Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) is carrying out the technical evaluation of bids submitted for the five packages on its estimated $3bn mega-reservoir programme. It is expected to award the contracts early in 2015.

Bids were submitted by contractors in September. The work on the five separate packages involves construction, testing and commissioning of the reservoirs and associated infrastructure and control systems. The sites are Umm Birka, Umm Slal, Al-Thumama, Rawdhat Rashid, and Abu Nakhla.

Contracts for the 200 kilometres of pipeline connecting the reservoirs to desalination plants and supply networks have already been awarded to the UAE’s Habtoor Leighton Group, local firm AlJaber Engineering, Chinese firms China Harbour Engineering, Sinohydro Group and a joint venture of Lebanon’s CAT and the local Boom Construction.

The project is intended to provide seven days of strategic water storage to prevent disruptions in the supply to Doha.

Qatar is investing heavily in water and other infrastructure to meet rising demand and be prepared for the 2022 World Cup.