As the Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (Dafza) proceeds to meet the growing demand for facilities and services, its technical department is rising to meet the challenges.

The department recently completed several important projects and has its hands full in implementing ongoing projects and preparing for those to follow in the near future.
Technical director Adel Ghafan Saeed gave a rundown of projects his department recently completed. These included 34 light industrial units plus warehouses having a total built-up and leasable area of 12,357 sq m. Also constructed were Phase 4 office buildings of a total built-up area of 38,157 sq m and leasable area of 16,047 sq m. Each comprised two basements, a ground floor and eight storeys. The total leasable area was 16,047 sq m and provision was made for 290 car parking spaces. The department also completed the enhancement of chillers and cooling towers of a capacity of 4,000 tonnes as well as the construction of water and fire tanks.
Saeed listed ongoing projects or those starting in the near future as follows:
• Phases 5 and 6 office buildings – each having two basements, a ground floor and eight storeys; total built-up area of 78,586 sq m and leasable area of 31,860 sq m; car parking spaces 724
• Light Industrial Units – 62; warehouses having a total built-up and leasable area of 22,399 sq m
• Dafza headquarters building – two basements, a ground floor and eight storeys and a total built-up area of 14,831 sq m and leasable area of 4,880 sq m; car parking spaces 160
• New Light Industrial Units – 82; warehouses having a total built-up and leasable area of 29,705 sq m
• A mosque and a canteen at the warehouses – total built-up area of 606 sq m.
• Office buildings 7, 8 and 9 – each of two basements, a ground floor and eight storeys and total built-up area of 116,743 sq m and leasable area of 47,907 sq m; car parking spaces 973.
• Enhancement of the chiller plant and cooling tower – capacity 2,000 tonnes.
Technical affairs will also build coffee shops, a post office, a gymnasium and landscaping.
The department’s overall responsibilities are to build and maintain the facilities required by the sales department such as offices and warehouses and to supervise the facilities being built on rented plots.
It selects consultants and contractors and monitors the design and tendering process. It also monitors the construction process by approving materials, attending meetings, inspecting the site, reviewing and approving shop drawings and issuing completion certificates. It also oversees payment certificates for the projects.
The department is also responsible for handing over offices and warehouses to the tenants, co-ordinating with them for fit-out work on their premises, ensuring smooth operations thereafter and providing maintenance on a 24-hour basis.
It ensures that offices and warehouses have wall finishes, flooring and MEP services
Warehousing units are divided into two facilities – warehouse and offices. Great flexibility is provided to tenants in all Dafz facilities be they office buildings, warehouses or plots. However, this flexibility is subject to Dafza rules and regulations.
To date, the total built-up area for offices is 99,185 sq m and total number of warehouses 114 with a built-up area of 39,712 sq m.
Dafz is ISO 14001 certified and its policy clearly states in the guidebook that operations of a chemical nature and industrial waste will not be permitted on the free zone’s premises.
During construction, the contractor provides a safety office with a safety team on site. The consultant monitors the team and reports to the department on safety standards.
Tenants’ contractors have to adhere to Dafza Planning & Regulations with regard to rented plots and to technical department procedures with regard to offices and warehouses. Drawings are checked and inspections conducted to ensure that contractors follow the regulations.
“The department has implemented value engineering to reduce cost and maintain functioning; it has improved the features and functionality of our infrastructure,” commented Saeed.
About its achievements, he said: “In offices we increased the height of buildings and added two basements with a centralised access system along with landscaping. The BMS was updated and centralised.
“In warehouses, we added more space along with additional facilities and upgraded the finishing quality and services.
“We also were successful in completing projects on time while maintaining the quality of the finishes and services.”
The department made several changes in the past few years in the interests of efficiency.
“Dedicated sections were created for projects, interior designing and maintenance; outsourcing was introduced for building services, cleaning and pest control services and landscaping,” said Saeed.
“Procurement for consultancy was improved by producing weighted criteria for evaluation technically and financially. This has led to an increase in transparency and a better selection process.”
An architect, Saeed graduated in 1989 from UAE University in Al Ain and started his career at Dubai Municipality. He became the head of the execution planning section in 1995 and transferred to Dafza in 2000.