13 Feb 2009
Consulting engineering firm Norman Disney & Young (NDY) announced today that George Balales has been appointed director-in-charge for the United Arab Emirates. The appointment of Mr. Balales, who recently moved to Dubai from South Australia where he was director-in-charge of the Adelaide office, demonstrates NDY's commitment to establishing a long-term presence in the Middle East.
Managing Director of NDY Tony Lukic said today that NDY plans to strengthen its business network throughout the Middle East including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Mr. Lukic said that the appointment of Mr. Balales is part of an ongoing plan to develop NDY's presence in the region. "We see the Gulf as an exciting long-term commitment and one that represents an important investment for the group," he said.
Mr. Balales says he is excited by his move to NDY's Dubai office and looks forward to working on a range of projects across the Gulf region. "Although the markets are experiencing some difficulties, we believe that there are a number of attractive opportunities on offer," he said. "We will use this time over the coming months to boost our marketing effort and ensure that we are in a position to adapt to market developments."
NDY's reputation and achievements have put it in-line for several projects in the Gulf region including the Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, which are in the process of being built. NDY is responsible for all building services on this project and has a presence on site.
NDY was also appointed by Dubai developer Nakheel to undertake the building services engineering of the Nakheel Tall Tower. In January, and in response to the property market downturn in Dubai, Nakheel put the project on hold. This led to NDY scaling back its committed resources in the Gulf and boosting its marketing efforts.
Mr. Balales, who began work in Dubai on 8 February, has over 25 years multidisciplinary engineering experience. As a team leader, he has coordinated the provision of a range of services including mechanical, electrical, communications, fire protection, hydraulics and vertical transportation. He has worked internationally on large-scale projects in Australia, United Kingdom and Europe.
Dennis O'Brien remains Regional Director, Middle East and will be involved in expanding the business across the Middle East.
James Redwood has assumed the position of NDY South Australian State Manager.
NDY is a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy. Founded in 1959, NDY has Australian-based offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra. It also has offices in Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand, London and Manchester in the United Kingdom and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Further information:
Dennis O'Brien
Regional Director, Middle East
Norman Disney & Young
Mobile (UAE): +971 50 115 7207
Mobile (Australia): +61 411 268 842
George Balales
Director-in-charge
Norman Disney & Young
United Arab Emirates
Mobile (UAE): +971 50 101 2917
Mobile (Australia): +61 402 177 522
Tony Lukic
Managing Director, NDY Group
Norman Disney & Young
(+61 3) 9862 6800
Media Contact
Andrew Heathcote
Communications Manager
Norman Disney & Young
(+61 3) 9935 6023