Dr Abdulla Yaqoub Al Sayed (left), presenting a memento to Dr Alex Amato during the launch of LCI-Q at W Doha recently. Pic: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula
Doha: The Lean Construction Institute Qatar (LCI-Q) was formally launched in Doha recently to promote ‘lean culture’ within the country’s construction industry.
The institute, which was registered with the Qatar Financial Centre, is the first of its kind in the Mena and Asian region. It now seeks to advance the adoption of lean construction methodology, which is embraced by a growing number of construction firms globally, for ensuring that a project is quickly done, lower costs are incurred during the building process, eliminating waste, and increasing value and efficiency in the construction sector.
“Construction projects are happening all over Qatar, whether it’s in infrastructure, building, rails, or services needed for the World Cup. Our target is to apply the lean construction in reducing waste and improving the efficiency of the construction industry. While doing that, this will also reduce the cost incurred in the construction sector,” said Dr Abdulla Yaqoub Al Sayed, President of LCI-Q, who is also the Chief Development & Project Delivery Officer for Asia & Africa at construction giant Qatari Diar, while talking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the institute’s launch event at W Doha.
With construction projects market currently valued at around $75bn, Qatar remains to be one of the leading countries with the highest construction costs in the world. The country has also been ranked 11th most expensive place to build construction projects in the world by Arcadis’ International Construction Costs report. Waste in Qatar’s construction sector could reach up to 54 percent, compared to only 11 percent in the manufacturing sector, said Dr Luai Sabek, Operations Director at LCI-Q and Head of Infrastructure and Landscaping at Qatari Diar.
He added: “Lean principles are a means to an end, and the end is the value we seek. This value is generated by many initiatives like sustainability, green building, smart solutions, artificial intelligence, and others. There are 13 contracts running at the moment from Ashghal with this requirement (lean model), so the institute will serve the current demand in the market. Also, because we’re the first lean construction institute in the region, we also hope to be a hub to serve the surrounding countries.”
Dr Alex Amato, Head of Sustainability at Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), added: “This is a very bold enterprise, and I think it is absolutely needed in Qatar. We face challenges as far as sustainability is concerned in this region. Lean construction and sustainability are inseparable.”
During the event, LCI-Q also signed partnership agreements with QGBC and the Qatar University’s (QU) College of Engineering. The institute has also previously signed a partnership agreement with the 100 year old Engineers Australia. Sponsors during the event which included Al Darwish Engineering, Protiviti, Al Jaber Engineering, and Redco Construction Al Mana also delivered presentations on their lean construction practices.
