DOHA: Work on three new central market complexes continues and they are expected to be operational in the later half of 2016, says the government.
They will be market complexes as they will have fish, livestock, meat, fruits and vegetables markets in one place. Each complex will have a services area with banks, ATMs and administrative offices.
There are several central markets close to one another, and while one is for fresh vegetables and fruits, the other is for wholesale items — including grains, edible oil and other items. There is another for fish, then one for livestock that also boasts slaughter houses. They are all in Doha.
The new complexes are being decentralised and set up in Al Sailiya, Al Wakra and Umm Salal. Each will have an area of 220,000sqm, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce said in a statement yesterday.
The state-owned Manateq company (also known as Economic Zones Company) is supervising construction of the projects under overall care of the Permanent Committee for central markets at the ministry.
Al Muntaser Contracting Company is developing the market complex in Al Sailiya, while Marco Trading has been awarded the Umm Salal market project, and Builders for Construction and Contracting has been awarded the Umm Salal market project.
The locations of the projects have been decided keeping in view the population in these areas.
As for the Free Trade Zones, or Economic Zones projects, land is being levelled for the Abu Fontas project and is expected to be completed by April 2016.
Land is also being levelled for a Free Trade Zone in Umm Haul. Land levelling for the project will be over in November 2016, the ministry said and gave no details about the third FTZ project.
As for plots allocated by the government to private companies to build warehousing facilities in Jari Al Samar, the ministry said basic infrastructure facilities (roads, sewage, electricity and water) will be provided in the area that will have 21 big plots for warehouses, by January 2017.
As for the Logistics Project the private sector is developing under government supervision and cooperation, four big projects are underway in three locations — Bu Salba in south being handled by Gulf Warehousing, Abu Faseela by Al Asmakh Real Estate Development Company, and Umm Ash-Shareen by Ali bin Ali Logistics.
The projects will have a total area of two million sqm and be commissioned between January and April of 2017. Logistics facilities will be of world standards and SMEs will be provided with warehousing facilities at affordable rates. The Peninsula
