Ashghal Ambitious Five-Year Plan (2025–2029): Building the Future of Qatar’s Infrastructure
Qatar’s Public Works Authority — known as Ashghal — has unveiled a bold and comprehensive five-year plan (2025–2029) worth QR81 billion (USD 22.2 billion) aimed at transforming the country’s infrastructure, enhancing sustainability, and strengthening its economic foundations.
The initiative represents the largest investment in Ashghal’s history, covering infrastructure development, public facilities, wastewater management, and digital innovation — all aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030.
A Historic Investment: QR81 Billion to Power National Growth
During a high-profile press conference in Doha, Engineer Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Meer, President of Ashghal, announced that the plan will usher in a new era of development in urban infrastructure, government buildings, and public services.
With projects designed to improve the quality of life, promote environmental sustainability, and empower local industries, this initiative stands as a cornerstone for Qatar’s long-term development.
The plan includes:
- Development of public infrastructure based on the concept of humanization of cities
- Construction of government buildings in vital sectors such as health, education, culture, and sports
- Advanced sewage and rainwater drainage networks to prevent flooding
- Integration of digital transformation in contract and project management
- A new focus on local content (ICV) and private sector participation (PPP)
This massive investment demonstrates Qatar’s commitment to sustainable urbanization, innovation, and resilience in the post-pandemic era.
Strategic Outfalls and Drainage Projects: Enhancing Urban Resilience
One of the core elements of Ashghal’s plan is the strategic outfalls project, a large-scale sustainable initiative designed to drain rainwater efficiently across the northern and southern regions of Doha.
This project will also enable the reuse of treated water for irrigation, landscaping, and cooling, directly contributing to environmental sustainability.
According to Ashghal, the outfalls project will be executed in two major phases:
- Main Tunneling Works – Launching in late 2025, focusing on large tunnels to collect and redirect stormwater.
- Sub-Tunneling Works – Beginning in early 2026, in coordination with the Ministry of Municipality and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
These strategic tunnels will reduce surface flooding, protect infrastructure, and improve the urban living experience — especially in high-density areas like Doha’s West Bay and surrounding suburbs.
Sewage Treatment and Environmental Sustainability
Ashghal is also advancing major wastewater infrastructure projects, including the second phase of the wastewater treatment plant in Al Wakra and Al Wukair, which will be tendered under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
This plant will expand Qatar’s capacity for wastewater recycling and reuse, ensuring efficient environmental management. It aligns with the Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy (QNE), which promotes the circular use of resources and minimizes waste discharge into the environment.
These systems will support sustainable water reuse, particularly for irrigation in green spaces, supporting Qatar’s goal of increasing per-capita green areas.
Promoting Private Sector Collaboration: The PPP Model
Recognizing the importance of the private sector in national development, Ashghal has placed significant emphasis on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
Under this model, Ashghal will engage private companies in key infrastructure projects — including the development of more than 5,500 residential plots across various regions.
The PPP projects include:
- Internal road networks and connections to surrounding roads
- Full sewage and drainage infrastructure
- Landscaping and green spaces
- Street lighting and public amenities
This PPP framework ensures faster project delivery, better efficiency, and higher quality through shared expertise between government and private stakeholders — while stimulating economic activity in Qatar’s construction and real estate sectors.
Stimulating Growth in the Contracting Sector
To strengthen the contracting and construction sector, Ashghal has allocated QR21 billion in financial and regulatory support.
This funding aims to stabilize companies affected by the pandemic and ensure long-term business sustainability.
The key relief measures include:
- Direct payments to contractors
- Burden-relief initiatives to offset cost escalations
- Extended contract durations to help delayed projects recover
- New regulations allowing bank guarantees instead of maintenance reserves
These steps provide greater liquidity, confidence, and operational flexibility to contractors — ensuring that Qatar’s construction industry remains one of the most dynamic in the region.
Boosting Local Content: The In-Country Value (ICV) Programme
Ashghal’s In-Country Value (ICV) program is one of its most successful initiatives, focusing on economic diversification and self-reliance.
The goal is to empower local suppliers and manufacturers by prioritizing domestic products and services in government contracts.
