The owners are still furious with the poor state of construction and finishing on their apartments. In fact, one owner has just taken them to court in Oman for breach of contract, and the judge agreed to hear the case. At the second hearing on October 30th, he gave Zubair 6 months to prepare their defence and to get a report from a court appointed expert. It will be very interesting to see how this turns out.
Comments made by various owners:
"...the foolishness and arrogance of one misguided Omani family..."
"...BAJ nightmare."
"...we all expected that the good reputation of the Zubairs was worth something. How wrong we were."
"The growing list of serious construction problems besetting our small settlement is both astonishing and terrifying: terrifying for the level of seriousness and danger; astonishing for the amount of money we have all put forward for something that is completely devoid of construction quality. Lack of water, electrical problems, water pouring from rooftops through townhouses in a not very serious storm, sinkholes, cracking concrete are all serious problems and some are life-threatening."
"...It is obvious that the Zubairs have taken our property investment, spent around 10% of it on our properties, and pocketed the remaining 90%."
Photo: Chairman of Zubair Corp, Rashad M. Al Zubair, the man responsible for the mess at Barr Al Jissah Residences.So what's the problem?
Well, these town house apartments were very expensive, selling for US$1.2-$1.5 million, and represented by Zubair as top of the range luxury buldings. In fact, to quote Barr Al Jissah residences OTT website blurb:
"Oman presents Barr Al Jissah Residences, the most exclusive and luxurious freehold property's in the Gulf.
Exceptionally designed villas and townhouses, built to the highest standards and specifications to give the most discerning and concientious purchaser, the best lifestyle imaginable."
"Developer: The Zubair Corporation.
The Barr Al Jissah Residences is being undertaken by Barr Al Jissah Resort Company SAOC which is owned by The Zubair Corporation and the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Finance."
In reality, the buildings were constructed like any other such buildings in Oman - by cheap Indian labour via infamous Zubair contractors
Here's a recent incident by an unfortunate buyer shared by email to other owners (emphasis is mine):
...Two days ago the socket in the garage where the dryer is connected caught fire. The socket and the dryer plug burned and melted. Puzzlingly the corresponding trip switch on the electric switch board did not trip – which would have prevented the fire.
Today we replaced the dryer plug and used another socket in the garage. About 10 minutes later the same happened: the plug caught fire and both the plug and the socket melted.
This is a very serious issue because it is very obvious that there is a design and/or construction flaw as in a case like this the corresponding switch on the switchboard should trip preventing any fire to take place. Upon asking some of the neighbors they have told me that in several villas these sockets and parts of the electric wiring, switches were replaced due to being below specifications and quality requirement. I am baffled by the fact that if this problem is known, why are all the villas not being notified and why are the necessary repairs not being done in order to prevent a potentially more serious incident???
In another incident about two months ago the second floor main switch tripped without any of the individual switches tripping. At that time I told [xxxx] my non-professional, non-qualified opinion, that there must be a design problem (maybe the total electricity load capacity of the first floor switchboard in not in line with the actual amount of electricity going through that switchboard). Again, about two weeks after I called [xxxx], two Indians came and said that everything is okay…
So, bottom line is that an Omani Government sponsored development is promising 5 star and delivering 1 star. And despite the Zubair Corporation taking everyone's money (both for purchase and very expensive maintenance fees), they are failing to fix serious problems and ignoring the valid complaints of owners that what was promised has in no shape or form been delivered.
The owners are hoping that a direct appeal to HM will help.
Again, why is it that nothing gets done in this country by those actually tasked with doing their jobs? IE The Government officials responsible for standards, the giant companies who are being allowed to take people's money and rip them off? HM has better things to do!
The answer is that too many people in Oman are focused on short-term quick bucks for no effort, rather than thinking about the long term reputational issues or even simply respecting international standards and contracts. Too many Government officials are typically both professionally incompetent and inexperienced, and in fear of annoying some big shot with wasta (like the Zubair family).
And in this case, the Government are also directly involved, providing a veneer of official endorsement for these developers, and also provided the land for Zubair in the first place.
