Doha: Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ has completed the temporary works related to the upgrade and development project of Abu Samra border crossing, in cooperation with the Permanent Committee for the Management of Abu Samra Border Port of the Ministry of Interior, to facilitate entry of arrivals coming to Qatar, ahead of the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup 2021. This will enable the expansion of the main port to increase the capacity before the start of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
On this occasion, Lt. Col. Khaled Al Buainain, Chairman of the Permanent Committee for the Management of Abu Samra Border Port said, “the port is fully prepared to receive the entry and exit movement of fans of all sporting events organized by the State of Qatar in the near future, until the final expansion is completed.” He further added that the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has taken steps over the last period to solve all obstacles to ensure smooth and safe movements at the port, and that completion of temporary works to develop and expand the port will greatly contribute to complete procedures at the port smoothly and as soon as possible.
On his part, Captain Ali Al-Buainain, Project Manager at MoI, said that the temporary expansion would increase the port’s capacity and improve the experience of visitors and fans coming to attend the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, and that this achievement was accomplished in record time as a result of close cooperation between relevant entities.
Whereas Eng. Ahmed Mohammed Al Obaidly, Head of Southern Areas Section at the Roads Projects Department at Ashghal, said that the upgrade and development works of Abu Samra border crossing become more important while Qatar is organizing the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup and preparing to host FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, turning the state to a global sports destination that attracts important events, proving year after year the State’s ability to host and organize mega global and regional sporting events with high level of efficiency. He also pointed out that the expansion works facilitate movement of road users to enter and exit Qatar and provide comfortable travel condition.
As for the works implemented within the first phase of the project, it included turning the arrival tracks into registration and PCR test points for the Ministry of Public Health, kiosks for payment, as well as 12 tracks for the Emigration Department. It also included the construction of additional inspection yard that can accommodate 32 vehicles at a time, along with of 4 checkpoints for customs, 4 tracks for vehicle insurance, and 4 tracks for final checking before entering the country.
Eng. Al Obaidly further explained that when the total development works of the main crossing are completed by third quarter of 2022 in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2022, the developed port will provide services for travelers from and to Qatar with twice the capacity, including a number of new buildings and corridors, in addition to truck checking points serving 500 trucks at a time, with a total area covering 190,000 square metres, to meet the requirements of the port users.
It is also worth noting that Ashghal is keen to encourage local products and Qatari manufacturers when implementing all its projects, as many locally manufactured materials were used in the temporary and permanent works.
