The new staff accommodation will be built on Al Reem Island. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
The new staff accommodation will be built on Al Reem Island. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
The new staff accommodation will be built on Al Reem Island. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
The new staff accommodation will be built on Al Reem Island. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Emirates Stallions Group and Q Holding to develop $87m project in Abu Dhabi


Fareed Rahman
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Emirates Stallions Group, a unit of International Holding Company, has formed a joint venture with Abu Dhabi’s Q Holding to develop and manage a staff accommodation project worth Dh320 million ($87.13 million) on Al Reem Island in the UAE capital.

The Century Village joint venture will develop the project to accommodate about 5,000 staff from different industries such as health care, transport and hospitality, ESG said in a filing on Thursday to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, where its shares are traded.

The company has appointed GBH International Contracting as the main contractor to construct the project while Royal Development Company has been named as the development management company for the project in the preceding year.

“With the creation of this joint venture we aim to meet the diverse housing needs of professionals in different sectors,” said ESG chief executive Kayed Khorma.

ESG has a diversified portfolio of projects that cover a wide range of sectors including property development, consultancy, design, project management, construction, infrastructure, marine works, landscaping and hospitality management.

The company, whose total assets stand at Dh1.14 billion, reported a net profit of Dh165 million in 2022, compared with Dh69 million in the previous year.

Revenue more than doubled during the period to Dh856.3 million, according to its financial statements. The company has fifteen subsidiaries in five different industries.

The new joint venture “will foster collaboration, convenience and well-being, offering a dynamic and inclusive living environment”, said Q Holding group chief executive Majed Odeh.

Established in 2005, Q Holding operates across sectors such as property, services and hospitality, and has diversified investments through its subsidiaries.

The company, formerly known as Al Qudra Holding, has been expanding its portfolio. Last year it acquired a 100 per cent stake in Reem Investments for Dh5.8 billion.

It is also teaming up with Egypt's Ora Real Estate Development Group to develop a smart and sustainable city in the Ghantoot area of Abu Dhabi.

The mixed-use project will span more than 20 million square metres, with residential, hotel, cultural, commercial, sporting and recreational services, the companies said in March.

Q Holding reported a more than fourfold jump in its 2022 profit to Dh822.6 million on the back of higher revenue.

Abu Dhabi recorded 5,472 property transactions worth Dh27.9 billion in the first quarter of 2023, according to the latest data from the Department of Municipalities and Transport.

The value of the deals more than doubled during the three-month period to the end of March while the volume of transactions, which include property sales and mortgages, rose by 66 per cent.

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

The Farewell

Director: Lulu Wang

Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma

Four stars

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Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Updated: June 15, 2023, 9:21 AM