Ministry of Foreign Affairs — HVAC Refurbishment, Qurum
Contract value
150,000
Omani Rial (OMR)
FCUs installed
46
Chilled water fan coil units
Delivery
5.5 mo
Safety record
Zero
Project overview
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs engaged IBN AL Mutawa to carry out a comprehensive HVAC refurbishment of the entire first floor of its headquarters building in Qurum. The existing central air-handling infrastructure had reached the end of its serviceable life, creating comfort and efficiency concerns within a high-profile government workspace that operates under demanding occupancy conditions year-round.
IBN AL Mutawa was awarded the HVAC contract and tasked with replacing the ageing chilled-water Air Handling Unit (AHU) with a modern distributed system comprising 46 new chilled-water Fan Coil Units (FCUs) and a dedicated Fresh Air Handling Unit (FAHU), all integrated into a centralised Building Management System (BMS) for real-time monitoring and automated climate control.
- Scope of works Removal and decommissioning of legacy chilled-water AHU
Supply and installation of 46 chilled-water Fan Coil Units
Supply and installation of one Fresh Air Handling Unit (FAHU)
Full ductwork fabrication and installation across the first floor
BMS central control system integration and commissioning
Chilled-water pipework connections and insulation
Electrical wiring and controls for all HVAC equipment
Full system commissioning, balancing, and handover
Challenges and solutions
- Challenge
Delayed equipment delivery The Fresh Air Handling Unit — a critical component of the system — experienced a supplier-side lead-time delay that threatened to push the overall project timeline beyond the agreed completion date.
- Solution
Parallel-track execution IBN AL Mutawa immediately restructured the programme: all upstream works — ductwork fabrication and routing, BMS wiring, pipework connections, and electrical rough-in — were advanced and completed to a stage where the site was fully installation-ready the moment the FAHU arrived.
- Challenge
Live government building constraints Works were carried out within an operational government headquarters, requiring careful coordination of access windows, noise restrictions, and dust containment to ensure zero disruption to the Ministry's daily activities.
- Solution
Phased zonal execution The project was broken into logical installation zones, allowing sections of the floor to be handed back progressively. Temporary containment screens and after-hours shift work ensured Ministry operations continued uninterrupted throughout the refurbishment.
Project Outcomes
- Planned duration 6 Months
- Actual completion 5.5 Months
2 Weeks ahead - Commissioning 100%
All 47 units - 46 FCUs Chilled-water fan coil units commissioned and handed over
- BMS Live
Centralised building management system fully operational - Early Finish
Delivered ahead of programme despite equipment lead-time challenges
All 46 Fan Coil Units and the Fresh Air Handling Unit were successfully commissioned, balanced, and integrated into the BMS central control platform. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs now benefits from a modern, energy-efficient climate control infrastructure with individual zone management, automated fresh air delivery, and remote monitoring capabilities — a significant upgrade on the legacy single-unit system it replaced.
What our customers say
From a project management standpoint, IBN AL Mutawa handled the complexities of this refurbishment with skill and transparency. When the FAHU delivery was delayed, they didn't slow down — they reorganised the programme and kept every other workstream progressing so that we lost no time overall. The final commissioning was thorough, and the handover documentation was complete and well-presented. We would have no hesitation in recommending them for future MEP projects.
IBN AL Mutawa demonstrated exactly the kind of professionalism we require when working within a sensitive government environment. Their team coordinated closely with our facilities staff at every stage, and their ability to complete the works ahead of schedule — without any disruption to Ministry operations — was genuinely impressive. The new system has transformed climate comfort across the entire first floor, and the BMS integration gives us a level of control we simply did not have before.