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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.
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Great news for a change. Wonderful opportunities out there and earnings are tax free so it’s a great way to save a little nest egg.
. ……if you’re an engineer.
Unless you take up his offer of internship which means low pay.
Great news indeed for both Project Managers and Engineers who get the opportunity.
Great if you are Irish.If you’re a Nepalese or an Indian labourer well let’s just say it’s not so great.The Gulf states are cesspits built on slave labour.Anybody traveling out their to work in construction should examine their moral compass.
Totally agree Al its to easy to stick the head on the sand on this issue slave labor, women regarded as second class citizens, criminalization of homosexuality and forced Islamic law disgusting place.
Absolutely Frank but as we have seen with the Qatari World Cup Debacle Westerners are only too eager to turn a blind eye.The Gulf States are a stain on humanity.
Yes they are. Money had enabled them to export their noxious brand of islam along with their revolting princes and sheikhs who swan around western capitals living the lives of decadence for which they would happily condemn to death the lesser beings in their home countries.
The people who are red thumbing obviously support slave labour,persecution of homosexuals,child marriage and the subjugation of women.
Bang on the money Margaret.Africa,Europe and Asia would have nowhere near the amount of trouble it currently has with militant Islam if the Gulf States had not won the once in a billion year lottery that is oil wealth.
Have you any Chinese made products in your house Al? Are you the only person in the world that doesn’t have any product that wasn’t somehow made using child / slave labour ?
When you’re that person then you can get up on your moral high horse. Until then you are just like me and everyone else. Dont be kidding yourself
Bit of a difference there Paddy.I’m not working in China side by side with slave labour who are getting worked to death and get to return to a prison camp every night while I draw a large salary and get to return to a nice air-conditioned apartment.The Gulf States are among the most racist places on Earth.If this was to happen in a white Western country the uproar would be deafening,and it would be almost impossible for Irish construction companies to ignore the moral outrage.
So in other words if you cant see it, it’s ok then. Yep, you’re just the same as me and everyone else so
So you believe buying a pair of shoes in Penney’s has the same moral equavilence as working side by side with slaves who live in prison camps while you draw a large salary and live in an air-conditioned apartment?
No I believe I have no right to be mouthing off about slave labour when i’m guilty of buying products produced by child labour.
It is almost impossible to avoid buying products which may be the product of Far East child labour.That’s a fact of modern day living.But why should that stop us from raising the issue?I suppose we should just keep our mouths shut while thousands of slaves are worked to death constructing football stadiums in the desert because most of us are guilty of buying a pair of Nikes?
Will you watch the World Cup Al?
I’m a football fanatic Paddy but I will make it my business not to watch one game even if Ireland qualify.A futile gesture but what else can one do?If one football player died on the pitch in the desert heat of Qatar the worldwide uproar would be deafening.Meanwhile dozens of Nepalese and Indian slaves die every month constructing the football stadiums.It is sickening.
Ah the whole planet is fooked if you ask me..
Paddy. I understand your point but working in a construction job in abu dabi is a complete different story
@al shamen… It’s not really for us to judge now is it? As a country, are we not complicit in the fact that the bankers have hung us out to dry? Rather a close parallel of slave labour, except on a national basis, no?
A quote from that great Engineer Fred Flinstone “The people from Dubai don’t like the Irish, but the people from Abu Dhabi do! :-)
Well done lads, another Irish business success story.
I’m an engineer and I’ve spent the last 30 years travelling the world on different projects, if you are up for that kind of lifestyle then I highly recommend becoming one.
My father travelled the world working also. Had nothing good to say about the gulf states or Nigeria.
Loved India, Trinidad, Sweden and the UK.
@Right Wing Steve ©
Ah the life of the site hobo :-) ,great to see that it is still open. It’s the only life for a young person who wants to live life to the full.
@Margaret, I would have the same likes and dislikes but would add on Japan, South Africa and Oz to the favourites.
Jeez reading comments would depress ya. Even the positive stories are turned into negatives.
Paul. Its an excellent news from an economical point of view but you cant turn a blind eye on the way cheap labours is done in the middle east. Its border line on slavery.
I don’t know that much about it to be perfectly honest. I have heard stories about slack health and safety rules and the working conditions are probably poor but I’m pretty sure they aren’t slaves. Are they forced to work there and locked up at night? Genuine question.
In any case, this article has nothing to do with that topic.
@Paul
It is modern day slavery Paul and chances are this Irish company is complicit in it,if it uses Indian or Nepalese labour .http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/25/revealed-qatars-world-cup-slaves.
1 dead a day on average in construction site in the middle east and they are not Irish, British or French worker. Salaries are extemely low and they get no cover what so ever. So yes its not technicly slavery but you cant really call it fair either. Same story in China
I’m sure it’s much higher than 1 death a day. The uk has about 1 death every two days on average. And I’m sure there is a hell of a lot more construction work taking place in the Middle East than the uk. I think it’s a case that they need to tighten up on their health and safety regulations.
Great to see Irish companies having success abroad. When I read some of the comments here it makes me sick.
I’ll be off so (hopefully)
Abu Dhabi and Dubai, built on cheap labour from Asia and the Far East and no free Emirati passport when you’re going home and no family allowance, or huge bundle of freebies either.
For an engineer on an internship ( if its the jobs bridge variety their on about ) going to Saudi wouldnt be worthwhile.
There’s plenty of other companies who’ll send you over with decent enough pay as a graduate. 250 quid a week though and have the hassle of going over there wouldn’t be worth it. BTW. I’ll certainly be applying myself for an engineering role if its not jobs bridge.
I don’t see why there are any unemployed engineers in the country. If you are an unemployed engineer it is because you won’t make the effort to travel for work. Loads of work in England and Scotland. And it’s only a short flight away.
Thats ok if you dont have a family and a house
Expected that attitude. So it’s ok to sit at home on the dole instead of work away for the week and make a decent wage to pay your mortgage? How do you pay your mortgage if your unemployed?
I have a house and family but work away from home. It’s not nice but at least I work.
Where can I apply? Need a link! :)
You might want to change that public profile picture before sending in the CV. Also ignore the 1st line of this article as the company is actually called Kelly Steel Engineering and not Keel Steel Engineering. They have a website.
Fantastic opportunity for engineers,however,a word from some1 who once lived there,make sure you have your contract signed prior to leaving Ireland,your start up costs will be expensive(accommodation) and you will need to rent or purchase a car,that’s before you start drinking in the local Irish bar in JLT,basically-do your homework before you go and ensure you get the best deal possible for youself!!!best of luck to the candidates
At long last they are building a new baggage system there, the current one is a joke, connecting baggage frequently lost and as a result planes depart sometimes 2hrs late!
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