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The Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ has announced the award of 13 new contracts worth 12 billion Qatari riyals, which aim to enhance the infrastructure of road and drainage networks and public buildings and improve the quality of life in Qatar.On his part, His Excellency Eng. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Meer, President of the Public Works Authority, said: “Ashghal's award of new contracts worth QR 12 billion represents a strategic step that enhances the sustainability and integration of infrastructure, consolidates Qatar's leadership in this field, and supports the national economy within the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030.”Eng. Khalid Saif Al Khayareen, Projects Affairs Director at Ashghal, said that the authority continues to implement its strategic plan to develop infrastructure services and public buildings in the country in response to the requirements of population growth and urban expansion, and in line with the state's aspirations and future vision. He explained that the new projects that were awarded include 6 key projects, including the construction and development of road networks and several educational, health, and service buildings in coordination with the relevant authorities in the country.Eng. Ahmed Al Ahmad, Asset Affairs Director at Ashghal, said: "The operation and maintenance contracts awarded will contribute to improving the management of road and drainage networks and ensuring the sustainability of infrastructure assets, which will ultimately improve the quality of services provided to citizens and residents." He added that the projects will be implemented to the highest standards of quality and safety, using the latest technologies and equipment in operation and maintenance processes.Road Network Operation and Maintenance WorksThe contracts include the implementation of infrastructure projects to develop road networks across the country, in addition to contracts covering the operation and maintenance of strategic roads in both the North and South Qatar. This is in addition to contracts to develop and adopt intelligent transportation systems (ITS).Contracts were recently awarded to a group of the world's largest contractors, and work is expected to commence in October 2025. The operation and maintenance period extends to five years for all projects, except for the ITS project, which extends to three years.The projects aim to operate and maintain road assets using innovative technologies, including an AI-based digital management platform, self-driving vehicles for asset surveys, and laser technology to proactively detect and deal with road defects, as well as adopting smart systems to monitor road conditions.These works contribute to achieving Qatar National Vision 2030 by promoting sustainable infrastructure, improving efficiency, and extending the lifespan of road assets, using innovative materials and technologies to enhance road durability.Drainage Networks Operation and Maintenance WorksThe projects are expected to commence in Q1 of 2026. In the coming years, Ashghal seeks to increase its reliance on the latest technologies and innovations used in drainage operation and maintenance, including the use of robots and drones equipped with CCTV cameras to inspect assets, and the use of automation, digital twins, and analytics to predict faults. This is in addition to smart control systems and remote sensing technologies.The Enterprise Asset Management System (EAMS) will be enhanced, and maintenance priorities will be identified based on risks and integrated with Building Information Modeling (BIM). These new approaches to asset management directly contribute to achieving environmental sustainability and adapting to climate change, which in turn affects drainage networks. Ashghal also pays great attention to developing Qatari employees and transferring knowledge through organizing specialized training courses.These works contribute to improving the efficiency of drainage networks in Qatar, enhancing their capacity, and ensuring their continued operation with high efficiency, meeting the needs of citizens and residents, and contributing to achieving sustainability and quality of life standards.Construction and Development of Four Building ProjectsFour new building projects have been awarded, including the construction of three new schools, the improvement of safety systems in 40 existing schools, the refurbishment of the Psychiatric Hospital of Hamad Medical Corporation, and the renovation of Al Zubara Horse Breeding Farm.* Construction of 3 New SchoolsAshghal continues to support the education sector by constructing three new schools for boys in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, as part of its efforts to provide a modern and advanced educational environment.Implementation is scheduled to begin in Q4 of 2025, and the projects include: The projects include a preparatory school for boys in Mebaireek, a preparatory/secondary school for boys in Mesaimeer, and a model school for boys in Fereej Al Soudan. The projects will focus on the use of high-quality, easy-to-maintain finishing materials to ensure an attractive, safe, and stimulating learning environment.