18th Gulf engineering forum gets underway in Doha

Under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the three-day Gulf Engineering Forum and its associated exhibition got underway in Doha on Sunday.
The forum inauguration was attended by HE Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al-Thani, HE Minister of Administrative Development Dr Issa Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi, and HE Minister of Environment Ahmed bin Amer Al Humaidi.
The forum is being co-organised by the Qatar Society of Engineers (QSE) and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) under the theme "Infrastructure Projects in the GCC Countries" from 1st to 3rd March 2015, at Saint Regis Hotel in Doha, with the participation of heads and officials of the Arab Gulf Engineering Union and engineering societies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and representatives of the sponsors of the forum and various engineering companies.
The event was inaugurated by the opening speech of Eng Nasser bin Ali Al Mawlawi, Ashghal President and President of the 18th Gulf Engineering Forum, Ahmed Jassim Jolo, President of Qatar Society of Engineers (QSE) and Vice President of the forum, and Dr Khalil Ibrahim Al Hosni, Secretary General of the Gulf Engineering Union.
In his inaugural address, Ashghal President and President of the forum Eng Nasser bin Ali Al Mawlawi mentioned that during the past years, Qatar harnessed all its capabilities to implement a clear and ambitious vision with the aim to promote different fields and sectors in the state, and provide high quality of life for both citizens and residents, especially in regards to the infrastructure field.He called on all the participants to benefit from the papers presented during the forum workshops and roundtable discussions, and assured them that the engineering forum in Doha will issue recommendations and proposals that would significantly contribute to the development of this important sector across different GCC countries.
QSE Chairman Ahmed Jassim Jolo highlighted the journey of Qatar Society of Engineers since its inception, and its contribution to the enrichment of the engineering work in Qatar,and pointed at the great importance of the infrastructure of the GCCcountries inthe achievement of economic and urban development in the Gulf States, with the great support of the governments to this sector in order to develop sustainable infrastructure according to the highest standards.
HE Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning, HE Minister of Administrative Development, and HE Minister of Environment visited the exhibition held on the sidelines of the forum, which witnessed the participation of the gulf engineering societies and a number of sponsors of the forum and companies involved in it.
 It is also worth noting that the 18th Gulf Engineering Forum discusses more than 40 theme papers presented by specialists in the infrastructure sector and senior engineers in the GCC countries. The forumwill tackle important and common GCC issues related to infrastructure and the challenges facing this sector, as well as the most important projects, achievements, and experiences across the Gulf region.
The forum aims primarily to support the Engineering Council in the implementation of standards and laws of this practice, exchange ideas and views between engineering Gulf associations, benefit from success stories through presenting experiences from all GCC countries in the infrastructure field. The forum will contribute to spreading engineering awareness and opening new communication channels between engineers in different specializations and their peers in GCC countries.
This year’s forum specifically highlights the basic infrastructure projects in the GCC states through reviewing their achievements in this field over the past years, in addition to presenting their future plans to develop infrastructure. The 18th forum also focuses on the challenges and obstacles faced by infrastructure projects, and offers proposals, ideas and visions that will contribute to introducing innovative solutions to develop this sector.
The thematic papers presented by participants at the 18th Gulf Engineering Forum discuss many important issues of interest to engineers in various Gulf countries. In addition, the presentations in the two-day forum also highlight many topics related to the development of infrastructure through unity, cooperation and exchange of expertise between GCC engineers.
Major themes of discussion in the forum include transportation, green standards for infrastructure, provision of raw materials for engineering projects, human resources, and best practices in project management.
The Gulf Engineering Forum is held annually in one of the GCC states. The 17th edition was held in 2014 in the Sultanate of Oman. The forum was previously hosted in Qatar in December 2008.