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Qatar’s Infrastructure Projects Needed by 2022

By Dao M. Le, Senior Commercial Officer

U.S. Embassy Commercial Affairs in Qatar
Dao.Le@trade.gov

Summary
Qatar is a politically stable, emerging Gulf economy that continues to experience dramatic population
growth, rapid urbanization and rising affluence in recent years. Today, Qatar is home to some of the most
ambitious megaprojects underway in the Gulf. The country will host the World Cup in 2022, making
infrastructure demands a national priority. There are projects worth roughly $100 billion ramping up now.
They include roadways, airport transportation, port logistics, and rail, as well as buildings, hotels, water,
power and more. Qatar recognizes the quality of U.S. engineering and professional services as world class,
and seeks their full participation. Now is the time to strengthen U.S.-Qatar commercial partnerships.

Airport
Valued at $14 billion, New Doha International airport will be able to handle 24 million passengers on
opening day and will have 42 contact gates. The new airport, which is built largely on reclaimed land, is
scheduled to open in February 2012. By 2025, it will be able to handle 48 million passengers per year.
The 4,850 meter runway ranks among the top five in the world commercially, allowing it handle unrestricted
A380 operations.

Causeway
First unveiled 10 years ago, construction work has yet to start on the 43-kilometre rail and road causeway
linking northern Qatar with Bahrain. A contracting consortium for the $3 billion project was selected in
2008, but demobilized as the project stalled recently. The project client, the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway
Foundation, has indicated the project will restart.

Hotels
Development of the tourism sector is a priority for the government, with the state having allocated some
$17 billion in the period 2008-13 to tourism-related infrastructure. The government has set a target of 20 per
cent growth in the sector up to 2013, which it hopes to accomplish by leveraging off its reputation as a hub
for culture and sports activities.

Doha has experienced rapid expansion of its hotel infrastructure in recent years with the number of rooms
climbing by a quarter to 8,500 in 2009 alone. The growth is expected to continue with a further 70 hotels and
an additional 13,000 rooms forecast to be completed by 2013. Qatar needs more than 90,000 hotel rooms in
place for the World Cup 2022, and will focus on the three to four-star hotel segment.

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Port
The New Doha Port will be built at Mesaieed, south of Doha, and will replace the existing Doha port
downtown on the city’s Corniche. The $7 billion new port will support industrial development to the south
of Doha. It will be built in three phases. The first phase will have a capacity of two million 20-foot-
equivalent units (TEUs) of volume a year in addition to two million tons of general cargo by 2025.
Completion of the first phase is expected in 2014. China Harbour has been awarded the contract to execute
the onshore excavation works. There is a pre-qualification tender out for the design of some 100 buildings at
the port.

Rail
Qatar Railway Project is a $30 billion integrated railway system that will cover all major areas in the country
and consist of three transport modes: long distance, metro and freight. It will be a crucial part of Doha’s
infrastructure when complete. The metro will consist of four lines running 300 kilometers across the city,
connecting the inner and outer areas of Doha and integrate new urban developments. The first phase
involves building the Red line, which will run from Doha city to New Doha International airport. The long
distance passenger services will connect the North and Western regions of Qatar and provide a fast rail link
to Bahrain and all GCC countries. The freight line will connect all the industrial areas in Doha such as Ras
Laffan, Mesaieed, and Dukhan, as well as integrate with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. There is also an
underground people mover for the business district and a Lusail Light Rail scheme for a major new mixed
use development.

Roads
Qatar has committed to spend about $20 billion on road infrastructure, buildings and drainage over the next
decade. It has drawn up a complex transport master plan that entails a complete overhaul of the country’s
road networks. Investment is needed to develop and improve transport links in Qatar, irrespective of the
World Cup. The country’s population will double by 2030, from about 1.6 million today to 3.2 million. The
Doha Expressways Project will consist of 29 major new projects, with a total length over 550 km consisting
of about 4,000 lane km and over 80 interchanges. For perspective, the total length of the road network is
equivalent to constructing a road from Doha, Qatar to Rome, Italy.

World Cup Stadiums

In Qatar’s Qatar 2022 bid, all 12 stadiums will be equipped with cooling systems that will employ clean,
renewable energy sources to achieve the first high-tech, carbon neutral cooling system for the World Cup,
for the stadiums, training sites, and fan zones. Nine stadiums are to be constructed and three will be
renovated. Qatar has promised that the desert heat in the summer will not be an issue, as it has the resources
and expertise to provide a venue with state-of-the-art technology to cool fans and players There are nine
stadiums which will be new, and the plan is to place them in a circle around Doha, no more than an hour
apart from each other or the city. After the tournament, Qatar said the stadiums could be dismantled and
donated to poor nations. Qatar recognizes the need for high efficiency air-conditioning, solar technology and
energy storage and wants to partner with the leaders in these fields. The total budget for new stadiums and
reconstruction is about $3 billion.

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Al-Gharafa Stadium
Location: Al-Rayyan
Capacity: 44,740
Value: $135 million
Matches planned: Group matches

Al-Khor Stadium
Location: Al-Khor
Capacity: 45,330
Value: $250 million
Matches planned: Group matches, round of 16

Al-Rayyan Stadium
Location: Al-Rayyan
Capacity: 44,740
Value: $135 million
Matches planned: Group matches

Al-Shamal Stadium
Location: Al-Shamal
Capacity: 45,120
Value: $250 million
Matches planned: Group matches

Al-Wakrah Stadium
Location: Al-Wakrah
Capacity: 45,120
Value: $285 million
Matches planned: Group matches, round of 16

Doha Port Stadium

Location: Doha
Capacity: 44,950
Value : $200 million
Matches Planned: Group matches, round of 16, quarter-final

Education City Stadium

Location: Al Rayyan
Value: $280 million
Matches planned: Group matches, round of 16

Khalifa International Stadium

Location: Al-Rayyan
Capacity: 68,030
Value: $70 million
Matches planned: Group matches, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final

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Lusail Iconic Stadium

Location: Al-Daayen
Capacity: 86,250
Value: $660 million
Matches planned: Opening match, group matches, quarter-final, semi-final, final

Qatar University Stadium

Location: Doha
Capacity: 43,520
Value: $300 million
Matches planned: Group matches, round of 16

Sports City Stadium

Location: Al-Khor
Capacity: 45,330
Value: $250 million
Matches planned: Group matches, round of 16

Umm Salal Stadium

Location: Umm Salal
Capacity: 45,120
Value: $251 million
Matches planned: Group matches, round of 16, quarter-final

For More Information

Contact Mr. Dao M. Le, Senior Commercial Officer, of the U.S. Commercial Service in Doha, Qatar at the
following: e-mail: dao.le@trade.gov, tel: +974-4496-6000; or www.buyusa.gov/qatar/en.

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