British construction firm Laing O’Rourke on Wednesday denied media reports that it is planning to close its Middle East operations.
Last week, a source within Laing O’Rourke told the Building.co.uk trade website in the UK that the firm was cutting its global workforce from 35,753 to around 20,000 and shutting its Middle East division.
Laing O’Rourke, the UK’s third largest contractor, began its operations in the Middle East in 2006 and was involved in high profile projects such as the Atlantis Hotel, Ski Dubai and Burj Khalifa.
“Laing O’Rourke is not closing its Middle East operations,” a spokesperson said in a statement, while adding that it would not be issuing “any further comment on the original media speculation.”
Last year, Aldar Laing O’Rourke, a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi property developer and the UK construction company, told Arabian Business it was cutting 320 jobs.
The firm’s turnover in the region in 2009 doubled to £829m ($225m), the report added.
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