Qatar bans contractors leaving country in rain-damage probe: Parsons should be banned in Qatar

A motorist drives a car in a flooded street in the Qatari capital Doha following heavy rainfall on November 25, 2015. Qatar was hit by heavy flooding causing gridlock on the desert country's roads as well as closures of schools. (AFP PHOTO / AL-WATAN DOHA / KARIM JAAFAR) Associated Press Published — Saturday 28 November 2015 Last update 28 November 2015 4:53 pm Turkey warns against Russia travel in tit-for-tat move Turkey warns against Russia travel in tit-for-tat move Kenya police arrest two over terror plot linked to Iran KSA, Russia join forces to expand trade, crush terror Be ready for new wet, cold spell Editorial: Saudis stand united against terror outfits Reform call: Kuwait income drops 60% Yemen's president returns to Aden after 6-month exile VW admits 11 mn cars have pollution cheating device KSA blames world silence for Assad’s killing spree Journey of faith: Pilgrims begin moving into Mina DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Qatar has banned contractors from leaving the small, oil-rich country as it carries out a probe into how heavy rains damaged buildings and roadways. An article late Friday on the state-run Qatar News Agency announced the travel ban. It said “owners of companies, contractors and consulting engineers” would be banned from traveling abroad until the end of the probe. A year’s worth of rain on Wednesday deluged Doha’s Hamad International Airport, the home of Qatar Airways, pouring through at least one part of the roof. The airport cost at least $15 billion to build. Rainwater also flooded streets and shut down some stores in Doha. Qatar has seen a boom in construction, some derided as shoddy, ahead of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. ======================================= Qatar launches probe after rains exposed poor construction At least 79.5 of rain fell at the airport, causing water to pour out of the ceiling Published: 15:43 November 27, 2015 Gulf NewsAP shareRssShare on facebookShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareAdd on google plusShare on emailSend Email to FriendMore Sharing ServicesAddthis3 Dubai: Qatar has launched an investigation after heavy rains exposed poor construction in a country set to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup, a deluge that saw water cascade through the roof of its $15 billion main airport. The investigation already is examining the work of five unnamed companies and others could be targeted as well in the probe launched by Prime Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, who also serves as interior minister, the country’s state-run Qatar News Agency said. “Parties responsible for dereliction or negligence, whether governmental or private, will be held accountable,” the agency said, citing a statement late Wednesday from Qatar’s Government Communication Office. Reached for comment, officials at Doha’s Hamad International Airport issued a statement simply saying: “There was no impact to operations yesterday.” It referred other questions to the government. The day before, at least 79.5 millimetres of rain fell at the airport, according to the Qatar Meteorology Department. Typically, the hot, desert country sees around 50 millimetres of rain in a year. The sudden rainfall saw water pour out of the airport’s ceiling in several places, captured in online videos. Qatar opened Hamad International Airport in April 2014, part of its effort to enter the competitive Gulf airline market. The 600,000 square meter passenger terminal complex was scheduled to be completed in 2009. The airport is part of a multibillion-dollar building boom in Doha ahead of the 2022 World Cup. However, the push has seen Qatar criticised for the way it treats its large migrant worker population. There also have been accusations of shoddy construction. ================================================= Qatar’s flawed buildings to be probed Some schools had to cut the power off to make sure that students are not electrocuted Published: 19:17 November 26, 2015 Gulf NewsBy Habib ToumiBureau Chief shareRssShare on facebookShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareAdd on google plusShare on emailSend Email to FriendMore Sharing ServicesAddthis2 Manama: Qatar’s Prime Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani has ordered that all people and companies involved in the projects that have failed the test of rains this week be referred to investigators and subsequently to the public prosecution. On Wednesday, the Government Communication Office said that five companies so far would be investigated and that all parties proven guilty of negligence or failure, be they private or public, would face justice. The storm rains that lashed Qatar on Wednesday revealed the precarious state of several infrastructure projects, including