NEW SHORES

Yasser Zaghloul, Group CEO of the NMDC Group, has spearheaded considerable growth for the company since taking the helm in 2009. While the group builds new islands, he's building a global plan.

- LAYAN ABO SHKIER

The U.A.E.'s capital of Abu Dhabi is a feat of natural beauty. The archipelago is made up of over 200 islands and is known for its white sandy beaches and luscious mangrove forests, but behind many of the coastal city's atolls are companies reclaiming land and creating the infrastructure to bring the emirate to life. One such enterprise is NMDC Group, the largest turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor in the Middle East.

"NMDC has been instrumental in various landmark projects that have shaped not only the local landscape but also our global reputation," says Group CEO, Yasser Zaghloul. Some of the group's key projects include the involvement of its subsidiary NMDC Dredging & Marine in the Suez Canal Duplication Project, creating a new 34-kilometer canal parallel to the existing channel. The group was also involved in the development of critical artificial islands on Abu Dhabi's Zakum offshore field, and urban planning achievements like the Abu Dhabi Corniche Beach Development Project, including the construction of a 3.5 km long beachfront.

Through NMDC Dredging & Marine, the group works on construction and maintenance dredging for ports and harbors, artificial island construction, beach construction, land reclamation, and intake and outfall dredging. By dredging, the company removes and transports sand from the ocean floor for construction purposes, such as raising the land level to build new islands. The NMDC Group operates across MENA and South Asia and owns a marine fleet of more than 120 vessels. It has been operating since 1976 and over the years has been involved in some of Abu Dhabi's most vital projects, such as Sir Baniyas Island, AI Maryah Island, Yas Island Beach, and the Khalifa Port marine works.