Visitors and staff at the new Century Mall in Dubai can now shop and work in cool comfort. Thanks to Al Shirawi successfully installing the centre's air conditioning system. The shopping mall consists of a ground and mezzanine floor and is owned by the Safeer Group. It is air conditioned with. an 800 ton chilled water system that consists of two separate 400 ton chillers.

The ground floor features 66 shops, a supermarket and a dedicated jewellery court. Al Shirawi equipped each shop with a fan coil unit of suitable capacity and the supermarket area is air conditioned by multiple large capacity air handling units.

The mezzanine floor consists of eight large department stores and around 40 percent of this floor is a children's entertainment area with food court. This area is also air conditioned with multiple large capacity air handling units.

"The amusement area has no false ceiling and all the services run exposed," explained Maninder Singh, Senior Engineer, Air Conditioning, Al Shirawi Electrical and Mechanical. "We took special care to ensure good finishing on the chilled pipes and ducts in the amusement area."

The food court and restaurants are equipped with dedicated make up air and exhaust air ducts for double skin kitchen hoods to ensure all cooking smoke, fumes and smells are extracted and do not mix with air inside the mall.

Singh praised the project team that helped to ensure the job was completed on time and well within budget, despite seven new restaurants being added to the plans when over 80 per cent of the job was already completed.

A group of young local graduates recently had an opportunity to experience all facts of business at Al Shirawi thanks to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for young Business Leaders, a program designed to develop local businesses and entrepreneurial activity in Dubai.

Following selection as one of the businesses to train the UAE's future business leaders, Al Shirawi designed a Training Process Schedule that would expose the three graduates - Ameena Ali Mohammed Al Hammadi, Arwa Ibrahim K Marzooq Bu Falasi and Faisal Mohamed Mejrin Al-Murar-to all functions of the company.

"The trainees were sent to various departments within the organization, which gives them a great overview of how an organization actually works," said V.Ravikumar, Business Development Manager.

Ravikumar explained that it was not only a good opportunity for the young nationals, who spent almost two months at Al Shirawi, but also for the company.

"It gives us a good opportunity to work with talented, young locals," he said. "They will be the leaders of the future."

Following the completion of training, an evaluation of the trainees' time at the company was sent to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders and Navin Valrani, Executive Directory, Al Shirawi Electrical and Mechanical, presented each trainee with a certificate commemorating their time spent at the company. Ravikumar said feedback received from the trainees was positive and he welcomed the opportunity to participate in similar programs in the future.

"It gives us a good opportunity to work with talented, young locals. They will be the leaders of the future."
V. Ravikumar.

Time cards were recently introduced for office staff to further develop time discipline across the organization.

The simple swipe cards are convenient and easy to use. When the card is swiped upon entering or leaving the building the employee's details are registered with the company server, logging the time in and the time out.

Along with improving time management, the cards also help improve security, as a full record is available of who was in the building at a particular time.

There are plans to implement a mobile swipe card unit at various work sites, which would link directly to the accounts system. This will make it easier to record employee time on site along with overtime.

It was better prospects, better opportunities and i better working conditions that drew Mirza Baig to Al Shirawi one years ago. As the project Manager, AC Division,Al Shirwai Electrical and Mechanical, and with over 30 year's MiddleEast experience, he has worked on some the region's major electromechanical installations.

Mirza says the most rewarding part of the job for him is completing a project and handling it over to the client. "It's like the birth of your healthy baby," he says enthusiastically. "I enjoy the team work, liaising with consultants and keeping the harmony on the job regardless of what pressure is mounted."

Along with working on various multi-story projects, he recently completed the design of the electro-mechanical system for the service hanger of the Airbus A380.

A keen badminton player and bowler, Mirza sees a number of similarities between sport and work. "In sports, When you are losing a game and you are a little bit frustrated you need to control yourself and pull yourself together. It can be similar at work. Sometimes you feel things are falling apart but you pull everything and everyone together to overcome the frustration and keep concentrating on the job that has to be done," he says.

STOP PRESS!
Al Shirawi US chillers is planning more training courses in the Middle East, with the next course due to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December this year. For further information on Al Shirawi US Chillers please visit its website at www.uschillerservices.com

Al Shirawi Electrical and Mechanical Engineering has raised the bar on cleaning standards in the Middle East with its new cleaning division A+ Environmental Cleaners. The new company specialises in cleaning and decontaminating heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) ducts, kitchen and laundry exhaust system, and water tank storage in marine, commercial residential locations.

Already the company serves over 300 clients, including some of the largest institutional and private building owners and managers in the U.A.E, with a dedicated unit catering to the special needs of the maritime industry.

"Without realizing it we live in a dirty environment," said Roger de Beaufort, Manager of A+ Environment cleaners. "We clean the dirt that you don't see."

"We have invested substantially in state-of-the-art products and equipment, and use the latest and most effective cleaning techniques," he added.

At the heart of the company are over 20 hygiene technicians, engineering, electrical and plumbing experts along with logistics, administrative and managerial personnel.

The company is also setting standards in training.

"A+ Environmental Cleaners is the only company in the UAE to have its own in-house, purpose built training school," de Beaufort said. This features a lecture theatre and life-size models of common HVAC, kitchen, laundry, marine and water storage tank system configurations.

The company adheres to the highest standards of workplace safety locally and internationally. It meets standards set by the North American Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) and voluntarily adopted industry guidelines published by the US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).