Kone wins major Doha Metro order

expat network

Kone wins major Doha Metro order

KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has won an order to supply elevators and escalators for the Qatar Rail project in Doha. The contract includes the delivery of over 500 items of equipment for Doha Metro’s Red Line South and Gold Line and a 20-year maintenance agreement.

The Doha Metro project is a planned rapid transit system in Qatar’s capital city. It will comprise of four lines and include 100 stations, spanning a length of 215 km. It will be an integral component of the larger Qatar Rail network, which will include a long-distance rail for passengers and freight, linking Qatar to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and Lusail City’s local Light Rail Transit (LRT). The Doha Metro is developed by Qatar Rail and three of the lines are scheduled to be completed by early 2020. The fourth line will be completed in the second phase of the project.

KONE will design, supply and install altogether 189 KONE MonoSpace® Special & KONE Transys(TM) elevators, 253 KONE TransitMaster(TM) escalators, and 102 TransitMaster(TM) autowalks tailored for passenger use in the Red and Gold lines. The elevator technology will be based on energy-efficient KONE MonoSpace® solutions.

“We are very proud and pleased to work with Qatar Rail on this new and exciting project,” says Pierre Liautaud, Executive Vice President for KONE South Europe, Middle East and Africa. “When you have a huge number of people commuting through transit centers every day, the need to look at the safety and efficiency of the equipment cannot be overstated. That will enable people to move smoothly and comfortably, with the shortest possible waiting time. We look forward to providing our people flow expertise and solutions to the Doha Metro.”

About KONE
At KONE, our mission is to improve the flow of urban life. As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, KONE provides elevators, escalators and automatic building doors, as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization to add value to buildings throughout their life cycle. Through more effective People Flow®, we make people’s journeys safe, convenient and reliable, in taller, smarter buildings. In 2015, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 8.6 billion, and at the end of the year close to 50,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. in Finland.

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

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.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

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.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.