* PM witnesses signing of contracts through video conference
* Work on new projects scheduled to start in 3rd quarter of 2020
* New projects will rely mostly on materials supplied locally



HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani witnessed, through video conference on Sunday , the signing of nine new construction contracts between the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and Qatari companies for infrastructure development projects in new citizens' subdivisions.

These projects, with a total value of around QR3.6bn, will serve more than 5,111 residential plots in different areas of the country.

During the video conference, a brief presentation was made about the plan of developing new and existing citizens' land projects for 2020, in addition to the features and benefits of the infrastructure projects , which include roads, parking lots, sewage networks, surface and groundwater drainage, and treated water, the official Qatar News Agency reported.

In a statement, Ashghal said it held an event on Sunday to sign the new contracts and all phases of the event and the signing ceremony were remotely conducted using video conferencing technology. Present on the occasion were HE Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie, Minister of Municipality and Environment; Dr Saad bin Ahmad al-Muhannadi, president of Ashghal; Mohamed bin Hamoud al-Shafi, chairman of the Central Municipal Council (CMC) - Constituency 14; Yousef al-Emadi, director of Projects Affairs at Ashghal; and Saoud al-Tamimi, manager of the Roads Projects Department at Ashghal.


Representatives of the companies that won the contracts also attended the event.

The awarded projects cover six areas: Semaisma South, Al Ebb & Leabaib, Umm Slal Mohamed, Al Wajba East, Mebaireek and Al Meshaf South. Work on the new projects is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2020.

The projects will provide about 281km of roads, more than 10,350 lighting poles and 15,800 car parking slots, as well as sewage, surface, groundwater and treated sewage effluent networks with a total length of 684km.

On the occasion, HE al-Subaie said: "The Ministry of Municipality and Environment is keen to allocate new land plots in various areas throughout Qatar in order to construct and develop roads and infrastructure to serve citizens in those areas, meet current and future needs, and improve the quality of life throughout Qatar."

Dr al-Muhannadi said there are directives from HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to continue working at the same pace and with the same commitment to implement all infrastructure projects for citizens’ subdivisions "in accordance with our plans, despite the current worldwide economic crisis".

"During the last few years, Ashghal has provided services for 34,918 land plots, of which 5,045 plots are in new citizens’ subdivisions and 29,873 plots in existing citizens’ subdivisions,” he added.

Al-Emadi said the authority is currently working on completing 33 infrastructure projects for citizens’ subdivisions that are under construction, at a total cost of QR13.7bn. These projects will serve over 30,000 residential plots in 17 areas, including Al Kharaitiyat, Rawdat Egdaim, Izghawa, Al Wukair South, Al Shamal, Al Mearad, southwest of Muaither, Al Ebb & Leabaib, Al Duhail South, Umm Lekhba, Jeryan Nejaima and Ain Khaled North, among other areas.

The new projects will rely on materials that can be supplied locally, including lighting poles and lamps, manholes, different types of drainage pipes, road markings and signs, traffic signal poles, interlock, kerbstone, bitumen, electricity cables, safety barriers and others. This is as part of the authority’s keenness to support local products, and as Ashghal regards this as a high priority and a strategy to support the economy and achieve Qatar National Vision 2030.