May 9, 2017: Project Qatar 2017, the 14th edition of the International Trade Exhibition for Construction Technology, Building Materials, Equipment and Environmental Technology, began its workshop series during the opening day, featuring key topics on various construction concerns in the GCC – from advancing construction codes and global best practices to quality assessment and sustainability in building design. 

The first day featured four key topics: ‘Cooperating to Advance Construction Codes in the Gulf Region’ by Mark Johnson, Executive Vice President, Business Development, International Code Council (ICC); ‘Quality Assessment - Strategic Approach’ by Muhammed Farooque, CEO – Managing Director of Excelledia; ‘The “World Best Practice” Paradox’ by Samer Deaïbess, Management Systems Consultant of EGS; and ‘LEED and Water Saving-Success in Building Design’ by Joe Azzarello, Senior Sustainability Engineer of Kohler Co.

Key workshop discussions on the second day included ‘Conflict Avoidance: The Alternative to Dispute Resolution’ by Rob Jackson, Regional Director of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS); ‘Integrated Systems and Smart Services’ by Ibrahim Kocagoz, Project Manager of Qatar Project Management – Smart City; and ‘Overview of the International Green Construction Code’ by Dave Wells, Executive Director for Sustainability Programs of the International Code Council. 

A Live Demo session was also held with a presentation by Ed James, Head of Content and Analysis at MEED Projects, MEED, followed by a panel discussion on ‘Innovative Solutions to the Biggest Issues in the Qatari Construction Industry’.

George Ayache, General Manager, IFP Qatar, said: “Qatar’s construction sector is keen to address the pertinent issues that affect the sector to ensure that the country adopts global best practices and sustainability trends. The series of workshops were carefully chosen to help contribute in knowledge growth in the sector and translate into efficient use of resources. Qatar’s ambition to be among the leading countries in the world when it comes to infrastructure growth demands that construction is of high quality and on par with international standards. We are confident the workshops fully cover these key concerns.”

Fahad Rashid Al Kaabi, CEO, Manateq commented, “We are proud to commit our support for the 14th edition of Project Qatar, whose continuous success complements our vision to drive in more growth for Manateq.  Our company is committed towards supporting various programs, initiatives and exhibitions that looks towards contributing to the move to help bolster the local economy. Our presence as one of the sponsors of this event will allow us the opportunity to reach a larger targeted audience and we look forward to meeting exhibitors and visitors in our booth located in A37 – Hall 2.”

On the third day of the workshop, participants will look into ‘Quality Audits - A Value Added Tool Within the Construction Arena’ which will be delivered by Arlene O. Aguilar, QA Consultant of ATKINS/ Faithful + Gould. The other workshop will talk about ‘Design of Quality Control Systems to Improve the Quality of Concrete Construction in Complex Infrastructure Projects’ by Stephen Stacey, from CTL Group.

The fourth day will discuss two areas: ‘Identification and Mitigation of Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) in Concrete Structures’ by Anthony Bentivegna, Laboratory Manager and Consultant of CTL Group; and ‘Sustainability Is All About People’ by Dr. Olga Revina, Management Consultant of Investors in People.

Considered as the country’s largest exhibition for building, environmental technology and materials, Project Qatar 2017 showcases products and services of 516 exhibitors from 33 participating countries, impressing visitors with a wide variety of technological innovation and the latest digital solutions for the construction and building industry. Two major industry-related trade events are also being held on the sidelines of the show: the Qatar Stone Tech 2016, the 6th International Stone and Stone Technology Show, and Heavy Max 2016, the 14th International Exhibition for Heavy Machinery.

Some of the event’s main sponsors and partners include the Qatar Tourism Authority as Strategic Partner; Manateq as Economic Zones Partner, NBK Automobiles, as Official Transportation Partner, Al Sraiya Group and Palmera as Platinum Sponsors; QD-CPC Industries, a subsidiary of QDSBG as Gold Sponsors; and Ali Abdul Sattar Business Group, BITUMODE Qatar Waterproofing Factory, Qatar uPVC as Silver Sponsors.