roads, flyovers, and government, commercial and private buildings. As water submerged many roads, people were shocked to see that the newly-opened state of the art airport building was flawed and that rain seeped through the roof. The Sheraton and Hilton hotels, the new traffic directorate building, some malls and schools were also affected by the rain, prompting angry reactions from social media users who took pictures, videos and snapshots and shared them online. Some schools had to cut the power off to make sure that students are not electrocuted, a report in Qatari daily Al Raya said. A clip that went viral on the internet showed how part of a ceiling collapsed on employees’ tables in a government building while in another video, the submerged roads triggered a wave of scornful and angry comments. Reports in the capital Doha said the heavy downpour started at 6am and continued throughout the day. As the water on the roads rose and formed pools, traffic came to a standstill in some areas. Workers had to exert special efforts to ensure that the major arteries of the capital were not blocked, witnesses said. However, families complained about how difficult it was to move or to reach facilities where ponds of water had formed. The daily weather bulletins have for one week forecast heavy rains, but the chaos that hit the capital showed that people did not expect the rains to be this severe and that they were not prepared. Paramedics responded to 250 emergency calls and road traffic collisions between 6am and 3pm, Hamad Medical Corporation said in a statement. The figure marks an increase of 50 cases over the day before. Last year, an investigation was launched when the Salwa Road underpass was flooded in the wake of exceptionally heavy rainfall. The probe concluded that the flooding was caused by the lack of an outlet for the road’s drains. ============================================================== Floating cars, people in boats: Havoc as Qatar, Saudi Arabia ravaged by heavy rains (PHOTOS, VIDEOS) Published time: 26 Nov, 2015 08:45 Get short URL © carolyn_redaelli © carolyn_redaelli / Instagram Cars floating in rivers that were once streets, water gushing through ceilings and people sailing to work on boats – that’s the current picture in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, both desert countries, which should be dry and sunny for the whole year. Qatar’s capital Doha was apparently unprepared for the deluge and flooding that damaged many buildings in the city. The area near the capital’s Hamad International Airport was hammered with around 66mm of rain in just a few days, according to the Qatar Meteorology Department. For the record, Doha has 75mm of rain on average a year. Many buildings at the multibillion-dollar airport failed to hold up to the torrent: pictures and videos on social media show water flooding into the passenger terminal. Cascades of water fell from a ceiling inside Ezdan Mall in Doha, Doha News reported. “Inclement weather” prompted the closure of schools across the country as well as the US Embassy in Qatar on Wednesday. The Qatar Interior Ministry advised citizens to be “cautious”. READ MORE: Monster cyclone threatens Yemen & Oman with floods, landslides “Flawed [building] projects” that didn’t withstand the rains have angered Qatari authorities. Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani ordered all companies guilty of shoddy building practices to face the public prosecutor. “Parties responsible for dereliction or negligence, whether governmental or private, will be held accountable. All bodies and companies that implemented flawed projects must be investigated and then face public prosecution,” a spokesperson for Qatar’s Government Communication Office told Doha News. READ MORE: Huge ice flash flood sweeps across Saudi Arabia (VIDEO) Neighboring Saudi Arabia was also hit by heavy rains. Drivers were forced to abandon their vehicles in some streets. Schools have also been closed in the worst affected areas for a minimum of two days. q Feel the sound and fury of the significant #DohaRain which flooded streets #امطار_قطر #قطر_تغرق pic.twitter.com/EnYYXEcHhc — شبكة زاجل الإخبارية (@alzajilNews) November 25, 2015Q At least one person was killed in the floods in Rimah Province, Saudi media reported, citing local authorities. Heavy rain now on Alkhor Rd to RasLaffan with loud thundering.(Video by Passenger) #QatarRain @dohanews @qatarliving https://twitter.com/Javaid_Abid/status/669761829539848193 ====================================================== -------------- Ahmad Alld • 11 hours ago This happen when you have duplicate Mohandis and Technicians....And other those so called SCE's approved Engineers are actually flop in their home countries. How many IIT/IIIT/IIM/NIT graduates are working in KSA/GCC? Morpheus • 13 hours ago let me guess, all contractors and consultants were headed to Cairo?