Doha, September 04 (QNA) - The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) today signed the Public-Private Partnership Contract for Al Wakrah and Al Wukair Sewage Treatment Works project, for more than QAR5.4 billion, as part of Ashghal's efforts to develop and implement a sustainable sanitation infrastructure throughout the country.
HE President of the Public Works Authority Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmed Al Muhannadi signed the partnership contract with representatives of the consortium of Metito Utilities Limited, Al Attiya Motors and Trading Company, and Gulf Investment Corporation, in the presence of a number of Their Excellencies Sheikhs and Ministers, as well a number of heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the country, senior officials and representatives of local and regional companies.
Commenting on the occasion, HE Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Thani underlined that the initiative of signing the contract of the Al Wakrah and Al Wukair STW project is a culmination of the State's efforts to consolidate partnership between the public and private sectors on the one hand, and attract and stimulate local and foreign investments on the other; pointing out that this step also reflects the confidence that the state attaches to the role and ability of the private sector to work side by side with the government sector to complete major development projects in various fields, including infrastructure and water treatment projects.
His Excellency explained that Qatar views the private sector as a strategic partner in implementing its goals and development plans aimed at achieving its National Vision 2030. Accordingly, Law No. (12) of 2020 was issued regulating the partnership between the public and private sectors, which is a critical step to stimulate and encourage the private sector.
He confirmed that this legal framework provides many advantages that benefit the public and private sectors alike, such as stimulating and increasing the participation of national companies in infrastructure and social projects, and enhancing the capabilities of the government sector by benefiting from expertise and local and global technologies and innovations owned by the private sector, as well as contributing to the diversification of economic activities. 

For his part, HE President of the Public Works Authority Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi stated that Al Wakrah and Al Wukair STW project is the first project in the field of drainage infrastructure in Qatar to be implemented within the public-private partnership system; noting that the total cost of the project over 25 years of operation is more than QR5.4 billion, and the foreign investments in the project are estimated at more than QR2.7 billion.
His Excellency added that the new contract comes as a continuation of the efforts made to increase participation of the local and international private sector in implementation of development projects, which contributes to enhancing competitiveness of companies and developing the local private sector, and thus supporting economic development in the country. This is in addition to benefiting from global expertise and technological innovations brought by the private sector in the field of project management and implementation, to enhance the level of services provided in various fields.
He noted that it is expected that 60% of the project’s fixed costs will be spent on local purchases, which include construction materials that will be supplied from local factories, services necessary to establish and maintain the plant, and electrical, mechanical and other equipment.
On the importance of the project on environmental levels, HE the President of Ashghal said that the project contributes to achieving Qatar’s objectives in the field of environmental sustainability and achieving a balance between industrial growth and the optimal use of resources. It is also in line with the growing interest around the world to benefit from treated water as a renewable resource that can be used in the fields of agriculture and industry. Through Al Wakrah and Al Wukair STW, treated water will be produced according to highest international specifications and standards to be used in increasing green areas in different area of the country, which will contribute to preserving the Qatari environment and protecting groundwater from pollution.
HE Chairman of Qatar Chamber Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani said that signing the new contract is an important outcome of Law No. 12 of 2020 regulating partnership between the public and private sectors, which reflects the keenness of the wise leadership and the esteemed government to enhance the role of the private sector in in the country’s sustainable development.
His Excellency expressed his appreciation to the Public Works Authority for its confidence in the private sector by launching this vital project, which also opens the door to launching more infrastructure projects under the PPP system.
He underlined his confidence in the ability of the Qatari private sector to enter into various projects, as Qatari companies have the expertise and capabilities that allow them to do so, whether in terms of implementation or investment, adding that Qatar Chamber supports the government's directions in providing an opportunity for the private sector to contribute to economic development projects. 

In the same context, HE Chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al-Thani stressed the importance of increasing partnerships between the public and private sectors to implement various projects, as the private sector plays a major role in advancing economic growth, adding that this type of partnerships contributes to enhancing the expertise and capabilities of the two sectors and encouraging more investments in all fields.
In turn, Projects Affairs Director at Ashghal Eng. Youssef Al Emadi said that the new project aims to serve Al Wakrah and Al Wukair areas, which have witnessed significant population growth and remarkable urban development over the past years, thus increasing the need to provide an integrated and advanced infrastructure to meet the needs of the population in the future, indicating that the plant’s design in the first phase will serve more than 306,000 people in Southern Qatar.
