Engicon is in the final stages of developing a smart city roadmap for Amman and preparing the technical specifications for a comprehensive traffic monitoring platform for the Jordanian capital.

These efforts are part of a study funded by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). US-firm CDM Smith is the main consultant for this study, with Engicon serving as the local sub-consultant.

As part of the study, Engicon and CDM Smith are providing the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) with an actionable roadmap that includes ten smart city projects. The projects focus primarily on transportation and mobility and on early flood warning, using modern technologies to tackle these pressing issues.

In addition to the roadmap, the consulting team is developing technical specifications for a traffic monitoring platform. The platform aims to address Amman’s urgent traffic challenges by consolidating different data sources, analyzing the data, and providing information to both users and decisionmakers.
The USTDA-funded study follows another study in 2018 and 2019 in which Engicon played a pivotal role. That study was funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and looked into implementing a smart city pilot project in a congested neighborhood in Amman known for housing a number of hospitals and clinics. Engicon and its partner Atkins (part of the SNC Lavalin Group) developed the institutional strategy, business case, and contractual model for that project, in which the key component was smart parking management.

The Participatory Green Infrastructure Project (GIZ funded)  is now ready to move into phase 3 after the completion of the design. This project aims to improve living conditions in three disadvantaged areas by developing green infrastructure networks in East Amman. The approach included a participatory design process where the sites’ users were engaged to decide on and design the open spaces.

Engicon will supervise the construction works at the three sites, conduct workshops with GAM, and prepare two publications destined to raise the awareness of both the environmental and social benefits of Urban Green Infrastructure. The construction period is expected to last four months.

In its bid to expand into the environmental solutions business, Engicon partnered with Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH) to design, finance, and build a process waste water treatment plant (PWTP) for its industrial complex in Amman. This 7-year project provides the factory with the ability to treat its waste water and reuse it for industrial purposes.

“It is exciting and gratifying for us to see this project achieving its desired results,” said Abdallah Khair, CEO of Engicon O&M , a subsidiary of Engicon.

“This plant required a very particular design. It is relatively small, but it involves four different treatment technologies in order to reach the standards required by the client.”

Engicon hopes to expand this business model in the region through Engicon O&M. Following its success in reducing energy consumption with the design and finance of the Wala Lib Pumping station, this project with FHH was a major step forward.

Tarek Zuriekat, CEO of Engicon, said that the company was grateful for FHH for providing the opportunity to demonstrate Engicon’s skills and strengths.

“Engicon has long realized that for its engineering capabilities to be appreciated, it needs to move towards providing complete solutions, which means financing and building, as well as designing. In this project we are not selling engineering designs, we are selling treated water.”

Engicon is proud to be playing a major role in the rebuilding efforts that are taking place in Iraq and in particular, in the four recently liberated governorates. Since 2017, Engicon has been working in Diyala, Mosul, and Tikrit designing and supervising the renovation of hospitals, bridges, and water systems. The projects have been funded by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). One of the major projects on which Engicon has worked was the design and supervision of the Tikrit Medical University. This 400-bed hospital was designed in record time. Supervision work is currently under way in what is considered one of the first major projects of that region.

Engicon was ranked among the Top 225 International Design Firms for the third consecutive year by the American magazine Engineering News-Record (ENR).

The ENR list ranks international design firms based on revenues outside of their home countries and reports on home revenues. Engicon has been on the 2016, 2017, and 2018 lists, as the company continues to demonstrate its local and regional position as a trusted engineering firm.

This all comes despite the continued slowdown in the global design market. ENR estimated that revenues of the Top 225 from projects outside their home countries went up by only 0.7% in 2017 compared to the previous year. The growth in domestic revenues stood at a mere 0.2%.

“We are proud to be on ENR’s Top 225 list once again,” said Tarek Zuriekat, CEO of Engicon. “This accomplishment highlights the company’s resilience in overcoming challenges not only in the sector as a whole, but also in our region’s turbulent landscape.”

Engicon operates branches and projects across the Middle East, in addition to its North American affiliate, Engicon USA.

AMMAN, April 30, 2018 - Engicon today completed the acquisition of all shares in Engicon USA, Inc. The U.S.-based company was established in 2009 in partnership with Mr. Ammar Daoud. Since then, it has successfully implemented projects in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Afghanistan.

The purchase comes with Daoud’s move to CDM Smith as their Director of Business Development for the MENA region.

“We are very proud of what Engicon USA was able to achieve under the leadership of Ammar,” said Tarek Zuriekat, CEO of Engicon Group. “He has now moved to join a great organization, and we wish him all the success in his new endeavor."

Engicon signed an agreement with the King Hussein Business Park (KHBP) to carry out the architectural design for new buildings within the park in Amman.

The new buildings will house office space, business facilities, support services, and parking spaces.

The agreement was signed on April 21, 2018 by the CEOs of Engicon and KHBP, Tarek Zuriekat and Soud Soror, respectively.

The total built-up area for the new facilities will be 40,000 m2. This comes as part of a comprehensive expansion plan for KHBP that will complement the high design and building standards which have distinguished the Business Park. The plan will build upon the success of the complex in attracting key renowned international and local companies, creativity incubators, entrepreneurship accelerators, and innovative start-ups. Engicon was chosen based on its leading role as a Jordanian company specializing in engineering consultancy, project management, and construction planning and supervision.

