Qatar, host of the 2022 soccer World Cup, invited local and international companies Saturday to signal their interest in building the Doha Metro, to include 22 km (13.8 miles) of tunnels and 15 stations in its first phase. A statement from Qatar Railways Company (QRail) gave no value for the project, but a company official said in June the total cost of the railway project, with 100 stations, would reach 130 billion Qatari riyals ($35.7 billion). "This invitation is a major opportunity for local contracting companies to join in consortia with large international contractors to design and build six urgent construction packages that include 22 km of underground tunnels (and) 15 underground stations in the first stage," QRail CEO Saad Ahmed Al Muhannadi said in a statement. Qatar plans to spend over $125 billion in the next five years on construction and energy projects. "QRail is extending this invitation to all contractors with experience in the design and construction of railways, including both major underground and elevated civil works.”