Note, the unanswered complaints, leaks, electrical faults, legal action and damage to Oman's tourism and investment reputation doesn't stop Zubair claiming the following on their corporate website:
The Zubair Corporation is a well-established leader in this sector, having initiated the first travel agency over thirty decades ago, recently establishing hotels throughout the region and building the first major resort in Oman. The Corporation is considered a flagship for private investment in tourism, and its commitment and success have set a precedent for further development, proving that investing in this sector is economically viable.
What a joke.
The new Chairman of Zubair Corp, Rashad M. Al Zubair, as "the next generation of the Zubair family to assume the mantle of leadership", should get off his father's laurels, get a grip on his company, and start placing a higher priority on the impact he is having on this country's international reputation. In his statement on the website he raves on and on about "fulfilling His Majesty’s vision".
His father HE Mohammad Al Zubair didn't build a great company through such underhanded and unprofessional business practices.
Oh ! I thought the reason only 3 or 4 houses had lights on was that was the number occupied; perhaps more are occupied but the fuses went.
ReplyDeleteAny idea whats happening with the Towell occupation at the previously public beach in Bandar Khiran? Much like Yiti, mountain sides have been demolished and now the place is at a standstill.
It would be better if all the owners collectively took Zubair to court, so that Zubair understands the seriousness of the situation and get their act together asap.
ReplyDeleteI was kind of offended to the reference of cheap Indian labor, As far as I know, 99% all Construction Laborers in Oman are Indians.
Don't blame them for the shoddy work rather blame their bosses...
TWI,
ReplyDeleteha ha.
Bandar is suffering the problem of zero demand at the exorbitant prices they relied on.
PN,
I'm not dissing the poor Indian laborers personally. They get paid next to nothing and are forced to work all hours. The problem is they are essentially unskilled and semi-skilled, produce a poor quality construction, while the developers charge European professional prices...
Companies such as the Zubairs have been, are and will always be horribly managed. And why not when regardless of the owners and management's incompetence the family and its myriad of companies are able to win contracts solely because of their political contacts. The Jissah fiasco has highlighted what everyone already knew that few family run businesses that would never be able to compete in the international arena dominate the Omani business to the detriment of Oman's reputation and competitiveness. If the Zubairs and other useless family businesses spent their time and capital professionalizing their management and concentrating on their core business rather than politicking both Oman and its people would stand a better chance at competing in a more competitive world. We can all dream...
ReplyDeleteIts not only Al Bandar which charges extortionate prices – one could go stomping at the Savoy or put on some original Ritz for less than the Omani handful of 5 star prices.
ReplyDeleteThe Oman Ministry of Tourism thinks that a management change at Al Bustan will make a difference – LOOOOOOOOL ; the whole lobby floor was replaced in November (supposedly Oman's high tourist season) so guests had to have ‘high tea’ covered in marble dust and wearing ear muffs ; but the management only knew about it practically as the workers arrived
Just the other night I was talking to an owner at BAJ - they STILL have not been able to take occupancy on their villa because the foundations are all messed up. Another 6 months to wait, I understand.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
What do you mean by "Cheap Indian" labour? What is wrong with Indian Labour? Entire Oman was built by hardworking Indians. A project cannot go wrong if labour is cheap. If good materials and processes are used it doesn't matter whether labour is indian or chinese. Don't blame L&T which is one of the best construction firms. They will do what they are paid for and asked to construct. Almost all recent major construction landmarks in Oman were done by L&T. Ofcourse they will not goldplate like Carillon.
ReplyDeleteThe blame should be put squarely on the project planners and designers and not on "cheap labour" or L&T.
So embarrassing for Oman. :(
ReplyDeleteAbout time people started taking these guys to court en masse. It was the same mess in Khuwair 33 when first built and all complaints fell on deaf ears - that was Desert Line & Co. All I can say about these pathetic family owned businesses that are over rated - CHEAP CON ARTISTS given status beyond their capabilities. Time the people take action against these lot and let them know we wont settle for crap anymore. CAnt blame them after all they got away with it for years but times have changed and people are fed up.
