More than $1 trillion worth of major new projects are expected to be completed in the GCC region between now and 2020, combined with Qatar's $106 billion (to be awarded) projects - the largest construction work per capita in the world, MEED Quality Awards for Projects 2012 said in a statement Friday. Industry stakeholders are setting up initiatives to ensure these new projects are completed to the highest standards of quality. "The projects completed and now under way in the six countries that make up of the GCC have special significance. To an extent unmatched anywhere else on earth, the projects industry is placing its future in the hands of the regional and global projects industry," said Edmund O'Sullivan, Chairman of the judging panel of the MEED Quality Awards for Projects, an independent award recognition program established in 2011 to recognize project excellence across several categories. The MEED Quality Awards for Projects is the only awards program in the GCC to recognize completed projects and it evaluates the outcome of the construction process, rather than the process itself. Now in its second year, the MEED Quality Awards for Projects is judged by an independent judging panel consisting of respected key representatives from the projects industry who will determine the winners at the national and regional level of the competition. According to MEED Projects, a comprehensive and up-to-date tracking system of projects that are either underway or planned throughout the region, more than $106 billion worth of major projects will be awarded between now and 2022, with significant investment in oil and gas, heavy industry, electricity generation and water desalination, social infrastructure and transportation links. With the growing size and complexity of projects in Qatar, and the impact that they have on diversifying its economy, effective and efficient execution of both planned and ongoing projects will be critical to the country's success. O'Sullivan said the projects will be evaluated not just in terms of their size and aesthetics. "This is not about being the biggest or tallest. We review the projects on the basis of economic, social and environmental impact; as well as innovations and achievements in design, engineering and construction. These are benchmarks that will have an impact of the long-term success of not just the projects industry, but the GCC as a whole," he added. Submissions for the 2012 awards program are now being sought in the following categories: Oil and Gas Project of the Year, Industrial Project of the Year, Power and Water Desalination Project of the Year, Water Reuse Project of the Year, Leisure and Tourism Project of the Year, Transport Project of the Year, Metito Social Project of the Year, Building Project of the Year and KIMMCO Sustainable Project of the Year. The 2011 award winners included the UAE's Burj Khalifa; Kuwait's National Library; and Qatar's Mesaieed A, an independent power project. The deadline for submission of projects has been extended to Feb. 16, 2012, to accommodate the growing number of entries. Winners will be announced at the annual MEED Quality Awards for Projects on May 21, 2012 at The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
