 2003 the ownership of the CCC SharjahJebel Ali Gas Pipeline reverted to the Governments of Sharjah and Dubai as per the Agreement of 1986. This project marked a new approach adopted by the two Emirates towards an old border dispute. The development and the making of this deal contributed to the change of attitude and behavior of the two Local Governments to a more conciliatory disposition in resolving a territorial quarrel, enabling the surplus gas from Sharjah to replace the expensive liquid fuels used by Dubai Power and Desalination Plants. Amoco Oil Company, acquired by B.P. in 2000, discovered unassociated gas in commercial quantities in Sharjah in 1978. Before this discovery the Emirate production level of oil was very low, a few thousands barrels per day from Crescent Mubarak offshore field, which reached a peak of 70,000 barrels per day in the early 1970's. The gas find by Amoco presented Sharjah with new prospects for development and growth. I remember President Said Khoury foreseeing the construction opportunities associated with the plans for utilization of this new resource. His friendship with the leaders of the Emirates, his good relations with the principals of the International Oil and Engineering Companies and CCC’s high standing as a reliable and capable partner, paved the way for our active involvement in the development and construction of major gas projects in Sharjah. The Gas Pipeline to Dubai was the most interesting and unique of these projects. Amoco was not interested in owning a pipeline that crosse disputed borders, but coveted selling the flared gas. Dubai was interested in buying cheap fuel at a delivery point in Jebel Ali. The pipeline project reconciled all these divergent positions as a privately funded, owned and operated enterprise. Here, I also remember O.W. (Dub) Stanley who, as a member of the CCC team, steered and negotiated the project in Sharjah and in Houston, Texas, and who made valuable contributions towards the success of this deal. The project to build 73 km of pipeline from Sajaa in Sharjah to Jebel Ali in Dubai in 1986 was expanded to add Compression Facilities at a later stage to increase the level of daily deliveries from 70MMSCF initially to a peak of 480MMSCF in 1997. The right of way and construction activities started in 1985 across the sand dunes that were sparsely populated. Our crew surveyed the pipeline route in the desert once a day. The UAE in that period was on the path of remarkable growth and countrywide development with road networks, housing schemes and urban facilities emerging everywhere. As a result of this our crew had to increase the route surveys to four times each day in both directions to secure the safety of the high pressure pipeline and that of the public who came to live in close vicinity of the pipeline route and turned the desert into villas with gardens and farm lands. 16 Over the years, the depletion of the gas source in Sharjah and the increase in the consumption of gas by the power plants in the Emirate rendered the surplus quantities that can be transported in the pipeline to Dubai insignificant in 2003. At present the Local Government of Sharjah uses the stretch of the pipeline within the Emirates to continue delivering gas to the Sharjah Cement Factory in modest quantities. Dubai, with a current peak demand of 950MMSCF of gas per day, receives daily 500MMSCF of gas per day at Jebel Ali from Abu Dhabi, and compensates for the shutdown of Sharjah gas supply by using its gas from Margham field and firing liquid fuel occasionally. The 60KM of pipeline in Dubai territory is used intermittently to deliver, in reverse flow, gas from Jebel Ali to Al Awir Power Station, which is located inland between Sajaa and Jebel Ali. For the future, Dubai looks forward to the Dolphin Project to provide its long-term requirements of gas from Qatar. The likelihood for Sharjah and the other Northern Emirates to use "Dolphin Gas" is also expected in the future. The ever-increasing demand for gas as a clean fuel is encouraging other potential sources in this region to be put into commercial use provided the political and economical risks permit the realization of such ventures. The Sajaa-Jebel Ali Pipeline Transmission System that was built by CCC in 1986 as the first BOT facility in this area will surely be a part of the future gas network for the Gulf countries. We at CCC can be proud of our involvement in this special project. As usual we fulfilled our obligations and satisfied the anticipations of our Clients and other concerned parties. A word of thanks is due to all who contributed to this successful project and specifically to the Pipeline Crew who since February 09, 1986, the date for the first delivery of gas to Dubai, toured the route of the pipeline and manned its controls system diligently and competently for every day and night till December 28, 2003. Their dedication and hard work was the main contribution to the safe operation and accident free service of this pipeline. Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 Samir N. Khoury AREANEWS PALESTINIAN POWER COMPANY Palestine The Palestine Electric Company, the sole Palestinian provider of electricity to the Gaza Strip, reached Commercial Operation on March 15, 2004 and started trading on the Palestine Securities Exchange on May 10, 2004. The Palestine Electric Company (PEC) was established in Gaza, in 1999. PEC operates under the mandate of being the sole provider of electricity to the Gaza Strip through an Implementation Agreement with the Palestinian National Authority and a Power Signing with the Palestine Securities Purchase Agreement Exchange (PSE) on March 28, 2004. with the Palestinian Energy Authority. Having achieved Commercial Operation on March 15, 2004 with a capacity of 140MW, the Palestine Electric Company held its first General Assembly Meeting on March 29, 2004 in Amman with video conferencing with Gaza and Ramallah. The PEC Board of Directors met in Amman and participated in the Board Meetings and the General Assembly Meeting, the signing ceremony