ReplyDeleteA. A. Ali
@justcurious: Cheap Indian Labour means exactly that, cheap labourers who are cheap in terms of salary because they are not skilled for the profile they promise to fulfill. The Mr. Hotshot Hiring Manager thinks he has scored a goal by hiring a should-be-200 R.O skilled welder for just 90 Rials from South India, when in actuality, the hiree is a shoe cobbler who is saying "yes" to everything and anything just to get access to a visa, a trip to a "foreign country" and 90 rials.
ReplyDeleteGood materials and processes can go only so far, you need someone who can put them together. These recurring news about shoddy quality in construction projects are all developments of the last 8-10 years when Indian and Omani govts have had labor agreements - allowing for lots of workers to get jobs without any whetting of what they were back home and what they can do. Digging a hole or bricklaying a wall is something even I can do, only that it takes me 7 hours to do a 1 hour job, and my wall (or ditch) shall collapse within an hour, while the properly done one remains.
Dear UC
ReplyDeleteI sincerely agree with Poornith Ninan that you cannot complain the work-force. Your repeated references of "cheap Indian Labor" in your various blogs, irrespective of the nationality involved, is a very offending phrase.
You cannot blame the workforce (in the range of blue-collar to while-collar), at whatever skill level they may be, for the decisions made by their bosses.
The root cause of the problems everywhere around the world is "greedy bosses".
Thankyou Justcurious, I'm sure your boss at L&T will be impressed!
ReplyDeleteBasically L&T and Galfar are the 2 companies to goto if you want your project badly done, behind schedule and way over budget. How do they keep on winning jobs....?
What is also shocking at BAJ is the god awfull glass building, which I first thought was some kind of coast guard control tower only to realize that it is actually a house. It fits in so well with the surroundings, not!! How on earth did that get planning permission?
I 100% agree with what was written by "justcurious". Even I have made a comment in this about the flaws of DESIGNER, PROJECT MANAGER & ORIGINAL LAND DEVELOPMENT Contractor.
ReplyDeleteThey were to be blamed 100% becoz the poor contractor L&T has done what was told to them to do.
May be Under cover knows who are those - of course DESIGNERs A BRITISH FIRM, PROJECT MANAGER- AN US FIRM & ORIGINAL LAND DEVELOPMENT Contractor - AGAIN A BRITISH FIRM - And purposely dont want to expose about them.. hmmm what else can we expect from him..
By the way, does any one not know what these so called "EUROPEAN PROFESSIONALISM & THEIR SKILLS"!! Dont we? Just an example.. A plumber in london .. works as the Head of Department (Mech) in an engineering firm Here in Middle East.. thats how the EUROPE PROFESSIONALISM & OFCOURSE THE CHARGES FOR THEM ARE FIVE FOLDS!! HMMM.. Dragon those days are being numbered.. lets see..
Looks like you have ticked off justcurious !!! and i beg to differ his comments of not blaming L&T. I do agree that L&T is a good construction company but would not classify as one of the best and they have to take the blame on this account as the prime contractor for the project they are supposed to verify the design prior to executing the same. If there are design related issues then they should have addressed it during the construction stage instead of resting on their past laurels!!!!
ReplyDeleteZubair's are a bunch of incompetent brats.
ReplyDeleteThe management are sniveling gaggle of buck-passing-rat-bastards who have zero interest in fixing this situation for their CUSTOMERS.
Yes Giles, Badri, Laskh - I mean you trio of over paid twats!
Blame the consultants, the contractors, EVEN THE OWNERS!
Get off your fat asses and fix the fucking problems and/or refund peoples money! It's ONLY more than 2 years since the CONTRACT completion date.
And all you useless, lazy Government retards, MOT, MOF, OMRAN, Muscat Municipality, etc - why don't you incompetent assholes take an interest in helping these INVESTORS in you fucking shit-hole of a country to catch a goddamn break!
Or alternatively.....just go back to sleep and wake up and a 3rd world country in a decade.
totally agree with justcurious...L&T is a world class construction company and they have executed projects all over the world including Oman. but i personally feel that L&T should have backed out of the project if they knew that substandard material and processes are being used. Moroever you cant blame the poor indian labourers, if you pay peanuts and bring monkeys, it will definitely reflect on the workmanship.
