Qatar projects 2012

Dates: 5 - 8 February 2012
Venue: Grand Hyatt Hotel, Doha, Qatar

Qatar Projects 2012 conference programme to focus on major opportunities as Doha prepares to award the first of $106 billion worth of projects

Qatar’s ambitious development plans over the next decade and beyond will be put under the spotlight once again at the annual Qatar Projects 2012 conference, which will take place in Doha, on 5-8 February 2012 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh al-Sada, Minister of Energy & Industry and Chairman & Managing Director, Qatar Petroleum and building on the success of 2011, organiser MEED Events has put together a four-day programme designed to showcase the growing number of opportunities emerging in Qatar, the world’s fastest-growing economy.

According to MEED’s recently released 2011/12 Qatar Projects report, more than $106 billion worth of major projects will be awarded between now and 2022, with significant investment in oil and gas, heavy industry, electricity generation and water desalination, social infrastructure and transportation links.

Edmund O’Sullivan, Chairman, MEED Events

“With Qatar’s high profile hosting of the FIFA World Cup Finals in 2022, a major coup for the country and indeed the region, the government has committed to an extraordinary programme of capital investment that will ramp up over the next 10 years to develop a world-class infrastructure to underpin an investment-friendly business and leisure destination,” said Edmund O’Sullivan, Chairman, MEED Events.

Recognised as the world’s richest nation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lists Qatar’s domestic product per capita at US$88,221, with the figure forecast to jump to an impressive US$111,963 by 2016. Qatar currently forecasts economic growth of around 16 per cent for 2011, and expects a budget surplus of US$6.1 billion for the fiscal year.

The coming months will see a raft of tender announcements with the contractor selection process already underway for the country’s US$20 billion expressway programme, with the US$35 billion QRail project – the largest railway programme in history – set to post a call for contracts by July 2012.

“The scale of opportunities is unprecedented, and Qatar Projects 2012 will also provide exclusive insight into the country’s long-term blueprint for economic success as part of Qatar Vision 2030, with anticipated investment of up to US$100 billion. This has the potential to catapult the country to the top of the list as the world’s largest projects markets on a per capita basis,” added O’Sullivan.

While last year’s conference attracted a record-breaking 644 attendees, the 2012 event has been expanded to include more client-led presentations and case study analysis, providing an in-depth look at the mega projects and investment and construction opportunities available, with MEED Events anticipating spend of US$365 million on energy and infrastructure projects alone opening up new avenues of opportunity. Increased focus on market research data with detailed sector profiles and forecasts providing invaluable future project information will add a new dimension to the debate with two days of interactive discussion.

“The overarching theme for this year’s event is ‘The Journey to 2022’, and the week will kick off with a dedicated sports business forum. Our confirmed speaker line-up is growing by the day with senior government representatives and leading industry figures set to provide detailed commentary and a behind-the-scenes analysis of progress to date,” said O’Sullivan.

Separate conference streams will focus on energy projects covering petrochemicals, power and water, as well as road, rail, aviation, real estate, social infrastructure and sports sector initiatives.

MEED’s Qatar Projects 2012 Leadership Award which recognises Qatar’s most significant project developments has been given to Engineer Nasser Ali al-Mawlawi, President, Public Works Authority (Ashghal) in recognition of his achievements, spearheading Qatar’s diverse infrastructure development programme.

The week will wrap up with a special masterclass that will deliver invaluable analysis and data on Qatar’s project market and up-to-date information on latest compliance and regulation reforms.

The confirmed list of speakers includes:
H.E. Abdulla Bin Saoud al-Thani, Governor, Qatar Central Bank; Engineer Nasser Ali al-Mawlawi, President, Ashghal; Remy Rowhani, Director General, Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry; George Nasra, Managing Director, IBQ; Engineer Saad Ahmed Ibrahim al-Mohanadi, CEO, Qatar Railways Company; Khalifa al-Sowaidi, Managing Director, QAFCO; Monjid Abdelmajeed, Managing Director, REDCO Construction - Almana and Engineer Jalal Yousef al-Salihi, Director Infrastructure Affairs, Ashghal.

European firms
British engineering firm Atkins is the latest European company to be awarded a project in Qatar after it won a US$107 million contract earlier in January to set up a Central Planning Office for infrastructure and transport contracts, its second major contract win there in recent months. Atkins is one of several European firms attending the conference. Others include Mott MacDonald, Foster + Partners, GMP Architekten and Hilson Moran.

Further Information:
www.meedconferences.com/qatar

MEED
PO Box 502701
Office 106
Al Sufouh Tower
Dubai Media City
Dubai, United Arab Emirates