with the Palestine Securities Exchange and a celebration dinner for the accomplishments of PEC. During the General Assembly Meeting the shareholders elected the new Board of Directors upon which Mr. Said Khoury-President of Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) was elected as Chairman, Mr. Shukri Bishara Arab bank CFO, was elected as the Vice Chairman and Mr. Walid Salman, CCC Palestine Area General Manager as the Executive Managing Director. Palestine Electric Company signed the stock-listing agreement with the Palestine Exchange on March 28, 2004, and started trading on the market on May 10, 2004. Palestine Electric Company/Gaza Power Generating Company from 1999 to 2004 Having got off to a good start in 1999, Gaza Power Generating Company (GPGC) the operating arm for PEC faced major hurdles, but thanks to the dedication and commitment of the Sponsors, the project continued to progress. Some of the main issues, which impacted the project, were: • The start of the intifada in September 2000 forced the project to face major construction delays due to the inability to deliver equipment to site. • The rising hostilities raised high-risk questions by the EPC contractor, Alstom Power (AP), who eventually declared Force Majeure in October 2000. • The sudden filing of bankruptcy by Enron in November 2001. Enron's Collapse Enron's collapse clearly meant that GPGC was experiencing a major void within its entire organization and the threat of the project foreclosing was imminent. With this situation in hand, CCC, who is a major shareholder in the project, actively pursued the Said Khoury interests of the project in two Chairman-PEC Board of main ways: Directors • Encouraging GPGC to take over the Owner's Engineering (OE) responsibilities of Enron in order to maintain the existence of the project and its efficient execution under the various contractual obligations of GPGC; • Facilitating the transfer of the Enron shares to Morganti Development (USA) to maintain the existence and integrity of the project. During 2003, the company faced a tight cash flow situation and on November 16, 2003, a signing ceremony was organized at the Arab Bank Headquarters in Amman, at which GPGC/CCC and Arab Bank senior executives met in the presence of high-level members of PNA to sign the restatement and amendment credit agreement. PEC/GPGC team in Gaza Internal Restructuring GPGC has undergone a major internal restructuring exercise under which an Executive Managing Director was appointed by the GPGC Board of Directors in 2003 with the mandate to overlook the entire operations of the company. During this time, a new and well-structured management team with clear functional responsibilities was put in place. As a result, all procedures, policies and responsibilities have been enhanced and upgraded to meet the current conditions of change throughout the organization. Following the Enron bankruptcy, it became apparent that the project was experiencing a void within the management and operations functions. In order to fill this void, a core team was formed for the purpose of realigning, controlling and developing systems for all of the administrative, commercial and financial related functions across the project. Dareen Salman Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 17 AREANEWS 11TH OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE Azerbaijan Since 1994 it has been a tradition to convene the caspian oil and gas exhibition conference in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Every year, a large number of companies, working in the field of oil and gas, participate in this exhibition and conference to display their goods and services and to establish collaboration with national and international companies. Overseas investment in the oil and gas sector focuses particular attention on various manufacturers and suppliers. On June 1-4, the 11th caspian oil and gas exhibition conference took place in Baku, Azerbaijan in the Sports Complex building named after Heydar Aliyev. Major oil and gas companies, such as SOCAR, BP, Exxon Mobil, Statoil, as well as contractors and service providers for the oil and gas Industry participated in the Exhibition. His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, opened the exhibition in a ceremony that was attended by foreign ministers of energy, members of the government and executives from the oil and gas Industry. Visitors walked along a string of interesting stands, and they were able to collect a wealth of information and knowledge about the participants and their contribution to this industry. Stands belonging to well-known companies and giants in the oil and gas industry had an an enchanting effect with their special designs, and this year CCC had a specifically-designed stand that was, with its modern design, red color and rotating CCC logo, one of the main attractions for visitors, oil and gas executives and representatives of participating companies. A large CCIC around the world map and a map of the BTC Pipeline were placed at the front of the stand. Also, photos of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline project and the Karachaganak project were placed in the stand, along with CCC's slogan: Delivering Tomorrow’s Construction Technology Today. The large number of visitors touring the stands, including members of the media, were drawn to CCC's construction achievements and world-wide activities and the BTC Pipeline Project, the strategic position and importance of Azerbaijan. This was the fourth time that CCC participated in this exhibition, and this year was a very special year! His Excellency, Mr. Ilham Aliyev visited our stand, one of a handful of stands that were visited by His Excellency. He expressed his keen interest in the project and I was very proud to respond to the questions of His Excellency and to provide relevant information. I recall Mr. Samer Khoury, Executive Vice-President - Operations, email early in the year, requesting that CCC be "well represented" this year at the Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition … and indeed it was! Juan Boulos Presentation to his Excellency, Mr. Ilham Aliyev On June 9, 2004 I had the hononr of making a presentation to His Excellency, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan Republic, who was accompanied by Mrs. Mehriban Aliyev, First Lady of Azerbaijan, about the construction of the BTC pipeline. Also present were Mr. Natig Aliyev, the President of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic; Mr. David Woodward, the President of BP Azerbaijan, and Mr. Michael Townsend, the President of BTC Co, along with members of the government. My presentation covered CCC's construction activities on the BTC pipeline, the state-of-the-art technology used, the progress of the construction and the positive impact of the project to the local economy, in particular, with regard to employment where more than 2,300 Azerbaijani nationals are or have been employed on the BTC Pipeline Project and who came from various regions of Azerbaijan. 18 I am proud of having had the opportunity to make this presentation to His Excellency! Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 Juan Boulos AREANEWS LEARNING ACTIVITIES AT CCC UAE Nothing energizes employees and enhances their commitment and loyality more than opportunities for learning and development. Offer them training, opportunity for development; employees will work harder and smarter. Our company has been providing these opportunities for many years, and with a lot of emphasis from three years on, coinciding with the creation and launching of the in-house Leadership Training Program by Dr. Riad Elhaj on April 1, 2001. The in-house Leadership Training Program has relied on the state-of- the-art in its content, structure, presentation and most importantly in its emphasis on CCC culture, values and the 23 CCC competencies (as identified by the Hay Group). The Leadership Training Program includes nine workshops/seminars on: Leadership and Management, Communication, Delegation, Motivation, Teamwork, Negotiation, Empowerment, Problem Solving and Power and Influence. So far, Dr. Elhaj has presented more than 70 seminars/workshops to more than 1500 CCC employees from Bands 13 to Graduates Under Development, at almost every CCC Area around the globe, from Botswana to Azerbaijan. The Training Program has helped to enhance the leadership culture, STET leadership awareness and leadership capabilities of many of our employees at different levels. The rating of the Leadership Training Program as at May 30, 2004, stands at: 60% excellent, 30 % Very Good, and about 10 % Good. Other in-house training activities, which are taking place in some areas, include the cost control and budgeting, quality control, and health, safety and environment (HSE). In addition to the in-house leadership training activities, the company has provided the opportunity in years 2003 and 2004 to many of our project managers to attend seminars/workshops by leading international training companies on topics such as: Negotiation, Leadership, Contractual Matters, Risk Management and Project Monitoring. Besides, two executive management courses on Project Management Professional Certification will be taking place in July and December 2004. The in-house Leadership Training Program is relentlessly getting more dynamic and more effective by having more emphasis on workshops and real construction case studies. It keeps abreast with the latest knowledge and technology, which together with all other outside learning opportunities will continue to help many of our employees to learn and to develop in our company. Dr. Riad Elhaj E-SOLUTIONS BY UAE MINISTRY OF LABOR UAE We live in an increasingly interconnected society where reliance on the Internet is becoming indispensable in many aspects of our life. Many people nowadays are more encouraged and are better equipped to use the Internet anytime in the 24 hours to execute many of their daily tasks, from banking, buying, learning, paying bills, filling in applications, processing governmental procedures, etc. The UAE Ministry of Labour, in a dedicated effort to streamline electronic systems, has launched a state-of-the-art Internet based system to replace the old manual one, in order to enhance productivity and to speed up the processes related to labour transactions. H.E. Mr. Ahmad Kajur, Under-Secretary of the Ministry, found time in his busy schedule to visit our offices and inspect the implementation of the new system by our staff. In a professional and friendly atmosphere H.E. Mr. Ahmad Kajur and I had a long discussion on the importance, the need of such an e-system, and the many benefits that will result to all parties. Later on, other CCC staff team members joined us from our department, namely, Ousama Zeibak - representative of our company to the Ministry of Labour, Wassim Chafati, Mohammad Redha, Mohammad Bouthour, Delara Oumiarova as well as Robert Watfa, our ISD specialist. H.E. Mr. Ahmad Kajour had the opportunity to have a close look at the marked differences between the old and the new system. The positive cooperation between UAE governmental institutions and CCC has always allowed us to deal with new changes in a highly constructive way, which has surely added strength to our company's efforts for better productivity and performance. Walid Shuhaiber Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 19 AREANEWS TACKLING WASTE AT SOURCE ACWa ACWa Services has extended the effluent treatment facilities at Hazlewood Foods' Selby site following bottling plant expansion. Due to the expansion of business in cooking sauces and the completion of a new specialist dressings' bottling facility at its manufacturing centre in Selby, North Yorkshire, Hazlewood Sauces and Pickles is extending its effluent treatment plant to treat higher volumes of process wastewater. The design and build contract, which has been awarded to Skipton-based ACWa Services by plant operator United Utilities (UU), will allow Hazlewood to treat a projected 30% increase in effluent flow and load while operating well