NPP, AlJaber Engineering Sign QAR 1.6 billion Contract to Establish Food Security Facility

Doha, July 16 (QNA) - The New Port Project (NPP) Steering Committee and AlJaber Engineering (JEC) on Sunday signed a contract for designing and constructing food security facilities and warehouses at Hamad Port at a cost of QAR 1.6 billion. The facilities of the project will be developed and constructed on an area of approximately 53 hectares (about 530,000 square meters). The project consists of specialized facilities for the processing, manufacturing and refining of rice, raw sugar and edible oils. These products will be available for local, regional and global use. The project also includes bulk storage silos with their associated infrastructure and conveyance equipment, in addition to the fundamental structures fully equipped for the project associated operations of handling, processing, packaging, reloading and transport. One more feature of the project will be a specialized facility for the recycling of waste products arising from the processing of basic commodities to create regulatory compliant animal feed and food stocks. Those facilities will operate as a fully functional standalone terminal, while 500 meters of the wharf of the port will be dedicated for the berthing and discharging of the ships of this new project. As per the agreement, those food security facilities and warehouses will be built and equipped in collaboration with international consultants, observing best international practices and standards for manufacturing and quality such as German Ipro and Global Port two prestigious global companies in the field of storage and world ports design. There will also be work with global foodstuff processing and storage companies, including Bhler; a leading global Swiss-German food industries company, German BIA; the worlds top in designing and constructing raw sugar plants, sugar packaging and storage, and C.M Bernardini; leading global Italian company specialized in the design and supply of equipment and plants for oils and fats industry. On this occasion, HE Minister Al-Sulaiti said at a press conference held on this occasion that food security warehouses project at Hamad Port will provide a stockpile for 3 million people for two years for each commodity being processed and stored. He added that the project will be constructed in accordance with best international practices and standards and will provide a high capacity for storage, packaging, conveyance and handling, utilizing latest world technologies. "The State of Qatar views food security as an integral part of its national security. This new project springs from the wisdom and insightful vision of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani on the importance of the strategic stockpile for food security and giving it a very important place on the countrys strategies and plans and at the top of its priorities. It also springs from the close follow-up from HE Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani," he added. HE the Minister said Qatar over the past few years has remarkably managed to handle its strategic stockpile for food security and expanded its investment in this regard in several world countries. He noted that such an expansion would make Qatar preserve its consumptive market over the coming years regardless of the circumstances it encounters. Adding to what this strategic project will be achieving for the strategic stockpile for food security, the Minister said, it also comes as part of the Ministry of Transport and Communications efforts to encourage Qatari private sectors contribution to transport projects to harness the expertise and applied technology, as well as achieving the vision of HH the Emir. The aim is to increase Qatari private sectors contribution to development endeavors by promoting that contribution to become a source for our national economy. For his part, Mohammed Sultan Al Jaber, Chairman of AlJaber Group of Companies said: "We are thankful to The Ministry of Transport and Communications and the New Port Project Steering Committee for trusting AlJaber Engineering with the design and construction of the Strategic Food Security Facilities Project." "Being a Qatari company, we are proud to have been chosen for this strategic project for the State of Qatar. AlJaber Group of Companies shall provide full support to the project team to ensure high standards of quality and delivery on time," he added. The contract was signed byEng. Maisar Jamil El Qutami, Project Executive Director, New Port Project and Mr. Osama Hadid, CEO, AlJaber Engineering. The signing ceremony was attended by HE Ambassador of Switzerland Etienne Thevoz, HE Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Hans-Udo Muzel and HE Ambassador of Italy Pasquale Salzano. (QNA)