Global
International engineering consultant Atkins is cutting 5 per cent of its global workforce, due to the challenging market conditions. The move will affect about 1,000 staff from the workforce of 18,600 and includes previously announced cuts of 260 UK jobs and 210 in the Middle East.
“We have been affected by the uncertainty in a number of markets, principally in our Middle East and UK building design businesses,” the firm said.
China
A Chinese firm has won a $2.6-billion contract to build a monorail around Mecca in Saudi Arabia. China Railway Co won the deal to construct the rail link between Mecca and the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, which are visited by pilgrims as well as Mecca during the annual Hajj.
The scheme will be able to take up to 20,000 passengers an hour and will include four elevated tracks. More than two million Muslims make the journey to Mecca each year.
Africa
DP World, the Dubai ports operator, is planning to increase its investments in Africa to help offset the downturn in other parts of the world.
The continent has largely been immune to the financial crisis and DP World already has investments in Senegal and Nigeria on the west coast, Rwanda in central Africa, Mozambique on the east and South Africa.
Germany
Foster + Partners has announced its plans to shut its Berlin and Istanbul offices and to make around a quarter of its workforce redundant.
However, just two weeks ago, chief executive Mouzhan Majidi insisted that the firm could avoid any cuts to its 1,300-strong workforce.
The move was announced in a letter to staff, which said there would be a 90-day consultation and pointed to "a significant decline in work within the practice".
