It’s all over!
The closing ceremony of the Paralympics ended what has been a fantastic summer of sport, festivals and fun in London. We have a definite new spring in our step here, the nation is back in the running! (Oops! excuse the pun)
Back to business then for the nation and back to rain, wind and grey skies for the rest of September.
Bring on the bad weather we need to focus on jobs for expats and great stories for the newsletter and Nexus magazine – both of which have been inspiring you.
We’ve just read that online jobs have picked up markedly in the past few months, our own recruiters are telling us that there are more jobs coming in and new mega projects are definitely coming on stream. We have seen that ourselves – you only have to look at the Contracts section in this newsletter, it’s positively bursting at the seams.
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Contract News
- Saipem Takes $300 m Pipeline Deal on Wasit
- Qatari, Oz stadium design a winner in Addis Ababa
- Dodsal wins $764m contract to build gas pipeline
- Battersea Power Station sale completed
- North Africa looks to UK oil & gas recruiters to power up post-Arab Spring
- World Bank invests in Kenya power projects
- Work to resume on Belo Monte Dam
- China plans US$ 127 billion rail investment
- Turkish Tenders
Saipem Takes $300m Pipeline Deal on Wasit
At last Saudi Aramco has awarded the $300m engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to Saipem to build a stretch of pipeline at the Arabiyah and Hasbah gas fields in KSA.
The scope of works includes the main trunk line that will connect the two offshore fields with the onshore facilities. Saipem will lay the main trunkline with 36-inch diameter pipes cladded with a special non-corrosive alloy known as Inconel.
When completed, the Wasit project will supply 2.5 billion cubic feet a day of gas into the kingdom’s network. Saudi Aramco plans to provide the kingdom with 13 billion cf/d by 2020 with the gas from the Aribiyah and Hasbah fields, making up a large percentage of the additional volume.
Qatari, Oz stadium design a winner in Addis Ababa
A Qatari/Australian-led consortium's design for a FIFA/Olympic-standard stadium with a sunken arena has won an international architecture competition to create a national stadium and sports village in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, reports Austrade.
| Doha-based Australian firm Designsport and Australian LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture), in collaboration with local Ethiopian architect firm JDAW, won the competition. |  |
Completing the salute to nature, the roof of the stadium, which is an intelligent membrane, appears like a cloud on the horizon of the Ethiopian sky.
Dodsal wins $764m contract to build gas pipeline
Dodsal Engineering & Construction has won a $764m contract to install two gas pipelines between Habshan and the Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone (KPIZ) in Taweelah, Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi Gas Industries (GASCO) pipe network will cover a total of 297km, travelling from Habshan to Maqta and then onto Taweelah.
The contract scope covers the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the two 52-inch diameter pipelines - a requisite for the ultimate transportation of up to 28 million m3 a day.
The Habshan 5 mega-project, which will feed gas to the pipeline, was 90% complete in June, 17 months early.
GASCO's project is scheduled to be completed by June 2015.
Battersea Power Station sale completed
The sale of the former Battersea Power Station, a key landmark in London, UK, has been completed, allowing the start of an £8 billion (€10.1 billion) construction project.
The purchaser is a Malaysian consortium of SP Setia, Sime Darby and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), and it said that improvements to the derelict plot would be seen shortly, with preparatory work scheduled to begin later this year and first ground broken in the second half of 2013.
The first phase of the development will consist of residential buildings containing a total of 800 apartments. They will stand above a commercial podium which will include retail outlets, restaurants, gym, pool, spa, theatre and office studios.
 | A new 2.4ha park, open to the public, adjacent to the River Thames and directly linking to the neighbouring 80ha Battersea Park, will form the setting for the new buildings. This phase will be designed by Ian Simpson Architects and de Rijke Marsh Morgan, in accordance with the plans originally given the go-ahead in 2010. |
The approved proposals to redevelop the 16ha Power Station plot include the completed regeneration of the Power Station, the largest brick building in Europe and described as one of the most significant surviving examples of Art Deco architecture.
