Formed as W. S. Atkins & Partners in 1938, the company now known as just Atkins set out to provide civil and structural engineering design services to London’s businesses. Before long, the firm was one of the country’s leading names in town planning, engineering sciences, architecture and project management.
Following its listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1996, Atkins turned its attention to the international market, adding many more services to its portfolio, including aerospace and high-speed railway capabilities.
In 2016, Atkins took its place as the UK’s largest engineering consultancy, as well as the 11th largest global design business. At this stage, the company employed around 18,000 staff across 300 offices in 29 countries. Today, as one of the largest engineering and project management consultancies in the world, it now employs 50,000 people and has expanded to 50 countries.
Atkins has a long-standing reputation for pioneering engineering and market-leading design. By putting data and technological innovation at the heart of every project, Atkins helps its global clients make even the most complex projects a success. And it indeed boasts many successes.
Atkins has assisted in the design, planning or project management of many world-renowned constructions, including the Tianjin World Financial Center in China, the Hoover Dam Bypass bridge, and several runways at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Here in the Middle East, the company has played a role in the construction of the Bahrain World Trade Centre, Dubai’s Burj Al Arab and Light Rail Transit system, and the Makkah Metro in Saudi Arabia.
Naturally, as one of the world’s most trusted consultancies, Atkins posts impressive financial returns, with a billion dollar revenue stream and healthy profits to go along with it.
