An exploratory study of research and development in construction in the developing countries of the Middle East

Research and Development (R&D) in construction in the developing countries, particularly in the Middle East, is an under-researched area worthy of attention and should be of particular interest due to the expanding role of the construction industry in the world market and the great potential the Middle East region offers. This exploratory research places the current practices in R&D in construction in a number of developing countries (the Middle East countries) under scrutiny with the intention of enhancing the overall performance of the construction industry. The findings of the study reported in this thesis provide academics and practitioners from the construction industry with insights into the barriers to promoting R&D in construction in these countries. It also serves as a useful base for researchers to expand further research into the improvement of R&D in this field. The developing countries chosen for focus in this study are found in the Middle East. The UK and the US were chosen as examples of the developed countries as comparators. The study was applied in two stages; the first covers the status of the construction industry while the second explores the barriers to the enhancement of R&D in construction in these countries. Applying the work to the Middle East region allowed for a more coherent analysis of the interaction of factors that formed the current status of R&D in construction in developing countries. It allowed a more cogent picture to be formed of the impact of certain factors on the promotion of research in these countries. The research identified a number of key factors and observed the obstacles and opportunities that could potentially impact the promotion of R&D in construction in the developing countries. The study concluded an urgent need for a regionally driven strategy to co-ordinate R&D in construction within the Middle East. It also proposed a framework that demonstrates how the findings of this research can be employed constructively to promote R&D in construction in the Middle East countries.