within the revised discharge consent. Hazlewood Foods is one of Europe's leading manufacturers of own-brand convenience foods and a corporate member of Greencore. Recently, the increasing volume of process wastewater discharged from operations at the Selby factory put pressure on the existing effluent treatment facility and, due to limitations in hydraulic capacity, the plant was unable to satisfy changing process requirements. The existing plant, designed and installed by ACWa in the early 1990s, had been effective and trouble-free when operating within the limits of its intended design capacity - an instrumental factor in UUs' decision to select ACWa as main contractor. tank capacity is exceeded, it will be directed to a new 300m3 calamity tank, installed as an additional holding facility. The calamity tank will allow effluent to be fed back into the system at times when there is a reduction of incoming flow or will hold it in readiness for tankering away from site. The new balancing and calamity tanks will be capable of handling any abnormal peaks in flow. A mixer will be installed to ensure complete homogenization of the effluent and effective chemical mixing while creating optimum conditions for the downstream hybrid reactor process. A NATURAL PROCESS The reactor process is achieved by allowing naturally occurring bacteria in the effluent to partially acidify the organic content of the COD. To address the problem of odour, the plant will GETTING IN A PICKLE When formulating the revised process design, ACWa took into account the fluctuation of volumetric throughout and the COD/BOD loadings produced by seasonal changes in production. Due to the pickling season, the levels of effluent have a tendency to increase during September-January and decrease during February-August when the plant switches to sauce production. At the re-design stage it was also necessary to consider the strict requirements of volume and flow. Following an evaluation of the existing treatment process in relation to revised customer requirements, ACWa submitted detailed recommendations and updated design proposals, which would allow the system to handle an average flow of 2,500m3/d with a maximum flow-rate of 4,800m3/d. The process would also be capable of treating a maximum COD loading of 12,000kg/d with an effluent discharge quality of 750kg BOD/d. The contract for extending and upgrading the Selby plant comprises the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of all the mechanical and electrical systems, together with associated civil engineering works. The new process will include effluent collection and transfer, screening, primary settlement and balancing, pH correction, nutrient dosing, heating, anaerobic treatment, sludge removal and storage, bio-filtration, final settlement and odour control. At the Hazlewood site, wastewater gravitates to an existing transfer sump from which it will be pumped to a screening, primary settlement and balancing facility. Alternatively, if the effluent is on an unusual strength or the balancing/pre-acidification 20 incorporate an emission control system based on an ACWa AIR packed tower wet scrubbing process. In operation, exhaust air streams from the balance and calamity tanks will be ducted to a local exhaust fan. This will be installed to provide the required exhaust suction and discharge pressures to compensate for pressure drops in the ductwork. Gases from the balance and calamity tanks, combined with exhaust gas discharged from the upstream biofilter, will be ducted to the main exhaust air fan, which provides pressure to overcome the resistance in the ductwork, scrubber and stack. Extractor hoods installed over the sludge tanks will also direct odours into the scrubbing system during the decant cycle. Effluent from the collection sump will be mainly pumped to the inlet of a new rotary screen, which will discharge screenings to a compactor for off-site disposal. Screened effluent will then gravitate to a new primary settlement stage installed with a swirl-flo clarifier. At this stage of the process, duty/standby pumps will remove gross solids from the effluent and transfer them to a sludge storage facility and, under normal operating conditions; clarified liquor will gravitate back to Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 AREANEWS the balancing stage. As it is necessary for effluent in the downstream anaerobic treatment process to have a pH of between sixeight, effluents in the balance tank will be corrected by dosing with sodium hydroxide. This will be pumped from an existing storage tank, monitored and controlled by an ultrasonic level transmitter. The dosing pump will be controlled and activated by pH monitor. At this stage of the process, liquid nutrient will be dosed into the effluent to maintain the correct level of nitrogen. This also contains the micronutrients identified as being deficient in the effluent, preventing a condition that would retard biological growth. The nutrient solution will be dosed from a bunded bulkstorage tank by two pumps operating as duty/standby. Due to the downstream anaerobic treatment process operating at optimum efficiency at around 35-37°C, it is often necessary to raise effluent temperature. For this purpose, two heat exchanges operating as duty-standby are to be installed on the outlet of the reactor to recover heat from the effluent before it undergoes further treatment in the biofilter. A second set of duty/standby heat exchangers will be installed on the inlet to the reactor. These will be connected to hot water boilers and will ensure effluent is pre-heated to the correct temperature before entering the reactor. A temperature control system will be installed across the heat exchangers to ensure the correct temperature is maintained and a duel-fuel boiler utilizing biogas produced in the anaerobic reactor will provide hot water. ACWa selected anaerobic filter technology for the Hazlewood treatment process because of its reliability and track record in the reduction of BOD/COD levels by at least 70%, while producing