Qatar’s Ashghal, QPMC sign agreement for 92m tonne materials supply
Five-year gabbro and limestone deal aimed at stabilising prices
Doha’s public works authority Ashgal has signed a framework agreement with Qatar Primary Materials Company (QPMC) to supply 92 million tonnes of gabbro and limestone over five years, aimed at stabilising prices in the market.
State-owned QPMC was established in 2006 with the mandate of guaranteeing that the local prices of the raw materials are fixed, with sufficient quantities available for infrastructure works.
The deal will see QPMC supply 41 million tonnes of limestone and 51 million tonnes of gabbro aggregates over a period of five years, sufficient to provide Ashghal with the materials to achieve building and construction projects in Qatar through its contractors.
Since Qatar has limited quarry capacity, QPMC will import additional supplies of primary materials of gabbro and limestone, fine sand and washed sand to meet contractor demand.
QPMC has interests in quarry operations across the GCC, including operating gabbro quarries in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE.
More recently it signed a memorandum of understanding with Belgian engineering consultant, port and logistical operator Rent-A-Port to set up mining operations in the Khatmat Malaha area in Oman, with port and quarry works allowing it to transport over 3 million tonnes of gabbro and marketable primary materials every year by barge to Qatar.
QPMC plans to create a strategic stockpile of aggregates, and its Gabbro Berth Terminal in Mesaieed Port, will have an unloading capacity of 34 million tonnes a year by 2016.
Eng. Abdulaziz Al Ansari, chairman of QPMC, said: “This framework agreement comes in line with the QPMC’s vision, which is based on transforming from forming strategic stock of primary materials for infrastructure projects in Qatar, to meeting Qatar’s National Vision 2030, and encouraging all workers in this field whether they are enterprises, private sector or public sector to build major projects in the country and develop national economy.”
QPMC’s CEO, Eng. Eisa Al Hammadi, said that the agreement would promote the company’s position as the trusted supplier of primary material in Qatar. QPMC also offers integrated solutions in several areas including port management, logistics and supply, storage and distribution, he noted.
