By Ayman Adly/Staff Reporter

The Qatar Society of Engineers (QSE) is set to form a special committee to advise and assist Qataris on construction contracts and help them in their dealings with contractors and engineering consultants.
QSE secretary-general Engineer Hassan M al-Marzoqi told Gulf Times that nationals would have free access to the new committee through various means, including direct communication, telephone calls and e-mails.
“There are many people who do not know much about the procedures to be followed for building-related work and cannot select what is best for them. QSE will help them in taking the most suitable decisions,” al-Marzoqi explained.
Further, another committee will assist students who intend to study engineering, advising them on the specialties that best suit their capabilities and need the most for the local market. Currently, QSE offers counselling to Qatari engineering students.
Al-Marzoqi stressed that the local market has an ever-increasing demand for engineers in all fields and is full of opportunities. In this context, QSE seeks to help Qatari engineers develop their careers and contribute to the overall enhancement of the profession in the country. It has maintained active co-operation with various local and international engineering entities, such as Texas A&M University at Qatar, where QSE evaluates the graduation projects of engineering students and gives them a practical outlook on various technical issues.
“Since its creation in 2007, QSE has grown considerably. For instance, the number of members has increased from 50 to more than 132. It is the only entity in Qatar that represents the profession of engineering with its various fields. Further, we are studying the possibility of bringing in engineering students to give them a practical experience in addition to their academic background,” the secretary-general said, indicating that QSE aimed to bring elite international expertise for the benefit of local professionals.
Meanwhile, QSE has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with different entities in the country, including Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University regarding a prize for developing Qatari architectural designs. The prize will encourage engineers to come up with innovative architectural designs that preserve the original Qatari style in keeping with the local environment.
The other MoUs include one with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) to develop the capabilities of all engineers in the country, with QSE organising regular training workshops for engineers from Ashghal and the private sector and addressing a specific topic at a time.
Lecturers and trainers are invited from among both local and international experts in the field. Further, QSE is working on a new headquarters in Dafna to make it a well-equipped and sophisticated training centre for engineers.
Fresh engineering graduates need a lot of assistance to acquire the necessary experience in the field, al-Marzoqi observed. “The scope of work is massive with all these huge projects in the country and there is an unlimited need for highly qualified engineers. So, QSE is exerting great efforts to help such graduates qualify for the challenges,” he stressed.
QSE is also building a specialised engineering library that could be accessed by all engineers, aiming to give them updated knowledge in various related fields.
The society has tied up with a number of local and international engineering associations to facilitate the exchange of experience at the highest level. Recently, it signed an MoU with the UK Chartered Institute of Building, which has 180 years of architectural experience.
In November, QSE will – for the first time in Qatar - host an international conference of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association (IEEE-SA).
“The number of Qatari engineers is growing and around 20% are women engineers as the work environment is constantly improving,” reiterated al-Marzoqi.
He expects QSE to have various specialised committees for different branches of engineering such as mechanics, electricity, mining and petroleum, among other fields, to cater to the high market demand and address the various challenges in the profession.