Business & Money | Monday 13 April, 2015 11:25 am |

in the construction industry
• Two-day environmental forum in Abu Dhabi to mark Saint-Gobain’s 350th anniversary


Advanced Construction Technology Services (ACTS), a consulting organization in the field of construction materials, geotechnical and geo-environmental engineering, and a leading conference organizer and training provider in the Middle East, has been entrusted with the task of providing technical assistance for the two-day conference being held to mark the 350th anniversary of Saint-Gobain, the world leader in the habitat and construction markets.
Branded as ‘Saint-Gobain Days’, the event will be held under the theme ‘Environmental Engineering and Sustainability’ at Yas Island Abu Dhabi on April 14 and 15, 2015.
ACTS is involved in organizing the various sessions that will be part of the event agenda. Specifically, the sessions will cover four key challenging construction and sustainability topics in the Middle East: Water, Energy, Comfort, and Environmental Impact. In line with this, ACTS is coordinating with several renowned environmental and sustainability experts who will be part of the sessions as speakers and panelists.
Hady Nassif, Regional Managing Director for Saint-Gobain, said: “The event is to underline Saint-Gobain’s commitment to addressing key challenges for sustainable construction and the environmental issues associated with the building industry in the Middle East region. For 350 years, Saint-Gobain has been a leader in innovation and this is particularly true today with our habitat solutions that are energy efficient, with a low environmental impact and offering a superior level of human comfort. We are happy that ACTS and their environmental team are part of the technical event organization.”
Engr. Khaled Awad, Chairman of ACTS, said, “We are excited to play a technical role at Saint-Gobain’s 350th anniversary event. Saint-Gobain is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in the world in the habitat and construction markets, and being chosen by them to provide technical assistance for their landmark event is a testimony to our vast experience in the area of organising events with tangible value-added content and technically appreciated outcome for the attendees.”
“The event will feature renowned regional and global experts in environment conservation and sustainability. Our remit also includes the oversight of the technical content to fit with Saint-Gobain’s goal in raising the environmental bar in the construction industry,” he added.
Part of ACTS’ core mission is to educate the industry and to elevate the quality of the construction field in the region. ACTS does this by conducting regular training sessions related to construction as well as in-house and tailor-made courses to fit customer needs.
ACTS is the Local Sponsoring Group for the American Concrete Institute (ACI) in the Middle East, offering training programs in various tracks related to materials engineering and technology. In the same framework, the company organizes yearly an international conference themed “Future Concrete” which has become a regional forum for presenting and discussing the latest advancements in concrete construction practices.

About Advanced Construction Technology Services (ACTS)
ACTS (www.acts-int.com) is a leading consulting organisation in the field of construction materials and geotechnical engineering. It operates laboratories in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Qatar and has presence in more than 12 countries in the Middle East for consulting and training.