Foreign contractors working in Qatar have been hit by a number of project delays and “mothballed” projects, according to media reports.
The Gulf state is on a $200 billion spending spree to boost infrastructure, partly in anticipation of the 2022 World Cup, amid question marks over its controversial bid to host the football tournament.
But international construction firms have faced “project delays and problems with contracts and bureaucracy”, Reuters reported.
Delayed projects include the Sharq Crossing, a $12 billion bridge and underwater tunnel, a chemicals plant and the Doha Grand Park project, the news agency said.
A source at a construction company, speaking anonymously, told Reuters that some of the country’s aspirations had been toned down. “Qatar has mothballed a lot of vanity projects,” the source said.
Doubts have been raised over the likelihood of the 2022 World Cup being held in Qatar following the resignation of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, in the wake of a slew of corruption accusations against officials at the football organisation.
The construction of stadiums and surrounding infrastructure is in full swing in Qatar, part of a wider $200 billion spend by the world’s richest country.