It is said to be a major part of the regeneration vision for the area and has extensive political support with the backing of the London Borough of Wandsworth, the Mayor of London, and the UK government in its National Infrastructure Plan published in November 2011.
The site has been acquired, following an open market tender, for £400 million through a special purpose vehicle known as Battersea Project Holding Company (BPHC) in which SP Setia and Sime Darby have a 40% stake each with EPF holding the remaining 20%.
President and chief executive officer of SP Setia, Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, said, "With the sale now complete, we can move forward with our vision to build a vibrant, accessible and functional town centre for the Vauxhall, Nine Elms, Battersea area with the Power Station at its heart, creating up to 26,000 new jobs in the process."
Rob Tincknell, CEO of Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC), managing the delivery of the redevelopment, said, "The unique UK-Malaysian partnership brings with it the financial strength, expertise and commitment necessary to deliver what is one of the capital's most important and iconic development projects."
North Africa looks to UK oil & gas recruiters to power up post-Arab Spring
As the dust begins to settle following the Arab Spring in North Africa, opportunities for interim and contract professionals – and as such, recruiters – are already picking up.
Interim management provider Interim Partners says that the average daily rate for interim project engineering directors has pushed up from £1k last year to £1.5k in areas including Libya and Egypt.
Jonathan Mooney, a senior consultant for energy and utilities at Interim Partners, says: “North African governments are under intense pressure to grow their economies and cut unemployment – it’s imperative for them to get money into their coffers… Increasing energy resources output is the quickest way of doing that.”
James Allen, EMEA managing director at oil & gas recruiter Swift Worldwide Resources, tells Recruiter that Libya as a market has been “pretty much on hold” of late, but as the political situation calms, the region will pick up.
He does “expect serious growth” in the country, although notes that in this industry “it’s all driven by the operators in our industry”, adding that the Interim Partners suggestion of rate increases in time “makes perfect sense”.
In Egypt, Patrick Brown, oil & gas contracts consultant at recruiter Spencer Ogden, notes that its major clients in Egypt “are now back to working full speed as concerns regarding safety and security have died down”.
He notes: “We would suggest that the speed at which projects have returned to productivity can be related to their relative distance from major cities.”
Brown also says that in areas such as Libya, Algeria and Syria, where troubles have been more recent than Egypt, workers’ rates have “increased by as much as 25-50%, and businesses are happy to pay this in order to acquire international expertise”.
Mooney at Interim Partners adds that “globally there is an acute shortage of very experienced senior energy interims”, also saying: “While there are already many talented executives based in Libya and Egypt, for example, they simply do not have the strength in depth to bring their energy industries up to speed quickly without further help from overseas.”
He concludes: “Because of the extensive work carried out in the North Sea oil fields, the UK is seen as a real centre of excellence when it comes to energy production. Many UK oil & gas experts find the short-term, high-pay work as an interim in North Africa very tempting.”
World Bank invests in Kenya power projects
Four private power projects in Kenya are to receive funding up to US$ 400 million from the World Bank as the country works towards expanding electricity access to 40% of the population from the current rate of 30%.
The four projects - Thika Power, Triumph Generating Company, Gulf Power, and the expansion of Or Power 4 geothermal project - will increase Kenya's electricity generation capacity by 285 MW.
| Various agreements for the first project, Thika Power, have been signed between the Government, Kenya Power, Citibank and the World Bank. The project will add 87 MW of capacity and the electricity it will produce will be purchased and distributed by Kenya Power. |  |
These PRGs are expected to leverage private investments of almost US$ 400 million in Thika Power and the three other private power generation projects.
The Kenyan government hopes to increase private sector participation in the energy sector and encourage the use of low carbon resources such as wind and geothermal to increase electricity generation capacity by an additional 2,000 MW in the medium term.
Work to resume on Belo Monte Dam
Construction of the controversial 11.2 GW Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu River in the Amazon, Brazil, can resume again after Brazil’s Supreme Court overturned an order for work to stop.
