All World Cup 2022 projects are ready ahead of schedule, Ashghal president tells Shura Council
THE Shura Council held Monday its regular weekly meeting under the chairmanship of Speaker of the Shura Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim.
At the outset of the meeting, Secretary-General of the Shura Council HE Dr Ahmed bin Nasser Al Fadhala read out the agenda of the session. The minutes of the previous session were ratified.
The Council hosted President of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) Dr Engineer Saad bin Ahmed Al Mohannadi and a number of officials of Ashghal to provide a briefing to the Council on the infrastructure projects accomplished by the authority and the projects related to hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The Ashghal president gave a brief presentation in which he dealt with the most prominent developments in the implementation of projects and its readiness to receive the tournament.
During the presentation, Dr Mohannadi affirmed the readiness of all the projects related to hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, saying that the championship projects were completed two years ahead of schedule.
He highlighted the huge projects completed by the authority in record time according to the highest international standards, such as the internal and external road network in all regions of the country, bridges, tunnels, pedestrian and bicycle paths, rainwater and sewage drainage networks, and other facilities, buildings and service facilities in various sectors such as health and education.
He stated that the authority has completed 1,791 km of roads, 207 bridges, 143 tunnels,
and 2,131 km of pedestrian and bicycle paths, in addition to developing citizens’ lands and equipping them with infrastructure.
He explained that one of the most important projects that will represent a legacy for the future is the transportation network project are the metro network and the fleet of electric and regular buses, which provides eight bus stops and seven depots, as well as 1,200 stations.
The Ashghal president highlighted the authority’s projects in some areas of the country, such as the Doha Corniche, stating that Ashghal has worked tirelessly to develop the Corniche area by constructing pedestrian crossings, tunnels and bicycle paths and underground parking, as well as lighting the road with 1,400 lighting poles, which represented an important beautification addition, and other landscaping works for the area.
He said Ashghal adopted advanced technology in the implementation of projects to reduce noise and labour intensity in construction projects.
Dr Mohannadi also outlined the afforestation efforts, creating green spaces, beautifying areas and roads, adding aesthetic touches in different cities.
On the other hand, the Ashghal president affirmed the authority’s keenness to coordinate and cooperate with the private sector to achieve the desired integration in accordance with the directives of the wise leadership in the country.
He added that Ashghal is following up on various projects to ensure their compliance with metrologies and standards, ensure their operational performance and take the necessary measures in the event of any problem through a specialised team of Qatari engineers.
Dr Mohannadi pointed out that the infrastructure projects accomplished by the Public Works Authority or the projects for hosting the tournament are not the end of the Ashghal strategy, indicating that the authority has a strategy that extends until 2045.
He welcomed all the proposals and ideas put forward by the members of the Shura Council during the session, praising the council’s interest and concern for the interest of the country and citizens, looking forward to furthering cooperation to achieve common goals of the country.
The council members’ questions and interventions focused on a number of issues related to the projects of the Public Works Authority, especially the projects’ readiness and progress, the commitment to the timelines for their implementation, the observations made by public opinion on the authority’s projects and the extent to which these projects conform to technical and environmental requirements and standards.
The members of the Council also raised inquiries about the development of citizens’ lands and internal streets, the rainwater and sewage drainage network, the efficiency of water use and the authority’s future plans.