North East engineering company Cundall has expanded its operations in the Middle East with the opening of a new office in Riyadh.
The Gosforth based engineering consultancy launched Cundall Arabia, its 24th global office, following a reception hosted at the British Embassy in Riyadh attended by local business leaders, representatives of the Foreign Office, and Cundall staff and clients. The opening takes the number of employees worldwide to 1,000 employees worldwide, which will soon increase as the firm says it also plans to open an office in the Philippines this year, and will also make further announcements about openings in the coming months.
The company has worked with clients in the Middle East for over 15 years, with projects across the region including many in Saudi Arabia. The new Riyadh office will be a hub for the practice in the country work and will complement its existing offices in Dubai and Doha, increasing influence on projects across the region.
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Cundall is currently working on a number of high-profile projects throughout Saudi Arabia, within entertainment, masterplanning and the Red Sea Global’s Dark Sky Initiative.
Richard Stratton, Cundall partner and managing director EMENA, said therecent diversification of the Saudi economy with the implementation of Saudi Vision 2030 provides an opportunity for Cundall to help create a more equitable and sustainable built environment, aligning with its own strategy and values.
Mr Stratton said: “The eyes of the world are on Saudi Arabia as we witness unprecedented positive transformation, both socially and economically, to realise the ambition of the Saudi Vision
2030. This is driving an incredible level of growth in development and construction and 2023 should be a pivotal year for the country as work on the many of the transformational projects announced in recent years begin to come to fruition.
“Saudi Arabia has demonstrated a clear intention for its projects to set new sustainability benchmarks and this aligns well with our own Net Zero Carbon 2030 commitments.We look forward to building on the success of the projects we are already driving in the region, and continue delivering Cundall’s design and engineering excellence to both public and private sector clients in this exciting and burgeoning market.”
Carole O’Neil, global managing partner at Cundall, added: “The expansion into Saudi Arabia is a significant and exciting milestone for Cundall. We are already working with some great clients, and we’re looking forward to building new relationships in the region and continuing to have a positive impact on every project we touch.
“With the recent significant cultural and economic changes that the country has undergone, as well as its plans for a more sustainable future, we see a huge opportunity to support the country on its journey and this aligns well with Cundall’s commitment to building a more sustainable future.”
Cundall’s partner in Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz M. AlBassam, managing partner, MABconsult said: “We are thrilled with the launch of Cundall, a globally renowned engineering consultancy, here in Riyadh, where we are certain of the value that it will bring to the local industry. We look forward to the transfer of knowledge to the local talented Saudi engineers and the participation in the unprecedented movement towards the realisation of Saudi Vision 2030.”
The office move comes a week after it was announced that an organisation that aims to boost trade between the North East and Saudi Arabia had been formed, following the takeover of Newcastle United by a Saudi-led consortium.
The Saudi-North East England Trade and Investment Dialogue has been launched by the North East Economic Forum (NEEF), a body that has aimed to promote opportunities in the region’s economy on a national and international level for almost 20 years.
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