Road projects in high gear to ease congestion
Qatar is speeding up its road infrastructure development programme including the Orbital Highway in a bid to ease congestion in the capital Doha, a spokesman for Meed Events, the organisers of Qatar Transport 2013 conference, that
begins today, has said.
In the most recent of developments, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has received bids from contractors to build the Orbital Highway on the outskirts of Doha, which is part of the government’s plans to spend QR100bn on upgrading the country’s roads and drainage infrastructure over the next five years.
The Orbital Highway project is just one of the 35 contracts that will be awarded as part of Qatar’s expressway development programme. In February, six major projects were in the detailed design stage, five in the concept design stage and a further 15 construction contracts are scheduled be tendered in the future. US-based KBR is the programme manager for Ashghal’s expressway programme.
The new roads, together with Doha’s proposed Metro system, are aimed at alleviating congestion in the capital.
“This is just one aspect of Qatar’s transportation programme, which will see a major upgrade in the next few years. It will be the subject of massive investments that will propel Qatar’s transport system into one of the most modern and advanced in the world,” said Edmund O’Sullivan, chairman of Meed Events.
Qatar Transport 2013 begins today at the Renaissance Doha City Centre Hotel. Renowned industry speakers and private sector experts will provide the latest updates on Qatar’s core transportation sectors, such as local roads and drainage, expressways, rail and Metro, airports, ports and
tunnelling.
Topics that will be covered include ‘Cost planning and indices for Qatar construction projects’, ‘Navigating Qatar’s construction law and contractual practices’ and ‘Rail development in the Middle East: Integrating international best practice with reference to Maglev
and HS2’.
S Korean machinery trade expo concludes
In line with its continuous efforts to enhance and promote economic ties between South Korea and Qatar, the Doha-based Korea Business Center concluded its machinery trade expo at the Ritz yesterday.
A visiting Korean trade team attended a series of trade and investment promotion activities organised by the centre, established in May 2012.
Headed by executive vice-chairman of Korea Association of Machinery Industry, Young Tahk Park, the visiting delegation had a series of meetings with prominent project owners in the oil and gas and power sectors.
The Korean and Qatari parties discussed upcoming projects and how the Korean manufacturers could play a role in them.
Consisting of 12 Korean manufacturers of machinery and industrial parts for oil and gas, power, and water plants, the delegates had one-on-one business meetings with more than 45 local traders and contractors to discuss modes of business co-operation.
Park said: “We purchase energy worth billions of dollars from Qatar annually and Qatar purchases cars and entertainment technology from us. Our ties will most likely develop into a more intimate relationship in the future.”
Training programmes to
tackle human trafficking
QNA/Doha
Qatar Foundation for Combating Human Trafficking (QFCHT) began here yesterday the implementation of three training programmes as part of the Arab initiative to build national capacity in the field of combating human trafficking.
Experts from QFCHT, the United Nations and other relevant organisations are taking part in the three-day programme which QFCHT is holding in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Speaking at the opening session, QFCHT’s director general Maryam al-Malki welcomed the participants of the three training programmes. She said that this initiative is sponsored and supported by the State of Qatar and will be implemented over three years in co-operation and co-ordination with partners of the UNODC and the Arab League.
QFCHT director general said the first year’s programmes of the initiative’s project was successfully implemented in co-operation with partners and the other supporting parties. She said they evaluated those training programmes in an accurate, scientific and statistical method which resulted in good outcomes that identified the growth in knowledge and capacities of the trainees who participated in these training courses from all Arab countries. The first of these training programmes was opened in the United Arab Emirates last month.
Al-Malki underlined the importance of training in the capacity building of leaders working in the area of combating human trafficking and the positive results which will be achieved by these programmes after studying the best theories and new methods in combating the phenomenon, as well as the follow-up of the best practices and pioneering experiments in this field.
Smuggler
gets life
The Criminal Court has sentenced in absentia an Iranian man to life imprisonment and a fine of QR500,000 for drug trade, Arabic daily Arrayah reported yesterday.
Two of his compatriots, who were arrested with drugs, will serve 10 years in jail and pay a fine of QR200,000 each. The charge is that they imported 20kg of hashish and around 10gm of opium for trade.
The two Iranian men were nabbed on February 29, 2012 with the drugs from a boat on Qatar’s territorial waters.
The first accused, an Iranian residing in Iran offered to sell the narcotics at sea to a secret agent for QR100,000. The agreement was to deliver the consignment near an island.
Shortly after midnight law enforcement personnel and the agent moved from Doha Port. The first accused, based in Iran, informed the agent that two persons would deliver the drugs. When the duo arrived, they were arrested.