Interim Advice Notes (INAs) define specific requirements for works on the projects of the Public Works Authority "Ashghal" only. Although they shall be read in conjunction with Qatar Highway Design Manual (QHDM), Qatar Traffic Manual (QTM) and Qatar Construction Specifications (QCS), and may incorporate amendments or additions to these documents, they are not official updates to QHDM, QTM, QCS or any other standards.
Ashghal directs which IANs shall be applied to its projects on a case by case basis. Where it is agreed that the guidance contained within a particular IAN is not to be incorporated on a particular project (e.g. physical constraints make implementation prohibitive in terms of land use, cost impact or time delay), a departure from standard shall be applied for by the relevant Consultant/Contractor.
IANs are generally based on international standards and industry best practice and may include modifications to such standards in order to suit Qatar conditions. Their purpose is to fill gaps in existing Qatar standards where relevant guidance is missing and/or provide higher standards in line with the current international best practice.
In addition, IANs specify Ashghal's requirements in the interim until the current Qatar standards (such as QHDM, QTM, etc.) are updated. These requirements may be incorporated into future updates of QHDM, QTM or QCS. However, this cannot be guaranteed.