'Qatar Projects 2013,' the largest gathering of infrastructure and projects industry stakeholders in the country, opened on Monday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Doha.

The event presents a comprehensive programme that will enable contractors and developers to capitalise on securing and optimising essential resources to secure winning bids, as Doha lays out more than $60 billion on essential projects, including construction of stadiums, building a metro and national rail network, improving Qatar’s roads and doubling the number of hotel rooms in the country.

'Qatar Projects 2013' is being held under the patronage of Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al-sada, Minister of Energy and Industry, Qatar; and chairman & managing director of Qatar Petroleum; and supported by Qatar Chamber and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal),

“With a carefully planned programme of presentations from industry experts as well as panel discussions gathering industry leaders and important stakeholders, participants attending the 10th edition of Qatar’s largest international infrastructure conference will have plenty of opportunities to gain invaluable insights on improving operational readiness and project delivery for a controlled and flawless execution of massive projects,” said Edmund O’ Sullivan, the chairman of MEED Events, the organisers of Qatar Projects 2013.

O’Sullivan said delegates will be able to anticipate and overcome challenges for essential resources to control impact on time, design and costs through various presentations and interactive sessions featuring leading contractors, EPCs, consultants, and operators of huge infrastructure and energy projects in Qatar.

Starting with a keynote address from Dr Al-Sada, Qatar Projects 2013 presents a critical review of the growth drivers that will propel the delivery of mega projects in Qatar, including Qatar’s National Vision 2030, which is the catalyst for all project developments in the country; the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar with only nine years left until delivery, with focus now shifting to awarding the first contracts in rail and stadium building programmes; high budget surpluses, averaging an estimated $15 billion a year over the next five  years, among others.  

More than 400 delegates are expected to attend the two-day conference where Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, the president, Administrative Control and Transparency Authority will receive the Meed Lifetime Achievement Award.

Qatar Projects 2013 will provide not just insights and information about the projects industry in Qatar, but important networking opportunities for all participants as well.

In addition to Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Chamber and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), Qatar Projects 2013 is being supported by International Bank of Qatar (IBQ) as Platinum sponsor; United Development Company (UDC) as Strategic Partner; Qatar Islamic Bank and Kharafi National as Gold Sponsors; Mashreq as Silver Sponsor; as well as Qatar Insurance Company, Brookfield Multiplex, Black Cat and Autodesk as Bronze Sponsors.

Metito, Drake & Scull, as well as Qatar Financial Centre Authority are on board as conference sponsors, said the organisers.-TradeArabia News Service