International News

On the 14th June Henry Lamb flew out to Qatar as part of the CIOB delegation to the attend 4 days of Member’s Forum and International Conference. As well as attending workshops and sites visits, the Trustees, of which Henry is one held their first Board meeting with newly elected President Ghassan Aouad in the chair. The week was started with a British Consulate Reception and the signing of a number of MOUs between the CIOB and Qatari organisations and ended with an International Conference which sought to address welfare conditions in the “imported labour” camps, attended by some members of the Qatari Royal Family and local business leaders this was followed by our new presidents inaugural Presidential Dinner. A cultural night out took us into the bay to experience the mesmerising Doha skyline by night, which was quiet a light show. Memories from the workshops: If the capital cost of a new building is only 5% of the buildings life cycle costs, why on earth do the government, local government and some private organisations insist on marking their tenders 60% on cost and only 40% on quality, when it is that 40% that will determine 95% of the cost of running the building over its life time. Workforce welfare improvements must commence in the source countries.