Minister of Commerce and Industry and Acting Minister of Finance H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari inaugurates the 17th edition of Project Qatar, in the presence of a number of dignitaries and officials, at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC), yest
Doha: Minister of Commerce and Industry and Acting Minister of Finance H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari yesterday inaugurated the 17th edition of Project Qatar, which is being held under the patronage of the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC).
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event, the Minister highlighted the importance of building technology in Qatar’s construction industry. He said the importance of building technology was proven during the COVID-19 pandemic, which also showed how important technology is in general, and building technology in particular, for the advancement of future projects.
He added: “This is the first exhibition after entering the fourth phase of lifting the COVID-19 restrictions. And we will see more exhibitions taking place. It is great pleasure to see distinguished Qatari products in different fields, along many local and foreign companies taking part in the expo. And there are certain technologies that will help us during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and after”.
Over 150 exhibitors from Qatar and 11 other countries are participating during the four-day event, which is also being conducted in partnership with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).
Addressing the participants during the first day of The Future Project Qatar Conference, which runs in parallel to the exhibition, Projects Affairs Director at Ashgal Eng. Yousef Al Emadi said plans are underway towards the digitisation of Qatar’s construction industry, in addition to a comprehensive plan to support the country’s private sector, including the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular.
“There are plans to implement new technologies whether in design or the construction phase of projects. These will include Artificial Intelligence (AI), virtual reality, and business intelligence among others to generate the highest quality projects and to take advantage of the current technological boom in the country,” Al Emadi added.
It may be noted that Ashgal has implemented 51 building projects during the past five years costing around QR6.1bn, and the share of local products used is about 70 percent. Ashgal is also planning to implement 43 building projects in the next five years at a total cost of QR4bn.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the event, Projects Affairs Director at Ashgal Eng. Yousef Al Emadi, who delivered a keynote address earlier, said Ashgal has recently awarded nine contracts worth QR190m to local SMEs as part of Ashgal’s support for small companies in Qatar.
“Ashgal supports local SMEs and helps them grow and develop relations with other contractors in the country, and even outside Qatar. We have floated tenders to align with their capabilities, and we have awarded five different contracts worth QR129m to small local contractors. A total of nine contracts worth QR190m have been awarded to local SMEs. Currently, 70 percent of our construction projects in Qatar are made from local products,” he added.
Also speaking during the event, CEO of Qatar Primary Materials Company (QPMC) Eng. Essa Mohammed Ali Kaldari reiterated the growing demand for construction materials in Qatar. He said QPMC currently has over 30 percent share in the local market. Sustainability in construction, which is a major theme at the expo, was also highlighted during the conference. Senior Vice-President for Regional Solutions and Services at Siemens Abdelkrim Boukhaf spoke about the company’s vision of smart district in Qatar. Boukhaf said there are currently over 200 buildings in Qatar with more than 55,000 Siemens sensors, and over 1 million data points working together to ensure a smart building and energy efficiency system.
“Qatar is one of the leading countries in the race to build the cities of the future. We think smart infrastructures, smart buildings are the solution for creating a sustainable community. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our expectations on buildings. Today, we need more than energy efficiency. We now want adaptive buildings that are smarter, and digitalisation is the key enabler to achieve smart buildings,” said Boukhaf.
Senior Vice-President for Digital Grids at Siemens Tewfik Timeridjine added that Siemens, which has been operating in Qatar for over five decades, is also working with local partners to drive sustainability in Qatar. He said about 70 percent of Kahramaa’s transmission network is equipped with Siemens’ technologies. The company has also recently rolled out its IoT platform for the electricity and water smart metres for residential, commercial, and business establishments in the country, with plans to fully automate the metres.
Project Qatar is supported and sponsored by several government entities including Ashghal, QPMC, Milaha and QTerminals, in addition to other major private sector companies such as Al Sraiya Holding Group, Al Jaber Group, Vodafone, and Elegancia Group, among others.
