Bahrain hosts 12th conference of Project Administration Institute

The conference, which will be held under the theme 'Dawn of a New Era', seeks to discuss the repercussions of the global financial crisis and their direct impact on mega projects, in addition to ways to organize the work of companies and institutions under the current economic circumstances.

Advisory Director of Intrinsic Nada Abanda said the conference acquires its importance this year from the effects the global financial crisis has had on companies, which need to revisit their strategies and re-set their scale of priorities in a professional fashion that ensures them an outlet to overcome the problem, "which will be the focus of our participation this year."

Abanda added that Intrinsic's participation came in response to the organizers' invitation, adding that the company will hold in the sidelines of the conference two symposiums, the first of which will focus on the importance of project management offices (PMO) and their role in institutional performance, along with ways to ensure professional enhancement of project management. At the other symposium, panelists will review the concepts of programs and portfolios management and ways to employ that in efforts to achieve the present and future strategic goals of companies.

Intrinsic is a leading regional company in the field of organizational maturity and organized last year the first conference on organizational maturity in the Middle East.

The PAI conference includes sessions dedicated to look into the actual challenges faced by mega projects in the Arabian Gulf region, whose cost is estimated at around $3 billion, in light of a labor shortage, higher risk and shrinking liquidity in the market. The conference will also discuss strategic projects planned by GCC countries in the coming few years.

The functions will be coupled with a special exhibition, seven workshops and training workshops, in addition to specialized sessions in project management, including the two to be presented by Intrinsic.

The conference will see 40 key papers presented, in addition to key-note addresses by Bahraini Minister of Housing and Public Works H.E. Fahmi Bin Ali Al-Jowder, CEO of the US-based PAI, Greg Balestrero, Director of the US-based Constructions Industry Institute Kim Allan, Dr. Suheila Mutawaa from Kuwait University, and other speakers from the UK, Greece, Canada, Pakistan, Australia, Switzerland and New Zealand.