New Doha Port awards US$1.2bn contract

Qatar is set to award a second contract worth QAR4.5bn (US$1.2bn) to start dredging work on the new port in Doha, which will be the deepest in the world when completed in 2016, it was announced on Tuesday. The Steering Committee of the New Doha Port Project is set to sign the contract for dredging the main channel after it had awarded its bid to Middle East Dredging Company, the Qatar News Agency reported. The latest contract, which will be signed next week, includes dredging and construction of the 15-metre deep approach channel. It is the second construction contract to be awarded, following the awarding of work to start construct on the port basin and inner breakwaters, which was won by the China Harbour Engineering Company in January 2011. The New Port Project is scheduled to be operational in 2016. It will span a 26.5 sqm area, have an annual total cargo handling capacity of 6m 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and will be one of the world's deepest seaports.