Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy has assured the world that the country’s preparations for Fifa World Cup 2022 are on track.

Addressing an international audience gathered at the Meed Qatar Projects Conference 2014, Yasser Al-Mulla, project manager at Al-Rayyan Precinct for the Supreme Committee, said Qatar will issue 10 tenders this year for project managers and design consultants on the stadiums being built for the games.

“We are in the advanced stages of design work for six stadiums and this year we will see five stadiums begin the early works on foundations and construction,” he added.   

Moreover, Doha expects to spend an additional $4 billion on building stadiums and related sporting infrastructure for the World Cup. The largest new stadium planned is the Lusail Iconic stadium, which will have a capacity of more than 86,000 people and is to be used for the opening match and the finals.

As part of the massive infrastructure roll out, hotel rooms will be expanded to 95,000 by 2022 from the current 15,000 rooms available.

Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashgal) has also revealed plans to launch $27.5 billion worth of expressway and interchange projects over the next five years to supplement the over $3 billion worth of contracts that were awarded last year. The road projects are expected to be completed in 2020.
With these projects, Qatar hopes to reduce traffic congestion and ensure a smooth flow of people and vehicles as Doha hosts the world’s biggest sporting event.

Qatar’s economy is expected to expand to 6.8 per cent in 2014, according to Qatar National Bank (QNB) acting group CEO, Ali Al-Kuwari, with capital investment in infrastructure projects being the primary drivers of the growth.

“The non-hydrocarbons sector contribution will be 50 per cent of GDP in 2014 and the banking sector will play a vital role in supporting the diversification of the Qatari economy by financing investment in infrastructure,” Al-Kuwari said.

Qatar Projects 2014 concluded on a high note, with project stakeholders gearing up what is expected to be a busy sector in the next few years, as tenders are announced in the coming months and projects get underway.  – TradeArabia News Service