abstract: Delays are a major cause for concern in the construction industry both globally and locally in Saudi Arabia. This paper identifies the main causes of delay in infrastructure projects in the holy city of Makkah (Saudi Arabia) and compares these with projects around the rest of the country and other Gulf countries as well. Data were obtained from 49 infrastructure projects that were undertaken by the owner and were analyzed quantitatively to understand the severity and causes of delay. 10 risk factors were identified in this study and these factors were grouped into four categories. The average delay in infrastructure projects in the city of Makkah was found to be 39%. The most severe cause of delay was found to be the land acquisition factor. This highlights the critical land ownership and acquisition issues that is prevailing in Makkah. In addition to this, other factors include contractors’ lack of expertise, haphazard underground utilities (line services), and re-designing. It is concluded that majority of delays were caused from the owner’s side as compared to contractors, consultants, and other project’s stakeholders. This finding was in line with the research findings of the Gulf Countries Construction (GCC) Industry’s literature as well. This study will fill an important practice and research gap for improving the efficiency in project delivery for infrastructure projects in the holy city of Makkah and the Gulf countries at large. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Construction 2015

Cette thèse porte sur la gestion des routes du département de la Haute-Garonne de 1790 à 1796. Dans ce département né du nouvel ordre territorial et administratif qui s’impose en France en 1790 et formé d’une partie de deux anciennes provinces hétérogènes, la Guyenne et le Languedoc, l’administration locale se voit confier le rôle de maintenir les infrastructures de transport en bon état. Pour ce faire, elle doit faire face aux nombreuses difficultés qui peuvent empêcher localement l’exécution des travaux routiers. Ses compétences à cet égard dépendant étroitement du degré de centralisation de l’administration centrale des ponts et chaussées, composée du ministre de l’Intérieur et du Corps des Ponts et Chaussées. Au cours de la Révolution française, ce jeu de pouvoir entre Paris et le département subit l’influence des contextes national et local, tels que les crises politiques ou la guerre. Le pouvoir local ne peut prendre les mesures qu’il juge nécessaire pour assurer la bonne gestion de son réseau routier que dans les limites de la politique routière imposée par Paris. / This thesis is a study of the management of roads in the “département” of Haute-Garonne between 1790 and 1796. This “département” had been created as a part of the new territorial and administrative order in France established in 1790, and it was made from parts of two former different provinces, Guyenne and Languedoc. In Haute-Garonne the local administration was entrusted with the role of maintaining the infrastructures for transport. To this end the “département” had to face various difficulties that could impede the execution of road works in the locality. Its powers in this respect depended closely on the degree of centralization of the national administration of roads and bridges, an administration composed of the Minister of the Interior and the “Corps des Ponts et Chaussées”. During the French Revolution this power relationship between Paris and Haute-Garonne was dictated by a combination of national and local contexts, including political crises and war. The local authorities could take measures they deemed necessary to ensure the proper management of their road networks only when these were within the limits set by the road policy decided on by the national authorities in Paris.