DOHA: Qatar yesterday signed contracts for the first phase of a massive labour accommodation project that will eventually house 179,000 workers.
Prime Minister and Interior Minister
H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani attended the signing ceremony at Civil Defence Officers’ Club.
Contracts were signed with three private companies for the first phase of workers’ residential complexes in Umm Salal Mohammed.
Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning H E Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani and other senior officials were present.
The project will be executed by private companies on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis and includes all services, facilities and entertainment areas, Qatar News Agency reports.
Seven housing complexes will be built on an area of over 6.6 million square meters in three phases. The designated areas are Umm Salal Mohammed, Birkat Al Awamer, Umm Ghuwailina, Al Wakrah and Al Shamal.
The government will put in around QR1.6bn for the project expected to be completed by 2017-end.
Sheikh Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, Undersecretary for Public Services, represented the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning in signing the contracts.
On the other side, Jassim bin Abdullah Al Misnad signed on behalf of Shaqab Abela Catering Services, Nabil Bu Issa on behalf of Gulf Systems for Contracting and Services and Saif ur Rehman Khan on behalf of Redco International Trading and Contracting.
Qatar aims to provide a permanent accommodation for workers in a proper environment with all services and health, social, religious and entertainment facilities, the Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning said on the sidelines.
He stressed the Premier’s support for the initiative by setting up a strategic committee for labour housing to put in place a framework that includes authorities concerned and ensures the compatibility of plans with state objectives.
Jamal Sharida Al Kaabi, Project Manager and Director, Central Planning Office at the ministry, said first housing complexes will be built in Umm Salal Mohammad as the first phase of the project with the capacity of 24,000 workers.
More complexes will be built in Barkat Al Awamer in the second phase, followed by Umm Ghuwailina, Al Wakrah and Al Shamal.
The complexes will have full facilities for workers such as parks, sport areas, mosques, ambulance assembly points, dining halls and laundry, among others.
He said the projects are being executed in partnership with the private sector.
The state will specify requirements for labour accommodations the private companies are obliged to fulfil.
All three companies (developers) selected for Umm Salal project will finance, construct and operate the facility for 15 years.
Tenders have been divided into three phases and 12 contracts will be signed, Al Kaabi added.
Six contracts were signed in the first phase to build and operate the complexes in Umm Salal. Contracts for the other phases will be signed later.
The Peninsula
