By Robert Tuttle www.bloomberg.com
Qatar Railways Development Co. plans to auction four packages valued at $2 billion to $3 billion each for metro tunneling works in early April, Deputy Chief Executive Officer Geoff Mee said.
The contracts will be awarded in October, Mee said at the MEED Projects Qatar conference. The company also plans to auction contracts in April to build two major metro stations, for about $1 billion each, he said. Qatar Rail today issued its first request for “enabling works” and expects companies to submit proposals in one month.
Qatar, the world’s wealthiest country per capita, is using revenue from natural gas exports to build roads, a new airport and other infrastructure before hosting the soccer World Cup in 2022. The country plans to use its rail and metro network to transport fans to stadiums for the event.
Qatar Rail moved up the completion date for the first phase of its metro network by 18 months to ensure the network would be available for the 2020 Olympic Games, which Qatar is bidding to host, Mee said.
The metro and rail system, which would include a connection to Bahrain, will cost $35 billion to $40 billion to build, Mee said. The first phase of the project will connect the airport in the south to a racetrack on the northern outskirts of the capital Doha, he added. The second phase will extend the network to cities in the north and south. More info