ReplyDeletewhat we really need is inspection by some sort of regulatory authority for housing(if there already exists such an entity,they need to find their way out of the business dynasties' pockets)...
ReplyDeleteAlso,UD,is there any news of the conversion of the PDO camp(me neighbourhood) to a resort or summat?(surveyors have been goin around,and theyve dun boring in a coupla places too)
youre doin a gud job,kinda like the wikileaks of oman...
Haha
ciao
JC and others,
ReplyDeleteKerfluffy said it for me, but let me clarify further. I think you're mis-understanding my phraseology. In the term 'cheap Indian labour' the word Indian is merely descriptive, ie they are from India and anyone who has been on an Omani building site knows what I refer to.
They are the hardest working and lowest paid people I have ever met, unfailingly friendly and polite, and always trying to satisfy whatever unreasonable demands are made of them, in constant fear of being sent home.
So of course it is the 'bosses/managers' fault that they hire unskilled people at zero wages based on a business model that does not create quality construction results.
And further, when I said European professionalism, I was refering to getting the same job done in Europe by professional builders, no matter what ethnicity. There similar buildings are created faster and to a much higher standard, plus post-construction snag lists get fixed.
It's got NOTHING to do with skin colour or nationality, but everything to do with professional skills, competence, and ethics.
Its about results, not effort.
Blame the mess on Zubair and his unending lust and thirst for money, not on the "cheap Indian" labor.
ReplyDeletePlease understand......90% of all construction in the country is by the so called "cheap Indian labor"
The question of Indian vs. other labor is a red herring.
ReplyDeleteThe quality of the development is poor. The construction materials are cheap. The Zoo Bears should never have been given responsibility for the development as they have no experience and are thieves. They would be looking at criminal charges in the US or even in the UAE at this point (new law).
There is no reason to believe that the Omani courts will side with a foreigner. There is no provision in Omani Law for a class action suit so each owner must file suit and there are not enough attorneys in Oman to handle this.
The honorable thing for the Zoo Bears to do is refund everyone's money.
We have been defrauded on so many counts, even by the government--we were never informed of the Ministry of Finance's withdrawal from the project--that we cannot keep track. The project is a slum. It is a set of tenements.
We are looking to His Majesty to do something about this, as he has with other projects that are architecturally unacceptable.
He cannot let something as prestigious as BAJ be seen by every person who stays in the hotel complex. We pass by the big tenement (so called villa) by the beach at Al Husn every time we stay there and the big tenement looks worse each time. Soon it will simply fall into the sea.
SOMETHING TANGIBLE MUST BE DONE!
Against All Zoo Bears
Dear Anonymous upset Indian,
ReplyDeleteyes you, the upset one that missed the whole point of the article and decided to bitch and moan about the "cheap Indian labour" line.
Is the construction labour from India cheaper than, say Germany? How many Germans are out toiling on a building site in August??? fucking ZERO!!
So if it walks, quacks & shits like a duck...chances are it's a duck!
Point 2 - The British and US firms you quoted in your little rant - THE MAJORITY ARE STAFFED BY WELL PAID INDIANS....so what is your fucking point? Classic circular reference my friend.
The thrust of the article, if you take a deep breath and re-read it, is about the failings of the DEVELOPER.
Now i'll give you a little scoop.....
The Zubair's are the local partner for L&T - the main contractor.
Atkins, Turner and Carillon are all tier 1 consultants/contractors who are well versed in the rough and tumble of the trade and generally practice decent ass-covering risk management.
Not immune to fuck-ups but not bad at minimising the impact on said firms.... that's why they are still around.
Introduce a classic conflict of interest such as Developer sells all properties for 50mill, build costs are 25mill, +land & other costs - so let's all make more PROFIT if we reduce costs to 20mill.
How do??? Bring in "related entity" contractor, cut the crap out of everything, have contractor overrule Architect, Engineer, Project Manager because "we are all one big family" and hey presto - TOTAL FUCKING NIGHTMARE!!!!
