Austrian construction firm Porr announced on June 12 it was to sign a 1.89-billion-euro ($2.5-billion) contract to build one of Doha's new metro lines, as part of a consortium with two Qatari partners, SBG and HBK. This was the second such contract for European firms in three days.
The "Green Line" deal was to be signed in mid-June with construction on the 16.6-kilometre (10.3-mile) metro line - one of four planned in the wealthy Gulf state - and six stations due to take five years, Porr said in a statement. Newspaper reports had said last week that Qatar Rail had awarded four contracts worth a total $8.2 billion in the first phase of construction for the Doha Metro, including to Porr. But they gave no breakdown on the value of each contract.
Porr said it would be responsible for 50 percent of the "Green Line" project, worth 945 million euros. It added this was the biggest contract in its history. "Our team on site has worked closely together with the Executive Board in order to achieve this milestone in our company's history thanks to their extensive experience and in-depth market knowledge," CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss praised.