Remarkable Growth in ICV (2022–2024):
- Registered local companies grew from 201 to 733
- Share of contracts awarded to local suppliers increased from 10% to 77%
- Non-renewal of ICV certificates dropped from 47% to 11%
- ICV scoring surged from 3,024 to 23,447 points
This rapid progress demonstrates Qatar’s shift toward local economic resilience, reducing dependency on imports while nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship within the country.
Driving Digital Transformation and Smart Governance
In alignment with Qatar’s Smart Nation initiative, Ashghal is embracing digital innovation to improve transparency, reduce bureaucracy, and enhance efficiency in its operations.
Key Digital Initiatives:
- Automation of Financial Data:
A centralized digital system now allows service providers to submit financial data electronically, eliminating repetitive paperwork and streamlining tendering processes. - Contractor Performance Dashboard:
A real-time monitoring system helps track contractor performance, enabling early intervention to avoid potential project delays. - Smart Contracts Initiative:
Ashghal is developing smart contracts that integrate blockchain-based technologies for transparency, traceability, and reliability.
These contracts reduce human error, minimize disputes, and accelerate payments — representing a digital revolution in public sector procurement.
By embedding these technologies, Ashghal is not just building roads and infrastructure — it’s building a smarter, more efficient governance model for the future.
Humanizing Cities and Enhancing Quality of Life
Ashghal’s five-year plan emphasizes the concept of “Humanization of Cities”, which aims to design urban spaces around people rather than vehicles.
This includes creating pedestrian-friendly roads, shaded walkways, green corridors, and inclusive public facilities.
Projects under this vision will enhance community wellbeing by providing:
- Safe pedestrian crossings and cycling tracks
- Public parks and recreational facilities
- Accessibility for people with disabilities
- Integrated urban landscaping
The approach is part of Qatar’s long-term strategy to build liveable, sustainable, and inclusive cities that improve the overall quality of life for all residents.
Sustainability and the Qatar National Vision 2030
Every component of Ashghal’s new plan aligns with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which focuses on balancing economic growth with environmental and social responsibility.
By investing in green infrastructure, energy efficiency, and wastewater reuse, Ashghal contributes directly to Qatar’s efforts to achieve:
- Carbon reduction goals
- Enhanced resource management
- Improved urban livability
- Sustainable public services
The authority’s vision also includes implementing environmentally friendly materials in construction, promoting energy-efficient lighting systems, and expanding urban green belts to mitigate heat and improve air quality.
Ashghal New Corporate Identity and Strategy (2024–2030)
In line with its modernization drive, Ashghal is preparing to launch a refreshed corporate identity that reflects its vision for the next decade.
This updated identity will align with the Third National Development Strategy (NDS3), supporting Qatar’s transformation into a sustainable, technologically advanced nation.
The Ashghal 2024–2030 Corporate Strategy will emphasize:
- Innovation and digital transformation
- Sustainability and green infrastructure
- Public-private partnerships (PPP)
- Operational excellence and transparency
- Improved service delivery to citizens
Through this strategic shift, Ashghal aims to solidify its position as one of the region’s leading infrastructure authorities — combining world-class engineering with future-ready innovation.
Impact on Qatar’s Economy and Employment
Ashghal’s new projects will create thousands of jobs, stimulate domestic industries, and support SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises).
By prioritizing local suppliers and investing in advanced technologies, the plan will generate long-term economic growth and attract foreign investments in Qatar’s infrastructure and energy sectors.
The QR81 billion plan is expected to have a multiplier effect, enhancing GDP growth, improving trade logistics, and supporting sustainable urbanization.
Conclusion:
Ashghal’s Five-Year Plan (2025–2029) is more than just an infrastructure blueprint — it’s a national vision in motion.
From smart contracts to sustainable wastewater systems, and from local industry empowerment to human-centered city design, every initiative reflects Qatar’s unwavering commitment to progress and sustainability.
As Ashghal continues to lead Qatar’s transformation journey, the authority’s focus on innovation, digitalization, and inclusivity ensures that the nation’s infrastructure evolves in harmony with its people and environment — paving the way toward the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.
