Projects In Qatar Research Articles

Implementation Challenges of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Participating in Public Projects in Qatar

This research investigates the implementation challenges of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) participating in public projects, with a focus on the construction industry in Qatar. Through a combination of literature review, surveys, and interviews, the study identifies key obstacles such as interoperability issues, financial constraints, organisational and cultural resistance, and the lack of comprehensive training programs. The literature highlights the fragmented nature of construction projects and the potential of BIM to improve efficiency through enhanced data handling and collaboration. However, SMEs often struggle with the high initial costs of software and hardware, as well as the need for extensive training to bridge the skill gap. Interviews with industry professionals reveal that while mandatory BIM integration in public projects drives adoption, it also exacerbates these challenges for SMEs, which may lack the necessary resources and expertise. Survey findings indicate that contractors frequently encounter issues with understanding and implementing BIM and meeting the government body standards, suggesting a need for better training and support. The study also emphasises the importance of strategic incremental adoption, where SMEs gradually integrate BIM into their processes, starting with low-level implementation in privately funded projects. The research concludes that while BIM offers significant benefits for the construction industry, its successful adoption requires targeted support for SMEs. This includes financial incentives, improved interoperability standards, comprehensive training programs, and strategic change management approaches. Addressing these challenges will enable SMEs to fully leverage BIM's potential, enhancing project efficiency and competitiveness in the construction sector.

Key Success Factors and Their Impact on the Performance of Construction Projects: Case in Qatar

The success of a construction project depends on different factors, the knowledge of the project managers, and the type of project being developed. In this paper, based on a review of the literature, 23 factors are identified as critical and they are grouped into top-management support, project manager’s skills, project team skills, and stakeholder-management knowledge. A framework with 23 hypotheses is developed to assess the relation between these factors and project performance. The analysis of the framework is conducted based on the responses obtained from a survey of 266 engineers working on construction projects in Qatar. The results show a positive relationship between critical success factors and project performance. The highest positive perception is shown for stakeholder engagement by the top management (mean = 5.589 ± 0.582) and the lowest positive perception for the need to predict stakeholder influence (mean = 3.939 ± 0.852). The analysis of the relative importance of these factors shows that the top-management support category is ranked highest for the success of a project. Although the perceptions are based on Qatar’s study, the success factors, their relationship with project success criteria, and project performance are global; therefore, the framework could be tailored and applied in different project contexts.

A Framework for Effective Design Thinking Based Smart Cities Projects in Qatar

With the growing implementation of smart city projects and the significance of the research problem related to effective design thinking, the opinion of the ordinary citizens have become very relevant and contemporary. The current paper presents a quantitative empirical study focused on the attitudes towards and the readiness to accept smart cities in the specific context of Qatar. The study employs a survey questionnaire as a data collection tool. The survey is distributed online among a sample of 40 respondents from Qatar, including both residents and non-residents of smart cities in the country. Even though the sample is not representative of the Qatari population, the present study provides preliminary findings and fundamental insights into this novel topic in a specific socio-economic context. The major findings of the study uncovered that the respondents show quite positive attitudes toward diverse aspects related to smart economy, smart people, smart governance, smart mobility, smart environment, and smart living, as well as significant readiness to accept this lifestyle. However, the respondents demonstrate concerns related to the privacy and security of the people living in smart cities. The superiority of fundamental aspects of life like housing and healthcare in smart cities compared to conventional ones are also questioned by the respondents.

Value of project management during a crisis: Successes and lessons from three large projects in Qatar

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has tested the limits of national public health infrastructures to an unprecedented extent. A huge challenge has been regarding how to safely manage large public gatherings and how to efficiently administer vaccines to a large population. Method: We evaluated three case studies in project management implemented by the Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC) over the course of 2020 and 2021, including: COVID-19 screening for the HH Amir Cup and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Finals 2020, the FIFA Club World Cup 2020, and finally Qatar's National COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Project in the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) in 2021. Results: The key themes arising from all the three projects include the importance of developing a strategic plan, project management planning, clarifying and communicating roles and responsibilities, situational decision making, strong leadership, flexibility, result orientation in implementing the project, strong logistical support for providing necessary resources on the ground, and ensuring that staff at all levels are fully supported in performing their duties. In addition, the project management team was successful in building knowledge and experience across events with each successive project benefitting from lessons learned from previous projects. As a result of the strong record of project management established over the course of these experiences, PHCC was able to successfully manage the mass vaccination project with a high level of efficiency in comparison to similar national programs implemented elsewhere, both regionally and globally. Conclusion: The successful implementation of these projects, maintaining a high level of client and staff safety and satisfaction, demonstrates the value of project planning and continuous monitoring in successful implementation even in the context of uncertain conditions such as a global pandemic. Public and community health authorities may benefit by applying similar principles as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold.

