October 26 - After almost two decades in the Middle East, heavy lift material handling provider ALE has opened a new office in Basra, Iraq, its first in the country, just months after it expanded its Australian presence.

The opening is a strategic move to establish a foothold in the hub of the Iraqi oil developments and means that the global company is the first major global heavy lift transportation and installation company to establish a permanent base in Iraq.

Richard Peckover executive director at ALE said: "The new Iraq office will allow us to offer a more complete service in this key geographic area. We are currently involved in projects in Iraq and are looking forward to offering our complete set of services.

"We have appointed Alberto Pittaluga as our in-country manager with immediate effect. He is well known to ALE having worked for many years within the heavy lift project sector."

The opening follows the establishment of a new Brisbane office in Australia this summer to allow ALE to become strategically positioned on both the East and West Australian coasts while being able to offer services across the whole of Australia.

Paul Kelly, ALE general manager, said: "ALE has had a presence in Australia for a number of years working on key projects including, most recently, the Gorgon LNG Project. The opening of the Brisbane office means that we can provide a more comprehensive service for both new and existing customers."