* Improving Safety and Fire Systems in 40 Existing SchoolsAshghal has begun implementing a comprehensive project to modernize and modify 40 existing school buildings in various regions of the country, with the aim of keeping pace with the latest Qatar Civil Defense standards for educational buildings. The project aims to raise the level of safety and operational flexibility in schools by installing modern fire safety and life protection systems, ensuring a safer learning environment for students and educational bodies.* Refurbishment of the Psychiatric Hospital of Hamad Medical CorporationAs part of supporting the healthcare sector and developing mental health services in the country, Ashghal is preparing to launch a project to complete the development of the Psychiatric Hospital of Hamad Medical Corporation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health. Implementation works are scheduled to commence in Q4 of 2025.The project includes renovating the existing buildings, constructing a new patient building, as well as developing the external infrastructure, including improving the internal road network and providing new parking lots.* Renovation of Al Zubara Horse Breeding FarmAs part of the cooperation between the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, Ashghal will implement the Design and Build project to Repair and Renovate the Horse Breeding Farm in Al Zubarah, one of the largest specialized farms in the world, supporting Qatar's position as a leading global destination for horse racing and equestrian events. The farm is located on Al Shamal Road, approximately 60 km to the North of Doha, and extends over an area of ​​approximately 150 hectares. The project, scheduled to begin in October 2025, includes comprehensive rehabilitation and modernization works for all buildings and facilities.Highway Network Support ProjectAs part of its plans to complete the highway network, and its ongoing efforts to develop infrastructure and enhance connectivity between the various areas in Qatar, Ashghal awarded a project to construct link roads from Al Mazrooah to Al Attoriya and Bu-Thaila areas (zone 71 & 72), with a total length of 22 km.The project aims to connect the surrounding residential areas directly to the highway network, by enhancing the connection between Bu-Thaila and Al Attoriya areas with Al Shamal Road, Al Khor Road, and Dukhan Road via Al Majd Road. This will contribute to supporting economic and agricultural activities in the surrounding areas and provide vital services to the farms, in addition to preparing the area for future urban development in line with the state's vision and the national development plan.Al Karaana Road Development ProjectThe project aims to provide an advanced road network in the Al Karaana area and implement an integrated infrastructure within the project scope. Works include the construction of a 6.5 km road network to provide a direct connection to Salwa Road and facilitate access to the establishments and facilities in the area. A 4.7 km internal road network will also be constructed to regulate traffic in the camel racetrack. Traffic safety features, street lighting, parking lots, and landscaping will also be provided. The project also includes treated wastewater and irrigation networks totaling 17.5 km.

An alliance of 30 influential Philippine business and civic organisations is demanding an independent investigation into what it describes as "excessive corruption" linked to government infrastructure projects.The call for action comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disclosed last month the results of an internal audit into flood control projects, revealing troubling patterns of irregularity.Key findings showed that out of 545bn pesos ($9.63bn) in flood control spending since 2022, thousands of projects were either substandard, poorly documented, or non-existent.Some carried identical costs despite being in different locations, and only 15 out of more than 2,000 accredited contractors cornered 20% of the total budget.The allegations have spurred legislative inquiries in both chambers of Congress, and Marcos has said he will create an independent commission to investigate "these nefarious activities."The alliance expressed "outrage, disgust and disappointment" over the "shameful, unabated, continuing and excessive acts of graft and corruption" by many officials in Congress, the executive department and local government units."While we take note of the President admonishing the corrupt in government, we are concerned that the guilty among these officials will continue their merry way of robbing the people and filling their pockets," the groups said in a statement.They described the acts as a betrayal of public trust and a "treasonous" offence against Filipinos.There was no immediate comment from the offices of the president, the house speaker and senate president.The controversy has already led to the resignation of the public works secretary. His successor, Vince Dizon, has suspended all bidding for locally funded flood control projects, ordered courtesy resignations of all public works officials, and vowed to permanently blacklist contractors involved in fraudulent projects.The Philippine scandal unfolds as neighbouring Indonesia grapples with its own wave of public outrage. In recent weeks, mass protests have erupted across 32 provinces in Indonesia, many turning violent, with regional parliaments set ablaze.While Indonesia's streets have filled with demonstrators, the Philippine response has so far remained largely online, with citizens resorting to naming and shaming on social media. Some activist groups have begun mobilising on the ground, and others are calling on the public to take to the streets.