Engicon recently conducted a series of workshops for members of various Jordanian political parties. The sessions were targeted at candidates participating in the municipal and governorate council elections taking place on August 15.

Topics discussed included transportation planning at the local level and the basic principles of project evaluation, including cost benefit analyses and multi-criteria assessments. Sessions were held over the course of three months in Madaba, Irbid, and Wadi Musa covering the Kingdom’s central, northern, and southern governorates, respectively. Hazem Zureiqat, a partner and transportation specialist at Engicon, delivered and facilitated the workshops.

The workshops were organized by the Amman office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. They come as Jordan prepares to embark on its first governorate council election—part of an ambitious decentralization program.

Engicon this month began work on the second package of the Basra Water Supply Project. The project will help provide the Iraqi southern city's 2.4 million residents with 614,000 cubic meters of fresh water per day.

The company was assigned as the lead design consultant, carrying out all engineering services required for implementation. The water supply project includes a large reservoir and pumping stations.

“This assignment is testament to Engicon’s strong water experience and its long-term presence in the Iraqi market, “ said Hussein Al-Kurd, Engicon’s Iraq Country Director. “Iraq has become a key market for Engicon in the past few years, and we look forward to expanding our services across the country.”

The design-build project is valued at USD 90 million. It is being financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and implemented by Australia-based Protechnique.

Engicon’s CEO, Tarek Zuriekat, will be speaking on Wednesday, February 3, at an event in London hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on the eve of the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference.

The event focuses on the role of the private sector in supporting refugee-hosting communities. Zuriekat will be speaking about Engicon’s experience in the water sector in Jordan within the context of donor support for the Kingdom's increasing refugee population. He will be speaking alongside the Mayor of Amman and other dignitaries.

Following is a press release about the event form the EBRD website. The original press release, as well as the event’s agenda, can be found here.

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Enabling the Private Sector to Support Refugee-Hosting Communities

03 Feb 2016

London, United Kingdom

On the eve of the Supporting Syria and the Region conference, the EBRD is hosting an associated event dedicated to enhancing the private sector’s role in supporting refugee-hosting communities and strengthening the resilience of local economies

The half-day conference, to be held at the EBRD’s headquarters in London on 3 February, will be an opportunity for the private sector, civil society, officials from central governments and municipalities, MDBs and donors to pool ideas and plan further action to address these pressing issues.

The event will focus on the EBRD countries of operations most affected by the current crisis.

As well as highlighting the role of the private sector, the conference will facilitate dialogue between interested stakeholders and identify best practices in securing livelihoods for those affected and fostering commercialised partnerships to improve services and infrastructure.

The afternoon event, which will run from 13.00 to 18.00, will feature:

• presentations by official representatives of those countries most affected by the influx of refugees from the war in Syria.
• a session exploring the opportunities for and obstacles to creating employment and promoting entrepreneurship in the affected communities.
• a session to look at sustainable and market-friendly approaches to upgrading municipal infrastructure.

Engicon has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) to provide financial and technical assistance to students showing creativity in applied science and research development in the water and energy sectors.

MoU was signed by Mr. Tarek Zuriekat, CEO of Engicon, and Dr. Khalid Al Asfar, Director of the Center of Excellence for Creative Projects at JUST in the presence of Dr. Mahmoud Al Shayab, the President of JUST.

Mr. Zureikat stated that this agreement coincides with Engicon’s corporate social responsibility programs, which aspire to promote research and entrepreneurism in various sectors such as water, environment and energy.

Mr. Zureikat also added “the key objective of the memorandum is to support technology-based projects that introduce innovative products and services in addition to technological solutions”.

The project that will be selected in accordance to set criteria will be entitled to receiving technical, financial and logistic support from Engicon. Moreover, Engicon will offer financial aid to the students working on the project during the incubation period which aims mainly to encourage students and ensure their commitment to the project.

Dr. Al Asfar commended Engicon for its notable support saying “encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation is in the interest of all concerned parties and helps advance sustainability in the kingdom”.

Dr. Al Asfar went on to mention that promoting entrepreneurism and creativity among students, especially those studying applied sciences, improves their work capabilities and helps them bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Engicon, in cooperation with Jordan Oil Shale Company (JOSCO), awarded the winners of the Applied Scientific Research Award for the year 2015 on Thursday, October 1, during a ceremony that took place at the Hashemite University.

“Engicon is very proud to be part of this award and is always keen on supporting initiative and innovative projects,” said Engicon CEO Tarek Zuriekat. “We hope that such initiatives can cultivate a culture within our companies that supports applied science. This is key in tackling the challenges that Jordan is facing in the water and environmental sectors.”

The award, which was launched in 2012, is a partnership between Engicon and JOSCO and is presented annually in cooperation with the Hashemite University and the Jordan University of Science and Technology. During the last academic year, Engicon adopted several projects providing the students with financial aid to purchase the necessary equipment and perform the needed tests for their projects. Engicon also dedicated a team of experts to meet with the students regularly, providing students with feedback, comments, and information with the intention of enhancing the quality of their research.

The five winning teams have also been awarded cash prizes.

In the near future, Engicon aspires to develop and promote its contribution in the field of applied science through launching a program that supports entrepreneurship and start-ups for students at Jordanian universities.