Solid Foundations, Bright Future
Dr Anil Pillai, Founder and Chairman of Airolink, explains how his company has overcome the challenges of the pandemic, and how it plans to retain its position as one of the U.A.E.’s EPC contractors of choice.
How have market conditions changed over the past year and how have you continued to differentiate the Airolink brand throughout?
COVID-19 and the resultant market conditions in construction and building contracting have reiterated the importance of sustainable business models for companies seeking to adapt and grow. Financial discipline and structured growth strategies are key to succeeding in such challenging times. However, despite the dip in the market and with the U.A.E.’s appeal and regulatory measures, we are all optimistic of a recovery. In fact, the signs already indicate a positive upward trend.
At Airolink, we are not just adapting to the changing market conditions, but also initiating measures to create viable opportunities to grow and evolve. Our proactive management, particularly in mitigating the impact of COVID-19, has gained us the trust of our esteemed clients, who have in turn supported us. The results of our approach and our valuable client relationships are showing, with Airolink poised to hand over more than 6.3 million square feet of built up area (BUA) by the end of the year – a remarkable achievement considering the challenges.
You have recently secured a contract with Union Properties. What makes Airolink a partner of choice for developers?
The Airolink brand has always been synonymous with quality and commitment, but the recent progress on all our projects has distinguished us as one of the prominent contractors of choice for our clients. We have proven our ability to effectively utilize our resources and models from construction contracts to engineering, procurement, construction, and finance (EPCF) contracts, as well as turnkey projects, public-private partnership (PPP) ventures, and design, build, operate, transfer (DBOT) projects.
We have also successfully maintained our preferential position with the financial institutions and governmental entities. When a listed company such as Union Properties is placing their trust in Airolink for first phase contracts as part of AED 2.2 billion ($599 million) developments, this is reflective of the brand’s trust in the market to perform and in in their ability to outgrow the competition.
What qualities and strengths will enable Airolink to achieve long-term sustainable growth?
Our biggest asset is our people. They are hand-picked from the global pool of best talents in the industry. They are adept at managing not just projects, but also changing market conditions, to produce results that exceed the expectations of our clients. Of course, our systems and processes have been developed and optimized over the years to back them. We are also empowered by a specialist pool of subcontractors and trusted vendors who have been partnering with us for over a decade and who understand the stringent requirements of quality and timely delivery.
“Recent progress on all our projects has distinguished us as one of the prominent contractors of choice for our clients.”
How is technology changing the dynamics in the construction market?
With the emergence of technology and innovation in every sector, I have to admit that the construction sector has perhaps not embraced the true capabilities. However, the U.A.E. is particularly well positioned to adopt the latest advances in technology. It is worth noting that from smart sustainable cities to immersive user experiences, the country has always led the way, and with Expo 2020 Dubai now underway, focus is on the U.A.E. more than ever to lead by example.
At the company level, main contractors such as Airolink are adopting innovative technologies including building information modelling (BIM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP), and the advantages are starting to show in terms of increased operational efficiency. More broadly, smart construction methodologies and sustainability-driven measures are bound to revolutionize the U.A.E. construction industry. At Airolink, we have embraced these advances; we have adopted smart solutions into our operations and we are constantly aligning ourselves to be at the forefront of change.
Do you feel that a changing market environment, technological progress, and disruptive new entrants will trigger an industry overhaul?
Change is imminent and adapting to these changes is vital, not just for growth, but more importantly for sustenance in the industry. As history has taught us, this applies to even the largest of firms.
For companies and the wider industry to thrive, a delicate balance must be struck between legacy systems and innovative advances to ensure sustainable growth through the right adoption of technology. Such a balance will also help firms like Airolink to beat the competition presented by new entrants in the industry.
How important is sustainability and how are stakeholders working together to incorporate it into the sector?
Sustainability is key to ensuring a balanced ecosystem in the future. From regulatory authorities all the way to project owners and contractors, there is a significant drive towards sustainability, as this is the path to guaranteeing a better tomorrow. Cost and time are concerns, but balanced approaches are yielding excellent results for the proactive adopters, and time will surely define their success and prominence in the sector.