The economic shock from the Iran war is no longer hypothetical. What the United Nations Development Programme modelled as a four-week disruption has already been overtaken by events, with the conflict now stretching into a fifth week and signalling that the projected $120bn to $194bn loss in Arab economic output may prove conservative.  When UNDP released its assessment on 31 March, it warned that even a short, contained escalation would shrink regional GDP by 3.7 to 6.0%, erase up to 3.64mn jobs, raise unemployment by as much as four percentage points, and push between 3.05mn and 3.96mn people into poverty. That scenario assumed temporary trade disruption, limited infrastructure damage and manageable energy shocks. None of those conditions now hold. The conflict has since expanded geographically and operationally, with sustained exchanges involving Iran and spillovers across the Levant and Gulf. Strategic assets, including energy and petrochemical infrastructure, have come under repeated pressure, while rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil flows, have heightened market volatility. These developments align closely with UNDP's most severe scenario, which anticipated extreme trade disruption and hydrocarbon supply shocks.  That assessment is borne out by the data. Iran's strike on Qatar's Ras Laffan natural gas terminal wiped out 17% of the country's LNG export capacity, with repairs expected to take up to five years, according to state-owned QatarEnergy. The blow extends well beyond Qatar's balance sheet. Gita Gopinath, the former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, has written that global economic growth, expected before the war to reach 3.3% this year, could fall by 0.3 to 0.4 percentage points if oil prices average $85 a barrel through 2026. Carmen Reinhart, a former World Bank chief economist now at Harvard Kennedy School, has warned that the conflict is "raising the risk of higher inflation and lower growth," reviving uncomfortable parallels with the stagflationary oil shocks of the 1970s.Nowhere are the risks more concentrated than in the Gulf. UNDP had projected that the GCC economies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, could see GDP contract by 5.2 to 8.5%, translating into losses of $103bn to $168bn. Oxford Economics has since downgraded aggregate GCC real GDP growth for 2026 by 4.6 percentage points from its pre-war forecast to minus 0.2%, reflecting reduced oil production, exports, tourism and domestic demand. Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE face the most severe downgrades, given their inability to reroute hydrocarbon exports, which means production will need to shut down once storage facilities reach capacity.  A Goldman Sachs economist forecast that if the war continues through the end of April it could shrink Gulf states’ GDP substantially. With energy infrastructure increasingly exposed and shipping routes under strain, the UNDP's upper-bound figures are now edging into view, if not beyond. The bloc could also lose up to 3.11mn jobs, with human development setbacks equivalent to one to two years of progress. In the Levant, where fragility was already entrenched, the impact is sharper still. GDP losses of up to 8.7% are now paired with a disproportionate surge in poverty, accounting for more than 75% of the region's projected increase in deprivation. The war's human toll, including displacement, disruption to education and healthcare, and damage to civilian systems, has compounded the economic shock, reinforcing UNDP's warning of a measurable decline in human development indicators. Inside Iran itself, the erosion is equally stark. UNDP estimates the country's human development index could fall by 0.47 to 0.56 percentage points, effectively wiping out one to one-and-a-half years of progress. With low-income households spending nearly 45% of their income on food, inflation and supply disruptions are rapidly translating into real hardship, particularly for informal workers and small businesses. The World Trade Organisation has said that if oil and gas prices remain elevated for the rest of the year, forecasted 2026 global GDP growth could be reduced by 0.3 per cent. Europe, as a heavy energy importer, could see growth fall by at least one percentage point below previous expectations. Beyond the immediate theatre, the fallout is rippling outward with particular severity through agricultural markets. The Gulf accounts for roughly a third of global urea exports and a quarter of ammonia, with up to 40% of world nitrogen fertiliser exports passing through the Strait of Hormuz. With that passage now blocked, urea prices are up 50% since the war began and ammonia prices have risen 20%. The downstream consequences for food security are acute. The countries of the Gulf region, home to more than 60mn people, are almost entirely import-dependent across staple food categories, meaning any sustained disruption to supply chains will rapidly translate into food shocks. Oxford Economics has modelled a scenario in which prolonged disruption tips the world into outright contraction, with world GDP falling in the middle of the year, calendar-year growth for 2026 slowing to 1.4% and global inflation reaching 7.7%, close to the 2022 peak. Unlike 2022, when the global economy continued to expand through the price shock, the severity of this disruption could tip the world into recession, which Oxford's analysts describe as the worst synchronised downturn in 40 years outside the pandemic and the global financial crisis. Taken together, these developments point to a fundamental shift in the nature of the crisis. What began as a geopolitical confrontation is now manifesting as a multi-layered development shock, affecting growth, employment, poverty and long-term human welfare simultaneously. The longer the conflict persists, the more it entrenches structural damage across interconnected systems, from energy markets to food security. UNDP's original warning was stark: even a brief war could reverse years of progress. Five weeks on, the trajectory suggests something deeper. The economic and human setback now under way is likely to exceed initial projections, with consequences that will endure well beyond the battlefield.