SHIT HITS FAN - step 2 - BLAME architect, engineer, PMC, etc - circle the wagons, stick together and try and pin it on them.
refer back to risk management skills mentioned above......my guess is that all this can of worms gets open in the pending court case and the expert witnesses rule in favour of the CUSTOMERS, largely back up the architect/engineer and maybe the PMC pinning all the blame upon the DEVELOPER and their related Contractor and instruct them to refund the poor bastards money - WITH INTEREST!
This will then open the flood-gates of court action resulting in all the half-arsed properties being handed back to the Zubair's! Then, and only then, they may get repaired and completed to an acceptable standard.
stay tuned...ways to go yet....
P.S: Zubair's will soon be launching Stage 2 Apartments on the Marina at BAJ should you all be keen buyers with this wonderful developer......
....having initiated the first travel agency over thirty decades ago,
ReplyDeletethat's 300 years ago!
What, did they build Sindbad's boat for him!!??
Check back here to see when it is fixed=confirmation Zubair reads this stuff..ha..ha..ha
http://www.zubaircorp.com/tzc2000.htm
abhayabhie said...
ReplyDeleteThe root cause of the problems everywhere around the world is "greedy bosses".
You can't pin the blame 100% on management. Unfortunately some workers have a culture of routine lying - about their qualifications, capabilities, experience and about the product or service they will deliver. The less capable they are the more likely they are to settle for a lower wage but inflate their promises, and unfortunately many business owners are unable to resist lower prices, no matter what the result. Management are often caught in the middle - recommending a more expensive but higher quality contractor who will actually do the job they're supposed to do, but being over-ridden by owners who see no further than next week's cashflow statement.
I'm impressed at your information Mr Dragon. The Zubair family should be ashamed of themselves - does this cheapskate attitude extend to all of their businesses? They seem to be involved in everything in Oman.
ReplyDeleteWhy are the indians getting offended at the term "cheap, indian labour" ?? It is that in every sense. It does not mean that they are useless, are they?? Fact of the matter is that indians undersell other indians. And to the L & T supporters...it is a good company but it also has a history of getting thei job done in the cheapest manner possible. Now, with the standing that the company has, it can lay down the rules to zubair on the standard and quality they require. Instead, they choose to go ahead with them and in the process give really, shoddy work.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering what the ownership status is currently. When first announced, I mentioned to somebody that Zubair the elder seemed to be taking an awefully high risk on a tourist project so large in a very unproven market and with absurdly awkward visa regulations. Recall that the project was announced many years back. A friend said. "Just watch, Zubair will make his profit well before the project is completed." Lo and behold, a couple of years later Zubair sold a substantial portion of his ownership to some Omani government entity, despite reservations voiced by minor functionaries. I expect that indeed, that large infusion of cash, coupled by profits flowing in from the captive construction activities and captive-agency supply of materials must have made it largely irrelevant to the Zubair Group as to whether the entire project sold well or did not sell, whether the hotels enjoyed high occupancy or not, just as my friend had predicted. Pity that they then had to squeeze ever more profit out of it by shoddy construction and choice of inadequate materials. It's like buying a $100 steak in Tokyo. You end up feeling very ripped off because the steak is so tiny! Why do they not just charge you $120 and give you an amply-sized one? Any Omani knows that you can build a pretty decent villa for under R.O.300 per sq m built-up area. These tourist developments charge around 1000/sq m yet they build at a quality level more akin to 150 per sq m. Why? Do they really have to make that much margin? Even after allowing for very extensive landscapping. They could charge 1100 per sq m, but at least deliver something that looks like having been built @ 300/sq m. I am astonished at the large number of suckers available, mostly foreignors, who buy into these developments as end users. Are they escaping European Taxes? The locals who bought in were simply trying to make a killing through speculative frenzy, so that's OK. Lessons learned.
