Most contractors in Dubai have a delay claim sitting somewhere in their project files that was never properly built, submitted, or followed through — not because the delay wasn’t real, but because nobody turned the raw site records into a claim an Engineer could actually approve.
This is the story of one such claim: a Dubai-based contracting client that had experienced significant project delays caused by factors outside its control, with scattered site diaries, informal emails, and a vague sense that “the client owes us time and money” — but no structured claim. Within 120 days of engaging MANGMARK, the claim was built, submitted, and AED 3 million was recovered.
What Is a Delay Analysis Claim?
A Delay Analysis claim quantifies how specific events — late instructions, design changes, weather beyond contractual thresholds, dependencies on other parties — pushed back the project’s critical path, and ties that delay to the contractor’s entitlement for time (EOT) and, where applicable, cost (prolongation).
The claim is only as strong as the evidence connecting cause to effect. A list of problems is not a claim. A claim shows, event by event, exactly how many days each one added to the critical path, using the project’s own programme as the baseline.
Benefits of Getting This Right
A properly built Delay Analysis claim does three things for a contracting business: it recovers money and time that is contractually owed, not a favor from the client; it protects the company’s cash flow on a project where costs have already been incurred; and it creates a template and claims discipline the business can reuse on every future project, instead of starting from zero each time.
Cost of Delay Claims in Dubai
Building a professional Delay Analysis and claim submission typically runs from a few thousand dirhams for a straightforward, single-event EOT claim, up to tens of thousands for a multi-event critical path analysis on a complex project with disputed causation. The cost scales with the number of delay events, the complexity of the programme, and whether disruption/productivity loss is also being claimed. Against a potential recovery in the hundreds of thousands to millions of dirhams, the cost of getting the claim built properly is consistently the better economics — most of what is lost in Dubai delay disputes is lost to claims that were never properly built, not to claims that were rejected on their merits.
How the Process Worked (4 Steps)
- Consultation. The engagement started with a full review of the client’s project records: programme, correspondence, site diaries, instructions, and informal notes the team had kept. The goal at this stage was simple — establish which delay events were real, documented, and defensible, and which were not worth pursuing.
- Planning. With the events confirmed, the delay was mapped against the approved baseline programme to show, event by event, the actual impact on the critical path. A clear claim narrative was built: what happened, when, why it was outside the contractor’s control, and exactly how many days of delay and what cost impact resulted.
- Implementation. The formal claim submission was drafted and issued — structured the way an Engineer or Employer’s representative expects to see it, with the programme analysis, supporting correspondence, and cost breakdown presented as a single coherent case rather than a pile of evidence.
- Results & Follow-Up. The submission was followed through with the Employer’s representative, responding to queries and clarifications as they came in, until the claim was agreed and settled.
Before and After
Before: a real delay, incurred costs, and a sense of being owed something — but no structured claim, no clear link between events and critical path impact, and no submission the Engineer could act on.
After: a documented, submitted, and agreed claim recovering AED 3 million within 120 days of the engagement starting — turning informal site records into a contractually enforceable result.
Why Choose MANGMARK
MANGMARK’s claims work sits inside a broader project management practice built specifically for contracting and real estate businesses in the UAE — covering Extension of Time claims, Delay Analysis, and Disruption Claims under FIDIC and other standard forms. The firm’s track record across its contracting and real estate client base includes AED 13 million in documented client savings alongside this AED 3 million recovery, reflecting a consistent process rather than a one-off result.
FAQs
How long does a Delay Analysis claim typically take to resolve?
It varies by project and Employer responsiveness, but a well-built claim with clear causation and documentation moves considerably faster than a weak one. In this case, from engagement to recovery took 120 days.
What records does a contractor need to have for a strong delay claim?
Programme data (baseline and updates), correspondence around the delay events, site diaries, instructions, and any notices issued at the time. The more contemporaneous the records, the stronger the claim — but even scattered or informal records can often be reconstructed into a defensible case.
Is it too late to claim if the project has already finished?
Not necessarily. Claims can often still be pursued after completion, provided the contractual notice requirements were met at the time and the supporting records exist. Each case depends on the specific contract and notice history.
Does this only apply to FIDIC contracts?
No. While FIDIC is the most common form referenced in UAE construction, the same delay analysis and claims principles apply under other standard and bespoke contract forms used in the region.
What’s the difference between an EOT claim and a Delay Analysis?
A Delay Analysis is the technical exercise of quantifying delay against the critical path. An EOT (Extension of Time) claim is the contractual submission requesting additional time, which the Delay Analysis supports with evidence.
Conclusion
A real delay sitting in scattered site records is not the same as a recovered claim. The difference is a structured process that turns evidence into a submission an Employer’s representative can act on — and that process is repeatable on every project, not a one-time exercise.
Have a delay you haven’t claimed yet? Get in touch with MANGMARK for a review of your project’s claim potential.
