HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani on Tuesday witnessed the signing of a contract to construct eight public schools under the public and private sectors partnership system.
The contract was signed by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and Dar Al Uloom Real Estate Development Company of Barwa Real Estate Group within Qatar Schools Development Programme.
The new schools are located in Al Wakra, Al Wukair, Al Kheesa, Rawdat Al Hamam, Umm Slal Mohammed, Bu Faseela and Rawdat Al Naisar. The construction of all the schools is expected to be completed in 2022.
Under the agreement, Dar Al Uloom Real Estate Development Company will construct the schools and provide maintenance and operation services for them for a period of 25 years.
The contract signing ceremony was attended by a number of ministers, senior officials from Ashghal and Barwa Real Estate Company, and a number of stakeholders and representatives of the executing company.
The signing ceremony began with a presentation on the project in terms of work commencement and the mechanisms followed in accordance with the highest international standards in addition to the advantages of the new schools and the designs presented.
In a statement, HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari underlined that the agreement embodies the principles stipulated by Law No. 12 of 2020 on regulating the partnership between the government and the private sector, which was issued by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
HE the Minister appreciated the directives of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, which reflect the interest in the role that the private sector plays as a strategic partner to achieve the future vision of Qatar.
"This agreement represents an inspiring model for the partnership between the public and private sectors, especially as it mainly aims at supporting the nation's education system.
Ashghal president Dr engineer Saad bin Ahmed al-Muhannadi affirmed that the contract is the first of its kind, and comes within the framework of the directives of the wise leadership and the recent law issued by His Highness the Amir regulating the partnership between public sector and private sector. A total of 47 new schools are scheduled to be created though the private sector during the next five years, including these eight schools as a first package.
"The project has been assigned to a national company in accordance with the government's directives to give priority to Qatari businesses," he said while observing noting that Ashghal does not hesitate to facilitate procedures for the private sector, especially for local firms implementing its projects.
In this context, a middle school and a secondary school for boys will be built in Al-Kheesa, Rawdat Al Hamama in addition to a middle school for girls in Bu Fesseela, three secondary schools for girls in Umm Slal Mohammed, Rawdat Al Naisar and Al Wakra, and an elementary school for girls and a model school for boys in Al Wukair. The projects will accommodate more than 6,000 students and employ 720 people.
Each school will consist of 30 classrooms to accommodate about 786 students. According to the approved design model, the schools will include various educational facilities such as science labs, language labs, information technology, sports and arts halls, multipurpose halls, gyms, libraries and classrooms, in addition to external facilities including shaded parking, sports fields, and service buildings.
The implementing company will also take into account the sustainability criteria represented by the GSAS 3-star system, which focuses on promoting the application of green building requirements in the design and construction of facilities.
The new school buildings will also consider the requirements of Qatar Building Code for people with special needs, in terms of providing appropriate entrances as well as special toilet designs and other requirements.
