HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani joins HE the Minister of Transport Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti at the opening of the Qatar Transport Forum yesterday as HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed

By Ramesh Mathew/Staff Reporter

Qatar has earmarked more than 95% of its investments in infrastructure development for road transport projects, especially to expand the highways network to more than 8,500km, as well as build 200 bridges and 30 tunnels in the next five to seven years.
"Most of the proposed projects would be completed at least two years before Qatar hosts the FIFA 2022 World Cup," HE the Transport Minister Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti told the Qatar Transport Forum yesterday.
"Qatar's GDP has grown more than 20 times in two decades and the trend is expected to continue in coming years as well," he said while attributing the growth to the continuous rise in the production of hydrocarbons and their exports.
The minister pointed out that the growth in the non-hydro-carbon sector and the services sector has also contributed to the overall development of the country.
Acknowledging that Qatar is facing mounting challenges on account of some of the major commitments that need to be addressed in less than a decade, the minister hoped the introduction and application of new techniques, solutions in different areas of transport would help Qatar attain its targets well on schedule.
Qatar, he said, has made considerable development under the wise leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and the follow-up and supervision of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.
An array of transport projects are in different stages of execution. Each of them is expected to benefit the country's residents significantly when they are completed, he said.
The huge growth in the country's population in the last one decade has necessitated a corresponding increase in the demand for quality public transport and new developments are being put in place in the transport sector, said the minister.
All developments are in line with the goals and objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030, which presents a comprehensive road map for the future of the country based on the economic, social, human, environmental development.
The new projects, said al-Sulaiti, will be in addition to the ongoing transport facilities and the recently executed ones as the Hamad International Airport, which he described as one of the largest airports of the Middle East region.
The minister also indicated that new Hamad Port in southern Doha, which was formally opened recently, will be operational before the end of this year.
Al-Sulaiti said the under construction Doha Metro is one of the most important public transport projects currently under development in the Middle East.
He said the Metro is now recognised by Guinness Book of Records as the single largest project where the largest number of Tunnel Boring Machines, 21, are at work simultaneously.
The minister said the country's ambitious Expressway programme links Doha with all other cities of Qatar and with also with the energy and industry centres in the country.
"We also plan to start works of the Long Distance Passenger and Freight Rail, which will link the country with the Long GCC rail network."
The Minister also made an appeal to the private sector to play an important role in the development of infrastructure development in Qatar, making use of the growing opportunities at different levels.