Kharafi National sponsored a presentation on BOT projects on the 11th February 2008 organized by the Arabian Gulf Chapter of the Project Management Institute.

The presentation – Managing BOT projects – was made by Dr Ibrahim Al-Ghusain, the Director of Projects Development for KN’s Infrastructure Project Development, at the Salwa Sabah Al-Ahmad Theatre and Hall in the Marina Hotel in Salmiya, Kuwait.

Dr Al-Ghusain explained that the development of infrastructure projects entails multiple activities including the design, financing, construction, and long-term operation and maintenance, of large-scale plants. He outlined the intricacies and challenges of project development and privatization, examining in particular the three stages – development, bidding and negotiations – that precede the award of a project. Dr Al-Ghusain related these stages to the knowledge needed to develop and manage privatization projects.

As well as discussing the assessment of risk, Dr Al-Ghusain also described the differing contractual structures build-operate-transfer projects can take and the interactions that take place between stakeholders – owners, developers, lenders, consultants, EPC contractors, O&M contractors and end users – in a privatization scheme.

Dr Al-Ghusain illustrated his presentation with examples of actual development projects undertaken by KN. These included the Sulaibiya Wastewater Treatment & Reclamation plant at Sulaibiya in Kuwait, the largest project of its kind in the world. Dr Al-Ghusain is the general manager of Utilities Development Company, the special purposes company for this BOT project.

After numerous questions from the floor, attendees at this KN sponsored event enjoyed a dinner during which this very informative presentation was discussed enthusiastically.