only small volumes of sludge. Effluent will be transferred to the anaerobic reactor inlet via a pipework distribution system. In operation, incoming effluent, composed of biologically formed granules (biomass), flows upwards through the sludge blanket. Treatment occurs as the carbonaceous organic matter makes contact with the biomass. The gases produced under anaerobic conditions - mainly methane and carbon dioxide with traces of hydrogen, hydrogen sulphide and water vapour - cause internal mixing, which facilitates the formation and maintenance of biomass. Gas bubbles produced within the sludge blanket remain attached to some of the granules, causing them to rise and strike the media. At the point when bubbles are released and degassed, granules fall back into the sludge blanket. A thin layer of ACWa Services Ltd has acquired Aquator Bahrain W.L.L. from the Administrators of Aquator Group Ltd. Aquator Bahrain sells the Kubota range of filtration membranes throughout the Middle East - Kubota being one of the premier suppliers of submerged membrane systems used predominantly in trade effluent and domestic sewage bio-reactors. The acquisition of Aquator Bahrain is part of ACWa's plan to extend its interests in the Middle East and to strengthen its position at the forefront of Membrane Bioreactor Technology. Throughout the Middle East, the rapidly increasing use of treated effluent for irrigation purposes has created a demand for anaerobic biomass forms on the media to facilitate the reduction of COD and anaerobically treated effluent is discharged, via a supernatant peripheral weir, into a degassing chamber for the removal of any entrained biogas. Biogas produced during the anaerobic process will rise to the top of the reactor and pass through a single outlet via a flowmeter to the dual fuel boilers or to a waste gas burner. Thermowells installed in the reactor will monitor the temperature of the sludge blanket and the effluent. From the anaerobic digester, treated effluent is pumped into the existing biofilter, which is being retained as part of the new process. Within the biofilter, effluent will be distributed over the upper surface of the packing media by a reaction driven rotary distribution system. As effluent passes down through the media, biomass growing on its surface will absorb the soluble organic matter, converting it to cellular material or the eventual breakdown products of carbon dioxide and water. Excess cellular material will pass from the base of the filter into a re-circulation sump. To handle the increased volume of effluent passing to final settlement, a larger tank is to be installed to operate in parallel with the existing one. The flow of effluent will be split between the two tanks via a splitter box. When completely settled, clarified effluent will overflow a peripheral v-notch weir and gravitate to a buffer tank before being transferred to the river via a discharge pump. W&WT Industrial Effluent Treatment May 2004 the Membrane Bioreactor System - currently seen as the most important technological advanced process for ensuring high quality effluent with low sludge production. Projects have already been executed in Qatar and Abu Dhabi; work is underway for uprating Almarai's plant in KSA and a letter of intent has been received for a 76,000m3/d plant in Oman. Other large projects are currently being considered in Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. The company will sell Membrane Bioreactor Technology throughout the Middle East from the Bahrain office and its affiliate, Aquator Emirates in Abu Dhabi. Shams Dabbagh Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 21 SPORTS Euro 2004 We are the Champions, my Friend On the bus that transferred the Greek National Football Team was a banner reading: “In ancient Greece there were 12 gods; Attending here are Greece’s current 11” So much did the Portuguese know when they first wrote it, back then when the EURO 2004 games started. I know that CCC has a lot of football fans, and I also know that a lot of you were watching one of sports biggest events “the Euro 2004 football Championship”. And the winners are …GREECE!!! Can you believe it? I think that outsider “Greece” and first time finalist “Portugal” made the event even more interesting, everybody was hanging over a TV set waiting to see. great football match, new faces and new players. Statistics say that for the first time ever in ‘Euro’ and ‘Mondial’ Football History the teams playing in the opening match played together again in the Finals. Also it was the very first time in ‘Euro’ history that a game was won by a ‘Silver Goal’ (Greece vs. Czech Rep.), and lastly, a ‘first-timer’ for an outsider team placed at 1-100 to ‘take it all’. We saw Portugal lose 2-1 to Greece, Spain 1 Greece 1, France 0 Greece 1, Czech Rep. 0 Greece 1, and then the final Portugal 0 Greece 1. I have no idea how many times I shouted “Goooaaaal” at every game, or how many times the anchor man of the Greek TV shouted it too… one thing I do know is what we were jumping in the air… body and soul. We celebrated all the games chanting and hooraying till early hours of the morning, a few of us from CCC gathered at a coffee shop in Marousi to watch the games one after the other, same people, same place, same tables, same chairs, same mood…everybody was happy, everybody was excited, some of us felt it first hand, saw it, and lived it … yes, it was a magnificent 3 weeks. Fans of the Greek national team are plenty in CCC. We all wish good luck to Greece for the Athens 2004 games, and its Olympic Football team. We are also awaiting the Mondial in 2006; Who knows? … there is a slogan (by the way, it rhymes in Greek) that the fans are shouting, it goes like this: “IN TWO YEARS, IN GERMANY, BRING TO US … BRING TO US … BRAZIL” Thank you Otto Rehhagel Thank you Nokopolidis, Saitaridis, Dellas, Basinas, Zagorakis, Giannakopoulos, Venetithis, Charisteas, Fyssas, Vryzas, Kapsis, Katsouranis, Karagounis, Tsiartas, Nikolaidis, Papadopoulos, Lakis, Kafes, Georgiadis, Goummas, Dabizas, Kostantinos, Katergiannakis. The