Construction
From The Report: Qatar 2017
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A quick look at the Doha skyline reveals just how much activity there is in Qatar’s construction sector currently. Activity in the capital is just one aspect of the work being done, however, with highways, housing estates and hypermarkets now also being built around the country. A huge amount of investment is going into Qatar’s infrastructure, along with its real estate, providing some of the largest contracts of recent decades for construction companies. Despite this flurry of activity, there are still challenges as the sector faces an economic slowdown. Falling oil and gas revenues have affected government spending, with many of the mega-projects currently under construction seeing reprioritisation, while new contracts have become scarcer. The blockade imposed on Qatar in June 2017 by some of its regional neighbours has also had notable effects on the economy. Nonetheless, Qatar remains a global centre for the industry as it gears up for 2022 FIFA World Cup. Indeed, sector players now expect a flurry of smaller contracts in the second half of 2018 and beyond, as the country’s plans for the tournament are realised and major projects are speeding up to meet pre-2022 deadlines This chapter contains an interview with Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi, President, Public Works Authority (Ashghal); and Eisa Al Hammadi, CEO, Qatar Primary Materials Company (QPMC).

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

On time: A growing population and upcoming tournament are setting the stage for continued expansion
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A quick look at the Doha skyline reveals just how much activity there is in Qatar’s construction sector currently, with cranes and scaffolding-clad towers, the thump of piledrivers and convoys of cement trucks snaking through the city’s streets. Activity in the capital is just one aspect of the work being done, with highways, housing estates and hypermarkets now also being built around the country. A huge amount of investment is going into Qatar’s infrastructure, along with its real…

Analysis

Building blocks: The raft of new projects is likely to affect materials prices
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With $500m a week being spent on infrastructure projects in Qatar over the next three to four years, supplying these projects with the materials they need is in itself an epic task. Many have predicted that this volume will produce a price squeeze in the years up to peak construction, ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Under Control Thanks to foresighted improvement to the country’s transport and logistical networks, careful government monitoring and a general downturn in construction…

Interview

Strong foundations: Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi, President, Public Works Authority (Ashghal), on raising industry standards and the flow-on effects of key infrastructure developments
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Interview:Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi How do you assess the effectiveness of infrastructure projects in stimulating the economy? SAAD BIN AHMAD AL MUHANNADI: Qatar’s infrastructure development remains inextricably linked to the government’s National Development Strategy (NDS). By delivering on its mandate, Ashghal continues to play a vital role in supporting the national economy across sectors, including economic diversification, environmental sustainability, education, health care, public…

Analysis

Going green: Environmentally friendly standards are a pillar of new projects
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One of the four pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030, the long-term development plan, is environmental sustainability. Under this goal, economic growth and social development must occur in such a way as to ensure environmental protection, securing the country’s achievements for future generations, as well as boosting the health and standard of living of existing residents. This has implications across the economy, including for the construction sector as Qatar has been tightening its environmental…

Interview

Satisfying demand: Eisa Al Hammadi, CEO, Qatar Primary Materials Company (QPMC), on increasing supplies and sustainable construction
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Interview:Eisa Al Hammadi Is the new bulk material handling system (BMHS) helping satisfy demand for construction materials for the $200bn infrastructure programme? EISA AL HAMMADI: The BMHS at Mesaieed Port has myriad of benefits, including efficiency benefits, environmental benefits and traffic benefits. The conveyor belt is 4.8 km, the longest in the Middle East. It increases the handling capacity throughout berths two and three of the port by 81%, bringing it to 30m tonnes per annum,…

Analysis

World Cup fever: Plans for the international football tournament are under way
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In December 2010 Qatar beat competition from the US, Australia, Japan and South Korea to become the venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In so doing it became the first Arab country and the smallest nation to ever be awarded the honour. Yet what Qatar may lack in size it is more than making up for in investment and planning for this momentous occasion. Price Tag Indeed, in February 2017 Ali Shareef Al Emadi, minister of finance, told international press that Qatar was spending around $500m…