Laing O'Rourke cuts 200 Middle East jobs

Middle East developer Aldar Laing O'Rourke has made hundreds of workers in Abu Dhabi redundant.

The job losses - equivalent to around 10% of the company's workforce - were made to "realign" the company with the worsening economic environment.

A statement from a Laing O'Rourke spokesman said: “From time to time, there will be changes in the overall numbers employed on particular projects, and this is indeed the case here. All Aldar / Laing O’Rourke projects are continuing on programme, and the partners continue to work together to ensure their successful delivery.

“All those affected have been informed, and are fully aware of the process.”

The news is the latest sign that the Emirates has not escaped the global recession. Government-owned developer Nakheel recently put a project to build a 1km-high skyscraper on ice for at least a year as the market there started to deteriorate.