young players of F.C. Kalivia wish to thank CCC and especially Samir Sabbagh for sponsoring them with football suits with the CCC Logo. They will be proud to play in them when the new season begins. All our groups ended in 1st, 2nd and 3rd places this year. Next year we hope to go to Sweden again for the 3rd time where the Gothia Cup is held until teams from all over the world. The total number of teams participating every year is around 1,250. The Football Academy consists of 100 boys aged 6-15 and we are hoping that the new season will bring a lot more considering the big success of our Greek National Team in Portugal. Again, a lot of thanks to CCC. Helen Karpasitis 22 Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 Penny Xenakis MILESTONES Marrige: Saleem Abdul Rehman (Comp.Oprt,working in Material Department,Alba Phase II Project) and Rehana got married on April 11, 2004 at his Home town Dargah Compound Kundapura,Karnataka,India. Jamil S. Akkawi (NPCC - Abu Dhabi) and Rania Dahdaleh have tied the happy knot on April 22, 2004 in Amman, Jordan. The wedding was followed by a nice reception at the Marriott Hotel and was attended by family and friends. The happy couple spent a couple of weeks later on in Italy then headed back to Abu Dhabi. Biju Joseph (BCOG , Saudi Arabia) and Retty got married on October 20, 2004 in Karukutty-Kerala-India. Births Jose John (Alba Phase II Project, Material Dept.) and Jyothy John proudly announce the birth of their first baby girl "Anugraha" on January 20, 2004 at their home town thrissur (Kaiperambu),Kerala,India. Mohd.Mujeebur Rahaman (Engg. Dept, OIF Project, Oman) proudly announces the birth of his third beautiful baby girl Nabeeha Manal, on April 3, 2004 in Warangal, AP, India. Zaher Merheby (Sicon Oil and Gas - Milan - Italy) and his wife Rym are glad to announce the birth of their baby boy Bassel on June 6, 2004 in Canada. He weighs 3.9 kg and measures 49 cm. Boran is very happy about the arrival of her little brother, Bassel. Muhammad Farooq Bhatti (CCC - K.S.A, BCOG Project jubail - Engineering Department) and his wife Fazilat have the pleasure of announcing the birth of their first baby girl "Sadia" in the Society Hospital Moghal Pura, Lahore in Pakistan on May 9,2004. Raed Al Naber (MOA) and Dalia Taktak, gave birth to a 3.90 kg, 53 cm beautiful baby boy. They named him Amir. The happiest of them all is big brother Yousef, for he has a new playmate. It was a great honour for us to represent CCC in the Athens 5x5 Football Championship. Moreover it was a greater honour to be part of a team that wholeheartedly gave its absolute best in each and every game. We placed 5th out of 10 highly professional teams in a very competitive and exciting championship. We are proud of the results and of the fact that we all worked together as a team and believed in each other. I take this opportunity to present to you the players. Coach: Minas OTTO REHAGEL Costantinides Goalkeepers: Adolph WOLFGANG KOPP Khoury Defenders: Alaa Ennimer - Jirar Shawwa - Said Shawwa Brian Thomas Forwards: Rashid El-Nimer - Raouf Eissawi - Aziz Meleka (Captain) Adolph Khoury Materials Section - MOA Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 23 FAMILY DAY Family Day at the Beach 2004 They asked me to write a short paragraph on Family Day, but instead of the actual event, I will write something about my unbelievable team. It was a 5.00am start for ALL of us to get to Voula Beach on Sunday June 20, 2004, and then packed up at 7.00pm. That's a long day, which was rewarded by a day off the next day to nearly all the team. Most of you don't realize, but to make this day happen, preparations are in progress at least three months before. We start off with a core Our Team EMCEE Coordinator Sponsors and Gifts Treasurer Sports Coordinator Children's Activities / Gifts Graphic Design Photographer Reception Sports Adviser / Lifeguard Tug-O-War Drinks / Transportation Registration for Games Security Welcoming Setting Up / Clearing Up 24 Samir Sabbagh Anna Hussein Eleanor Bonanos Vivi Linardoutsou Aziz Meleka Penny Xenakis Vaya Stamati Yannis Yanoulis Tony Abi Karam Lilian Mansour Eliana Haykal Rana Ziadah Nadia Zayadine Vangelis Magiras Brian Thomas Adolph Khoury Firas Masoud Abd Jirar Shawa Abdelhamid Alex Kotsinis Adli Batnij Johnny Bandak Kirios Thomas and Team team, who take care of matters, such as arranging for the venue, organizing food, liaising with sponsors, arranging children's activities, buying the gifts, choosing events, organizing sports events, setting up the area, music and more. My (carefully selected) Activities Team consists of volunteer staff, who are very dedicated to their job and I am very proud to have them on board. We now have an "Activities Board" where CCC events are posted for all to read. From the positive feedback we received, I came to believe that everyone had a wonderful time at the beach. Special thanks to each and every one of the below-listed people for their dedication, loyalty, support and efforts: Samir Sabbagh Manager, Business Development Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 FAMILY DAY Beach Volley, Tug-Of-War and Penalty Kicks (under 15) were our games this year. Despite the hot weather and the soaring sun, CCC personnel participated in all activities eagerly. 