Honeywell is upgrading its Abu Dhabi projects office and hiring fresh staff including engineers as part of what it describes is a localisation drive in the Middle East.

Jerry Walker, Honeywell Process Solutions vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the company was keen on doing “very large and sophisticated projects” with local people, rather than having the operations based outside the region.
The plans were to build a full Honeywell Middle East business, he said. The company now has a staff of 330 across the region.
Walker said the expansion would come in May with the aim of generating business of some $50 million from the current level of $10 million at the Abu Dhabi office.
Once the Abu Dhabi facility was completed it would handle Middle East-related project work now carried out from North America and worth $35 million, he said.
The expansion came in the midst of a boom in construction, infrastructure and industrial projects, the official added.
Walker made the comments in Bahrain during the first Honeywell Process Solutions Users Group Conference to be held in the Middle East.
Honeywell has had a Middle East presence for 30 years with equipment worth about $1 billion installed.
Walker estimated Honeywell’s Middle East business at $150 million per year.
Hussain Al Atrakchi, regional general manager for Honeywell Process Solutions and Honeywell Building Solutions as well as Honeywell’s regional director for the Middle East, said he expected overall business to double in three to five years.
Honeywell Process Solutions recently received a $17 million order from the Zakum Development Company (Zadco) to supply, engineer, test, commission and start up the company’s trademark Experion PKS process knowledge system for the Zirku and Satah plants on Zirku Island, Abu Dhabi.
The new system will increase long-term production for Zadco, improve plant safety and maximise Zadco’s return on capital employed (ROCE), Honeywell said.
The contract includes the supply of a Honeywell integrated control and safety system, advanced applications and installation, commissioning and support services.
Another project Honeywell is working on is a $1 million contract with the Qatar Fertiliser Company. Honeywell Process Solutions will supply its Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for information management and performance monitoring at the Qafco facility in Mesaeed, near Qatar’s capital Doha.
Other major projects in the Honeywell Process Solution business are with the Adnoc Group of Companies, Adgas and Gasco (all in the UAE); GPIC, Alba and Kimberly Clark in Bahrain; Aramco, Khafji Joint Operations and Sabic in Saudi Arabia; KOC, KNPC and Equate in Kuwait; Qatar Petroleum, Q-Chem, Qapco and QVC in Qatar and Sumed in Egypt.
Projects in the Honeywell Building Solution business are with Dubai Airport, Emirates Hills, Green Community, Fairmont Hotel and Etisalat in the UAE; Seef Mall and Ali Mall in Bahrain; Awqaf Tower and Hamed Hospital in Qatar and Alexandria Library and Smart Village in Egypt.