Collaboration between clients and contractors will form a vital part of winning work in Qatar’s impending construction boom, according to industry experts speaking at MEED’s Qatar Projects 2012 conference in Doha.

“Collaboration is key achieving success in Qatar’s market,” said Ibrahim Jaidah, managing director of the local Arab Engineering Bureau.

The panellists spoke of the importance of forming partnerships and joint ventures with companies with different skill sets.

“The secret to good collaboration you have to select people that can add value to what you are doing, identify weaknesses where you require support,” said Jaidah.

Qatar’s construction programme in preparation for the 2022 World Cup will create challenges for international contractors in supply chain, manpower and the health and safety sectors, and local contractors were keen to stress that an effective joint venture with a local firm can help reduce the risks of entering the Qatari market.

“In an effective partnership, companies will have greater access to building materials, local subcontracting services and required equipment,” says Monjid Abdelmajeed, managing director of the local Redco Construction Almana.

In addition to technical capabilities, panellists were keen to stress the importance of finding partner with knowledge of local regulations.

 “It is important that the partner knows the system, knows the regulations and knows the government organisations and clients,” said Ahmad Jassim al-Jolo, chairman, Qatar Society of Engineers.

In the run up to hosting the 2022 football World Cup, about $60bn of construction projects are scheduled to be tendered in Qatar.