Qatar-based Daruna Development has signed a QR800-million ($219.4 million) agreement with Wasita Qatar (Isnad), a subsidiary of the Wasita Group of Companies, for the management of a workers' residental complex.

The agreement covers the development of the facility that can house 12,000 workers, the company officials said after signing the agreement at the Meed Conference, Qatar Projects 2015, in Doha.

Through its agreement with Wasita, Daruna will be able to rapidly market the permanent workers’ accommodations in full compliance with all international and Qatari legal standards over the next 36 months.

Wasita Group is a Shari’ah-compliant remote logistics and life support services' provider with operations in the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Turkey.

It has extensive experience in catering services, laundry, housekeeping, materials management and services for staff, military and labour camps {build own operate (BOO), build operate transfer (BOT)} for the military/defence sector, infrastructure construction sector, oil and gas (on-shore and off-shore) and healthcare sectors.

Under the deal, Daruna will maintain ownership of the accommodations, while Wasita will operate and manage the workers’ housing which includes housekeeping, catering, laundry and maintenance services.
 
The Daruna designs are the first in Qatar to be certified as compliant by Qatar Foundation according to their Standards for Workers’ Welfare guide published in 2013, said Ambassador Joe LeBaron, the company vice chairman.
 
"The co-ordination by the compliantdesign and world-class certified management, including catering and laundry, gives us tremendous advantages in controlling costs and value-driven services which cannot be achieved in any other manner. This combination, along with the value for money is the reason Daruna chose to partner with Wasita on its first project," he added.

Wasita Group president Basel Yagnham said the company's extensive regional experience in managing and operating such facilities along with its HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points), ISO 22000 and other certifications will allow it to operate the Daruna sites at the highest levels of welfare, safety and international compliance.

"We are proud to be associated with Daruna in delivering high standard, cost-effective workers’ accommodations to the Qatari marketplace. This will hopefully be one of the many Daruna sites in Qatar," he added.-TradeArabia News Service