Studying the causes of delays in construction projects: the case of Qatar infrastructure projects

Background: This study aims to examine the causes of delay in construction projects, particularly in the case of infrastructure projects in Qatar. The most critical delay causes were analyzed in the perception of the project’s three participants: clients, contractors, and consultants. A literature review was conducted to highlight possible delay causes in other countries. There were gaps in detecting the causes of delay due to the lack of studies on Qatar infrastructure projects. Methods: The deductive approach has been used in this study for the quantitative method. It provides a new framework or theory for identifying the causes of delay. The quantitative method used a questionnaire that was created through Survey Monkey. The number of participants was one hundred thirty-three. The questionnaire included forty-one questions in four sections, one sheet for participant information, nine questions about personal data, thirty questions about delay causes, and two questions about delay effects. Results and Discussion: The data analysis was conducted on a questionnaire to rank the causes of delays by the Relative Importance Index (RII) method. Further analysis was undertaken to interpret the data by regression analysis. The results showed that client changing orders during construction was the most significant delay cause in Qatar infrastructure projects. Conclusions: The research aim was achieved by meeting its objectives. Several recommendations were suggested to reduce delays’ influence on Qatar's infrastructure projects. Research limitations were identified for this study.

A structural equation model to assess the effects of strategic and project related potential risks on project delivery in Qatar

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to study the effect of strategic and project related potential risks on project delivery in Qatar. Two objectives have been defined. The first is to identify potential risk indicators (manifest variables) and categorize them (constructs/latent variables) based on a literature review, while the second is to examine and rank the relationships between the indicators and constructs by developing a structural equation model.Design/methodology/approachTwenty-five indicators were identified from the literature review and categorized into five groups. To collect the data, an online questionnaire was distributed in Qatar, and 116 responses were obtained. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the model. The model that was developed based on the research hypothesis met goodness-of-fit, reliability and validity requirements.FindingsThe results showed that all constructs contributed well to the model and that the project parties (PPs) have the highest contribution with an effect weight of 0.209 followed by economic and legal (EL) conditions with an effect weight of 0.205. Site and safety (SS) conditions were third with an effect weight of 0.200 while environmental, natural and technological (ENT) conditions were fourth with an effect weight of 0.1989. The last ranked construct is political and social (PS) conditions with an effect weight of 0.186. Based on the outcome of the SEM, recommendations were provided to industry professionals in Qatar about mitigating the impact of potential risks on construction project.Originality/valueTo the authors' best knowledge, this is the first study to quantify the effects of strategic and project related risks on a construction project using SEM, considering the risk management indicators of SS, EL, ENT, PS in Qatar. The study's practical implications are to enlarge the project's risk management plan by considering the strategic and project related risks to enhance the project performance for the cost overrun and delay. The study is intended for construction projects in Qatar, but it can easily be adapted to other parts of the world given the local circumstances.

Managing Fast-Track Construction Project in Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities

Fast-track construction projects are becoming increasingly prevalent in the construction industry, particularly where completion time is essential. A high adoption rate in some of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries countries and the lack of a conceptual understanding of the challenges inherent in such may jeopardize the future sustainability of the construction sector. To make an informed decision about adopting a fast-track construction method, it is necessary to first identify the opportunities and challenges associated with it. Therefore, this study examines the critical challenges impeding the performance of Qatar’s fast-track construction projects. The research findings were analysed and triangulated using a real-life project as a case study and several data sources. The results of the research identified four critical categories of barriers: design and coordination-related, scope or change orders-related, material and equipment-related, and contractual-related barriers. In addition, strategies such as accurate information, constructability assessment, early involvement of operations and maintenance personnel, and the use of an effective change control system were identified for addressing the identified challenges. The findings are beneficial to professionals who are currently operating or planning to undertake construction projects in Qatar or other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries countries. This study recommends that project managers be more attentive to key barriers in order to improve the performance of fast-track projects and to meet clients’ objectives.

