Northcroft | » 2019

Works in progress to increase green areas by over 10 million sqm by 2022

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Justin Murray

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) is progressing with implementing the first phase projects of the ‘Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads & Public Places in Qatar’ which targets to increase green areas in Qatar by 240 per cent by 2022 through cultivation of green grasses and plants over 10 million square metres area across the country.

The progress in this regard included some streets in the north of Doha such as Legtaifiya, Buhaira, Onaiza, Al Markhiya streets and parts of Al Waab Street. The beautification of streets such as Al Khafji, Al Jamiaa, Arab League, and others across the whole country is underway.

Details about the projects were given by Ashghal officials and members of the Committee at the opening ceremony of Al Abraj Park in West Bay Area, a project of the Supervisory Committee, yesterday.

The phase one project of beautification comprises the design and execution of a number of projects that include constructing pedestrian and cycle paths, construction and maintenance of green areas and planting trees, development of vital areas, adding artworks throughout the country.

Such works are done under the umbrella of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and in coordination with several ministries and governmental entities in the country including the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Sports and Culture, Qatar Museums, Qatar Railways Company, the Private Engineering Office and others.

President of Ashghal, Dr Eng. Saad bin Ahmed Al Mohannadi, said: “The Supervisory Committee works in line with the initiative of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment to plant trees. The Committee will coordinate with Ashghal Highway Project Department, Roads Projects Department and the Public Parks Department to plant 10 million square metres of green areas by 2022 through various projects.”

He said that collaboration with local and national tree nurseries such as the Qatar Foundation is also carried out to enable tree planting. “To date, 76km of pedestrian and cycle paths have been completed, and other works such as landscape, trees planting, street furniture, lighting, kiosks are still ongoing. Phase one is scheduled to be completed by the first quarter of 2020,” said Al Mohannadi.

Eng. Mohammed Arqoub Al Khalidi, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee, said: “One of the most important objectives of the Committee is to rehabilitate many areas to be environmentally, pedestrians and cyclists friendly according to Qatar National Vision 2030, thus contributing to the creation of a vibrant and healthy culture that supports the use of bicycles and walking to workplaces, and to shopping and entertainment areas as well as contributing to the increase of a healthier lifestyle and exercise.”

The Committee has also signed a contract for the development of Central Doha, and the development of cycle and pedestrian paths along the Corniche road and Al Khor road. Also, a tender for the design and build of the landscape on Al Majd Road has been issued.

The Supervisory Committee in coordination with MME has also signed a contract for the design of some public parks in several areas in the country.

These parks are Rawdat Al Khail, Al Gharrafa, Um Al Saneem, Rawdat Al Hamama as well as the maintenance of some parks such as Ras Bu Abboud, Al Shamal and Al Wakra Park. The committee also signed a contract with five Contractors to implement some projects with a budget of QR700m. The scope of works includes the construction of pedestrian and cycle paths, landscape, trees, street furniture and lighting, to beautify main and local roads in various parts of the country.

Ashghal, through its Expressways and Local Roads projects as well as through the projects of the Supervisory Committee, will be implementing 2,650km of pedestrian and cycle paths by 2022.

Source: The Peninsula Qatar

Northcroft Middle East : “Back to Basics” Contract Administration Principles

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Justin Murray

Northcroft Middle East’s commitment to enhancing our client’s contract administration expertise and capabilities, is the first in a series of collaborative workshops focusing upon the specific issues and problems encountered whilst administering contracts during the lifecycle of a project.

Our unique training course brings together contemporary contract management theory and existing good practice in a logical and structured way. Our focused approach is clearly designed to provide engineers, of all grades, with the knowledge, understanding and practical skills necessary for managing construction contracts effectively.

It is essential for construction managers, site and project managers to understand the principles and practices of contract administration for construction projects. Northcroft Middle East’s “Back to Basic’s” workshops emphasise the role of the contract administrator in prevention of problems rather than fixing them. The ultimate objective is to assist our clients augment their skills to apply proven administrative principles and techniques to their construction projects.

We were honoured and privileged to be joined in our workshop yesterday by our friends and colleagues, the engineers of Bojamhoor Trading and Contracting. Bojamhoor was founded in 1978 to play a pioneering role in the development of the State of Qatar and has since grown to become one of the most successful and leading construction companies in the country. It is through their multi-disciplinary expertise and proven project delivery methods that Bojamhoor consistently achieves its promises on time and on budget, irrespective of the nature, size and complexity of their construction projects. We thank Engineer Isam Salem (Executive Manager) Bojamhoor for facilitating his team’s attendance, it was very much appreciated, and we wish you continued success.

Ashghal completes 72% construction of Umm Lekhba Interchange

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Justin Murray

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has completed 72 percent of the development works on Umm Lekhba Interchange, known as ‘Landmark Intersection’ within the work of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor project.

