Doha, Qatar: The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) announced the launch of an ambitious five-year plan worth more than QR81bn to implement vital projects across various infrastructure sectors, ranging from the development of citizens’ lands, government building projects, sewage networks to strategic outfalls. This strategic step outlines the features of Qatar’s infrastructure over the next five years.
This was unveiled during a press conference, during which President of Ashghal Engineer H E Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Meer outlined the prominent features of the new plan, which complements a rich history of infrastructure achievements that have contributed to qualitative leaps over the past years, particularly during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
He said that Ashghal will launch and implement a wide range of development projects during the coming period as part of the five-year plan 2025-2029, which is the biggest in the Authority’s history in terms of the volume of investments and the number of projects.
He added that these projects include the development of citizens’ lands through the implementation of an integrated infrastructure that takes into account the concepts of ‘humanization of cities’ and focuses on improving the quality of life, in addition to constructing government buildings that serve vital sectors such as health, education, sports, and culture.
On the most prominent future projects, he announced the launch of the strategic outfalls project this year, one of the biggest sustainable projects for draining rainwater in the north and south of Doha, with plans to reuse the water for irrigation and cooling purposes, explaining that the project will consist of two phases: the first will see the launch of the main tunneling works in 2025, and the second will launch the sub-tunneling works in early 2026, in coordination with the Ministry of Municipality and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
As part of the state’s drive to strengthen the role of the private sector, he revealed new projects to be implemented under a public-private partnership system.
The most notable of these projects is the development of infrastructure for more than 5,500 residential plots in various areas, he said, noting that the work involves the implementation of internal road networks and linking them to surrounding roads, in addition to the complete infrastructure of sewage and treated water, landscaping, and street lighting.
He also said that the Authority is considering tendering the second phase of the wastewater treatment plant project in Al Wakra and Al Wukair under a partnership framework.
Regarding pending projects, he noted that Ashghal adopted alternative plans and exceptional measures to support current contractors and ensure the completion of work, emphasizing that corrective measures will be taken to evaluate the performance of contractors and consultants and accelerate the pace of completion while maintaining quality and safety standards.
As part of the government’s commitment to enhancing the continued growth of the contracting sector, Ashghal announced financial and regulatory support worth QR21bn provided to the sector, including in direct payments and burden-relief measures, particularly following the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures include replacing maintenance reserves with bank guarantees in advanced projects, extending contracts for pending projects, and activating periodic contractor performance evaluations.
The Authority also reported significant progress in implementing the local added value program (ICV), which aims to support local companies and enhance economic independence. It recorded positive results, most notably an increase in the number of companies registered with Ashghal from 201 in the first quarter of 2022 to 733 in the third quarter of 2024, an increase in the percentage of contracts awarded to local suppliers to 77 percent, compared to only 10 percent in 2022, and a decrease in the percentage of companies whose certificates were not renewed from 47 percent to 11 percent, with a jump in ICV points from 3,024 to more than 23,447 points.
In the digital transformation and enhancement of operational efficiency, Ashghal launched an initiative to automate financial data for service providers to expedite tendering procedures and reduce administrative burdens. This initiative relies on a central database that eliminates the need to upload financial data repeatedly. It also enables proactive monitoring of contractors’ performance, allowing timely action to be taken to avoid any potential challenges.
