krado

Hello all in the ME.

I am very interested to hear from forum members within the construction profession who are actively working on construction projects in the ME region. I am a chartered construction professional, newly arrived as you can tell, and a little taken aback by the working practices on construction sites here in KSA. Is it GCC wide???

Now I know what you are all going to say "not in the UK now Budd" but I am keen to learn and maybe understand the madness that I am going to be dealing with. I have searched for some construction related forum/discussion sites on this subject but without much success. Suggest RICS/CIOB/ICE around Riyadh would be great. If anybody has any constructive pointers or know of members, would be very much appreciated. looking forward to hearing from you. K

weasel decentral

Forget all you know about safety, ethics, the truth, planning, scheduling, quality and expertise.

Then it will all make sense.

As things go KSA is about middle of the range, things are better in UAE or Qatar. In the larger projects only though, the rest resembles a laurel and hardy show.

Actually your post suggests you are not normally on site (at home) so it must be doubly amazing to see this shit

krado

On the contrary, I am always on site with exception of course to off-site meetings /luncheons I started on the tools many years ago as a tradesman and worked myself up ( if you would call it up) the ladder. So I have seen every facet of building, some more than once. I feel that the GCC governments want to change hence they are hence employing us.

There is no way to implement change unless there is a good understanding of the root cause. but then again, that could be just plain old lazyness

weasel decentral

You would be wrong there.

Anyhow good luck with the job, we will see how you still feel about effecting change after a couple of months. but I admire the enthusiasm

krado

thanks I am a cup overflowing kinda chap. It will take a lot to empty my enthusiasm. But I will take your advice on board. ( not the first time I have heard this since my arrival in KSA)

britexpat76

I would love you to keep us updated to see how long you stay enthusiastic for.

I am going for 1 month.

OleJanx

That long, eh? You show a suprising amount of optimism there.

krado

Its all a matter of perspective britexpat76...though thanks for the time. 1 month is a generous wager . You should get fair to evens on it I recon. K

Bob

Welcome to BE

krado

Thanks you kindly sir for your hospitality

Millhouse

You are in the right place to have that that trait reversed

Quackers

I have worked in Qatar, Saudi, UAE and it seems to be the same principle everywhere. Employ loads of labourers (who call themselves Tradesmen), put a 'white man' at the top to manage them and everything will be ok lol

scrubbedexpat141

Ah don't listen to the naysayers mate....despite the fact they're more than likely right.

I visited a site where the British PD lined up all the foremen and made them check every labourers PPE. Anyone without got a warning (explained properly to them)...repeat warning meant a days pay lost.

Now I don't absolutely agree with docking pay from a guy paid peanuts but it was brutal rules to make sure they were safer. Seemed to work too.

Just know what you can change and what you can't.

krado

Thanks Guys. Rest assured I am keeping an open mind about it all as I guess you have to.

I agree Scamp that docking a mans pay is taking bread from his mouth and that of his family and would not be my first course of action.
I have learnt many tricks of the trade over the years particularly when it comes to the enforcement of the likes of PPE and it will be interesting to see how these will work in practice in the ME. I suspect they may have to evolve ( my tricks that is) and perhaps learn a few new ones. K

scrubbedexpat141

**** it, you just go and handle your business, you'll soon learn what people will and won't do and what will and won't make them change.

Yes, you're unlikely to bring vast changes to all aspects (not just HSE) in the region but if you can make one part of one project a bit better in one area then you're glass will be a fountain right?