Contracts for the construction of Qatar’s Public Works Authority’s (Ashghal) QR45bn ($12bn) expressway programme will be available in 2012, says Ian Bosward, programme director (Doha Expressway) at US-based KBR.

In July, Ashghal will issue the contractors questionnaire and information so that the prequalification process can begin. Only prequalified companies will be able to bid for the construction of Ashghal projects as it moves to be more transparent.

The authority is currently prequalifying consultants for the programme.

“In the past, contracts have gone to the lowest bidder. Now there is a lot more emphasis on the technical side,” says Bosward.

Recent contracts for programme management is 75 per cent based on technical bids rather than financial. Ashghal want to raise the bar and want value not the cheapest bids, says Bosward. Ashghal has 31 new road projects planned that are due to be complete in the next five years.

In the fourth quarter of this year, Ashghal might start to go for design-bid-build for the first time in its history.