ReplyDeleteHey Willy 316; The term is offensive when it is implied that Indian labour is the reason behind the quality problems that is reported here(whether it is cheap or not). I can site instances in gulf where Europeans being paid with a fat salary while their experiences are not matching and incompetent with the job needed to carry out and back in thier own home country they will not even get a job of similar nature. No body coins a term stating "Looting European consultants or managers or whatever" whenever a failure happens on such instances. It is another matter if for the same job another nationality having better competency and qualification including an Omani is hired they will not get the same salary (probably market forces). It is in what context such words are coined and said that matter. If the management shortchanged thier customers (either out of incompetance, inexperience, greed or trying to be oversmart) by what ever practices they adapated, then they are to be blamed squarely irrespective of the nationalities and dont generailise. It is not as if such things have not happened in the west (Enron, Lehman and subsequent closures of more than 140 banks etc., where thier customers have been shortchanged) but it is perhaps more by way of better law enforcement and discipline that things are better in west.However thanks for Muscat confidential who brings excellent news in reporting controvercial stuff and continue your posts. Regarding shortselling of Indians by Indians is not common for Indians only; This is perhaps common among all nationalities.
ReplyDeleteBAJ Resort? Bulldoze it.
ReplyDeleteThere is an old omani saying that goes " when you go to the market , be a wolf " it is said to be prepared and protect yourself for everything when you deal with people.
ReplyDeleteEveryone I know who have been involved with building knows that contractors will try to save money by taking shortcuts and using cheap materials, It is like the normal way of doing things here !! so everyone on the other side prepares for coming battle. You visit house twice week atleast to see progress, you hire a consultant to check things you dont know about, you are present at site when major stage is done ( cementing foundation, roofs..ect ), you are with contractor when they buy finishing materials, you inspect quality of tiles when they start to put them to check for quality of work and stop before they proceed further and ....ect ect. and money is only paid after each stage in instalments. This is what usually omanis go through when they build thier house.
I dont know how some people are naive enough to pay a contractor ( regardless who he is ) for something upfront that doesnt even exist !!!
Do you think that nationality on your passport is insurance that you will get exceptional quality while relaxing at the pool side and hoping for the best ?
Regards,
A.M
Previous Anon and AM,
ReplyDeleteGreat comments. Caveat Emptor indeed.
I think anyone who bought was expecting the real estate bubble to continue. I personally would never buy something 'off plan', even in Europe, and certainly not when I'm spending over a million dollars. The observations of what you have to do when building your own house are spot on.
In this case the sale and purchase contracts were vague, and there was even no certainty pre-purchase of what the annual fees would be, nor the details of the rental deal.
All in all, a case of greed all round.
However, this doesn't excuse the subsequent non-performance of the developer.
Yes, we were foolish to have trusted a prominent Omani group and the Omani government to build townhouses for us that they said would be exactly like the hotel we were staying in and that had common ownership.
ReplyDeleteNow, we know better.....we will not trust any Omani Group or the government again.
Be that as it may, we still want our money back with interest. Fraud is still criminal and being defrauded is no fun.
In most countries, criminals pay for their crimes. Crimes are not written off as "part of the culture."
And, my friend, we have seen developments built in Dubai that are worthy of every penny, or 90% of same, put into them by their ultimate owners.
We thought that honor ruled in Oman, more so than in Dubai. Wrong!
Against All Zoo Bears
For people who are interested in other earlier details
ReplyDeletehttp://muscatconfidential.blogspot.com/2009/03/problems-at-barr-al-jissah-resort.html
http://muscatconfidential.blogspot.com/2009/11/trouble-in-paradise-bar-al-jissa-resort.html
http://muscatconfidential.blogspot.com/2010/04/more-problems-at-bar-al-jissa.html
The big glass tower ?? - is it an attempt to look sea-green?
me-thinks owned by a former hotel owner who sold his hotel in east Africa for big bucks to Prince al Walid
k
ReplyDeleteThe required remedial works will be far, far worse than any new build. Trust me. I've been there in when its even been done by good guy's. I shudder at the thought of it all. As the song goes "...this is the road to hell". Put the BAJ on Ebay. It's the only realistic hope.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with this fact that Indians have put a lof of effort in developing this nation and many others too.
