Two recent government reports have revealed contradictory figures on the number of delayed development projects in the Kingdom, raising questions.

The report by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha) shows 672 out of 1,626 projects, or 44 percent, are delayed, while the Ministry of Municipal Affairs’ report shows 33 percent of projects are delayed.

Nazaha Vice President Abdullah Abdul Qader attributed the disparity in numbers to the difference in the project monitoring periods covered in the reports, emphasizing the need to address the issue of stalled projects as quickly as possible.

In turn, Municipal and Rural Affairs Minister Abdul Lateef Al-Asheikh said the phenomenon of stalled construction of government projects must be addressed and solved immediately, suggesting coordination between his ministry and General Authority for Investment to facilitate the licensing of construction companies and provide support to the sector via advisory offices.

During a seminar organized by Nazaha in Riyadh, participants discussed contributing factors to the rise in stalled government projects, including lack of planning and studies during the design stage, lack of well-prepared project documents, deficiencies in assessments of project location and implementation requirements, as well as a lack of attention to obtaining licenses and other necessary requirements.

Other problematic factors include short time lengths for estimating pricing and project value during the bidding stage, as well as extensive focus on financial analysis and awarding contracts to companies lacking necessary technical potential to meet required specifications.

Participants agreed greater coordination between concerned monitoring agencies must exist, while more focus should be given to increasing the capacity of advisory bodies and project management offices.

Nazaha chief Khaled Al-Muhaisin said the contracting and construction sector in the Kingdom must be restructured and reorganized commensurate with the current and future size of development projects.

“The government is making an effort to provide better services to citizens and residents through large investments and spending on projects, but the reality is that these projects do not reflect such ambitions.”