Syed Kashif Akhtar, managing director, Havelock One Interiors

Havelock One Interiors has established itself as one of the Middle East’s leading fit-out contractors and manufacturers of high-quality joinery, metal works, furniture, and shop fittings since 1998. They have operations across all GCC locations (seven offices/ two factories and five markets – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE). In Bahrain, Havelock One operates two large manufacturing and warehouse facilities totalling 520,000sqft. Furthermore, they have smaller but equally advanced operations in each country where they operate, as well as a global network of suppliers. They can deliver world-class projects at competitive prices by leveraging economies of scale, cutting-edge technology, a highly trained workforce, and a strong management team with ex- experience managing large-scale and complex projects. Havelock One’s team is dedicated to overcoming our clients’ challenges and is motivated by precision and a high frequency of project implementation. Havelock One Interiors managing director Syed Kashif Akhtar discusses market progression, business focus, and more.

He says: “I am glad to confirm that this year has started with improved market conditions and a higher level of project activity as compared to the last two years of the pandemic. Most of our markets and divisions have secured new projects in the first quarter of 2022, and the pipeline of potential projects is gradually improving going forward. As per our business plan, we are targeting to return to the pre-pandemic level of turnover by the end of this year.”

NBB Emaar Square, UAE

He further adds: “We expect a very busy second half of the year. Accordingly, we have started and will continue to further align our resources, gear up by hiring, developing, and deploying more people as well as creating the right infrastructure and processes to support our ambition. We have recently opened a new office in Riyadh, and our second factory in Bahrain will play a major role in providing the manufacturing support for our turnkey fit-out business model to expand further. Our positive impact on the interior design industry is mostly derived from the strong leadership team, financial stability, reliability as well as the culture of a collaborative approach across all our businesses. We continue to organise workshops with clients and designers on a regular basis to brainstorm ideas and solutions, picking the right materials, evolving prototypes further while doing R&D on the process and product innovation.”

Duty-Free Shopping Head Quarters in Abu Dhabi; Al Areen Palace Resort & Spa by Accor in Bahrain; Empire Cinemas (three projects) in KSA; and Dolce & Gabbana, Hublot, and Moschino stores in Vendome Mall in Qatar are among their notable projects.

Check out the full Fit-Out Powerlist 2022 here: https://design-middleeast.com/fit-out-powerlist-2022/