Egypt's engineering and construction industry is back on its feet after the initial COVID-19 setback as safety, and distancing protocols have allowed gradual resumption of work, according to Said Abd El Wahab, Chairman, Amar Misr Engineering Consultants (AMC).

Established in 2014, AMC is a sister company of the nearly three decades old Dubai-based engineering and design consultancy Dynamic Engineering Consultants.

"COVID-19 was a bad experience for all industries including engineering and construction, but the volume of work has started to increase gradually," he told Zawya.

He said the industry's business cycle has always resembled a sine wave-like curve with its smooth ups and downs.

"COVID-19 has impacted real estate, but the percentage differs from segment to segment. The opportunities will always be there," he said.

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Said Abd El Wahab, Chairman, Amar Misr Engineering Consultants (AMC).

To date, AMC has worked on 140 high-profile projects in the Gulf and Egypt.

Abd El Wahab pointed out that in the UAE, the firm has worked on several prestigious projects, including The Royal Atlantis Hotel, Dubai Police Training Academy, DP World Headquarters, and Jebel Ali Healthcare Centre.

"We have provided services for nine hospitality projects in the UAE. We also provided consultancy services for the $16 billion Dubai Parks and Resorts project."

In Egypt, the company has worked on educational, medical, public services, and tourism projects.

"We provided engineering and construction supervision services for Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, and more recently, for residential complexes in the New Administrative Capital and the Ministry of Housing for their projects in the new cities," he noted.

AMC, which has a staff strength of 1,200 engineers, is extending its consulting expertise to the industrial sector with a building tools factory in 10th of Ramadan City, the chairman said. He added that the company is also working on a 2,000-square metre mall focused on building tools in the 10th of Ramadan city.

"We have gained the confidence of customers from all sectors, private, government, or public. It was a matter of nature to develop and expand," he said.

In the post-COVID era, he said designers should focus on technology both inside and outside buildings to improve efficiency and safety.

"Future building designs would need to integrate sustainability and automation in terms of building management systems and home automation," he said.

However, he also cautioned that these alone could not guarantee a project's success.

"Good feasibility studies, location, activity, and appropriate design continue to matter for any project's success," he concluded.

(Reporting by Eman Hamed; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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