The pre-qualification process for the operations as well as the management of Doha Metro and Lusail Tram and their related facilities in Qatar was launched at a special event organised by Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail).

Held under the patronage and presence of HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the event gathered the local private sector players under the theme: “Industry Awareness Day - Opportunities Available to the Private Sector”.

The event was inaugurated by Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transportation, in the presence of Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce; Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Khalifa, CEO of Qatar Development Bank; and Qatar Rail CEO Saad Ahmed Al Muhannadi.

The event aimed to encourage the participation of the private sector in Qatar’s rail projects and facilitate initial communication with Qatar Rail’s contractors, in addition to attracting international experts in the field. Around 600 local and international companies took part in the event.

Al Sulaiti said: “In line with the state’s efforts to encourage the participation and investment of the private sector in the mega projects and initiatives, the Ministry of Transportation aims to push the Qatari private sector to take part in all transportation projects and provide their expertise and technologies.”

He added: “Qatar Rail created an ideal model for providing information on all the opportunities associated with the metro project, and held more than one meeting with local companies to demonstrate the size of the project opportunities available to them. The company aimed to shed light on the supplies and logistics needed for the first phase of the Doha Metro project, as well as the needs of the Qatar Rail projects, so that the local companies can determine where and how they can contribute to their implementation.”

Qatar Rail, in collaboration with the Qatar Development Bank and a global consultancy firm, has identified 104 investment opportunities that are available to the private sector, he added.

The share of contracts awarded to the private sector within the scope of the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram projects has reached 70 per cent, versus the 30 per cent awarded to international companies, the minister said.

These include the works for the designing of routes, tunnelling for the stations, supplying building materials and others. In addition, the private sector’s share of participation in the joint ventures of designing and building the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram projects is 15 per cent. Similarly, 61 per cent of the contracts for raw materials and transportation equipment are awarded to local manufacturers to provide what’s needed to complete these developments in terms of cement, sand, iron and other materials, he said.

Besides, 80 per cent of the deals estimated at QR222 million ($60.98 million) covering including insurance and technological innovation contracts have been awarded to the Qatari private sector.

Al Muhannadi said: “Qatar Rail held numerous meetings with the private sector to translate the National Vision 2030, to achieve effective partnership between the public and private sectors. It comes as part of the company’s policy to host introductory workshops for national and foreign investors before launching the bidding process for a project. This strategy has proven to be successful in involving several Qatari companies in all joint ventures assigned for the civil works.”

During the session on the prequalification process, all the required contract-related information was provided to participants, allowing the interested companies to assess the projects’ needs and identify how they can contribute to the projects. About 55 companies took part in the session. - TradeArabia News Service