Earlier in August a regional federal court ruled that construction must halt on the US$ 16 billion government-supported project, after finding that native communities must be properly consulted.
The Norte Energia consortium is building the dam, which is located in the Northern state of Pará, Brazil. The consortium is led by state-owned electricity company Chesf, with a 49.98% stake and construction companies Queiroz Galvao, with a 10.02% stake, J Malucelli (9.98%), Cetenco Engenharia (5%), Mendes Junior (3.75%) and Serveng (3.75%).
With a generation capacity of 11.2 GW, the Belo Monte power plant would be the third largest hydropower facility in the world behind China's Three Gorges dam and the Itaipu plant on the border between Brazil and Paraguay.
China plans US$ 127 billion rail investment
The Chinese government plans to spend CNY 800 billion (US$ 127 billion) on the development of 25 new urban rail projects, according to state media.
The Chinese National Development & Reform Commission is said to have announced the plans and feasibility reports for projects in cities such as Suzhou, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Changchun and Tianjin.
 | The timescale for the projects is between three and eight years, with the bulk of the investment coming from local governments. |
News of the planned investment comes amid a slowdown in the Chinese economy after a period of rapid growth. China's economy grew +7.6% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2012 - its slowest pace in three years.
The construction equipment market in China is expected to fall -30% in total this year to 343,190 machines, compared to 2011's record volume of 487,800 pieces of equipment, according to Off-Highway Research.
But the forecaster said it expected the market to return to growth in 2013, with a +10% rebound.
Turkish Tenders
Five prequalification tender applications had been made for the privatisation of a number of Turkish bridges and highways by the time a revised deadline of yesterday, 3 September, elapsed.
The tenders have come from Vinci Concessions Holding plus four joint ventures - Zorlu Holding and OHL Concesiones; Nurol Holding, MV Holding, Alsim Alarko Sanayi Tesisleri ve Ticaret, Kalyon Insaat Sanayi ve Ticaret, and Fernas Insaat; Autostrade Per I'Italia, Dogus Holding, Makyol Insaat Sanayi Turizm ve Ticaret, and Akfen Holding; Koc Holding, UEM Group Berhad, and Gozde Girisim Sermayesi Yatirim Ortakligi.
The contracts are for the construction, maintenance, repair and operation, together with access roads, of two bridges - the Bosphorus Bridge and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and ring motorway.
There will also be various motorways. These include the Edirne-Istanbul-Ankara, Pozanti-Tarsus-Mersin, Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep, Toprakkale-Iskenderun, Gaziantep-Sanliurfa, Izmir-Cesme, and Izmir-Aydin roads, plus the Izmir and Ankara ring motorway.
The roads and bridges are being privatised in a single package covering 25 years, and include the service facilities, maintenance and operating facilities, and fee collection centres.
The prequalification date was delayed until 3 September. The final bidding date, which had been 9 August, is now 31 October, 2012.
Expat News
Selection from Sheila Hare, Nexus Editor
- Expats Living in France Face Massive Tax Bills
- Expat to Expat advice: How to Lock Your Car and Why
- Abu Dhabi Education Council sets new fee collection system
- Rise of the Global Nomads as expats' high ambitions grow
- Lack of language skills is biggest obstacle for expats
Expats Living in France Face Massive Tax Bills
Thanks to new measures being proposed and already passed by the new French government, expats living in France will face massive tax bills in the future on their income, wealth and even their estate. The measures have already forced the wealthy French to reconsider their options, with many apparently choosing Switzerland as their new home!
For expats who have bought in to the dream of the idyllic life in la belle France, relocation may not be an attractive option. But what are the alternatives if you want to avoid having your entire wealth eroded by ridiculous taxes including a top rate of income tax that may well hit 75%?
| According to those in the know, it’s time for anyone living in France to have a financial review to ensure that they are saving, investing and even earning their money in as tax efficient way as possible. |  |
Any tax exemptions allowed will be capped at just €10,000, instead of the current cap of €18,000 – naturally this will force even those on the lowest of annual salaries into paying more tax to a government hell bent on squeezing everything it can out of its citizens and expat residents alike.
