Habtoor Leighton to build Qatar’s first rail link

Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG) has won a US$124m deal from the Qatar Foundation (QF) to help build a people mover system in Education City.

The network, which consists of a battery-powered tram linking various sections of the Doha complex, will be Qatar’s first fully operational rail transport system. HLG’s scope of work includes design and construction of track-work, plus tram stops, and a depot facility.

The firm bid for the project as part of a consortium led by Siemens. Work on the tram will commence immediately, and is expected to be completed by 2015.

CEO Laurie Voyer (pictured) expressed hope that this contract win could lead to further, more lucrative deals for the company as Doha begins to put its US$35bn rail plans into motion. “By successfully delivering this project, we will place ourselves in an ideal position to secure additional work as part of the Doha Metro,” he said.

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“We have been operating in Qatar for more than six years, employ over 6,000 people across the country and have completed a range of large-scale infrastructure and building projects for both the private and public sector.”

HLG, a joint venture between Dubai’s Al Habtoor Group and Australian contracting giant Leighton Holdings, has been attempting to diversify its revenue streams away from its core UAE market in the wake of a major slowdown in local construction.

This year, outside the UAE, HLG has won a US$169m mine-related infrastructure deal in Saudi Arabia, as well as a US$153m contract to help redevelop Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz Airport.

source: Arabian Business