Hard Block Factory, a member of the Al Shafar Group, was recently presented with the International Award for Technology and Quality in Geneva, Switzerland.

The factory produces masonry and paving blocks and is among the largest plants of his king in Dubai while also having fully computerised operations. 
 “Although a young company, Hard Block Factory has proven capabilities in the UAE construction sector,” a company spokesman said.
“Active for only three years, it has managed to supply some of the UAE’s most valuable projects, including Phase III of Dubai Internet City, Dubai Dry Docks, Emaar Property’s Meadows, Greens, and Emirates Lakes projects, Al Murooj Complex, and Dubai Police General Headquarters, among many others.”
General manager Bashar Abou-Mayaleh commented: “It is extremely gratifying to be the recipient of the International Award for Technology and Quality. We strive to provide products at a global standard. The award is a constant motivation for us to excel in quality across our business operations.
“We have expanded our services to include the Hard Precast Building Systems Factory to provide our clients with a diverse range of products. For one of our first projects, we began producing, supplying and erecting pre-cast concrete cladding panels to Al Shafar General Contracting’s (ASGC) current project, the Jumeirah Beach Residence.”
The award was instituted in 1978 to honour companies that prioritise technological improvements and constant development of their production processes.
ASGC, one of Dubai’s leading construction companies, says it is confident that the construction boom in Dubai is here to stay.  The company has completed several prestigious projects in the emirate, doubling its turnover in 2004 compared with the previous year, and expects this trend to continue in 2005 as well.
Having completed the Ministry of Public Works building as well as Phase 2 of the Greens for Emaar, ASGC was also awarded Sector 6 of Jumeirah Beach Residence, Al Shatha Tower, and the Mohamed Saif Al Shafar Tower that will be one of the UAE’s highest residential towers at 67 floors when completed.
The company is currently at the finishing stages of building the Dubai Police Headquarters. ASGC’s current projects are valued at about Dhs 1.5 billion. The construction industry in the UAE, especially Dubai, is growing at an extremely rapid pace.