(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Qatar plans to offer the first tender for its QR130bn railway and metro system at the end of this year, Qatar Railways Company (RAIL) Deputy Chairman, Sheikh Saoud bin Nasser bin Jassim Al Thani said here yesterday.
"The initial work- the first tenders will be at the end of the year," he told reporters after a news conference held here yesterday to give details on the forthcomnig GCC Transport and Railways Conference.
With regard to financing of the project, Sheikh Saoud bin Nasser said there has been no change and it is going to be financed by the government. "But if we have a chance to get financing through Public-Private partnership for sure we will look into it and we will raise it to the decision makers and we will go ahead with it. That is if it is viable and we can finish the project on time, because time is the critical part," he said.
The ongoing preparations undertaken in the Qatari capital speeded up in the run-up to the GCC Transport and Railways Conference, is the first broad regional conference on land transport infrastructure network.
The conference is focused on assessing the ambitious plans for the development of roads and railways networks in the region and enhancing the economic and logistic integration between the GCC countries themselves as well as their linkage with other countries.
"The most important objective of the conference is to examine the coordination prospects between the Gulf countries with regard to various national plans aiming at developing railways netwoks, land linkage systems and transportation integration in the region and the potential impact of investment plans on the regional economies and on the trade flow between the Gulf countries and with other countries throughout the world," said Sheikh Saoud bin Nasser.
The conference is organized by Qatar Railways Company (RAIL), in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the GCC, the Federation of the GCC Chambers, the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group.
The organisers expect for the conference to become a major annual event that will bring together a large number of leading experts and key players in the transportation and railways industries.
The event to be held from October 17-19, 2011 will be coinciding with the Qatar International Exhibition for Transport and Logistics (TRANS4), organised by Al Baida Group at the Doha Exhibition Center.