12 teams competed in the Beach Volley tournament which was a main attraction this year. High performance from all teams made it enjoyable for players as well as spectators. ISD, led by Gus Hourani, made it to the final and managed to grab the title after a heroic come back. On the other side of the beach, the temperature rose drastically in the Tug-Of-War tournament, it included 8 teams that competed honourably and pulled fiercely till the end. But of course who could win such a competition except the guys who never knew about Atkinson or his diet….the heavy-weights, who named themselves "Trouble" led by Brian Tomlinson. Good job, guys and stay fit for the coming years. Finally, I would like to congratulate everybody that joined in our activities, after all it was a 'FUN DAY' and fun is what we all had. Keep up the good work and see you all next year! Aziz Meleka Sports Coordinator Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 25 FAMILY DAY As a newcomer to the CCC "Family Day" I wasn't sure what to expect, and, like most of the staff here, didn't realize how much hard work went into the preparations to ensure that people just turned up and enjoyed themselves, which they very apparently did, and I include myself and my family in that! Although a beautiful venue, it was somewhat large, some people waited a long time at the food queue, the events could have been staged more centrally, and the Tug-ofwar judging could have been handled more......leniently! Um, no comment! The gifts (as always, I'm told) were very generous and greatly sought after. However, one thing was unanimous, "would you like to do it all again?" The answer was a resounding "Yes please"! ...."When"? Thank you, CCC for a very enjoyable day out. Brian Thomas Tug-Of-War 26 Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 FAMILY DAY CCC 2004 RALLY To start this article I have to state to you that we had a very nice time. With a record-breaking 21 car participation; the first price was a fully paid package for 2 persons to Monza Italy’s Grand Prix…the competition was fierce…I have to say however that it was fun since everybody had to answer 4 packages of interesting questions of general facts and information, some were funny, I could add in fact that it was a learning experience. The feedback was great, participants really enjoyed the day, employees, spouses, children, friends etc., the new and challenging locations made the difference since a lot of the people had not been to them before. First location was the Port of Rafina, Second location was the Horse Riding Club in Halandri, Third location was the Zeppelin Café, Turkovounia (with a breath taking view of Athens from the north down to Piraeus port), a perfect coffee stop to relax, Fourth location was the Grand Chalet Hotel in Kefalari. I have to give credit to the saying “the means define the end” this had it going for our participants. Someone told me that he threatened his Video Store manager to cancel his membership if he did not help him find the picture quiz with an actor’s half covered face. Some people were going back and forth to the office to search the Web others were spotted at Internet cafés, some even called the UK, USA and local friends to get answers, research engines of many kinds where required. Others transformed their car trunks into mobile libraries; books, encyclopedias etc. … you name it; they had it. Don’t think it was easy, here are two examples: What would you have chosen as the right answer to these questions? THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD ADMIRAL WHICH IS USED AMONG THE NAVY OFFICERS IS DERIVED FROM THE a•First French lord of a ship in 1420 which his name was “Bon de Admiral” b•Arabic phrase “Amir Al Bahr” which means “lord of the sea” c•Venetian ship “Admira” that destroyed 15 Turkish ships in one battle near the cape of Methoni, Greece in 1834 d• Title that queen of England gave to one of her ship captains for “admiring” his courage during the war with Spain IN TIBET IT'S GOOD MANNERS WHEN YOU WELCOME VISITORS TO a•Show your teeth b•Stick out your tongue c•Raise your feet d•Shake your head So after some tough questions and picture quizzes of all kinds we finally got to the finish line, Samir Sabbagh was kind enough to invite everyone to his house for a BBQ, where the final scores where calculated and we had a winner. First Prize was won by a CCC female participant for the first time ever Nadia Zayadine and her husband Panayotis Papadopoulos. Second Prize of “two home cinemas” was won by Rony Labban and Shehade Kassouf. As for the Third Prize it was won by Montaser Haddad and Najeeb Moujaes who walked away with two Hi-Fi stereo systems. Prizes where given out by Samir Sabbagh as well as special gifts to all the participants. Many thanks are in place for Samir Sabbagh our Head of CCC Activities, who keeps us going and maintains the activities that make such days a happy gathering for the employees. Thanks are also in order to our sponsor Takis Kamenos of AUTO CLUB RENTAL. I know for a fact that the Master Commander for many years, Alex Khoury, was at the office till way past mid-night for many days to prepare for the event, thank you. All in all it was a perfect day, we hope to see pictures and to read an article from the winners of the MonzaItaly’s trip in the next Bulletin. The answer is “b” for both questions above if you were wondering. Hoping that next year we will break another participating record… Reporting for the Bulletin Penny Xenakis Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 27 LIGHTER SIDE I have seen several Olympic games openings in my life (on TV of course) and I always hoped that one day I would be able to see such an event live. And here my chance came for the Athens 2004 Olympics!! I was here, the Olympics were here, but the facilities were NOT! No one, including many Greeks, thought that venues and facilities would be ready in time. I even heard that the backup plan was to hold the Olympics in Sydney… I said to myself, could it be? Can it be that after all this hoping and finally being at the right place and at the right time that the place tha kanie kopana? I was shocked! However, like no hard workers you have ever seen, the Greeks (last minute) notched up, not one, not two, but three gears and set a world record in the preparation of the venues and other facilities needed to sustain world-class events. Imouna antiposiasmenos!! Enough said about the impressive last minute efforts and on to the Opening Ceremony! A lot of hard work has been employed to achieve the high level of security and at the same time keep it from hampering the progress of the games. The entry to the games was simple enough. The security checks were very efficient and suddenly you are in. Yes!! Many volunteers were there assisting in the security at the gates, stationed at key