* PM witnesses signing of contract
* Project’s total cost over 25 years of operation is over QR5.4bn, while foreign investments are estimated at more than QR2.7bn
* 60% of project’s fixed costs expected to be spent on local purchases
* Plant will be designed based on sewage flows volume expected for 2026, and final expansion is expected to be carried out in future to accommodate flows until 2045
* Plant’s design in first phase will serve more than 306,000 people in southern Qatar
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani witnessed Sunday morning at the Sheraton Doha the signing of a public-private partnership (PP) contract to undertake a Sewage Treatment Works (STW) project for Al Wakra and Al Wukair, the official Qatar News Agency reported.The total cost of the project is more than QR5.4bn, and the contract part of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal)'s efforts to develop and implement a sustainable drainage infrastructure across the country.Dr Saad bin Ahmad al-Muhannadi, president of Ashghal, and representatives of the consortium of Metito Utilities Limited, Al Attiya Motors and Trading Company, and Gulf Investment Corporation, signed the partnership contract. Also present on the occasion were a number of sheikhs and ministers as well as the heads of diplomatic missions in the country, senior officials and representatives of local and regional companies.
The signing ceremony included a documentary on the sewage treatment plant, treated wastewater networks and phases of operating and developing sustainable wastewater treatment infrastructure nationwide, as well as a visual presentation on the significance of the role played by the private sector as a strategic partner to the public sector in pushing forward the cycle of economic growth in Qatar.The project is the first sewage treatment project to be undertaken as a public-private partnership in Qatar and the biggest-ever project to be implemented in partnership with the private sector apart from the energy industry. According to Dr al-Muhannadi, the total cost of the project over 25 years of operation is more than QR5.4bn, while foreign investments in the project are estimated at over QR2.7bn. He also noted that 60% of the project’s fixed costs are expected to be spent on local purchases.Khalid al-Khayareen, Drainage Networks Projects Department manager at Ashghal, said the project’s implementation is scheduled to start during the current year, with all works to be completed in 2026. Based on the agreement, the executing companies will operate and maintain the station for a period of 25 years. After that, the project’s operation and maintenance will move to the Public Works Authority using the same techniques.Abdulrahman Mohamed al-Sulaiti, head of Treatment Plants and the TSE Network Projects Section at Ashghal’s Drainage Networks Projects Department, said: “The treatment plant and its facilities will be designed based on the volume of sewage flows expected for the year 2026, with an average initial capacity of 150,000 cubic metres per day. North of Al Wakra and Central Al Wukair are the most important beneficiaries of the project at the current stage.”Al-Sulaiti added, "The final expansion of the STW is expected to be carried out in the future to accommodate the expected flows until 2045, as it is planned to increase the plant’s capacity up to 600,000 cubic metres per day if needed in the future."The executing companies will be responsible for the development, design, financing, permits, insurance, procurement, manufacturing, testing of plant and site equipment, construction and commissioning, performance acceptance testing, transfer of ownership, operation and maintenance of project assets.The partnership contract also includes the design, construction and delivery of Kahramaa facilities that will be established within the project, which include a primary substation and all electrical installations required to supply the project with power.The project is scheduled to be completed within four years from the start of its implementation, provided that the executing companies will operate and maintain the STW for a period of 25 years. Then, the project’s operation and maintenance will be transferred to Ashghal using the same technologies and high expertise.Youssef al-Emadi, Projects Affairs director at Ashghal, said the new project aims to serve the Al Wakra and Al Wukair areas, which have witnessed significant population growth and remarkable urban development over the past years, thus increasing the need to provide an integrated and advanced infrastructure to meet the needs of the population in the future. He indicated that the plant’s design in the first phase will serve more than 306,000 people in southern Qatar.On the occasion, HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim al-Abdullah al-Thani said the signing is a culmination of Qatar’s efforts to consolidate the partnership between the public and private sectors on the one hand, and attract and stimulate local and foreign investments on the other. “This step also reflects the confidence that the state attaches to the role and ability of the private sector to work side by side with the government sector to complete major development projects in various fields, including infrastructure and water treatment projects. Qatar views the private sector as a strategic partner in implementing its goals and development plans aimed at achieving its National Vision 2030. Accordingly, Law No. 12 of 2020 was issued regulating the partnership between the public and private sectors, which is a critical step to stimulate and encourage the private sector. This legal framework provides many advantages that benefit the public and private sectors alike, such as stimulating and increasing the participation of national companies in infrastructure and social projects and enhancing the capabilities of the government sector by benefiting from expertise and local and global technologies and innovations owned by the private sector, as well as contributing to the diversification of economic activities,” he said.HE the Chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani stressed the importance of increasing partnerships between the public and private sectors to implement various projects, as the private sector plays a major role in advancing economic growth. “This type of partnership contributes to enhancing the expertise and capabilities of the two sectors and encouraging more investments in all fields,” he said.HE the Chairman of Qatar Chamber Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani said the signing is an important outcome of Law No. 12 of 2020 regulating partnership between the public and private sectors, which reflects the keenness of the wise leadership and the esteemed government to enhance the role of the private sector in in the country’s sustainable development.