Qatar’s ambitious Sharq Crossing Project, the 12-km series of underwater tunnel and bridges connecting key centres of capital Doha, has failed to find its place in the government’s priority list for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, said a report.

The mammoth $12-billion project is likely to miss its schedule as authorities have decided to prioritise the projects Qatar needs for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, reported The Peninsula, citing a report from business intelligence publication Meed.

Qatar's Public Works Authority (Ashghal) had unveiled the iconic project in 2013 and declared that work on the multi-billion-riyal scheme would start some time in 2015 and will be ready in 2021, a year before the Fifa event, the report stated.

The engineering marvel, designed by Spain’s Santiago Calatrava, was expected to be the postcard picture that tourists would flock to see when visiting Doha in 2022, it added.

"The inevitable has started to happen. Doha has started to prioritise the projects it needs for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, and has begun delaying non-essential infrastructure schemes," said Meed in its report.

According to experts, the move may be initially regarded as negative, but as work on projects continues to ramp up this year, it should be regarded as a positive move.

Sharq Crossing delay is good for Qatar. The delay in its construction will give some respite to Doha’s overheating constructions sector, they added.

With the simultaneous launch of mega projects, contractors face the risk of dealing with severe price inflation, materials shortages and other supply chain issues, said the report.

Construction companies will undoubtedly rue the work they will lose out on this year, but at the same time, the firms already working in Doha will welcome attempts to cool a market that is stretching the supply chain to the limit.

The supply chain will continue to be tested this year as more essential projects continue to be built, such as the main stadiums and key transport schemes such as major highways and the Doha Metro, which will be used to ferry visiting football fans around the city, the report added.