Ashghal awards QR12 billion in 13 contracts to upgrade roads, drainage and public buildings

Qatar, September 29, 2025

News Summary

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has awarded 13 contracts worth QR12 billion covering major road and drainage operation and maintenance, intelligent transport systems, four building projects and extensive rehabilitation works. The package includes O&M of strategic roads across North and South Qatar, deployment of ITS, construction of three new schools and upgrades to 40 schools, refurbishment and expansion of the Psychiatric Hospital, and comprehensive modernization of the 150‑hectare Al Zubara Horse Breeding Farm. Projects will use AI asset management, drones, robots, digital twins and laser inspection to improve durability, sustainability and support local skills development.

Major infrastructure push: 13 new contracts worth QR12 billion to upgrade roads, drainage, schools, hospital and Al Zubara farm

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has awarded 13 new contracts worth QR12 billion to expand and maintain road and drainage networks and public buildings across the state. The package targets higher service levels, longer asset life and greater sustainability through new technologies and intensive operation and maintenance work. Work is scheduled to begin in October 2025 for most projects, with drainage networks operation and maintenance works expected to commence in Q1 2026.

What the contracts cover

The awards include wide-ranging infrastructure works: development of road networks across the country, operation and maintenance (O&M) of strategic roads in both North and South Qatar, adoption of intelligent transportation systems (ITS), and major building projects. The newly awarded building projects include four building projects: construction of three new schools, improvement of safety systems in 40 existing schools, refurbishment of the Psychiatric Hospital of HMC, and renovation of Al Zubara Horse Breeding Farm.

Timelines and O&M durations

General works are set to begin in October 2025. The O&M period extends to five years for all projects except the ITS project, which has an O&M period of three years. Drainage networks operation and maintenance works are expected to commence in Q1 2026.

Technology and asset management

The contracts emphasize digital and automated approaches to manage road and drainage assets. Key innovations include an AI‑based digital management platform, self‑driving vehicles for asset surveys, laser technology to proactively detect and deal with road defects, and smart systems to monitor road conditions. Drainage O&M will increase reliance on robots and drones equipped with CCTV cameras to inspect assets, automation, digital twins, analytics to predict faults, smart control systems, and remote sensing technologies. The Enterprise Asset Management System (EAMS) will be enhanced and maintenance priorities will be identified based on risks and integrated with Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Buildings, schools and hospital

The four building projects include construction of three new schools for boys in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Implementation of the three new schools is scheduled to begin in Q4 2025. The three new schools are a preparatory school for boys in Mebaireek, a preparatory/secondary school for boys in Mesaimeer, and a model school for boys in Fereej Al Soudan. Ashghal has also begun implementing a comprehensive project to modernize and modify 40 existing school buildings to meet latest Qatar Civil Defense standards. Work to complete development of the Psychiatric Hospital of HMC is scheduled to commence in Q4 2025 and will include renovating existing buildings, constructing a new patient building and improving internal roads and parking.

Al Zubara Horse Breeding Farm and rural links

A Design & Build contract will repair and renovate the Al Zubara Horse Breeding Farm, described as one of the largest specialized farms in the world. The farm is located on Al Shamal Road, approximately 60 km north of Doha and extends over an area of approximately 150 hectares. The farm project is scheduled to begin in October 2025 and includes comprehensive rehabilitation and modernization works for all buildings and facilities.

As part of completing the highway network, a project was awarded to construct link roads from Al Mazrooah to Al Attoriya and Bu‑Thaila areas (zones 71 & 72) with a total length of 22 km. The link‑roads project aims to connect surrounding residential areas to the highway network and support economic and agricultural activities. Another project will provide an advanced road network in the Al Karaana area, including construction of a 6.5 km road network to provide direct connection to Salwa Road and a 4.7 km internal road network to regulate traffic in the camel racetrack. The Al Karaana project also includes treated wastewater and irrigation networks totaling 17.5 km.

Standards, contractors and local capacity

Contracts were awarded to some of the world’s largest contractors, with a stated commitment to deliver works to the highest standards of quality and safety and to use the latest technologies and equipment for O&M. The program includes specialized training courses to develop Qatari employees and ensure knowledge transfer. Ashghal highlighted fair competition, transparency, and strict compliance with tender documents as core principles of the procurement process, and flagged unrealistic pricing strategies as a risk to the contracting sector.

Expected benefits

The works are intended to promote sustainable infrastructure, improve efficiency, extend the lifespan of road assets, increase resilience to climate impacts on drainage networks, improve quality of services for citizens and residents, and prepare areas for future urban development in line with national vision and planning.

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Key features at a glance

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

Additional Resources

• Gulf Times: Ashghal awards 13 contracts worth QR12 billion
• Wikipedia: Ashghal
• MEED: Qatar’s Ashghal awards $101m construction contracts
• Google Search: Ashghal construction contracts Qatar
• Zawya: Qatar expected to award schools contracts in Q1 2026
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Qatar education infrastructure
• MEP Middle East: Ashghal appoints KEO for major road supervision works in zones 71 & 72
• Google Scholar: intelligent transportation systems Qatar
• The Peninsula Qatar: Ashghal holds meeting with owners and CEOs of contracting companies
• Google News: Ashghal meeting contractors Qatar

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