Delayed Doha airport will not “fail” like Berlin Brandenburg – Al Baker

insider Tuesday, 2 April 2013 10:22 AM - qatar

and now? in berlin they postponed the opening 3 1/2 weeks ahead of the first landing...
In Doha they cancelled the first landing 2 hours prior the scheduled time!!!! 2 HOURS!!!!!
what a shame

Telcoguy Tuesday, 2 April 2013 2:14 PM - UAE

Well, it has not "failed like Berlin". It has failed in a different manner, so the statement has proven to be correct
You people complain about everything!

Oh well, I can not wait for the barrage of comments from the usual suspects

TUoEmzpWGnxIvQyHo Wednesday, 19 December 2012 4:07 PM - cRVPFhwJ

hi irene, thanks so much. I'm prtety excited too. Actually, we never really planned staying in France for this long, so it's like our thread 3 years ago started to pick up again charl> thanks! we always knew that we'd be moving, just didn't know it would be this quick, yay!

Arjun Friday, 7 December 2012 3:35 PM - UAE

To all the commentators claiming to be Qatari's.....time will tell & hope shall prevail. Don't get stuck up on biggest,tallest,largest. We all will be proud that a country of your size can organize something like a WC 2022 which is eons away & everyone in Qatar behaves as if it is next month. With everyone's blessings it will get you there. But please feet on the ground and walk head high. I visit Doha every month & see the developments, it's happening, but to what extent of expectations of Qatari's themselves, time will tell, time will tell.

procan Friday, 7 December 2012 10:33 AM - canada

Qatari...... with no disrespect PPK is right the vast population of Canadians 34 million have no idea Qatar is a Country. Now that is nothing to be proud of its just a fact. I wish more North Americans would take more interest . I guess when some like Al Baker comes to Canada we just notice his manners and charming disposition. Please to all the Dubai commenter's we recognize Dubai and why shouldn't we it is the jewel of the oil rich Gulf

Who you fooling Thursday, 6 December 2012 3:49 PM - Dubai

Its not just Qatar I sat with the project manager of Kuwait Airport 3 months ago who showed me the designs for the new airport that were signed off in 2006 and it still has not started!!

Runway King Thursday, 6 December 2012 1:25 PM - UK

Having worked on the said project along with Dubai International , Jebel Ali , Heathrow T5 and Chep lap Kok i can speak with over 20 years of experience in airport construction. The only people involved with the delay of the N.D.I.A is the N.D.I.A and Qatar .

Countless design changes and failure to push forward and make quick desicions has been paramount to treble the original cost and treble the original time frame for construction.
Contractors have been banginf their heads against the wall for years on this project at the inability for quick desicions .

Al Baker's language as usual shows exactly what people in the contracting business have to put up with working in Qatar . Arrogance and ignorance are dangerous traits when coupled with never ending pots of cash .

George Sunday, 6 January 2013 11:39 AM - UAE

If this happened only in Qatar the world would have been a better place. The problem here is mr. Al Baker who opens his mouth and says whatever comes to his mind. Same issues in the rest of the gulf, especially with IT projects.

marsrover Thursday, 6 December 2012 1:17 PM - canada

98% complete?
Really? Where did this fugure com from?
this is Shoddy journalism at best!
If it was 98% complete it would probably be operationaly by now with some 2% of snags!
Some reports suggest that there is easily 18 months to 2 years left to go on the NDIA project for some of the reasons outlined by Eddie.
2 years to carry out 2% of the works???

AOrlov Tuesday, 8 January 2013 6:32 PM - UAE

Sadly this discussion is a bit out of date, but it seems there is more and coming out about the project. However there seems to be a lot of conspiracy involved. Also 98 % finished?? It does seem a bit unrealistic as during my last stop over in Dubai from the distance it looked pretty far off. Anyone care to explain? Or does anyone actually have any hands on experience with the project?

