With the rapid fall of oil prices to less than $20 per barrel, everyone in the Gulf began to talk about their fears of the coming year. After few years of economic prosperity and financial surplus; the ghost of budget deficit, lower spending and cuts cloud all economic sectors. These are legitimate worries and require alert and precautious measures. However, we shoule be initiative and not surrender to pressure that push various economic sectors to contract, lower expectations, and hold until the crisis is over. In hard times like this, we need to contribute  by dealing with our current circumstances. This article highlights some practical ways for architects and engineers in the consultancy field to act positively and constructively during these times:

1. Be positive and keep an optimistic spirit.
2. Recession periods are opportunities to find talent and highly skilled employees. This is because large companies are the first to feel the pinch of economic crisis and tend to shrink their work force. Therefore small and middle-sized design firms have a golden opportunity to attract creative and distinctive personnel who they can’t afford during standard times.
3. Architects and engineers must use these times to expand their field and look beyond their usual area of work. They should look into low cost construction sectors and proposing creative ideas that encourage investors to operate in such an economic climate.
4. If you find some free time, try to use it to develop your skills, learn new techniques and expand your area of expertise. Surely, after this temporary slow period, more work will come your way, by then you will find yourself equipped with more tools to some of the best jobs out there.
5. Architects and engineers can utilize recession periods by doing more research and constructive thinking. Keeping in touch with relative governmental authorities is quite crucial as well. As they would be vigilant to give good advice and creative solutions to contribute to advance the economy.