Qatar-China JV awarded 2022 World Cup stadium contract

expat network

Qatar-China JV awarded 2022 World Cup stadium contract

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has announced the Main Contractor (MC) on Lusail Stadium, with Qatari contractor HBK Contracting Co. W.L.L. (HBK) and China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) as a joint-venture (JV).

British architectural firm Foster + Partners completed the schematic design of the 80,000-seater stadium earlier this year. The venue, located in Lusail City just 20km north of Qatar’s capital Doha, is scheduled for completion by 2020 and will host the opening and Final matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ in a little over six years’ time.

Lusail Stadium and its surrounding precinct will offer a variety of legacy uses to the inhabitants of Lusail City and the greater community after the event, in partnership with Lusail Real Estate Development Company, Qatari Diar and private sector developers. The legacy concept for the stadium will be presented along with the Lusail Stadium design in 2017.

The stadium is located on a one square kilometer precinct plot along the Al Khor Expressway in the western edge of Lusail City, with the south facing the Commercial Boulevard of Lusail City. The long term development plans for the precinct include various unique developments such as a Theatre District that will be the Middle East’s first of the kind.

On being awarded the contract as the Lead Partners of the JV, President of HBK Contracting Co. W.L.L., Sheikh Ali Bin Hamad K. Al-Thani, said: “We are extremely thankful that the SC has entrusted us with the responsibility of constructing such an iconic stadium development. Being a Qatari company we are also proud to be part of such an historic national project and will endeavor to do all that we can to ensure we deliver Lusail Stadium with our partners at CRCC to the highest possible standard and in line with the agreed deadlines.”

The SC is also pleased to announce it has awarded Marafeq with District Cooling Supply Agreement which will see it provide cooling to the stadium. Marafeq will provide up to 30,000 tons of refrigeration to serve the stadium before and during the tournament. All eight stadiums currently under construction across Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ will feature innovative cooling technology.

Lusail stadium site construction began in 2014, with TIME Qatar as the project managers. Most recently early works and site office construction projects were completed by Galfar Al Misnad, with levelling and grading works and site and access roads completed by local contractor Marbu Contracting.

By the end of 2016, the main-works contractor will be mobilised on site and the SC plans to reveal the final stadium design to the world in early 2017.

The stadium has been designed to be in harmony with the surrounding Lusail City. To achieve this, extensive work has been carried out to integrate the stadium with the neighboring master-plan. Regular coordination is held with the local municipal authority for the exchange of engineering information about the utilities and services in order to ensure alignment with the available sources in the area.

Lusail City

Lusail City is expected to have more than 200,000 residents and 170,000 people expected to work in the city’s different districts come tournament time in six years’ time.

Lusail City’s 19 districts will encompass residential, commercial, hospitality and retail opportunities. Described by Qatari Diar as “a self-contained and comprehensively planned city signifying Qatar’s progress on a grand scale.”

The city of the future boasts a light rail network, a water taxi transportation system and a cycle and pedestrian network. 30% of the land area will be dedicated to green and open spaces to create a relaxed atmosphere, integrated with lively components of the city.

Source: www.sc.qa

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Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

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Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

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