Johnson Arabia has a rental fleet of 620 aerial work platforms (AWPs) ranging from 8m to 47m and over 250 mobile cranes ranging from 7ton to 700ton, available through its four depots in the UAE and Oman as well as additional satellite locations for supporting major projects.
The UAE is currently the biggest market for Johnson Arabia’s crane and AWP rental businesses. Some of Johnson Arabia’s most prominent rental projects during 2021–22 included the Expo 2020, Hatta hydroelectric power station, Deep Tunnel Storm Water System, Waste-to-Energy plant, oil & gas refinery expansions, Zayed National Museum and Uptown Dubai in the UAE and Duqm Refinery and Sohar Port in Oman.
Martin Kirby, managing director, Johnson Arabia, elaborates on the growth indicators for the equipment rental industry in the Middle East.
“Growth in the equipment rental industry in the Middle East, especially long-term crane and AWP rentals, is mainly driven by projects and government initiatives such as Saudi Vision 2030, UAE Vision 2021 and Bahrain Vision 2030. Despite a brief halt in a lot of projects during the pandemic between 2020–2021, the vision the UAE government had for 2021 is ongoing and projects are now seeing completion. They include more recreational areas for tourism and more infrastructure projects. Also, there is a rise in events and activities that our AWP and crane teams often support specifically in this region because it is one of the safest places to be the world, as evident from the large number of events and concerts diverted to UAE, recently, and even the success of Expo 2020.
“Most sectors served by Johnson Arabia are expected to benefit from increased investment in the coming years, especially oil & gas and infrastructure. With Johnson Arabia’s strong foundation of quality and excellence in place since the business was founded in 1999 and our successful navigation of the pandemic through the last 24 months, the business is in a great position to grow and support the increasing demands of the regional rental space,” explains Martin.
As the market continues to mature, and people increasingly look to safer and more efficient means of lifting people and materials to height, equipment rental will become a more attractive proposition for contractors and end users, according to Martin.
“It is ideal to rent simply because it is cost efficient. Equipment needs regular maintenance and upkeep. This cost is factored into our rental prices and is still lower for our clients than owning cranes or AWP units. We also take care of the logistics aspect of the rental equipment as part of our pricing and package. In the grand scheme of things, the range and type of equipment, service, and lift planning that we can offer to customers is always a better option than purchasing their own equipment and diverting resources to it. As experts, we are adept at managing the toughest of lifts and re-calibrating lifts, when necessary,” says Martin.
Johnson Arabia has set its growth strategies to gain a competitive edge in the rental market through constant fleet expansion and renewal, expansion of depots, investment in new technologies and upskilling operators and customer service staff.
“Johnson Arabia is well poised to cement its place at the forefront of quality equipment rental as the lifting specialist. We have various expansion plans to grow our business across the GCC and replicate the same successful business model in the UAE. We see opportunities for fleet expansion in both capacities and number of new units and renewal of older equipment to improve the quality and range of our services. This comes with continued investment in people, and systems, but also investment in our ambitious development plans which will redefine rental within the region.
“We are constantly busy upgrading our fleet of cranes and AWPs and have recently added new models of various capacities and models to meet all our customer requirements. We are also expanding our depots to support our growth and the demand of our customers, including expansion into Saudi Arabia. We have invested in a brand-new rental software which enables us to react to customer demands quicker and ensure our services continue to lead the market in terms of response quality and efficiency. Our revamped environmental, social and governance (ESG) programme underpins our dedication to ensuring that both we and our customers meet their environmental, social and sustainability goals, by targeting the reduction of equipment impact on the environment and our communities,” says Martin.
Johnson Arabia is featured as a rental market leader in the PMV Rental Power List 2022.