Holiday Inn Doha on track to hit original deadline

Qatar’s first Holiday Inn is expected to hit its original July 2016 completion deadline, despite some challenges during construction.

The construction of Holiday Inn Doha, which is located on Crowne Plaza Doha – The Business Park, is being headed by main contractor, Man Enterprise Qatar, and consultant, Arab Engineering Bureau (AEB).

Permitted working hours and noise levels have been limited at the construction site due to its close proximity to InterContinental Hotels Group’s (IHG) operational five-star hotel, Crowne Plaza Doha. In addition, those working on Holiday Inn Doha, which will also be operated by IHG, have had to operate on a zero-inventory basis due to a lack of storage space at the site.

In an interview with Construction Week, AEB’s lead project manager, Waleed Hagag Mohamed, said: “We have three tower cranes to facilitate the handling of materials and also to help with the casting of small quantities of concrete columns and other limited items.

“Nevertheless, we have very limited space, so we are working on a zero-inventory basis. This comes down to management technology; materials are delivered only at the time of installation. It is very difficult, but this is our challenge every day. We have limited space and we have to live with it,” he added.

Despite challenges related to the lack of onsite space and the need to keep noise levels to a minimum, AEB expects to handover the hotel by its original completion deadline.

Mohamed explained: “Sure, we have faced challenges on this project, but we are working with the contractor to mitigate any delays as much as possible. We are doing this by increasing manpower and working nightshifts.”