New Year New Buildings

By Ola Diab

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) in Qatar has announced the launch of 22 new projects worth a whopping QAR4.1 bn (USD1.12 bn) in 2023.

Ashghal will continue to tender more infrastructure and public buildings projects in the third quarter of this year.

According to Engineer Yousef Al Emadi, Director of Projects Affairs at Ashghal, out of these projects, six have already been awarded and 10 are currently in the process of implementation, with an estimated value of over QAR3 bn (USD822 mn).

These projects include the development of Hamad General Hospital, the building of Madinat Khalifa Health Centre, Qatar Academy Sidra, and the Ministry of Municipality’s Veterinary Laboratories.

The six projects are worth an estimated QAR1.1 bn (USD302 mn) and include the construction and development of several buildings in coordination with various authorities.

Al Emadi also announced that design plans have commenced for several upcoming projects, including the Court Complex and Court of Cassation, Al Thumama Main Post Office Building, and the Road Transport Customs Building.

The projects that are currently under design include two court complexes and the Court of Appeal and Cassation, which was recently announced for a design competition to obtain the most beautiful architectural idea.

New courts

In May 2023, Ashghal in coordination with the Supreme Judiciary Council, announced the launch of a design competition for the establishment of eight new courts, including the court complex project and the Court of Cassation project, to obtain the best architectural idea, within the framework of the state’s plan to develop justice systems and services.

The Court of Cassation is the highest court in the Qatari judicial system. It is responsible for deciding on the appeals filed against the judgment issued from the Court of Appeal. The Constitutional Court was established by virtue of Law No 6 of 2007 and forms a division of the Court of Cassation.

The projects to establish the new Court Complex and Court of Cassation complements Ashghal’s new plan to continue its projects and implement Qatar National Vision 2030. The project is slated for completion by the end of fourth quarter of 2026, costing QAR254.8 mn (USD70 mn).

The Court Complex and Court of Cassation project extends to an area of approximately 50,000 sq m in Wadi Al Sail, while the Court Complex in Wadi Al Banat is located on an area of approximately 100,000 sq m to include seven courts, including the Criminal Court, Family Court, Traffic Court, Investment and Trade Court, Civil and Court of First Instance, along with the Enforcement Court.

According to Engineer Jaralla Mohammed Al Marri, Director of Buildings Projects Department, the new courts are of particular importance as most courts will be under one roof, which would facilitate litigation proceedings. The project will also serve the justice system by providing modern means and systems of litigation that shorten the time of case handling, as well as providing trading rooms equipped with all the technologies and other important means.

According to Engineer Fatma Al Meer, the design tender of the competition launched by Ashghal was the first of its kind aimed at obtaining the best architectural idea that meets the functional purposes of all the needs of the new courts.