Former chief operating officer at Laing O’Rourke will now be in charge of £4.5bn Khalifa Port project

Tony Douglas, former chief operating officer of Laing O’Rourke is to join Abu Dhabi Ports as chief executive officer.

Douglas’s role will include steering the construction of the firm’s flagship projects including £4.5bn Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone, a development covering 400km2 that will start operations in 2012.

Khalifa Port will be located between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It will have an initial capacity of two million 20-foot containers, rising to 15 million when all phases are completed by 2030.

Prior to joinging Laing O’ROurke as chief operating offiver two years ago, Douglas was worked at BAA heading up the development of Terminal 5.