The new free-flow interchange with a length of 11km, the largest in Qatar, will consist of nine bridges with the capacity to accommodate 20,000 vehicles in an hour. Parts of the interchange will be opened by the end of this year.

Once completed in 2021, Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor will significantly contribute to the relief of traffic congestion on Doha Expressway, in particular on 22 February Street. The new Corridor will be a vital alternative and parallel route that will serve thousands of daily commuters from the north to the south of Doha.

Details about the project were given by Ashghal officials during a media tour of the construction site of Umm Lekhba Interchange.

“The construction of the huge and vital interchange is underway, parts of the new interchange are scheduled to open by the end of 2019, followed by other openings until the end of 2020,” said project engineer, Ali Ibrahim.

Ibrahim said that the interchange accommodates over 20,000 vehicles per hour and five bridges consist of two lanes in one direction, while the other four bridges include one lane in one direction.

Above all, the interchange is located in a densely populated area and a vibrant commercial activity where there are many government entities, educational and health facilities as well as complexes and commercial markets.

Once completed in the fourth quarter of 2020, the new interchange will significantly improve traffic to shorten the travel time by more than 70 percent.

The bridges provide nine arteries that provide free traffic flow in nine directions, in addition to the free traffic on Al Shamal Road as well as the underpass of the old interchange linking Al Markhiya Street and Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor.

Commuters travelling from Hamad International Airport will be able to reach Umm Lekhba Interchange in approximately 18 minutes compared to the current 50 minutes via Doha Expressway and 22 February Street reducing traffic time by 70 minutes.

This significant improvement in traffic will occur due to increased road capacity to more than 20,000 vehicles per hour in both directions after the expansion of the corridor, which will be upgraded to four and five lanes in each direction instead of three lanes, Doha Expressway currently accommodates 12,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.

The project will convert all roundabouts to more efficient and safer signalised junctions as well as build and upgrade 17 interchanges.

These interchanges will deliver 32 bridges and 12 vehicular underpasses to enhance connectivity and provide smooth traffic movements in addition to 12 pedestrian bridges.

A total 12 pedestrian and cycle paths with a length of 65km along with 1.5 million square metre of landscaping will also be delivered as part of the project’s scope of works.

Source and Photo Copyright: The Peninsula Qatar

Hamad Port has set a new Guinness World Record as the deepest artificial basin ever made on Earth

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Justin Murray

The Minister of Transport and Communications HE Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti received the Guinness World Records certificate from the organization’s representatives at a special event held at MOTC premises today.

Hamad Port’s basin is 4km long, 700 meters wide and 17 meters deep. Basin construction took about two and a half years of excavation, during which over 6900 tons of explosives were used to challenge the drafts – with full commitment to preserving wildlife and marine life – to extract more than 44.5 million cubic meters of dredged material, which was later used in other construction works at the project, resulting in huge savings.

“Hamad Port winning of such a universal certificate signals the importance and size of the project. Such an achievement is a new addition to a collection of world records the country set at Guinness World Records. It also emphasizes Qatar’s capability of developing innovative projects in line with highest global standards,” the Minister said.

“Hamad Port’s continuing achievements place us before a double responsibility toward our society so as to continue our performance according to world standards and our ambitious goals,” he added.

He also noted that since construction operations began at Hamad Port the latest technologies have been in use to ensure highly-efficient work progress in line with best global quality standards. The concerted efforts from both staff and partners have always been the key to the port’s milestones, he said.

This new Guinness World Records certificate is an addition to a collection of universal certificates and rankings the port has made recently as it was awarded high commendation in the Coastal Dredging Project of the year category at the inaugural IHS DPC Innovation Awards. The commendation was awarded to Hamad Port for the deployment of unique systems in the construction and excavation of the port basin, which was built on land in a rare operation of its kind in international ports in addition to its advanced infrastructure that supports the ecofriendly port technologies worldwide.

Hamad Port was also listed by the Lloyd’s List Global Awards 2018 among the top 8 international ports in the field of innovation and among the top 5 ports in terms of operations. The port was commended for deploying constructive initiatives and ideas, plus its efficient operational processes and overall unique performance.

In terms of operational processes, Hamad Port managed to set new records in August 2019, celebrating two key milestones; the handling of over 3 million TEUs and 7 million tons of general and bulk cargo since the commencement of operation of the facility.

Source and photo copyright: The Peninsula Qatar

The shifting sands of construction in the Middle East

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Justin Murray

“Northcroft Middle East’s proactive Dispute Avoidance Services are designed to ensure that the avoidance of construction and engineering disputes is the overriding objective of all parties. We continue to raise awareness, through the provision of our services, that communication, access to the relevant paperwork and records, coupled with the willingness of all parties to cooperate is absolutely vital to the successful delivery of any project and therefore maximises the opportunity to complete the project without the need for costly and potentially damaging disputes” Peter J. Locks (CEO)

Average value of disputes in the Middle East revealed two interesting finding that show a change taking place in the construction market in the region.