Project managers' capacity-planning practices for infrastructure projects in Qatar: a multiple-case study

Project managers' capacity-planning practices for infrastructure projects in Qatar: a multiple-case study

Project managers' capacity-planning practices for infrastructure projects in Qatar: a multiple-case study

Project managers' capacity-planning practices for infrastructure projects in Qatar: a multiple-case study

The restricted heritage significance of historic mosques in Qatar

ABSTRACT The study of contemporary mosque rehabilitation and restoration projects in Qatar reveals that the relationship between cultural heritage subjects and their actual and potential stewards is complicated and possibly fragile. In this article, I discuss the efforts put towards identifying stakeholders for a mosque preservation initiative in Qatar and the challenges that it encountered in the context of shifting politics of heritage construction. Rather than focus on specific attitudes that may give rise to an apparent failure of such a preservation initiative, I discuss the how failure of heritage preservation projects can be examined productively in the study of preservation practices and discourses. I consider, specifically, the ways in which institutions forge stewardship through stakeholder engagement in order to discuss how material culture is made to acquire significance as a modern “Islamic” and Qatari heritage.

Project Managers’ Capacity-Planning Practices for Infrastructure Projects in Qatar: A Narrative Literature Review

Infrastructure project delays and cost overrun are caused by ineffective use of organizational skills, processes, and resources by project managers in the construction industry. Cost overrun and schedule delay in Qatari infrastructure projects have had damaging effects on the national economy by way of claims and litigation, contractual disputes, delays in dependent projects, and project abandonment. This integrated literature review was framed by three conceptual models developed by Gill to outline the capacity management needs within a construction company. Being an extract of a broader qualitative multiple case study on the perceptions of project managers regarding how they utilize capacity-planning practices to mitigate project schedule delay and cost overrun in government-funded infrastructure projects in Qatar, this synthesis evidences the importance of adequate and effective capacity-planning practices to drive infrastructure project success. This overview provides a foundation to support future targeted research while promoting the practice of effective capacity planning. Addressing the capacity planning gap promises timely completion of infrastructure projects and enhanced socio-economic development.

Analysis of Critical Delay Factors in Construction Projects with a Focus on Qatar

The growth of the construction industry, a major driving force for the Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030, is assessed in terms of its ability to maintain timely delivery, premium quality, and rigorous cost control. The purpose of this study was to assess the critical delay factors in Qatari building construction projects according to complexity level and determine methods to mitigate them. This study focused on three building categories, four- and five-star hotels, core and shell office/commercial buildings, and worship buildings, constituting four complexity levels. The objectives were to determine the relationship between the delay factors and project characteristics to mitigate the associated risks. A critical motivation for the study was the assumption that some projects in Qatar exhibit very high costs per square meter owing to variations in their execution phases. The methodology comprised case studies and interviews with project experts and was articulated around the development of a complexity categorization framework to achieve the study objectives. The findings indicated that projects with similar complexity levels and characteristics have common factors affecting their time performance. The impacts of certain factors such as changes in scope were found to be significant for any building category at either a high or low complexity level, while delay was shown to be smaller for lower complexity projects. The results support the assumption that the very high costs per square meter of some projects in Qatar arise from variations. This paper demonstrates how a carefully designed research methodology using an appropriate framework can enable identification of the most critical delay factors in construction projects according to building category and complexity level. The focus on Qatar enabled the formulation of a series of recommendations for construction industry decision-makers and operators as well as a policy proposals to government entities and major stakeholders to streamline the construction process and mitigate critical delays. The findings of this study provide insights into project time performance in terms of the selected project categories with various complexity levels.

Can Australian LNG continue to be competitive?

Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG) has dominated headlines over the last decade for both good and bad reasons. But, the world that Australian LNG will face over the next decade will look very different: the energy transition will accelerate and LNG customers’ requirements will change. Industry must keep pace, as LNG is hugely important for Australia. A wave of new LNG investment is building. It is a distinct possibility that little of that capital will be directed towards expanding Australian developments. Projects in Qatar, the US, Africa and Russia are leading the charge, given their access to cheap gas and/or low construction costs. Australia has several projects vying for final investment decision. Many of these will utilise existing infrastructure, so they should be competitive. However, due to technical challenges and partner alignment issues, many projects are moving slowly and are at the wrong end of the global cost curve. Given these challenges, what can industry do to improve Australia’s competitiveness? To compete in this new environment, Australian investors need to start operating in new ways. This paper will discuss some of the key moves that companies – and other stakeholders – should consider if they want to attract investment in a hyper-competitive global environment. Is collaboration and sharing of infrastructure the answer? Do we need to see more merger and acquisition, first to unblock the log-jam and then to allow new players to unlock the commercial complexity? Are there other non-financial metrics, like carbon or green LNG, that could influence company behaviour, and therefore, give Australian projects a new edge?

How Effectively Value Engineering Practices are Being Implemented in Qatar on Infrastructure Projects

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of Value Engineering (VE) practices being used in Qatar mainly on infrastructure projects. This study will further explore the deficiencies in adopted overall VE processes and subsequently recommend the solutions to overcome current problems or difficulties.
 To conduct this study a mixed method approach was adopted, which is a combination of quantitative and qualitative date. Survey questionnaire was used to collect the quantitative date and it was sent to 72 professionals belongs to different construction groups currently involved on infrastructure projects in Qatar. Semi structured interviews were conducted to collect the qualitative date. Interviews were conducted with 06 professionals working as value engineer on different infrastructure projects in Qatar to obtain further practical information about VE processes in Qatar and know about the real difficulties they encountered.
 This research reveals that the value engineering processes being used in Qatar are in line with international standards set by the SAVE International. This study further reveals that only 5 percent to 7 percent cost savings are being achieved on infrastructure projects in Qatar. This is in addition to the improvements in HSE, quality and time of project. 
 However, where this study has shown cost benefits from VE implementation, it also highlighted that significant improvement is required to extend the cost benefits from 7 percent to maximum 12 percent for which VE is known without compromising on functionality and quality requirements. This is a clear indication that current practices need to be improved. The identified improvements include starting VE process at the end of preliminary design stage, more involvement of clients and by considering whole life cycle costs of the projects by introduction of sustainable, environment friendly and innovative alternatives design solutions and construction materials.

The Case for Sustainable Concrete Waste Management in Qatar

The construction industry is a major generator of waste. There are many challenges associated with implementing sustainable methods to manage construction waste. While the construction industry in the State of Qatar has been adopting plenty of progressive practices, waste management, especially of concrete waste, has not advanced notably. In addition to the limited supply of limestone suitable for use as natural aggregate for concrete production in Qatar, the ability to recycle and reuse concrete waste is critical to reducing environmental impacts to meet national, regional and global environmental goals. Therefore, this research aims to identify the current status of concrete waste management practices in construction projects in Qatar exemplified by a local case-study project. Concrete waste was particularly monitored over the span of the construction stage of a large research and development facility in Qatar, benchmarking trends and practices on a certified “green” building. In response, this study addresses key challenges to concrete waste recycling and reuse to then recommend opportunities of advancements in local concrete waste management and reuse.

The adoption of green building practices in construction projects in Qatar: a preliminary study

