The Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ has announced its new approach for the local roads and drainage programme to be set in place in the next five to seven years.
At a meeting held at Doha’s Hilton Hotel, attended by about 400 professionals from the country’s construction sector, senior Ashghal officials explained the criteria for selecting contractors for implementing projects worth more than QR 53 billion, covering more than 220 projects across the country.
More than 200 companies were represented at the meeting.
Ashghal officials said the construction activities to be undertaken in five regions in the roads and drainage sectors would be executed under the guidance of five separate project managers who, in turn, would be co-ordinating with the chief project consultants, Parsons Brinckerhoff.
The new projects would be classified by location and categorized as those within Qatar North, Qatar South, Doha North, Doha South and Doha West areas.
The five project managers are Kathab & Alami/WSP; TBD; Hyder Consulting; Parson International, and Atkins.
According to the list announced at the meeting, Qatar North would have 40 new projects, Qatar South 15, Doha North 68, Doha South 80 and Doha West 18 projects.
Ashghal officials expressed the hope that once the works concerned are finally awarded in October that after each stage of the contract is completed, the country’s residents would see major road and drainage works improvements initiated in these different regions.
Ashghal officials added that the Authority and Parsons Brinckerhoff have established the local roads and drainage program as part of a greater infrastructure plan in line with the goals and objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
This is being done even while efforts are in full swing to ensure that all projects to be awarded this year are ready well before the 2022 FIFA World Cup which Qatar is proud to be hosting.
Since November last year, officials report that their teams have been working on the process of planning, designing and mobilising to ensure that all works are started by the end of this year.
Ashghal authorities explained that as the ambitious program consisted of so many individual projects, each phase has specific criteria that will determine the awarding of the framework agreement.
The framework procedure, they claimed, is a procurement process that includes pre-qualification, submissions, evaluations and tendering.
Under the framework agreement, there will be an umbrella of agreements that establish general terms and conditions, a schedule of rates, work orders and call-off procedures. It was reported that one of the main criteria for the selection process was the need for the successful bidders to be either a Qatari-registered company, or a joint venture of an international firm with a Qatari organization.
A Qatari-registered company, it was said, must have its commercial registration with at least two years of local experience in infrastructure construction works behind it.
A non-Qatari contractor is expected to have already established a joint venture in a 50:50 partnership with a registered Qatari company.
While explaining the eligibility criteria for awarding contracts, officials said work or groups of related works amounting to QR 200 million or less would be reserved for Qatari companies only.
Those between QR 200 miliion and QR 900 million would be awarded either to Qatari firms, or non-Qatari joint ventures.
Similarly, works worth over QR 900 million could also be awarded to Qatari firms or non-Qatari joint ventures, having local participation.
Ashghal officials explained that the selection process will be an opportunity to combine international best practices in the industry with local knowledge.
Once the selection process is complete and the framework agreement is awarded, contractors will be issued work orders for construction throughout the course of the program, based on the performance of quality, health, safety, environment, sustainability, and stakeholder management.
Ashghal’s Director of Infrastructure Affairs, Jalal Yousef Salih, Contracts Manager Ghanem bin Rashid al-Mansouri, Manager of Roads and Drainage Projects Saud Ali A Al Tamimi, Parson Brinckerhoff Vice President and Project Director Mike Rigsby answered questions at the gathering.
Many senior Ashghal officials including its President, H.E. Eng. Nasser bin Ali Al Mawlawi, were also present.