Eddie Wednesday, 5 December 2012 8:21 PM - Qatar

I'm lucky enough to be working on the NDIA and can ssure you they are still a long way away from becoming operational. It has nothing to do with Lindner Depa being placed in default. Its the system that has failed. The resources Qatar needs to accomplish its projects are simply not available due to monopolies on steel, cement, diesel and other materials and visa restrictions and labour bans still in force. The same project would have been executed and completed in Dubai in 4 years max. The project has been running for 8 and is nowhere near completion yet. Qatar also lacks a visionary leader like Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai and one who is bold enough to make decisions quickly enough to ensure projects are completed on time. On the contrary, projects continue to be hampered by bureaucracy and red tape.

J Smith Saturday, 8 December 2012 11:00 AM - Qatar

Qatari

Your Countries external debt is $125.3 billion So let's not pretend that your Country is any better than anyone else's.

Ronald Thursday, 6 December 2012 3:49 PM - UK

Qatari's comment was written by a PR flunkie, paid for in full. The messaging is perfect, the grammar exact and the tone pure spin.

Ulevpri Wednesday, 5 December 2012 4:42 PM - UAE

Of course his country is owing stakes in our country.. who of you guys don't like to drive our cars? Airport Frankfurt was the leading Airport at times where Qatar only started to built proper roads... so what? They owing stakes to get a little knowledge about our work attitude, organization and discipline, which is giving the "Stakeholders" still no right to think they are better now!

Jake Friday, 7 December 2012 12:18 PM - UAE

Yet you can't help it, but investing in our industry, buy our real estate, buy everything that has "made in germany" on it, go to our hospitals. I don't know where your arrogance comes from, but you haven't invented the wheel or cured polio, you have put up some big buildings in the desert and threw money around to build an airline, that is run by foreigners. Just like all other businesses...well done!

Ulevpri Wednesday, 5 December 2012 1:01 PM - UAE

I am sorry to say this, but why this Gentlemen believes to know somehing about what happened in Berlin?
He has no clue, and as a saying in Germany... if you have no clue just keep your mouth shut.
Countries like his own don't know anything about organisation and coordination... please do the public a favour and educate yourself first properly before you try to compete with a -in many major industries- world leading country!!!

JustAThought Friday, 7 December 2012 12:41 PM - UAE

@WHJ, Qatari, maybe we should consider a couple of things, first track record. I think the Germans may have a certain edge.
Then standards, yes the Germans are unhappy with the Berlin airport situation, and Der Spiegel calls it a fiasco.
At the same time no Qatari news outlet is criticizing the execution of the Doha airport. Do you really think you can compare the situation?
Maybe you can tell us about the wiring of the airport and confirm or deny that had to be redone (with the impact on time and expense) because the first contractor brought the cheapest "electricians" available and the company in charge of certification refused.
And yes, some people may prefer to have strikes and complains from people affected even if they are inconvenient and reduce "efficiency" as a price to pay for a certain model of society.
You certainly prefer a system wiht no saying. That is fine, enjoy it.

WHJ Friday, 7 December 2012 10:32 AM - UAE

@pkk. That's because most people in the west have poor general knowledge.
"The Berlin airport is a fiasco". This from Speigel online International.

PKK Thursday, 6 December 2012 8:45 PM - Germany

@Qatari. Most people in the West have no clue that Qatar is a country.

The stakes that you are talking about are indeed interesting investments (and do not forget interesting investments in football clubs). How much are the shareholders actually involved (able ?) in the management of the companies ?

And yes, we all know how projects are handled locally and the excellent planning skills.

Jake Thursday, 6 December 2012 2:35 PM - UAE

then lets do exactly that and stay on topic here. I don't dispute the ownership of the airlines here. I merely pointed out that you can't demand free markets, when every line of business, except your airline, is everything but a free market. In addition, the article is about the delays. Surely, you haven't followed the story about BBA, but the delays were caused by more than one factor. Easy to blame 1 contractor, but doesn't it make the whole project look bad if 1 contractor has caused all this mess? Sounds a bit simple, doesn't it.