The private sector should take advantage of the opportunities available for investments in different areas of the railway projects being executed in Qatar, HE the Transport Minister Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti urged.
"A total of 104 areas have been identified for the private sector to make investments in the ongoing and forthcoming railway building activities across Doha and in its immediate neighbourhoods," he explained.
The minister was addressing a gathering of professionals from the private sector, involved in different areas of construction activities, held as part of the Qatar Rail's Industry Awareness Day programme.
"The Ministry of Transport aims to push the private sector to take part in all logistics and transportation projects taking place as part of the railway development," he pointed out.
HE al-Sulati suggested that the private sector companies ought to explore opportunities for demonstrating their expertise and technologies.
While recalling that the Qatar Rail Company has held some meetings with local companies since its inception more than four years ago, the minister hoped the private sector should be aware of the enormity of the opportunities arising in the rail sector.
The company, he said, aimed to shed light on the supplies and logistics for the ongoing first phase of the Doha Metro project as well as the needs and requirements of the other rail projects so that the local firms could consider where and how they could involve while executing the gigantic projects.
"In collaboration with Qatar Development Bank and a widely acclaimed consultancy, specialised in studying the viability and feasibility of mega projects, the Qatar Rail has identified 104 opportunities for the private sector. Along with giving considerable opportunities for their professionals to demonstrate their expertise, such projects would also add value to the local economy,” said al-Sulaiti.
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The Minister also reminded the gathering that the participation of the private sector in the rail projects has reached very high levels despite that this is a new area for investments.
"This is a new sector which requires latest technologies and specialised skills and capabilities, the requirements of which are difficult to be met locally," he said while disclosing that the share of contracts awarded to the private sector for the Doha Metro and Lusail Light Rail projects reached close to 70%.
The works awarded include the works for the designing routes, tunnelling for the stations, supplying building materials, among others, he said adding that the local private sector’s share of participation in the joint ventures of designing and building the two projects is 15%.
"Likewise, 61% of the contracts are awarded for raw materials and transportation equipment are for local manufacturers. This included mainly the supply of cement, sand, iron and many more essential construction materials," pointed out the minister.
"As much as 80% of the nearly QR222mn worth insurance and technological innovation contracts have also been awarded to the private sector," he recalled.
The minister also lauded the directives of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for meeting the goals and objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030, and liberal patronage extended to the country's developmental initiatives by HE The Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdulla bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.
All these development activities, said HE al-Sulaiti, have been possible only owing to the support extended to the Ministry of Transport by the Ministries of Economy, Finance and Municipalities and Urban Planning.
Prime Minister and Interior Minister HE Sheikh Abdulla bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani and several senior Qatari officials were in attendance at the meeting where more than 600 representatives of the private sector companies involved in the developing of many projects, mainly railway related ones participated in the networking activities that followed.