Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

General view of Abu Dhabi International Airport duty free shopping area at the departure gates. David Davies/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Irish company to recruit 70 engineers after winning €16m contract in Abu Dhabi

Kelly Steel Engineering is to build a 3,500 tonne baggage handling facility at Abu Dhabi’s new Airport.

KEEL STEEL ENGINEERING has won a €16 million contract with Abu Dhabi Airport and will be hiring 70 engineers to undertake the work in the Middle East.

The engineering company is to build a 3,500 tonne baggage handling facility at Abu Dhabi’s new Airport and work begins in January of next year.

Irish workers

The managing director John O’Kelly says the company will be recruiting up to 70 engineers, many of them Irish, to work on the project.

The 70 new recruits will include project managers and engineers to be on site in Abu Dhabi to start work from January. This is one of the firm’s largest projects to date and is due to be complete in April 2016.

John O’Kelly says he likes to foster links with Irish third level institutions such as University College Dublin and Dublin City University, with his company offering internships to engineering graduates.

He says it gives the “engineers of the future hands-on, practical work experience and internships at its sites in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and in Abu Dhabi”. The new work opens up significant new opportunities for other graduates, he says.

“I left Ireland at the start of the last recession in 1982 and have kept very close contact with home. Four of our 5 children are back studying in Ireland. We’ve always been keen to encourage young Irish people in whatever way we can – to give them a start in their careers and a foothold in the Middle East. There’s been a huge influx of Irish people here in the past five years and we’re very well thought of by the government, the authorities and employers.,” he said.

Irish business

He added:

We’ve done a good deal of work with relocated firms such as John Sisk and we have imported steel directly to Abu Dhabi Financial centre from a production facility in Kilkenny from Michael Whelan of SRS.

We plan to partner more and link up more with Irish-based firms thinking of using a Middle East based company for either representations or for Joint Venture.

“I understand what it’s like to be isolated from family and immersed in a very different culture and environment at a young age. It’s a very different way of life out here but people are very secular, tolerant and welcoming,” he said.

Kelly Steel Engineering is already recognised as one of the Middle East’s top architectural steel fabricators, and has the largest Irish-born private sector workforce in all of the United Arab Emirates.

Read: Volvo slashes 2,000 jobs worldwide>

Read: Eishtec creates 250 jobs in Waterford and Wexford>

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
44 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Trevor Mac
    Favourite Trevor Mac
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 2:54 PM

    Shocking news ….. I know corney but i couldn’t resist :)

    109
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Little Jim
    Favourite Little Jim
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 4:00 PM

    Why does a stun gun look like a kids toy?

    107
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Dennehy
    Favourite Mark Dennehy
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 5:15 PM

    So it’s not mistaken for a pistol and the user isn’t shot by armed police, usually…

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Keith Wizzy
    Favourite Keith Wizzy
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 3:00 PM

    Hope someone is CHARGED for this.

    89
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Edwin Mc Partling
    Favourite Edwin Mc Partling
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 3:19 PM

    In my day it was dart guns ,ah how times have moved on

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute damien foley
    Favourite damien foley
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 3:54 PM

    jasus id love one of them.then i could b stunner to

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute damien foley
    Favourite damien foley
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 5:06 PM

    ask ur mother!!!!

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute FlopFlipU
    Favourite FlopFlipU
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 3:04 PM

    Down south we were stunned ,not by a gun ,but by a government

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute TheHeathen
    Favourite TheHeathen
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 3:39 PM

    If you delete that you have to delete this ^

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute sluazcanal
    Favourite sluazcanal
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 4:02 PM

    My blank message is just a test to see if a blank comment gets more thumbs up than one that mentions governments.

    66
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute TheHeathen
    Favourite TheHeathen
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 4:10 PM

    Free speech has a few things to answer for.

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ian Aston
    Favourite Ian Aston
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 8:24 PM

    Your post is the equivalent of tumbleweed and was actually genius. Thumbs up from me

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen McManus
    Favourite Stephen McManus
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 4:30 PM

    That ‘toy’ costs up to $1,000. http://www.stungunmall.com/taser-x26c-26009.html

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Keith Wizzy
    Favourite Keith Wizzy
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 5:00 PM

    Then there’s rip off import custom duties.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Green Burqa
    Favourite Green Burqa
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 4:06 PM

    Bender

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute TheHeathen
    Favourite TheHeathen
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 4:14 PM

    That centipede has as much right to be here as a comment about the feckin government!

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dónal O'Flynn
    Favourite Dónal O'Flynn
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 5:09 PM

    Are the public allowed to own these or was this lost/disposed of by a police officer?

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark Dennehy
    Favourite Mark Dennehy
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 5:16 PM

    Not in the Republic; I think you are in Northern Ireland though.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dónal O'Flynn
    Favourite Dónal O'Flynn
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 5:28 PM

    I see. Sorry I forgot to differentiate between the two jurisdictions, pressed submit before I remembered.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Hughes
    Favourite Stephen Hughes
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 4:12 PM

    Sap

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Hugo Sanchez
    Favourite Hugo Sanchez
    Report
    Feb 16th 2013, 4:47 PM

    We have a problem, That freak centipede has 238 legs!!

    I also have some sort of problem that I counted them

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds