The transport and infrastructure sector is at the centre of the Qatari authorities’ agenda for urban and suburban development. Local players, in particular Qatar Rail, are working on the expansion of the Doha city metro system to the industrial areas in the north.
The operation will include a number of projects worth many hundreds of millions of euros. New calls for tenders will be published for the realisation of these projects, which may offer opportunities for collaboration to Italian companies, also in consideration of their past experience with the construction of the metro line itself.
Indeed, Italy’s presence in the transport and infrastructure sector in Qatar is already well established. Italian companies such as Webuild, Rizzani de Eccher, Italiana Costruzioni, and Italferr have in fact contributed to the construction of the Doha metro and the Lusail LRT system, which are key infrastructures for the city’s mobility, especially for the transport of passengers during major events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Another urban project is the construction of a surface railway network that will connect the centre of Doha with the northern city of al-Khoor, complete with intermediate stops. Qatar is also in advanced discussions for several regional transport connectivity projects, such as the high-speed passenger rail network that will connect Doha to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and the freight rail network that will connect several Gulf countries.
These are all projects for which the country will necessarily have to recruit specialist professionals from foreign commercial operators and which could be put out to tender in a relatively short time.
Another issue to be taken into consideration is water transport. The Qatari authorities are considering a ferry system for passenger transport within the Bay of Doha, which is already being discussed with Italian companies in the sector.
Attention to sustainable urban mobility is also evident in the gradual replacement of the city bus fleet with electric vehicles and the construction of solar-powered bus stations.
