The number of government projects that have been stalled is estimated to be around 465, which amounts to 13 percent of the overall projects currently implemented in the Kingdom, according to data released by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.

The ministry attributed the number of faltering projects to the shortage of specialized skills in the technical field.

The number of municipal projects developed throughout the Kingdom in the past seven years is pegged at 7,929, according to the ministry’s statement.

The number of completed projects reached 4,476, which is around 56.5 percent of the total number of projects in the Kingdom, whereas under-construction projects totaled 3,453 projects, of which 1,694 projects are progressing according to the timetable. Meanwhile, 1,294 projects are lagging behind, and 465 projects remain stalled, the ministry’s statement read.

In a related development, a working group comprised of officials from the ministry’s planning, administrative and financial affairs was formed to follow up on the implementation of projects and to resolve issues related to delays.

“The reasons for the delay and faltering of projects lies in the secretariats’ need for specialized competencies in the technical field. Some companies that have been awarded the projects have also fell behind schedule due to internal problems,” ministry’s statement added.

The ministry also attributed the delay to the limited number of qualified institutions and construction companies in some of the Kingdom’s regions.

The ministry urged the municipalities and secretariats to address the issue of staggering projects immediately by dispatching teams of specialists and technicians to project sites.

In addition, the ministry called on contractors to intensify their efforts toward the completion of projects.