Sami Ur Rehman, M; Shafiq, M T and Afzal, M (2022) Impact of COVID-19 on project performance in the UAE construction industry. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 20(1), pp. 245-266. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the global economy and, thus, the global construction industry. This paper aims to study the impact of COVID-19 on construction project performance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach: This study adopted a qualitative and exploratory approach to investigate the impact of COVID-19 and its policies on project performance in the UAE construction industry in critical areas of the project management body of knowledge (e.g. schedule, cost, resources and contracts). Semi-structured interview questions were asked from ten construction professional to obtain valuable insights into the pandemic’s effects on the UAE construction industry and the effectiveness of policies implemented to rectify the damage and identify the industry’s new normal. Findings: The findings indicate that the construction industry faced several challenges such as schedule delays, disrupted cashflows, delayed permits, approvals and inspections, travel restrictions, serious health and safety concerns, material and equipment shortages, among others which hindered the timely delivery of construction projects. It also indicates that efforts made by the government institutions and the construction industry of the UAE such as economic support programs, digitization of processes, fee and fine waivers, health facilities, among other statutory relaxations proved effective in supporting the construction industry against the adverse effects of the pandemic. Research limitations/implications: The research findings are limited to the literature review and ten semi-structured interviews seeking an expert’s opinion from industry professionals working in the UAE construction industry. The research team did not get access to project documents, contracts and project progress reports which may be required to validate the interview findings, and to perform an in-depth analysis quantifying the impact of COVID 19 on construction projects performance, which is a limitation of this research. Practical implications: The implication is that, owing to the imposed lockdowns and strict precautionary measures to curb the rapid spread of the pandemic, smooth execution of the construction project across the country was affected. The government institutions and stakeholders of the construction projects introduced and implemented various techniques and solutions which effectively handled the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry of the UAE. Originality/value: This study has identified the challenges faced by the construction industry of the UAE in the context of the management of project schedule, project cost, construction contracts, health and safety of construction employees and other related aspects of the construction projects. This study also identified the techniques and solutions adopted by various public and private institutions of the country and their implications on construction projects. Therefore, this study provides guidelines for policymakers and future research studies alike.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | built environment research; construction management; construction project management |
| Index terms: | program, body of knowledge, global construction, approval, shortages, project cost, project performance, built environment research, coronavirus, construction contract, health facility, construction professional, COVID-19, health and safety, United Arab Emirates, inspection, effectiveness, construction industry, project management, pandemic, documents, construction employee, interview, construction project, schedule delay, construction project management, literature review, methodology |
| Subjects: | health conditions and diseases, data collection methods, professional development, performance management, project management theory and practice, quality assurance, health safety and environment, software systems, strategic management, knowledge management, data analysis and analytics, project controls, health risk and incident analysis, production management, contractual role, research management, construction type, Geography, contract type, practitioner, economic analysis, economics, research methods, industry analysis |
| Topics: | International Construction, Procurement, Construction Technology, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Project Management, Quality Management, Contract Administration, Roles and Professions, Digital Applications, Geographical Context, Information Management, Cost Management, Time Control |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here