ReplyDeleteCompared to us Western Expats and the OMANIS. I agree that our Asian Expats (Primarily Indian) get paid very less. The fact that - Work out put from an Indian is very much same as that of a Westerner (Even Some times more !!!!) makes it even more depressing.
Omanis are better if kept away from discussions regarding work quality because they need to first buckle up and take lessons in basics like English language , common sense, discipline and Time management before they DEMAND for hefty wages and a letter from the company that would assist them in securing their loan for their next American Muscle-Sport Coupe.
Its not the Zubair's fault alone. I would say this involves the Contractor (L&T) and the Consultant Engineering Team who Supervised the Project.
After all, If the Client (Zubair) doesn't have much problem with Work quality. Why would the Consultant Engineers (Who would generally supervise the Contractor's Work on behalf of the Client) bother. The consultant would have already been paid for his services rendered. They remain silent in cases where they identify anything fishy. Using this as an advantage - The Contractor would sertainly try and save up on the Costs. The Client - Zubair is going to sell this off to some one else (Customer) who finally pays the Price !!!
In this Country - Laws generally favour the locals and there's nothing much that can be done about it. I insist we let things unfold on its own. Many of us have raised our voices in the past. Has anything changed ?
A good friend of mine (Indian) once when asked, told me about how he felt about these things happening around us - his words were " I have very little time to spend on this desert. I have a country where I belong. I would rather worry about problems there and make things look better there " .......... It took me while but I started to see an excellent point in that good man's words.
There is no way that the message above was written by a Brit. "very less" ?
ReplyDelete"After all, If the Client (Zubair) doesn't have much problem with Work quality. Why would the Consultant Engineers (Who would generally supervise the Contractor's Work on behalf of the Client) bother."
Because if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing right. It's about self-respect. And it's about you long-term reputation both as an individual and as a company, which directly affects your ability to charge higher prices and gain future work.
Cutting corners is just WRONG. You live your life like that if you want to, but don't cry when your house springs a leak because your plumber cut corners, your child is electrocuted because your electrician cut corners, your wife dies because your doctor cut corners, your car breaks down because your mechanic cut corners.
thanks - james the indian, desperately trying to sound British for some strange reason.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the BAJ residences was mired in controversies from day one is nobody's guess. Right from the land deal which was handed over to the Zubairs by the government indicates the power of wastafarians. The fact that the housing units were allowed to be built so close to the plot edge which any layman who sees the cliff from the beach below will term as dangerous grounds, obviously to increase the units and hence the money pocketed. The fact that the construction was allowed to start even while the earthworks were being carried out; the building permit was obtained after the construction was well over 60% complete. The complete negligence of the Project managers and the consultants to reign in the contractor because it was under the sponsorship of the owners i.e. Zubairs points the blame to the developers who with their influence, wasta and might subdued all who could have made a difference. I term it as a 'colossal collective failure"....pity its the owners who have to pay the price..and how.
ReplyDeletewhos this plumber heading up a mech. dept? is he available for some sink blockages?
ReplyDeleteconcerned
James from the great Brighton and hove or Sanjeev from the dirty Mumbai?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, your futile attempt to sound like a Western expat has been rumbled because of your poor Indian-English. Might I suggest telling the truth in future.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteDoes a Purchasers Action Group exist for The Wave Muscat? If yes, how to get in touch?
Thanks
The so called "zoo-bears" company or corporation is the oldest private corporation to date in Oman . Established in 1967 as the muscat Trading company . before H.M's government even came to power .
ReplyDeleteBusiness consists of competition , greed and self perceived morals . Instead of complaining like little kittens meeyawing for their milk , get some action in practice before your saliva enzymes dry out .
Wonderful blog & good post.Its really helpful for me, awaiting for more new post. Keep Blogging!
ReplyDeleteL&t Contractors
What did you expect from a company that has seen one commercial disaster after another. Has built sub-standard car dealerships all over the country, where in some staff had to borrow tools from competitor's dealerships, just to be able to work on vehicles.
ReplyDeleteIf they cannot make a success of a highly sought after Japanese car franchise, how on earth did you think they were going to build high quality residential housing successfully?
S.D.