locations as to provide needed assistance and information to attendees, and guiding spectators to their seats within the stadium. The volunteers, totaling a record breaking 160,000, played (and are still playing) a major part in the success of the Olympics. Kalo Kouragio gia olous! The area outside the stadium had Olympic shops for souvenirs and most importantly they had snack bars. Of course it will not be enjoyable if there was nothing to eat… of course, as expected, I munched on something and then went in. The stadium was packed; 72,000 spectators were there. Waiting for the official opening to commence, there were 28 some entertainment activities going on hosted by Nikos Aliages and Thalia Prokopiou. At 8:45, 400 percussionists circled the field, which was converted into a big 'lake', and the 5 Olympic Circles were lit from within the lake. The IOC President, Dr. Jaques Rogge, Athens 2004 President, Ms. Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, the president of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Konstantinos Stefanopoulos entered the stadium and the Greek flag was raised. Then a giant Cycladic head emerged from the center of the lake and then broke off several times revealing to the spectators the Kouros statue and then a classical statue. The ceremonies moved on, leading to the marvelous portrayal of Greek history from the Minoan age to the present day. Olympic events were also portrayed in this quite artistic parade. Then came the procession of athletes with great cheering from the crowds. The national teams paraded in alphabetical order - using the greek alphabet. We were kept on our toes guessing which country would be next. By then I wanted to be back sitting on my very very comfortable couch. Sitting there for around four hours is not something anyone would look forward to, especially if you are my size and you don’t have much room to maneuver. Think of bringing a cushion, you will thank me two hours into sitting on those seats. Actually your backside will be doing the thanking!! The guys from the international space station popped in to say hi and then they sprinted away. That was neat from the organizers to involve everyone; even those high up in the sky! It also showed the level of technology the games were seeing. Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 Rony Labban LIGHTER SIDE Bulletin - 4th Quarter 2004 29 Business Outlook Recently Recently awarded awarded .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 Current Current projects projects .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 Project Profile “Ras “Ras Laffan” Laffan” nasser nasser ali ali .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 44 Quality Management “Introduction “Introduction to to Q.M.” Q.M.” Henry Henry Tadros Tadros .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 66 Feature “Civils “Civils RR Back” Back” munif munif mahmoud mahmoud .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 88 “Civil leon derohannessian derohannessian.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 10 “Civil Boom Boom Again” Again” leon “Civils “Civils on on the the High High Ground!” Ground!” antoine antoine haddad haddad .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 12 Area News “KUWAIT” “KUWAIT” saher saher hamza hamza .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 14 “GREECE” samer khoury khoury .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 14 “GREECE” samer “PALESTINE” “PALESTINE” .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15 15 “UAE” mohammad a. al-haj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 “UAE” mohammad a. al-haj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 “UAE” samir n. n. khoury khoury .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 16 “UAE” samir “PALESTINE” “PALESTINE” dareen dareen salman salman .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 17 “AZERBAIJAN” “AZERBAIJAN” juan juan boulos boulos .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 18 “UAE” dr. riad el-haj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 “UAE” dr. riad el-haj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 “UAE” “UAE” walid walid shuhaiber shuhaiber .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19 19 “ACWa” “ACWa” w&wt w&wt .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 20 “ACWa” “ACWa” shams shams dabbagh dabbagh .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 21 Sports “Euro “Euro 2004” 2004” penny penny xenakis xenakis.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 22 helen helen karpasitis karpasitis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 22 adolph adolph khoury khoury .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23 23 Milestones announcements announcements.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23 23 Family Day “MOA “MOA Family Family Day Day at at the the Beach” Beach” samir samir sabbagh sabbagh .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 24 “MOA aziz meleka meleka .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 25 “MOA Family Family Day” Day” aziz “MOA Family Day” brian thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 “MOA Family Day” brian thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 “CCC “CCC 2004 2004 Rally” Rally” samir samir sabbagh sabbagh .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 27 27 Lighter Side “Olympic “Olympic Games” Games” rony rony labban labban .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 28 28 Arabic Arabic Folklore Folklore .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 29 29 Editors samer khoury zuhair haddad nafez husseini damon morrison Public Relations samir sabbagh Production natalia rifai penny xenakis nick goulas jeannette arduino The BULLETIN is a publication issued at CCC Managing Office in Athens by volunteer staff. All opinions stated herein are the contributors’ own. Submissions (announcements, stories, artwork, etc.) are welcome. CCC BULLETIN P.O. Box 61092 Maroussi 151 10 Fax (301) 618-2199 or bulletin@ccc.gr