Contractors expect the project client to award the contract to extend the Doha Metro Green Line  before the end of 2018.

“They are busy evaluating the bids … it is very likely they will award the contract before end of the year,” a source with knowledge of the project tells MEED.

Bids for the contract were submitted last December.

The consortiums that submitted a bid for the contract are understood to include:

• Aktor (Greece) / Larsen & Toubro (India) / STFA (Turkey) / Yapi Merkezi (Turkey) / Aljaber Engineering (local)
• FCC (Spain) / Consolidated Contractors Company (Lebanon)
• Impregilo (Italy) / SK Engineering & Construction (South Korea) / Galfar al-Misnad Engineering & Contracting (local)
• Porr(Austria) / Sixco / HBK Contracting(local)
• QDVC(France/local) / GS Engineering & Construction(South Korea) / Al-Darwish Engineering (local)
• Rizzani de Eccher(Italy) / Lotte E&C (South Korea) / Redco International (local)

The prequalified groups and their members are undertaking construction work on the first phase of the metro; the Porr-led team is executing the underground and elevated sections of the first phase of Doha Metro's Green Line.

The new scheme is known as Green Line extension phase 1a. The scope is understood to involve about 10 kilometres of tunnel and 10km of above ground track.

MEED reported that the project client invited consultants to bid by 1 April for the project management services for the Green and Red Line extensions.

MEED understands the scope for the contract has been  expanded to include the Red Line extension, which links to one of the gymnasiums that will be used for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

A joint venture of the US-based Hill International and local firm Astad Engineering Consultancy & Project Management Company, which is the project manager for underground sections of the network, and a joint venture of US firm Louis Berger and France’s Egis Rail, which is managing the elevated sections, are expected to compete to be the project manager of the Green Line extension.

The project client, however, has yet to issue a tender for the Red Line extension main contract.