Case Study: Project Delays in Qatar Construction Projects

Ahmed Sedky is the Director and founder of Integrated Consultancy Inc., a Canadian company specialized in Project Management and Construction Claims Consulting.

  Construction  

As Qatar continues its race against time in delivering construction and infrastructure projects by the fixed deadline of 2022 (and later to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030), let’s look at some best-laid plans gone awry, while exploring the causes and repercussions of project delays in Qatar.

Delays happen on construction sites everywhere in the world, and Qatar is no exception. According to PwC’s “Building Beyond Ambition: Middle East Capital Projects and Infrastructure Survey” (June 2014), 95 percent of the respondents reported their projects had been delayed, with 45 percent saying their projects had been delayed by more than six months. Because of the collaborative nature of building works, there is always a chance of postponements.

In Qatar, with a large number of construction and infrastructure projects underway, project delay is an everyday reality. Irrespective of the causes behind the delays, the ugly truth is that many projects here find it hard to keep up with the initial plans for timely completion.

Over the past few years, Doha has seen postponements of many of its mega projects. Some of the most famous project delays recently include Hamad International Airport. After a series of delays, the project finally opened its doors in 2014 (the original completion date was set for December 2012).

Similarly, having missed revised …

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