SOLAR
22 MEP Middle East | November 2018 http://www.mepmiddleeast.com
WHATÊS IN A NAME?
The reason for the fi rm’s name as Oman Technical
Contracting is because when the company started
in Sharjah in 2005, the emirate had a regulation at
that point of time where companies needed to have
an Arabic name. Arif says: “I wanted to use somecountry names, starting with Dubai, Sharjah and
Oman. Oman being a neighbouring country and a
big group was operating in the name of Oman, who
left at that point of time, we decided to go with
Oman Technical Contracting.”L to R: Mohammad Faisal
Khan, managing director,
and Syed Mohammad Arif,
chairman, Oman Technical
Contractingsome of the Chinese companies as well,
who are developing modules for solar.”
When talking about the fi rm’s focus, Arif
takes us back to 2013. He says: “In 2013, the
industr y was at its lowest level. We diversifi ed
a little bit and went into the healthcare
industr y. From 2013 to 2018, we were
involved in around 10 to 12 big hospitals in the
countr y. Now we are focusing on renewable
energy, which is mostly solar projects. Apart
from that, we are also pursuing hospitals and
hospitality projects.”
But how efficient are solar panels?
Arif believes that there is a lot of research
and development in solar panels. He explains:
“Earlier, there were monofacial [solar panels],
and then came multifacial and bifacial. Now,
they are quite effi cient. Also previously, a
lot of space was required to produce energy.
Now with new advancements in technology,
we can produce more energy in a lesser
space, and store it also. As you know, DEWA
has announced a ver y big project with a
concentrated [solar] system. I believe it will
become more effi cient, and in the coming
days, you will see miracles in this sector.”
Khan adds: “DEWA has the Shams Dubai
initiative where each and ever y building with
solar panels can be connected with DEWA
grids. People who are having these solar
panels can connect with the grid and DEWA
will buy from them. Suppose I am getting
10kW from DEWA and producing 5kW using
my own solar panels, in that case, I have to
pay only 5kW of bill to DEWA. The balance
5kW, DEWA will purchase from us.”Although the DEWA government has
not mandated the use of rooftop solar, the
government has decreed that all new labor
camps and new villas, should be installed with
the solar water heating system, Khan adds.
Arif says: “I am quite optimistic about
the long-term vision of the rulers and the
departments which have been established
in the countr y. They are really smart. They
know the importance of conser ving energy.
In the near future, I am sure that this countr y
will become a role model for the rest of the
world [when it comes to solar].” The MEP sector
There is a vacuum of good MEP contractors
in the market, according to Arif. He says that
because of this, fi rms like Oman Technical
Contracting that are having good facilities
and technical capabilities with qualifi ed en-
gineers have ample of opportunities in the
future.
He says: “We are tr ying to fi ll that gap
which has been created by those four to fi ve
companies which used to exist in the past and
are no longer operating in the countr y now.
We have enhanced in-house facilities, which
includes our technical staff. At the moment,
we have extremely qualifi ed staff who were
previously working in good companies and
who have taken those companies to a good
level. We have a complete design team that
is responsible and capable of designing any
project of any size. Financially, also, we are
strong enough to handle any single project of
any size.”
Arif concludes: “I believe in the future we
will have a lot of opportunities to ser ve the
countr y.”Lot of Chinese
companies are now
entering Oman and starting
to invest in renewable
energy and solar.„
Mohammad Faisal Khan,
managing director