On his part, Drainage Networks Projects Department Manager at Ashghal Eng. Khalid Al Khayareen explained that the Consortium of Metito Utilities Limited, Al Attiya Motors and Trading Company, and Gulf Investment Corporation was selected after conducting a competitive tender that witnessed the participation of international companies, saying that the project is well-structured, and coupled with Qatar’s strong credit rating, it resulted in both regional and international lenders providing competitive rates, noting that this partnership will allow the private sector to bring international best practices to the development and operation of the project.
Al Khayareen reiterated that the project’s implementation is scheduled to start during the current year, with all project works to be completed in 2026. Based on the agreement, the executing company will operate and maintain the station for a period of 25 years. After that, the project’s operation and maintenance will move to the Public Works Authority using the same techniques.
In this context, Head of Treatment Plants and TSE Network Projects Section at Ashghal’s Drainage Networks Projects Department Eng. Abdulrahman Mohammad Al Sulaiti clarified that the treatment plant and its facilities will be designed based on the volume of sewage flows expected for the year 2026, with an average initial capacity of 150,000 cubic metres per day. North of Al Wakrah and Central Al Wukair are one of the most important beneficiaries of the project at the current stage, adding that the final expansion of the STW is expected to be carried out in the future to accommodate the expected flows until 2045, as it is planned to increase the plant’s capacity up to 600,000 cubic metres per day if needed in the future.
Al Wakrah and Al Wukair Sewage Treatment Works (STW) project is located near Mesaieed city in the South of Qatar to cover this increasing need for sewage treatment and the use of more environmentally sustainable treatment methods. It will also allow in the future to stop old treatment plants with limited capacities, as some sewage flows are currently being transferred from the collection areas in Al Wakrah, Al Wukair, and Al Mashaf through sewage tanks, and are treated in the Doha South STW, which is operating at full capacity. This requires diverting part of these flows that exceed the capacity of the station to another site.
This project supports the development of sewage networks implemented by Ashghal in the area through separate projects. These networks will transfer the flows coming from the collection areas via a series of gravity-operated sewage tunnels to the pumping station, and from there to the treatment plant facilities that will be established within the new contract.
The current phase of Al Wakrah and Al Wukair STW project will meet the flows coming from the collection areas in Al Wakrah and Al Wukair, and part of the flows from the collecting area of the Industrial Area STW. Subsequent phases of the plant will also meet the expected additional flows from Doha South STW, the Industrial Area STW, and from collecting areas in Qatar South.
Al Wakrah and Al Wukair Sewage Treatment Works project adopts the highest international standards and specifications approved for wastewater treatment, where primary, secondary and tertiary treatment techniques are used, followed by water purification through ultrafiltration units, ultraviolet rays and chlorine. Through these advanced processes, the plant will produce treated sewage effluent of very high quality.
The main components of Al Wakrah and Al Wukair Sewage Treatment Works (STW) project include liquid treatment facilities, which include primary, secondary and tertiary treatment and disinfection facilities. The project also includes the construction of sludge management and treatment facilities and odour control units, as well as a sewage pumping station that contains a hole to retain impurities and a hole for pumping sewage. This is in addition to a treated sewage effluent (TSE) pumping station that will transfer TSE from the station to the TSE network to be reused for irrigation purposes in different areas.
Project works also include 6 deep injection wells for storing unused treated water, collection lakes to receive emergency sewage flows, as well as control and automation facilities for electro-mechanical devices, and a number of service buildings and support facilities necessary to ensure the continuity of project operations in a safe and uninterrupted manner.
The executing company will be responsible for development, design, financing, permits, insurance, procurement, manufacturing, testing of plant and site equipment, construction and commissioning, performance acceptance testing, transfer of ownership, operation and maintenance of project assets.
The partnership contract also includes the design, construction and delivery of KAHRAMAA facilities that will be established within the project, which include a primary substation and all electrical installations required to supply the project with power.
Al Wakrah and Al Wukair Sewage Treatment Works project is the first public-private partnership in the field of sewage network projects in Qatar. It is considered a pioneering step towards enhancing the participation of the private sector in implementing infrastructure projects and public services as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030. (QNA)