New law on cards in Qatar to regulate PPPs

A rendering of the Al Wakrah Stadium, an example of a major infrastructure project that could benefit from Qatar's proposed new PPP law.

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A new law to regulate public-private partnerships (PPPs) could soon be instituted in Qatar, reports The Peninsula.

The widely-anticipated law is expected to ease private-sector participation in major infrastructure projects, many of which are currently being hampered by significant delays.

Minister of Business and Trade H.E. Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani has suggested that the move is part of long-term plans aimed at accelerating the transition from public sector-led development to a market-driven economy.

Al Thani told the Oxford Business Group's The Report: Qatar 2012 in an interview: “We are currently working on a PPP law that will permit the private sector to participate in key infrastructure projects more readily.”

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Qatar already has a successful track record of partnerships between the private and public sectors.

For example, more than two-thirds of Qatar’s power-generating capacity has been installed through PPPs.  The government now aims to repeat this success elsewhere. The private sector plays an increasingly important role in the development of the economy, said Al Thani.

“The government recognises that the future of the economy hinges upon the growth of the private sector, and thus it endeavours to create real opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation between the public and private sectors.

“To speed up the transition, the government needs to recognise that Qataris in the large public-sector workforce are trying to engage in private-sector enterprise,” added Al Thani