Next up is the taxation of income from investment activities which will be subject to income tax imposed on a progressive scale, with the current rates of tax withheld at source of 21% for dividends and 24% for general investment income repealed.
Note, the current wealth tax threshold of €1.3m is likely to be maintained, but the higher wealth tax rates that applied before 2012 will be reintroduced according to Ag2r.
What’s more, the inheritance tax allowance is to be reduced from the current figure of €159,325 to a new amount of €100,000 – this is for direct and indirect kinship between ascendants and descendants.
Finally, there will be increased taxes on foreign-owned second homes with tax on rental income rising from 20% to 35.5%, and capital gains tax on property sales rising from 19% to 34.5% if this government get their way.
Apparently if all of these proposal go ahead, this will mean that French residents will become some of the highest taxed people in the world.
Naturally enough, anyone who is likely to be affected – i.e., anyone living in France who earns more than €10,000 a year – needs to seek financial advice as soon as possible to ensure that they are managing, saving and earning their money in the most tax efficient way possible.
If you would like to speak to a regulated and authorised independent financial adviser please contact us, and we’ll put you in touch with someone who can help. Whilst there are no guarantees you’ll be able to better hone your tax position, there are ways in which many expats can improve the way they save and invest to reduce their exposure to taxation.
Naturally enough you have to have your fiscal position reviewed as an individual, because everyone’s financial position differs.
Expat to Expat advice: How to Lock Your Car and Why
I locked my car. As I walked away I heard my car door unlock. I went back and locked my car again three times.
Each time, as soon as I started to walk away, I would hear it unlock again!! Naturally alarmed, I looked around and there were two guys sitting in a car next to the store. They were obviously watching me intently, and there was no doubt they were somehow involved in this very weird situation. I quickly chucked the errand I was on, jumped in my car and sped away. I went straight to the police station, told them what had happened, and found out I was part of a new, and very successful, scheme being used to gain entry into cars.
Two weeks later, my friend's son had a similar happening....While travelling, my friend's son stopped at a roadside rest to use the bathroom. When he came out to his car less than 4-5 minutes later, someone had gotten into his car and stolen his mobile phone, laptop computer, satnav, briefcase... you name it. He called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broken into, the police told him he had been a victim of the latest robbery tactic – there is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car using your remote locking device.
They sit a distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom and that they now have a few minutes to steal and run. The police officer said to manually lock your car with the key -- that way if there is someone sitting in a parking lot watching for their next victim, it will not be you.
When you lock up with the key upon exiting, it does not send the security code, but if you walk away and use the remote button, it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be instantly stolen.
This is very real.
Be wisely aware of what you just read and please pass this note on. Look how many times we all lock our doors with our remote just to be sure we remembered to lock them -- and bingo, someone has our code... and whatever was in our car.
Phil Strasenburg, Expat Network Member
Abu Dhabi Education Council sets new system to collect fees from expat students
The Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) approved a new procedure for tuition fee payments for expatriate students in government schools in Abu Dhabi, which are set at Dhs6,000 per student per year in schools in the emirate from grade 1 to grade 12.
Mohammed Salem Al Daheri, executive director of school operations division at Adec, said that the decision was in line with ministerial decrees concerning the collection of tuition fees from expatriate students in public schools.
Moreover, he lauded President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s benefaction, leading to the exemption of about 15,000 students from the payment of unsettled tuition fees for the past three years.
Those unpaid fees from expatriate students in government schools were estimated at around Dhs192 million.
 | He added that Adec has set up a procedure for the payment of tuition fees for the academic year 2012-2013 and thereafter to prevent delays and non-settlement of due fees. |
The new procedure specifies that a form for data update will be distributed among all national and expatriate students at the beginning of the school year and should be completed and signed by parents.
Additionally, the payment procedure will ensure that the statements of tuition fees will be available at schools along with an approved “Fee Payment Undertaking Form” that must also be signed by parents in person.
