Title: Risk examination in the Arabian Gulf Region construction industry from international firms' insights

Authors: Ruqaya Al Sabah; Hala Nassereddine; Awad S. Hanna

Addresses: Construction Management and Engineering Program, Civil Engineering Department, Kuwait University, 13060, Kuwait ' Construction Engineering and Management Program, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA ' Construction Engineering and Management Program, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA

Abstract: Risk is an ever-present event on any construction project. International projects are more challenging than domestic projects as they experience a wider range of risks. With the growing amount of construction in the Arabian Gulf Region (AGR) and many more international firms attempting into new international markets, limited research exists to identify and evaluate the impact of risks on projects in this area. This paper provides an overview of the risk associated with international projects. Seventy-four risks encountered in the AGR were identified and their impact on cost and schedule performance metrics was evaluated. Projects for which cost and schedule were both impacted were identified and the correlation between cost and schedule was compared. Some factors were found to have significantly higher impact on cost or schedule. An international risk assessment tool (IRAT) was developed to help multinational firms enhance their visual ability to pre-emptively identify, address, and mitigate risks.

Keywords: AGR; Arabian Gulf Region; international construction; multinational firms; risks; assessment tool.

DOI: 10.1504/MEJM.2018.088736

Middle East Journal of Management, 2018 Vol.5 No.1, pp.75 - 88

Received: 21 Jul 2017
Accepted: 21 Jul 2017
Published online: 15 Dec 2017 *

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