The Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ represented by the Drainage Networks Projects Department, was awarded seven new international awards for outstanding performance in a number of projects implemented by the department in various fields including health and safety at work sites, in addition to the Authority's efforts in supporting the country’s economic development through agreements that enhance participation of the local and international private sector in the implementation of development projects in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The awards include five awards are from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), of which the Mesaimeer Pumping Station and Outfall Project received the Gold Medal Award, the Flood Prevention Scheme (Phase 3) was awarded the Gold Award, and the Foul Sewer Infrastructure Development in Al Wakra and Al Wukair won both the Gold Award and the Gold Fleet Safety Award. The TSE Seasonal Storage Lagoon (Package 1) received the Silver Award.
The Public Works Authority also won the MEED Global Award, as the World Cup Readiness Project for Rainwater and Groundwater Drainage Networks - Package 6 was selected to win the "Best Project 2023" in the category of Water Transmission Project of the Year.
Additionally, the Al Wakra and Al Wukair Sewage Treatment Works Project contract via public-private partnership (PPP) received the IJ Global Award for the Treatment Plant Deal of The Year 2023 in the Middle East and North Africa.
Eng. Khalid Saif Al-Khayareen, Drainage Networks Projects Department Manager, expressed his pride in receiving a significant set of international awards, saying: "We are proud to accomplish this important achievement, as receiving five new RoSPA Awards, including the Gold Medal Award, confirms Ashghal’s commitment to health and safety standards and its ongoing efforts to maintain the safety and wellness of all workers during project implementation, by developing and adhering to clear worksite safety strategies and plans, in addition to implementing initiatives that enhance contractors’ awareness in this field.”
Eng. Al-Khayareen added: "The MEED Award reflects the importance of the efforts made to implement the project at a high level of efficiency and in record time, with the aim of developing the rainwater and groundwater drainage infrastructure in Madinat Khalifa North and South, Al Messila, and Al Huwar Lagoon in Al Luqta, before the start of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.”
On his part, Eng. Khalid Al-Obaidli, Drainage Networks Operations and Maintenance Department Manager, pointed out that Ashghal’s winning of the RoSPA Gold Medal for Health and Safety reflects the Authority's commitment to excellence in all aspects of project implementation, including achieving the highest standards to ensure the safety of its workers, saying: "At Ashghal, we consider safety at worksites a top priority and an important value that forms the cornerstone for achieving success and protecting the human element of project implementation, which is our most valuable asset."
Regarding Al Wakra and Al Wukair STW project contract winning the IJ Global Award, Eng. Abdulrahman Mohammed Al-Sulaiti, Head of Treatment Plants and TSE Network Projects Section at Ashghal, clarified that the award honors this project as the best public-private partnership agreement for the year 2023 in the MENA region.
Eng. Al Sulaiti explained that the project is the first public-private partnership in the field of drainage networks projects in Qatar, and is a pioneering step towards enhancing the private sector's participation in the implementation of infrastructure and public services projects, thereby encouraging the competitiveness of companies and developing the local private sector, in addition to benefiting from global expertise and technological innovation and enhancing the level of services provided in various fields.
These prestigious awards are highly appreciated and widely participated in by various organisations, companies, and institutions from all over the world. They are considered among the most important awards granted in the construction sector. It is also worth noting that the Gold Medal Award won by the Mesaimeer Pumping Station and Outfall Project is granted by RoSPA to entities that have won five gold awards over five consecutive years.
Mesaimeer Pumping Station and Outfall Project
One of the most important infrastructure development projects implemented by Ashghal, with the aim of providing a sustainable solution for surface and rainwater drainage in Qatar by enhancing the rainwater accommodation capacity to serve 270 km2 in Doha South and to protect 23 main car tunnels.
The project, which includes the construction of a pumping station and a 10 km-long outfall, is the second phase of the Mesaimeer Surface and Storm Water Drainage Tunnel Project which was completed in 2016.
Flood Prevention Scheme (Phase 3) for Doha South
The project aims to provide practical and rapid solutions to the problems of rainwater accumulation in about 107 vital areas within Doha, Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah municipalities, to meet the needs of the population and improve the quality of life and environmental conditions there. Around 84 km of groundwater and rainwater networks have been implemented, in addition to the construction of underground water tanks.
Foul Sewer Infrastructure Development Scheme in Al Wakrah and Al Wukair
The project aims to provide sustainable infrastructure services for wastewater drainage in Al Wakra, Al Wukair, Al Mashaf, and the Industrial Area. It provides an advanced solution to transfer sewage flows from the current and future network in Doha south areas to Al Wukair STW under construction.
The project includes the Main Drainage Tunnels project in Al Wakra and Al Wukair, in addition to the Drainage Network Branches Project in Al Wakra and Al Wukair, and the Treated Sewage Effluent Pipelines Project in Al Wakra and Al Wukair.
TSE Seasonal Storage Lagoon (Package 1)
The project includes the construction of 5 storage reservoirs with a capacity of 22.5 million m3 and an evaporation pond with a capacity of 8.7 million m3. It aims to store the surplus treated wastewater during the winter months to be used during summer months as demand for treated water rises, thus balancing the deficit and surplus of treated water produced.
Al Wakra and Al Wukair Sewage Treatment Works (STW)
The project aims to cover the increasing need for sewage treatment Al Wakra and Al Wukair areas, as some sewage flows are currently being transferred from the collection areas in Al Wakrah, Al Wukair and Al Mashaf through sewage tanks, and are treated in the Doha South STW, which is operating at full capacity. This requires diverting part of these flows that exceed the capacity of the station to another site.
The treatment plant and its facilities were 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, with the possibility to increase the plant’s capacity if needed in the future. The project adopts the highest approved international standards and specifications to produce treated sewage effluent of very high quality.
World Cup Readiness Project for Rainwater and Groundwater Drainage Networks - Package 6
The project serves the areas of Madinat Khalifa North & South, Al Messila, Al Beday and Al Luqta through the implementation of new 60 km-long rainwater and groundwater drainage networks to convey flows from these areas to the main drainage network, thereby reducing rainwater accumulation and serving more than 100 streets. Al Huwar Lagoon was also developed to collect rainwater and is connected to the existing network.