International Construction Claims and Commercial Support: Middle East, Europe and North America

RKA Associates prepare and defend construction claims and provide commercial support on projects outside the UK, from Birmingham and from our office in Dubai. Most of our international work is in the Middle East under FIDIC, with growing work for UK contractors and subcontractors in Europe and North America, including on data centre projects.

The Middle East

FIDIC is the standard across the region, in both the 1999 and 2017 editions, and almost always with extensive Particular Conditions. The commercial disputes follow a familiar pattern: notices of claim served late or to the wrong person, variations carried out without the procedure in Clause 13 being followed, and extension of time and prolongation claims assembled long after the events. Our guide to FIDIC notice requirements covers the time bars, including the Privy Council's decision in January 2026 on Sub-Clause 20.1.

Governing law matters more here than in the UK. Courts and tribunals in civil law jurisdictions can treat time bars and liquidated damages differently from an English court, so on disputed matters we work alongside local counsel. Our Dubai office means we can be on site and in meetings, not just reviewing documents from a distance.

Europe

FIDIC is widely used on internationally financed work, and the multilateral development banks use FIDIC-based conditions for the projects they fund. UK contractors and subcontractors working in Europe, particularly on the data centre programmes in Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and the Nordic countries, also meet bespoke and English-law contracts. We provide the same commercial management, change control and claims support we provide at home, mostly remotely.

North America

In the United States the vocabulary changes: change orders rather than variations, delay claims rather than extension of time, owner-written contracts and the AIA and ConsensusDocs forms rather than JCT or NEC. The underlying work does not change. We prepare change order and delay claims, with programme analysis carried out in line with recognised methods such as the SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol and AACE International's recommended practice on forensic schedule analysis. We are not US lawyers and work alongside US counsel where a matter needs legal advice.

How we work on international projects

• Documents, programmes and correspondence reviewed remotely, so location is rarely a barrier.
• Site visits and meetings where they add something, from Birmingham or Dubai.
• Fixed fees for defined stages wherever the scope allows, so the cost is known before we start.
• Work for contractors, subcontractors and employers, as claimant or respondent.

International questions

Do you work on construction claims outside the UK?

Yes. We prepare and defend claims on projects in the Middle East, Europe and North America, as well as across the UK. Most of our international work is under FIDIC contracts.

Do you have an office in the Middle East?

Yes. We have an office in Dubai for FIDIC contract administration and claims work in the Middle East, alongside our base in Birmingham.

Can you help with a FIDIC claim in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Qatar?

Yes. We prepare and review notices, fully detailed claims, extension of time and prolongation claims under the FIDIC Red, Yellow and Silver Books. Because the governing law affects how time bars and penalties are applied, we work alongside local counsel on disputed matters.

Do you work on projects in the United States?

We support UK and international contractors and subcontractors on US projects with change order and delay claims and programme analysis. We do not give US legal advice and work alongside US counsel where that is needed.

Which contracts do you work with internationally?

Mainly FIDIC, in the 1999 and 2017 editions. Also NEC, which is used outside the UK, and bespoke owner and operator contracts, which are common on data centre projects.