National Petroleum Construction Company's owner NMDC's ongoing contracts are valued at more than Dh40 billion. Photo: NMDC
National Petroleum Construction Company's owner NMDC's ongoing contracts are valued at more than Dh40 billion. Photo: NMDC
National Petroleum Construction Company's owner NMDC's ongoing contracts are valued at more than Dh40 billion. Photo: NMDC
National Petroleum Construction Company's owner NMDC's ongoing contracts are valued at more than Dh40 billion. Photo: NMDC

Abu Dhabi's NPCC partners with Egypt to boost projects in Mena region


Alkesh Sharma
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi’s National Petroleum Construction Company joined forces with Egypt’s Engineering for the Petroleum and Process Industries on a number of projects in the Middle East and North Africa region.

As per the pact, both parties will work together to secure mutually agreed projects and examine potential opportunities.

The agreement signals that “we are a committed partner in strengthening the bilateral ties between the UAE and Egypt through mutually rewarding expansion plans”, said Yasser Zaghloul, group chief executive of National Marine Dredging Company, which owns NPCC.

“We are using solutions at our disposal to facilitate further diversification of our business interests. In view of these goals, we see ENPPI as a strategic partner as we look forward to aligning with them on ventures of mutual interest,” said Mr Zaghoul.

NPCC and ENPPI officials during the signing of agreement. Photo: NPCC
NPCC and ENPPI officials during the signing of agreement. Photo: NPCC

NPCC was merged with NMDC last year and has operations in the Arabian Gulf, South Asia and South-East Asia. It plans to expand to Africa and the Caspian region.

The company owns a fleet of 23 offshore vessels with modern equipment to support its shallow and deep water operations in the oil and gas sector.

Last month, it was awarded a $2.23 billion contract by Saudi Aramco for works related to the Zulf marine field in the kingdom.

NPCC also signed a strategic agreement with Egypt’s Petroleum Projects and Technical Consultations to explore engineering, procurement and construction opportunities in the UAE and Egypt as well as a preliminary agreement with France's Technip Energies to form a joint venture to collaborate on energy transition projects in the UAE and the broader Mena region.

“Through this agreement we aim to expand our presence in Egypt and look ahead at partnering with ENPPI to unlock future opportunities in the wider Mena region,” Ahmed Al Dhaheri, chief executive of NPCC, said.

“This collaboration highlights the necessity of knowledge sharing and mutually rewarding collaborations in a global scenario where business dynamics and ground realities keep changing daily.”

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'

Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.

Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.

"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.

"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.

"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."

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Results

Stage 7:

1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29

2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time

3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious

4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep

5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM

General Classification:

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35

3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02

4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42

5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Updated: February 16, 2022, 4:24 PM