PurposeIt is widely known that carbon dioxide emissions and climate change are among the most critical global challenges. These issues were worsened partly by the continuous adoption of traditional non-green behaviors and practices in the construction sector. As both environmental and health-related practices continue to worsen, practitioners, researchers and government think tanks are taking a major shift to promote green building practices (GBP). The purpose of this paper is to examine and investigate the effects of several environment-related variables such as sustainable government support, environmental concern and green engagement in the adoption of GBP.Design/methodology/approachThe model of the study was developed based on the integration of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), value-belief-norm and cognition-affective behavior (CAB). The instrument used to capture these constructs was adapted from existing validated instruments. The data were collected from Qatar-based consultant and contractor engineers. Of the 877 questionnaires distributed, 378 were completed which yields a response rate of 43 percent. The collected data were analyzed by employing the PLS-SEM approach. First, the measurement model was examined to confirm the validity and reliability of the measures. Next, the structural model was analyzed to test the hypotheses of the study.FindingsThe results of the study showed that environment-related variables such as green engagement, sustainable government support and environmental concern have strong effects on GBP along with other TPB variables, namely, subjective norms and attitudes.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the objectives of the study were achieved, there are still some limitations. First, this study yields a deemed suitable response rate. Second, since this research focused solely on the view of the contractors and consultants of the country’s engineering sector, it may have narrowed down the real scenario.Practical implicationsBesides the government providing awareness campaigns on the importance of GBP in reducing pollution, the government may also set some regulations to be followed by construction companies to reduce the negative impacts on the environment and regulations that could motivate the decision makers to increase the green construction projects and practices. In addition, the engineers still need some supports from green building authorities and government to motivate them toward GBP. Some incentives that could be offered by the government are financial allowances, funding and reduced governmental fees.Originality/valueThis study has a great theoretical value since it extended the TPB by incorporating some important environment-related variables to explain the adoption of GBP. In addition, from the practical perspective, this study provides useful insights for the practitioners and policy makers who are concerned about designing and planning environment-friendly strategies in the sector of construction.

HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMPARISONS OF PATHOLOGIES AND INTERVENTIONS: EXAMPLES OF REUSE

In the recent years, many Gulf States have emerged because of their significant urban growth to contemporary architecture. In the same time, the growing number of conservation projects shows the raising need to enforce appreciation of the architectural heritage, to enhance and regenerate the historical memory of the counties. This paper offers a comparison between some recent conservative projects in Qatar conducted to some significant residential religious and commercial buildings, analyzing the pathologies that affected the structures, the reasons of deterioration before the restorative interventions, the comparison of methods and techniques that were adopted during the works and the proposals for reuse. Analyses of the data have permitted to classify the building pathologies and the conducted interventions and could be applied to other conservation projects in the future.

Methods and Techniques Used in Significant Restoration Projects in Qatar

ABSTRACTThe large number of conservation and restoration works recently completed in Qatar show that there exists a need to enhance appreciation of the local architectural and building traditions, as a way of bringing to light the historical memory of these local places, using local techniques and materials to conserve existing buildings and to typologically integrate them. This paper offers an update on the status of some recent conservation projects in Qatar, analysing and comparing a number of completed restorations of historic buildings on the basis of the categories into which they can be organised; the extent to which they had deteriorated before restoration; the methods that were adopted; the construction materials and techniques used; the philosophical approach taken to restoration; and the various proposals for reusing the restored buildings. Comparison and analysis of the data make it possible to classify these methods and techniques in ways that could be applied to other conservation projects in future. The aim is to define a philosophy and methodologies that are consistent, and will be able to give expression to the specific local culture in matters of conservation, while respecting shared international rules.

World Cup 2022 and Qatar’s construction projects: Relational power in networks and relational responsibilities to migrant workers

This article explores the relational power and responsibilities to migrant workers on physical infrastructure projects in Qatar connected to the sovereign state hosting the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2022. Currently, these construction workers operate under the Kafala system, which is upheld in Qatar. However, large numbers of Qatar’s visiting migrant construction workers were recorded as injured or killed through incidents that were related to their work. Further still, many other migrant workers reported poor, unsanitary living conditions and being ‘trapped’ by their Kafil with passports withheld or wages not forthcoming, prompting criticism from international non-governmental organizations. This article adopts a relational sociological approach to discuss how ‘responsibilities’ for deaths, injuries and illnesses are passed between key actors that include the State of Qatar, FIFA, World Cup sponsors, building contractors and sub-contractors, and the recruitment agencies that find workers in other countries to work on the construction sites. As such, it makes three scholarly contributions: it leads in unpacking and discussing the treatment of migrant construction workers in World Cup 2022 infrastructure projects in Qatar; it follows work by Timms in adding to the literature on the passing of responsibilities for migrant workers between states and corporations in globalized societies; and it uses the case to further critically unpack Castells’ notions of relational power in networks.

Principles and recommendations for client information requirements for BIM enabled construction projects in Qatar

Principles and recommendations for client information requirements for BIM enabled construction projects in Qatar