The main contractor recently announced for Al Rayyan Stadium – a proposed host venue for matches through to the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar – believes the stadium will become a benchmark project for the company.
“Upon completion in 2019, the 40,000-seater Al Rayyan Stadium will be a fine example for Indian construction company Larsen & Toubro’s (L & T) general stadium investment projects to follow,” said M V Satish, L&T whole time director and senior executive vice president (buildings, minerals and metals).
“The Al Rayyan Stadium project with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) will not only be a milestone for L & T’s future in stadium investment but will be the shining light of the company’s general stadium investments in Qatar, India and the whole of Asia,” he told www.sc.qa following the appointment of India’s largest construction company as the main contractor of the stadium.
The Ramboll and Pattern-designed stadium will be handed over to the current Qatar Stars League champions Al Rayyan Sports Club, with 20,000 modular seats from the top tier to be dismantled and donated to developing football nations.
Qatari contractor Al Balagh Trading and Contracting are partnering L&T in a joint venture on the Al Rayyan Stadium delivery.
“We are very impressed with the SC’s way of managing the techno-commercial negotiation process. We will be ready to proudly inaugurate the stadium within the timeframe for completion,” said Satish, based in L&T's head office in Chennai.
L&T’s Indian engineering procurement construction (EPC) project delivery expertise will be the DNA of the Al Rayyan project, according to the official.
“Our EPC delivery has been successful in many countries. You will find people of about 40 nationalities in our global staffing. Yet the core of the business is the Indian EPC project delivery expertise, and we are very confident that we will deliver an amazing Al Rayyan Stadium along with our partner Al Balagh.”
A high-profile sporting example of the success of the L&T delivery model is their association in constructing the erstwhile Al Rayyan stadium which the new one will replace. “We were up against a tight deadline for the project and are proud we completed it on time,” recalled Satish.
The Indo-Qatari joint venture has teamed up with London-based architect KSS and Stuttgart-based structural engineer Schlaich Bergermann & Partner for design execution.
“Schlaich Bergermann are global pioneers in wide spanning structures like stadium roofs. They have a big reference list from many stadiums used in FIFA competitions.”
The L&T official emphasised the company’s steadfast commitment towards the SC’s Workers Welfare Standards during the project delivery.
“The SC Workers Welfare Standards are aligned to L&T labour standards. Most importantly, we will implement a project-specific labour welfare management plan. The commitment we gave SC from day one is that we will never ever cut corners in implementing labour standards.”
The Al Rayyan site has achieved over 1.3mn man hours without lost time incidents.