Ten of the biggest projects underway in Qatar
CW Online looks at the developments that are shaping Qatar
Qatar’s central bank governor has revealed the government is expected to sign contracts for construction projects worth as much as $50bn this year.
And that is on top of the projects currently underway in the country. Qatar already has its fair share of developments before any further deals are inked.
Here we take a look at ten of the biggest as the country builds up to the World Cup 2022 and Qatar Vision 2030.
Hamad International Airport – Qatar’s new $15.5bn airport is due to open in mid-2014.
It was initially due to open in 2012, and then again in April 2013.
Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, which will be the main user of the new terminal, had previously blamed fit-out contractor Lindner Depa for delays after terminating the company’s contract in 2012. It had a contract to fit-out 17 airport lounges.
It will have a capacity to handle 30mn passengers, with a future phase to develop an Airport City on the site that was initially due to start in 2015 already underway.
The enlarged site will cover an area of 29km2 – 60% of which is on land reclaimed from the Arabian Gulf. The main contractor responsible for delivering the $15.5bn airport project is Bechtel.
Doha New Port – The $7.4bn Doha New Port is one of Qatar’s most important projects.
It covers a 26.5km2 site which, alongside a major new port facility, will also contain a new 4.5km2 naval base for Qatar and a new canal for Qatar Economic Zone 3 – one of a number of new economic zones being set up to boost the country’s industrial sector.
Nabeel Mohamed al-Buenain, project executive director of the project, recently said the construction was running ahead of schedule and that the port may be fully operational by 2020.
Expressways – The $8.1bn Expressways project will see approximately 900kms of mainline carriageways constructed.
The roads will range from single lane to dual fine-lane highways and approximately 240 major interchanges ranging from conventional traffic lights to four level interchanges.
The programme also includes new and upgraded freeways, expressways and arterial roads, a new orbital highway and truck route, and substantial upgrade of existing routes within the Doha’s boundaries.
Stadiums – More than $4bn is to be spent on the stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, although this figure could change depending on how many stadiums the country ends up building.
Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy is still undecided on the number of stadiums it will build to host the World Cup tournament.
In an interview with Construction Week, Dario Antonio Cadavid, the committee’s senior manager for technical assurance and integration, said: “We are still developing studies for the exact number that the 2022 World Cup will require.
“So far, we are prioritising the first eight, but that doesn’t mean we end up with eight.”
Msheireb Downtown Doha – Msheireb Properties’ flagship project, Msheireb, is designed to regenerate and preserve the historical downtown area of Doha.
A $5.5bn development, Msheireb Properties says it will “revive the old commercial heart of the city through a new architectural language that is based on community living, across a 31 hectare site.
The Msheireb project will blend traditional Qatari heritage and aesthetics with modern technology, and focus on sustainability and harmony with the environment”.
The mixed-use development will comprise more than 100 buildings, with a combination of commercial and residential properties, retail, cultural and entertainment areas.
The first phase, referred to as the ‘Diwan Amiri Quarter’, features three major government buildings, heritage sites, a museum, cultural forum, National Archive and Eid Prayer Ground.
Lusail City – A key component of Qatar’s 2030 Vision, the Lusail project will see a brand new city being built, with an overall value of around $45bn.
It is expected to be fully completed by 2019, and will be home to 200,000 residents, with another 170,000 people expected to work in the city.
Lusail Real Estate, which is owned by Qatar Dar, is overseeing the construction of this new city that will be connected to Doha by road and rail, and will play host to the World Cup Final in 2022, at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which is to seat more than 80,000 spectators.
Lusail City is expected to become a key business hub in Qatar, with Energy City and Entertainment City both being located in Lusail.
Sharq Crossing – Construction of the Sharq Crossing is set to get underway in 2015
The project will be comprised of three bridges interconnected by subsea tunnels spanning a 10km stretch of water, and will link Doha’s Hamad International Airport with the city’s cultural district of Katara in the north and the downtown central business district of West Bay.
The project has been designed by world-renowned architect, engineer and artist Santiago Calatrava.
No value has been given for the project, which is expected to be completed by 2021.
Rail network – Qatar is embarking on an integrated rail network which will cover 300km, and has an estimated value of $36bn.
Key to the system is the Doha Metro project, which is expected to be fully operational by 2019, and is designed to relieve pressure on the city’s roads.
Speaking to Construction Week recently, the CEO of Qatar Rail, which is overseeing the mega-project, said that the Lusail Light Railway Project is progressing well, with 100% of the excavation work completed, and 80% of the station structures finished. “The project will be ready in 2017,” he added.
The project is includes a 195km freight line linking the, while the second phase of the project will see a high speed line linking Qatar to Bahrain.
Local Roads and Drainage Programme – The Local Roads and Drainage Programme is a nationwide project that is being overseen by Ashghal.
The $13.7bn programme is designed to upgrade and maintain the roads and drainage network across the country’s ?ve regions (Qatar North, Qatar South, Doha North, Doha South and Doha West areas).
Five design and supervision consultants have been appointed to supervise the quality delivery of the programme: Qatar North (Khatib & Alami WSP), Qatar South (Aecom), Doha North (Hyder), Doha South (Parsons), Doha West (Atkins).
The Public Works Authority has partnered with international consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff as chief project consultant to efficiently oversee the implementation of the programme in a safe and sustainable manner.
Inner Doha Re-sewerage Implementation Strategy (IDRIS) – As part of the programme of work to improve Doha’s infrastructure, a city wide project to advance the city’s sewer systems is underway, with a value of more than $2.75bn.
Ashghal’s website states: “The programme will provide a long-term wastewater treatment solution to serve the needs of Doha, Al Wakra and Messaieed. IDRIS is developed to upgrade and expand the sewerage infrastructure, and to accommodate the projected population growth of an additional one million people in Doha’s oldest area –the south catchment.
“The major tunneled interceptor sewer and advanced sewage treatment works scheme will meet the long-term demands of the Doha South Catchment for the next 50 years, eliminate the hydraulically overloaded conditions, and remove over 35 existing pump stations. The Programme Management Consultant is CH2M HILL International.”