Bricks And Clicks

UAE construction giant Al Shafar General Contracting is building the foundations for its digital age. Newly-appointed CIO Herbert Fuchs has been hired to optimise and reinvent the ways that ASGC uses technology to automate time-consuming processes and enhance the health and safety of on-site workers.

With some of the UAE’s most celebrated buildings and developments in its portfolio, including Dubai Internet City’s award-winning Business Central Towers, Etihad Museum and the recent renovations of DXB’s Terminal 1 and Dubai Mall, Al Shafar General Contracting (ASGC) has cemented its regional reputation for excellence in its 28-year existence.

Joining AGC in January, Fuchs has been brought on board to design and execute a comprehensive digital transformation strategy that can assure the company retains its edge in the ever-competitive construction market. He has been working in the Middle East for just over two years, and has already developed a strong attachment to the region. “I’d been here many times previously on business when I was working in Europe, and I always harboured ambitions to live here,” he says. “I’m fascinated by the culture, mentality and opportunities that exist in Dubai and the region.”

Having worked for a range of household names, including McDonald’s and GE, Fuchs joined ASGC with a clear understanding of how high the bar can be set within major corporations. However, he had never previously worked in the construction industry, and was keen to take on a new challenge that would force him to bring fresh ideas to the table. “I’ve had the opportunity to lead a range of transformational projects prior to joining ASGC, as well as building aspects from the ground up,” Fuchs says. Joining from United Arab Shipping Company in Kuwait, where he had worked as CIO, Fuchs was buoyed by ASGC’s culture and ambition to succeed in its delivery of technology.