International Construction October podcast

The podcast to accompany the October edition of International Construction includes a discussion following the crane collapse in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in September, which saw more than 100 people killed and injuring some 300 more. The crane was a 1,350 tonne capacity LR 11350 Liebherr lattice boom crawler crane, which was working on the project to expand the Grand Mosque in the holy city. An inquest has been launched and Saudi Binladen Group could face negligence charges.

In business news we look at Renaissances Construction’s bid to acquire Ballast Nedam. The offer is a cash deal which values shares in the Dutch company at €0.30 each (US$0.33). The deal is expected to be worth €6 million ($6.7 million).

Also included in this months’ podcast is a site report which looks at the Suez Canal expansion. The scheme came unexpectedly last August which the government said was looking for completion within a year. The budget for the project was put at $8.4 billion.

Meanwhile this month’s regional report and economic outlook looks at the Middle East where construction growth has slowed in the region.

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