Nearly 35% of the QR27bn New Port Project (NPP) has already been completed, a senior official has said.
In accordance with the project schedule, the first phase was expected to be launched in 2016, said project’s executive director Nabeel Mohamed al-Buenain in remarks to Oxford Business Group.
The New Doha Project, he said, was of top priority to the government and part of the Qatar National Vision 2030. The project is spread over 26.5 sq km and the country will have to import large quantities of containers and materials in the lead up to the tournament, he said.
The current facilities and the commercial port in Doha cannot adequately accommodate the required amount of goods that will have to be imported for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
“The new port will not only function as a new seaport but will also host a base for the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces and the Qatar Economic Zone3. We are prioritising the sections that need to be completed before 2016 in order for the port to be operational, and will finish the other sections at a later date,” al-Buenain told the Oxford Business Group.
He said the first phase of the NPP would have a capacity of 2mn TEUs and 1.5mn tonnes of general cargo. The current Doha Port moved 376,754 TEUs and 652,567 tonnes of general cargo in 2012.
Upon full completion the port will be able to handle up to 6mn TEUs, he said. “The current priority is to complete the first phase and we will assess the remaining phases as needed,” al-Buenain said.
The port’s basin will be approximately 3.8km in length, 700 metres wide with a depth of 17 metres.
The existing Doha Doha Port has a depth of around 12.5 metres, which cannot accommodate large container vessels; however, at a depth of 17 metres the NPP will be able to receive the largest container vessels.
On the project tendering process, al-Buenain said, “We have created transparency, particularly in terms of pricing. One of our main goals was to create a transparent platform on our website where individuals can access available tenders, pricing, information relating to prequalification and whether a bid has been submitted or not, among a wide range of information pertaining to the tendering process.
“Another priority for the project was to ensure that during the tendering process we allowed the local economy to develop by including local contractors in the project’s contracts. We have delineated four types of tenders including marine, equipment, infrastructure and buildings. For infrastructure and building tenders, the government has mandated that the main contractors should all be Qatari and should have an international contractor as their partner. As for the marine and equipment tenders, these are open to participation by both local and international companies.
“Additionally, we have made it so that any subcontracting work must be awarded to a Qatari subcontractor. We have also put very strict criteria in place to ensure that all companies comply with international standards and that we help the local economy grow as a result of these mega projects.”