Service
Quantum Expert Witness for Construction and Engineering Disputes
Independent, tribunal-ready evidence on what a construction claim is actually worth — for arbitration across the GCC and proceedings in the DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts, QICDRC and BICC.
- DIAC
- arbitrateAD
- SCCA
- QICCA
- BCDR
- DIFC Courts
- ADGM Courts
- QICDRC
- BICC
In most construction disputes, liability gets the attention — but quantum decides the outcome. A tribunal may find that a variation was instructed, that delay was caused by the employer, or that termination was wrongful. None of that matters until someone proves, with evidence a tribunal can rely on, what it cost.
That is the role of a quantum expert witness. We analyse the contract, the records and the claim, and give an independent opinion on the value of the sums in dispute. Our evidence is written for the decision-maker: clear about method, transparent about assumptions, and tested against the alternatives the other side will put forward.
We act on construction, infrastructure, energy and engineering disputes across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
What a quantum expert witness does
A quantum expert is a construction cost specialist who gives independent opinion evidence on the financial value of claims and counterclaims. That means:
- Establishing entitlement in money terms — converting the contractual and factual case into a properly calculated sum.
- Testing the other side's numbers — identifying double counting, unsupported rates, global claims presented as itemised ones, and costs that the contract does not permit.
- Working from the records — contemporaneous cost data, payment certificates, timesheets, invoices, plant records and accounts, rather than estimates built after the event.
- Presenting alternatives — where facts are in dispute, showing the tribunal what the figure is on each side's case, so the award can follow whichever findings it makes.
- Narrowing the issues — agreeing figures "as figures" with the opposing expert wherever possible, so hearing time is spent only on what is genuinely in dispute.
“Our overriding duty is to the tribunal or court, not to the party paying our fees.”
Quantum issues we advise on
Variations and change
Valuation of instructed and disputed variations, including the application of contract rates, fair valuation where rates do not apply, and omissions. Disputes under FIDIC Clause 13 and bespoke change provisions.
Final accounts
Reconstruction and review of the final account where the parties' figures have diverged — measurement, remeasurement, provisional sums, daywork, and contra-charges.
Delay and prolongation costs
Time-related site overheads, extended preliminaries, plant and equipment standing, and supervision costs — calculated by reference to the periods of delay established by the delay expert.
Head office overheads and loss of profit
Analysis of claimed head office overhead and profit recovery, including formula-based approaches and the evidence needed to support them.
Disruption and loss of productivity
Quantification of lost productivity using recognised methods, including measured-mile and comparative analysis where the records allow.
Acceleration
Costs of accelerative measures — additional labour, shift working, resequencing and premium procurement — whether instructed or constructive.
Termination accounts
Valuation of sums due on termination: work done, materials on site, demobilisation, loss of profit on the remaining works, and the employer's costs of completion.
Defects and rectification costs
Reasonable cost of remedial works, diminution in value, and the cost of investigation and temporary measures.
Subcontract and supply-chain claims
Pass-through and flow-down claims, back-to-back valuation, and subcontractor final accounts.
Interest and financing costs
Calculation of interest and financing charges in accordance with the contract, the governing law and the tribunal's directions.
Quantum and delay: working together
Delay and quantum are separate disciplines, but the evidence must fit together. Prolongation and disruption costs depend on the periods and causes of delay found by the tribunal — and a quantum figure that does not match the delay analysis is easily undermined.
We work closely with delay experts, whether appointed by the same party or jointly, so that time-related costs are tied to the correct periods, concurrency is handled consistently, and the tribunal can follow the link from event, to delay, to cost.
How an engagement works
- 1
Conflict check and initial call
A short, confidential conversation to understand the dispute, the parties and the timetable. We complete a conflict check before receiving any documents.
- 2
Scope and letter of instruction
We agree the questions the expert is asked to answer, the documents to be provided, the programme and the fee basis. A clear instruction keeps the evidence focused and admissible.
- 3
Records review and analysis
We review the contract, the claim, the records and the financial data, identify gaps early, and tell you candidly where the evidence is strong and where it is not.
- 4
Expert report
An independent report setting out our opinions, methodology, assumptions and the alternative figures on each party's case — structured so the tribunal can navigate it.
- 5
Joint meetings and the hearing
Meetings with the opposing quantum expert, a joint statement of agreed and disagreed items, and oral evidence at the hearing, including expert conferencing ("hot-tubbing") where the tribunal directs it.
Independence and professional standards
Our quantum evidence is prepared to meet the expectations tribunals and courts place on experts in the region, including:
- the IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration (2020), where adopted by the parties or tribunal;
- the CIArb Protocol for the Use of Party-Appointed Expert Witnesses in International Arbitration;
- the procedural rules of the relevant arbitral institution, such as the DIAC 2022 Arbitration Rules; and
- the expert evidence requirements of the DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts, QICDRC and BICC.
Every report includes a declaration of independence and a statement of the expert's duty to the tribunal or court.
Where we act
Arbitration
Institutional and ad hoc arbitrations across the GCC, including DIAC (Dubai), arbitrateAD (Abu Dhabi), SCCA (Saudi Arabia), QICCA (Qatar), BCDR (Bahrain), KCAC (Kuwait) and OAC (Oman), as well as ICC and other international rules with a GCC seat or GCC project.
Offshore courts
DIFC Courts (including the Technology and Construction Division), ADGM Courts, the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, and the Bahrain International Commercial Court.
Where we act: independent expert witness services in arbitration across the GCC and in the DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts, QICDRC and BICC. We do not provide expert evidence in onshore court proceedings.
View all GCC locationsSectors
- Building and real estate
- Infrastructure and transport
- Rail and metro
- Aviation
- Energy and utilities
- Renewable energy
- Water and wastewater
- Oil and gas
- Industrial and process
Who we work with
For lawyers and in-house counsel
You need a quantum expert who understands that the report will be read by a tribunal, tested by opposing counsel and relied on in an award. We engage early with the legal case theory, flag evidential gaps while there is still time to address them, and produce reports that map cleanly to the pleadings and the list of issues. We are equally comfortable acting as party-appointed expert, tribunal-appointed expert or in a confidential advisory (shadow) role.
Discuss an instructionYou need a quantum expert who understands that the report will be read by a tribunal, tested by opposing counsel and relied on in an award. We engage early with the legal case theory, flag evidential gaps while there is still time to address them, and produce reports that map cleanly to the pleadings and the list of issues. We are equally comfortable acting as party-appointed expert, tribunal-appointed expert or in a confidential advisory (shadow) role.
Discuss an instructionWhat you receive
- An early, candid view of the strengths and weaknesses of the quantum case
- A clear, independent expert report with transparent methodology and alternative figures
- Calculation schedules and supporting workings in a form the tribunal can follow
- A joint statement with the opposing expert that narrows the issues
- Oral evidence delivered clearly and consistently under cross-examination
Frequently asked questions
Need a quantum expert witness?
Tell us about the dispute, the forum and the timetable. We'll complete a conflict check and come back to you promptly.
Discuss an instructionPlease do not send confidential documents until a conflict check has been completed.
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