Bidders for the contract include groups led by Japan's Ebara Corporation, Malaysia's Alam Flora, Greece's Aktor, Kuwait's National Cleaning Companyand a company identified as Al-Tajar Industrial & Engineering Company.

The project involves the construction of four new transfer stations - at Al-Khor, Doha west, the industrial area and Doha south - with capacity ranging from 200-600 tonnes a day (t/d). A new domestic solid waste management centre will also be built, comprising a recycling and sorting area, an incinerator, a landfill and a composting plant.

In addition to construction of the new facilities, the successful bidder will be responsible for street cleaning, waste collection and transport and the operation of existing infrastructure. Under the client's original schedule, the new facilities were to be operational before the start of the Doha Asian games in late 2006. Qatar produces more than 1,500 t/d of collectable household and commercial waste, a figure which is expected to rise to close to 2,400 t/d over the coming 15 years.

Germany's GTZis advising the ministry on the privatisation process. It is being assisted by Switzerland's Wayer & Partnerand Germany's ICP IngenieurgesellschaftProf Czurda.