‘Sanad’ to aid Qatar’s construction industry, says Astad official

Project management and consultancy firm Astad recently launched ‘Sanad’, a “supportive tool” that refines contractual procedures in the construction industry within Qatar and the region, an official said.Sanad, which means ‘support’ in Arabic, was launched at the recently-concluded ‘2nd Government Procurement & Contracting Conference and Exhibition’ (Moushtarayat 2017), Astad CEO engineer Ali al-Khalifa told reporters in a press conference yesterday.Al-Khalifa said Sanad includes a suite of four contract templates and standardised forms covering construction, design and build, design services and professional services. It also includes general conditions and supporting appendices that have been developed to guide and support contractual procedures, encourage seamless processes, and promote fairness and equity between parties, he said.“Sanad aims to act as a supportive tool within the construction industry, refining contractual procedures within Qatar and the region, while simultaneously utilising as an educational reference, further supporting our nation’s vision to promote a knowledge based economy,” al-Khalifa pointed out.Speaking to Gulf Times, al-Khalifa stressed that Sanad is part of Astad’s corporate social responsibility, offering the innovative solution “free of cost” to major companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).“Aside from major companies, Sanad can work for SMEs as well. At Moushtarayat 2017, we tried to explain to SMEs the benefits of Sanad and how they can use it. They do not have to pay any premium for it; they customise it according to their needs, and our team will advise and guide them free of cost,” he explained.He added: “Sanad is a CSR programme and an internal initiative to address a serious issue in the market. To access Sanad, companies can download it at www.astad.qa For inquiries, companies can also submit their questions at sanad@astad.qa”According to al-Khalifa, it took Astad three years to complete Sanad. The process, he said, was reviewed by 15 leading international legal and insurance firms in the construction industry, along with a Sanad team whose members hold 20 years of contract expertise and experience.“Astad developed Sanad specifically for Qatar, yet with the added feature of being adaptable to enable customised tailoring to suit the requirements of any construction project across the region. It complies with local laws, regional realities, and global best practices while holding equity, flexibility, balance, and effectiveness at its core,” al-Khalifa said.Astad chief commercial officer engineer Abdulaziz al-Mulla, a respected expert in contracts, said: “Sanad aims to bring all parties involved in a project together by reducing costs, maintaining fair appropriate risk for all parties and offering more balanced contract terms and conditions. “It solves the key challenge of standard contracts in the region, inequitable and inefficient tender documents while providing users with its original purpose, to support and improve traditional contractual procedures.”