If the tuition fees will be paid by a third party (such as employers or charities), the parents would still have to sign the undertaking and submit a formal certificate from the party concerned indicating that they will pay the fees within the set timelines.
The warnings
During the first week of Term 1, the school administration shall notify in writing all parents of expatriate students, who are not exempted from the payment, that they must pay the due fees before the end of Term 1.
On the fourth week from the start of the school year, the school management will send the first warning to parents who declined to sign the undertaking.
A final list of those who decline to sign the undertaking will be prepared six weeks from the beginning of the school year and the school will notify the concerned parents to refrain from enrolling his/her child in the next school year in all public schools in Abu Dhabi.
Besides, Adec will pursue the collection of the above-mentioned fees as public funds via applicable legal action that may include litigation.
Five weeks from the beginning of the school year the school management will send the first warning to parents who signed the undertaking but are defaulting on payment, requesting them to settle the due fees in no more than four weeks from the date of warning.
At the end of the first warning, the school management will send a final warning to such parents, requesting them to settle the due fees within four weeks, from the date of the final warning.
After the end of this period, the schools will notify parents who have still not paid the fees to refrain from enrolling their children in the next school year in all public schools in Abu Dhabi and Adec will pursue the collection of the fees.
Moreover, the new procedures require parents of all students in public schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to present their Emirates ID card as well as those of their children to be able to complete many processes and to receive various services, including payment of tuition fees for expatriate students.
The categories of students who are completely exempted from paying tuition fees in public schools in the emirate include UAE nationals, children of UAE female nationals, GCC children, children of diplomatic cardholders, and holders of decrees issued by the UAE President and Vice-President.
Besides them, others who are exempted are orphans sponsored by the UAE nationals and some expatriate students such as children of the staff working at Adec previously transferred from the Ministry of Education (to a limit of two) and children of female employees occupying administrative, teaching or technical positions at Adec provided they are either widowed or married to an incapacitated husband or divorced and supporting their children in accordance with the provisions of the law.
Rise of the Global Nomads as expats' high ambitions grow
The Global Nomads, a wandering tribe of ambitious professionals who move from country to country in search of career advancement and a better life, are on the rise.
"More employees are going on expat assignments than before," said Joe Barber, a senior associate in Dubai for the consultancy firm Mercer. More than 10 per cent of workers from 119,000 staff at 288 global companies surveyed by Mercer this year fell into the Global Nomad category compared with just 6 per cent in 2008, the last time the survey was run.
"Global Nomads can be of any age but at different stages of their career they have different aspirations and specific requirements," said Mr Barber, who is from the United Kingdom.
"At 25 to 35, they may search for rapid career growth, [want to] travel and work in international markets, which will be different [from that of an executive who is] 45 to 55. [He or she] may target job stability and potentially already have global experience."
More than 3.8 million of the UAE's total workforce are expatriates, many of whom fall into the Global Nomad category.
Meanwhile, the number of staff on international duty for more than five years has almost doubled from 21 per cent in 2008 to 40 per cent of those working abroad this year, the Mercer report revealed.
The German technology company SAP is full of Nomads. "Fourteen per cent of our UAE workforce have joined us from SAP offices abroad and most have extended their plans to stay in the region in order to thrive in a business landscape that offers opportunities that simply do not exist in other economies," said Nelly Boustany, the director of human resources of SAP Mena in Dubai.
Leo Burnett, a global advertising company in the United States, is also reporting increased movement at its offices in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Doha. The ad agency's 200 employees in the Dubai office are from at least 28 countries such as Brazil, the United States, Australia, India and the Philippines.
High living standards and a stable economy in the UAE have also helped the agency to expand its project base from the Middle East and North Africa region to Russia, central Asia and Pakistan.
"That requires one to be culturally flexible and savvy and have energy to travel more frequently," said Kamal Dimachkie, the executive regional managing director at Leo Burnett.
