RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Al Laith is celebrating after winning The Best Supplier of the Year at the Middle East Event Awards. The 2021 virtual awards ceremony took place on 5th April, recognising the exceptional individuals, teams and companies involved in creating the biggest and best events around the Middle East. After a challenging year for many in the events business, the event was a celebration of the achievements of the industry over the last two years.
Al Laith came up against some strong competition this year, with the event bringing in more than 400 submissions for a total of 28 awards. Other winners included luminaries from across the Middle East events space including People, who won three awards for Best Entertainment Production, Best Employee Support Strategy and Best Community Event. Live Nation Middle East won for Best Music Event for Diriyah Season Concerts and The Hanging House for the Desert Survival Escape Room won the Outstanding Brand Activation Event category. Al Laith is currently in the running for two further awards that will be announced in June.
While it values the recognition of awards, the Al Laith team isn’t one to rest on its laurels. Part of the CG Tech group, the company has been involved in providing engineering, project management and contracting services to some of the most high-profile projects in the UAE over the past 25 years. Jason English is the Chief Ecosystem Officer of CG Tech and CEO of Al Laith. Most recently he has overseen the company’s efforts in setting up a number of Field Hospitals across the UAE, a project instrumental in managing COVID cases in the region. Al Laith proved effective in not only their superior construction knowledge, but also in their proficiency to use advanced ground scanning technology to capture the entire build process, giving the team vital information that can be used for future emergency projects.
“When we were called by Al Fares to assist, my first reaction was ‘we don’t know how, but we are in’,” English explained in a recent article. “When we were then asked to double our efforts for the next phase in the same period of time, naturally we all said [yes] and accepted the challenge. We’re not building structures anymore, we’re saving lives.”
And the challenges keep coming for Jason English and the rest of the Al Laith team, recently winning a lucrative contract with the UAE government to build two mega stages for the upcoming Expo 2020. With over two decades of experience, Al Laith was one of only a handful of contractors in the world with the capabilities to deliver the high-level specifications needed for such an event, with venues set to host first-class entertainers from around the world. It marks the first time the company has won a flagship contract in the UAE, proving industry insiders are taking note of the company’s unique approach.
“At CG Tech we thrive on infiltrating established industries and infusing them with disruptive technologies to help solve emerging challenges. What we have been able to achieve with Al Laith perfectly sits within this ethos and has allowed us to take on a wider range of projects. The common thread is in our approach. Instilling passion, innovation and purpose into everything we do,” says English.
The Chairman of CG Tech, Niall Carroll, also believes in the company’s ability to out-perform the competition, and is proud of the ground-breaking technologies Al Laith is employing to stay ahead of the game.
“When people think of the construction industry, they think there hasn’t been innovation for over 50 years. The reality is, there are innovations small and big everywhere, and Al Laith uses them in its rapid construction of mega stages on a project like this.”
The company’s solid reputation as a performance-driven collaborator speaks for itself, and it’s proving to those in the industry that Al Laith is a reliable go-to partner in the UAE region and beyond. With the signing of the Abraham Accords (normalising relations between Israel and the Arab world) last year, Al Laith is energised by the current opportunities to expand regionally into new territories. New prospects and potential collaborations are always on the radar of Jason English, who along with the rest of the CG Tech family, are happiest when disruption is on the horizon.
“In order to stay relevant in an ever-changing market, it’s important to always be willing to evolve. Embracing change and technology as new opportunities arise, while always maintaining a clear vision for the company,” says English.
It’s a formula that is clearly working not just for Al Laith, but the entire CG Tech portfolio. As Al Laith continues to diversify, their ability to work across multiple sectors and reach clients on a global scale is helping to set the company apart from its competitors and gaining them trusted status as a leader in the field of complex solutions.
“The work Al Laith is doing now is absolutely incredible. The scale, technology and multifaceted solutions are invigorating. But I feel like we’re only just scratching the surface of what’s possible. And I mean this without any irony, but I feel that Al Laith’s best work is yet to come. And that’s what I find most exciting,” says Jason English.