Qatar will embark on an ambitious plan to build 8,500 km of highways, 200 new bridges and 30 new tunnels over the next five years, said a report, citing the country's transport minister.

The world's top supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), Qatar has allocated 95 per cent of its infrastructure investments to road transport, reported the Peninsula, citing the country's transport minister Jassim bin Seif Ahmed Al Sulaiti.

He was addressing the gathering at the fourth annual Qatar Transport Conference which was opened by the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Al Sulaiti said these projects were in addition to the existing and recently completed transport facilities including the Hamad International Airport, the largest new airport in the Middle East, and the Hamad Port, a new centre for maritime transport which begins pilot operation by the year-end.

Besides the expressway that will link Doha to all the major cities and energy and industry centres, the minister said, there are preparations to start working on a long-haul train for passengers and goods that will link Qatar to the GCC rail network.