Lack of language skills is biggest obstacle for expats
Survey finds that not speaking the local language is biggest challenge expats must overcome.
Three-fifths of companies believe learning the local language is crucial to a successful expat assignment.
Not speaking the local language is the biggest challenge faced by workers sent abroad, research has found – but less than half of employers are helping them brush up their skills.
| A survey of senior managers in the global mobility industry found that over three-fifths (61 per cent) believe that not knowing the local language is the biggest obstacle in the way of successful expat assignments. More than half also believe that speaking the relevant language is crucial to conducting business abroad. |  |
Among the main reasons cited were the cost of language training and a limited need to have multilingual staff, as well as workers not having enough time to learn in.
Judy Verses of language training company Rosetta Stone, which carried out the survey in partnership with the Forum for Expatriate Management, said that speaking the tongue of their new home increased expats' ability to communicate with the local team and business partners. This helped to "increase employee productivity and fulfil the organisation’s objectives for the expat assignment".
“With an average of $400,000 spent on relocating an expat and family, it’s imperative that organisations arm their expats with all the skills needed to succeed, and that includes languages," she added.
The survey found that the most popular language requested for training is Mandarin, reflecting the growing number of companies seeking to establish a presence in China, the world's second biggest economy. Other popular languages include French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.
Megan Fitzgerald, a coach for people building a career abroad, said: "It's no surprise some of the languages reported most in demand by employers are Mandarin, French and Portuguese, which are spoken in emerging economies."
Other key challenges for expats identified by the survey include relocating family, finding appropriate housing, and organising tax affairs.
Featured Jobs
MECHANICAL EXPERT - Nigeria
Opportunity for a seasoned expat to work in Akure for a company involved in quarry excavation and processing of road aggregate.
Opportune City
Email: andrew.kerr@opportunecity.com or for more details click here
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER - India
5-7 years experience in an industrial sales and sales management role, preferably in the rotating equipment field.
Nuparc
Email: roger.byrne@nuparc.com or for more details click here
THERMAL POWER PLANT PERSONNEL - Worldwide
Vacancies include QA/QC Manager, Plant Operations Engineer, Construction Site Manager and Commissioning Manager, all with Thermal Power Plant experience.
PIC Asia-Pacific Sdn Bhd
Apply online at www.picworld.com.my or for more details click here
MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/COMMISSIONING/DCS LEAD TFA’S - Saudi Arabia & South America
New build combined cycle power projects. Site based to lead installation and commissioning of gas and steam turbines.
Advoco
Apply online at https://jobs-advoco.icims.com/jobs or for more details click here
QUANTITY SURVEYORS - North/South America & Middle East
New build combined cycle power station projects. Site based to lead project controls, schedule development / implementation & cost control.
Advoco
Apply online at https://jobs-advoco.icims.com/jobs or for more details click here
PROJECT CONTROLS - North/South America & Middle East
New build combined cycle power station projects. Site based to lead project controls, schedule development / implementation & cost control.
Advoco
Apply online at https://jobs-advoco.icims.com/jobs or for more details click here
SCHEDULERS - North/South America & Middle East
New build combined cycle power station projects. Site based to lead project controls, schedule development / implementation & cost control.
Advoco
Apply online at https://jobs-advoco.icims.com/jobs or for more details click here
DOCUMENT CONTROL COORDINATOR - Norway
Responsible for all aspects of document control within portion of an EMDC project. Implement the Information Management and Document Control (IMDC) Program.
Intertek Moody International
Email: joycelyn.hunter.scott@intertek.com or for more details click here
MECHANICAL SUPERINTENDENT - Tanzania
Candidates should possess strong mechanical background and worked on mining equipment as well as working or have worked for a leading mining contractor previously.
Randstad CPE
Email: harrys.30524.366@randstadcpe.aplitrak.com or for more details click here
ESTIMATION ENGINEER - Saudi Arabia
The role entails estimation and proposal preparation for bids and includes: The estimation of cost of raw materials etc
Protec Technical
Email: construction@protectechnical.co.uk or for more details click here
REGULATORY DRILLING ADVISOR - USA
Provide key support by coordination and/or consultation of systematic processes in development and implementation of safe and compliant drilling strategies.
