PwC acquires UAE consulting firm

03 May 2016

Construction disputes have increased with tighter budgets and more competitive procurement processes

US consultancy PwC has acquired Dubai-based HLP Consulting, which specialises in construction disputes.

A statement from PwC said the: “HLP Consulting deal would bring this regional technical knowledge, as well as a core claims consultancy business that advises on legal disputes.”

HLP had been set up by former members of UK-based Trett Consulting in 2010, and has offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha serving the GCC market.

The value of the deal is unconfirmed.

Across the region there has been a steady increase in contract disputes in the construction industry. The fall of oil prices over the past year has also meant the budgets of many state-backed schemes are becoming increasingly tight, with the procurement process getting much more competitive in recent months as contractors and clients look to better manage projects.

Contract disputes rise despite improved legal avenues

Across the region there has been a steady increase in contract disputes in the construction industry, which rose 87 per cent year-on-year to reach $76.7m in 2014, according to a report published by Dutch firm Arcadis.

While this is a significant rise from the $40.9m recorded in 2013, it is still far short of the $112.5m of disputes recorded in 2011, as the shock of the global financial crisis continued to affect the region’s real estate markets. Read more.

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