A recent report by Arcadis (Global Construction Disputes Report, 2019) examined the state of construction in the Middle East.

Two important findings it highlighted was that in 2018 the average value of disputes in the region dropped to $57 million from $91 million in 2017. It further found that the average length of time needed to resolve a dispute increased to 20 months, compared to 13.5 months in 2017. This is despite the fact that the total volume of construction disputes was about the same in 2018 and 2017.

These two findings are interesting to study further because they demonstrate the current shift taking place in the construction market in the region.

Drop in the average value of disputes
The most likely reason for the drop in value of construction disputes could relate to the increased use by construction parties of FIDIC form contracts in the region.

The FIDIC process supports the early resolution of claims through a dispute adjudication board and one particular feature of this is that it is a prerequisite to a party commencing arbitration.

The resulting effect is that some disagreements do not progress to full-blown disputes, reducing the overall value of disputes that do. The increased use of the FIDIC process is a welcome development illustrating the maturity of construction parties to resolve disputes promptly and efficiently, removing the need to commence either litigation or arbitration.

Factors affecting the time to resolve disputes
There are a number of factors affecting why disputes in the region are now taking longer to resolve.

The availability and increased workload of tribunals (of which there is a limited pool of experts in the construction field) is one factor. Other factors include the complexity of disputes and parties’ conduct during the proceedings. For instance, if there are increased applications for interim measures, this will draw out the process.

A number of parties are also known for deploying dilatory tactics to complicate and delay the resolution of disputes. While there are effective ways of dealing with such dilatory tactics, they require the involvement of sophisticated dispute resolution lawyers.

A party’s preference for a binding decision to resolve a dispute means it is more likely to refer claims to a formal dispute process such as arbitration proceedings, which will result in a binding award that is directly enforceable in the Middle East and in many jurisdictions around the globe. However, this may sometimes take 2 years (or more) to obtain.

We are expecting five malls to open in Doha before 2019 ends

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Justin Murray

With most of these malls still being under construction, 2019 will see the expected opening of five new malls in Qatar, and a number of other commercial enterprises. These include Katara Mall in Al Qassar, Doha Mall in Abu Hamour, Doha Souq in Al Mirqab, La Galleria in Msheireb and Northgate Mall (North Doha), reported the Qatar Peninsula.

In addition to these already opened malls, outdoor places in Doha like Souq Waqif, Katara Cultural Village, The Pearl Qatar, Porto Arabia and Medina Centrale, which are made up of a high number of food and beverage outlets are providing an additional 200,000 square metres of retail accommodation that is leasable.

DTZ/Cushman & Wakefield also mentioned in their review that ever since new retail commercial space, residential units and hotels have been added to the market combined with certain other factors, there has been a downward pressure in property rents and the revenues of the average room in the hotels in and around Doha. However, with time, these are now getting more and more stabilised.

It is expected that, with time, and as Doha’s main infrastructure projects near completion along with the Government’s programmes to accelerate the private sector, the economy will diversify and will not just be dependent on oil and gas, and the private sector will see a lot more growth and potential.

Source: IloveQatar

55 new projects worth QR18.8 bn in 2019: Ashghal

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Justin Murray

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) will spend QR18.8 billion on 55 new road and infrastructure projects in 2019. This was announced by Ashghal President Saad bin Ahmad al Muhannadi at the authority’s third industry briefing on upcoming infrastructure projects in Doha in March.

“Ashghal will focus on infrastructure projects in new and existing sub-divisions and to complete them on time with the required quality,” Muhannadi said. “Ashghal has completed 95 percent of its Express Highway project and the next priority will be development of citizens’ plots, existing sub-division, ground water and drainage network. The projects in 2019 will include 125 km of drainage, 175 km of road, 285 km of ground water network and over 1 million square metres of landscaping,” Muhannadi said.

Ashghal is currently implementing 14 projects serving about 16,000 sub-divisions with a budget of QR6.5 billion. Many companies related to the construction industry, contractors, suppliers, manufacturers, consultants and individuals from government and non-government institutions attended the seminar.

Ashghal presented local roads and drainage projects that will be tendered during 2019 and projects that are under construction.

The Ashghal president also referred to the benefits of revisiting the contracts, which emphasised the importance of community outreach to reduce the impact of construction on the daily lives of the public and the surrounding environment and increase public awareness.

Chairman of Hamad Bin Khalid Contracting Company and QBS International Sheikh Ali bin Hamad al Thani said Ashghal’s recognition of outstanding contractors is a good gesture to encourage other contractors to comply with the standards of the authority.

Ashghal has honoured seven companies for their outstanding performance in the area of safety. Five companies were awarded certificates of recognition for their excellence in implementing new contract enhancements.

Technical Office Manager at Ashghal Ahmad Ali al Ansari said 104 companies have already been accredited through Ta’heel initiative, providing 141 certified and locally manufactured products.

Source: Qatar Tribune