Onstream Group - ASC
Email: j.thompson@onstreamgroup.com or for more details click here
CONTRACT MANAGER - Sri Lanka
Contract Manager to be working on a Roads Project which is for construction supervision as a project implementation consultant in Sri Lanka.
EWI Recruitment
Email: j.murphy.17030.366@ewirecruitment.aplitrak.com or more details click here
Conversations with Expats
Forums
Over on the Expat Network forums a resilient group of old-hands are keeping each other company and offering each other fantastic support. If you want to know who’s hiring on some of the major projects globally it’s worth taking a look now and again!
What Have We Done For You Lately?
An expat asked us for legal advice as he is having trouble with his UK bank regarding LIBOR and interest rates. As this was a banking query we advised him to contact the Financial Ombudsman www.financialombudsman.org.uk and then maybe try the Law Society where you would be able to select a Financial Lawyer www.lawsociety.org.uk
Another working engineer wanted to know if there were any Construction Contract Claims instructors that we had come across. It’s always a small world because at around the same time we received the query we heard from Andy Hewitt, The Principal of Hewitt Construction. Andy Hewitt has over 40 years experience in the industry, a real specialist in the field. Andy authored the book ‘Construction Claims & Responses: effective writing and presentation’.
www.hewittconstructionconsultancy.com check out the website if you have a ‘claims’ question and look out in Nexus and next month’s newsletter as Hewitt Construction Consultancy may soon be offering intensive training courses.
A few of our expat members have advised of an evil computer virus that has recently been attacking Saudi Aramco and RasGas – much data has been lost and in Aramco’s case the virus affected about 30,000 workstations in August. The virus covers its tracks by erasing data on computer hard drives and is referred to as the ‘Shamoon’ virus.
Fame at last for anyone who is planning to buy or rent a home anywhere in the world!
Hit show ‘House Hunters International’ is looking for energetic, outgoing individuals, couples and families who have a real zest for life and would like to share their story about moving abroad. You should be fluent in English.
If you are interested or want to find out more email arethaholmes@leopardfilms.com, include your contact information, the locations you are moving from and to, the date you are moving and a picture of your family and property.
Q&A
Expat Network: How to use the Contact Directory Service
Q: Does Expat Network have a way of sending out a resume to all the companies in the Contact Directory?
A: Of course we do!
For those who don’t know, members of Expat Network have free access to the Contact Directory – Premier members receive the printed and online versions, Online only members access the Contact Directory online. Everyone else in the expat universe can buy a monthly access to the online directory for £20.
The Contact Directory is a list of hundreds of potential expat employers (companies and recruiters), mainly for engineering positions. All contacts are fully verified and authorised.
How to Send to All Contact Directory entries
• Go to: www.expatnetwork.com/Jobs/Overseas-Job-Leads/index.cfm
• Make sure you are logged in with username and password
• Ensure your CV is uploaded and ‘Active’ (CV Manager)
• Scroll down and click on ‘Search’ – you can ‘Expand Info’ to see more information about the company and then tick if you want your stored CV to be sent. There are 15 entries to a page, tick those you are interested in and then remember to click ‘Send my CV to selected companies’ at the foot of each page.
• You could also use the ‘Search’ section to find all the companies recruiting in ‘Oil & Gas’ or ‘Construction’ and then use the same process to send your CV to them.
Expat Network will do this for you if you are strapped for time – the cost is £95 for admin.
It’s a great way to refine your job search, especially if you are overseas.
‘Another excellent service from Expat Network – the support organisation for expats’
EXPAT SERVICES DIRECTORY
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Capital Tax
Tax Planning & Management Services for Contractors Worldwide
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April Medibroker
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Integra Global
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Medicare International
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TFG Global Insurance Solutions Ltd
International Health Insurance, Expat Life & Special Risk Insurance
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