Qatar’s megaproject mayhem

The scale of projects that are under way and planned in Qatar has been covered widely. MEED Projects estimated in February that $168bn of contracts remained to be awarded for the top 20 megaprojects. This list is headed by Lusail City (a major new suburb to the north of Doha) and the rail network, with the 12 glittering World Cup stadiums at only 15th place by value. Other major projects include a new port, roads (900km and 240 intersections are planned in 2010-17), and real estate projects such as Msheireb, the world’s largest urban redevelopment.With all of these projects under way, most of them within or close to Doha, there are concerns about capacity, such as the availability of building equipment and materials as well as staff and the social infrastructure they require.