SAS International is a privately owned company that has been in operation since 1958. “The brand has 50 years’ experience in metal ceilings manufacturing and project management,” says David Booth, General Manager of Operations and Technical. “And it is their design capacity and engineering knowledge that allows us to be on top of our game.”
The secret to the company’s success lies a lot on its people.
“Between David and myself, we have over 20 years of experience in ceilings alone, which is a very niche market in itself!” says Shaun Brecher, General Manager, Sales. “This takes a lot of pressure off the designers, architects and contractors who know that we are one phone call away. We would drop everything to help them out, at times even climbing in and getting our hands dirty. At the end of the day, we want to make sure that our ceilings are installed correctly as well.”
No matter the size or ambition of the project, the company remains a family business, with resources and expertise across global borders. The Dubai team know that they can call the owner directly and have a one-on-one chat about growth and new ideas, and this promotes a culture of inclusivity.
Successes in the previous year
SAS won the Dubai Metro Red Line extension project to EXPO 2020 last year, a massive undertaking, where they installed the new SAS900 Polynode ceiling system.
The brand also completed Marassi Mall in Bahrain, which has been their largest retail project in the last decade. Twenty-two different types of ceilings were installed in just this project alone, and the entire journey took two and a half years to cross the finish line. “But it was well worth it!” says Shaun, claiming this project to be a true testament of the brand’s capabilities to deliver a complexity of materials to such scale within the contractual period.
“Another massive achievement of the past year was delivering the Qatar Petroleum project in Doha, which included nine towers and 85,000 square metres of ceiling,” he adds. “And lastly, the Kuwait University ceiling conversion from mineral fibre to metal.”
The team admits that the pandemic did slow things down, and not being able to sit face to face with clients was not ideal. However, like most of the industry, they pulled through and came out stronger and successful. Shaun admits to looking forward to getting on an airplane again and jet setting off to project locations for direct client interactions.
Working in the Middle East Region
“The Middle East is a very competitive market,” Shaun. “What gives us the edge is that we support the customers from start to finish, to assist designers and be part of the journey right till the very end. From making schematic designs to creating workable solutions, advising on the installation phase, and ensuring that the end result is to the highest standards. Nothing is off-limits for us to realise the clients vision.”
Sustainability is also a very important component of SAS. The brand is constantly striving to improve its carbon footprint, designing components to reduce waste, and utilising the reuse and recycle properties of steel and aluminium.
“The Middle East is a very competitive market. What gives us the edge is that we support the customers from start to finish, assisting designers and being part of the journey right till the very end. From making schematic designs to creating workable solutions, advising on the installation phase, and ensuring that the end result is to the highest standards.”
– Shaun Brecher, General Manager, Sales, SAS International
The Regional Team
Shaun Brecher, General Manager, Sales
Favourite holiday destination – Turkey
Top ‘green’ habit – Recycling copious amounts of coffee pods
Favourite hobby/sport – Gym and Rowing
Your hero/heroine – My mother
David Booth, General Manager of Operations and Technical
Favourite holiday destination – A quiet, near empty island in the Maldives
Top ‘green’ habit – Reducing plastic consumption. Showers not baths, and don’t let the tap run.
Favourite hobby/sport – Flying my drone, and taking beautiful pictures and videos from it on holiday destinations
Location courtesy: Orangebox Showroom UAE
