Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced the launch of an ambitious five-year plan worth more than QR81 billion ($22.2 billion) to implement vital projects across various infrastructure sectors, ranging from the development of infrastructure, government building projects, sewage networks to strategic outfalls.  

The plan was unveiled during a press conference, during which President of Ashghal Engineer Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Meer said the authority 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 largest in Ashghal’s history in terms of the volume of investments and the number of projects.

He added that these projects include the development of public property 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.

He also stated that the authority will implement advanced sewage and rainwater drainage projects, including strategic tunnels, pumping and treatment stations, and home connections, with the aim of reducing flooding and enhancing the efficiency of the national network.

On the most prominent future projects, Engineer Al Meer 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. He explained that the project will consist of two phases: the main tunneling works, which will be launched this year, and 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, Al Meer revealed new projects to be implemented under a public-private partnership system, the most notable of which is the development of infrastructure for more than 5,500 residential plots in various areas. 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 suthority is considering tendering the second phase of the wastewater treatment plant project in Al Wakra and Al Wukair under a partnership framework.

As part of the government's commitment to enhancing the continued growth of the contracting sector, Ashghal announced financial and regulatory support worth QR21 billion 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 per cent, compared to only 10 percent in 2022, and a decrease in the percentage of companies whose certificates were not renewed from 47 per cent to 11 per cent, 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.

In this context, Engineer Al Meer pointed out that Ashghal is developing the 'smart contracts' initiative to raise levels of transparency and reliability, and reduce costs and human interventions through the use of advanced digital technologies in contract management, adding that this step represents a qualitative shift in the path of contract and project management, in line with Qatar National Vision to promote innovation and sustainability.

He also pointed out that the authority's corporate strategy for the period 2024-2030 will soon be accompanied by the launch of Ashghal's new identity with an updated look that reflects the Authority's future plans, as part of Ashghal's journey towards achieving the Third National Development Strategy, leading to Qatar National Vision 2030.-TradeArabia News Service.