Lankan companies to exploit Qatar construction boom

The Sri Lankan Government is planning to open a liaison office in Doha to step up efforts to bring more Sri Lankan construction companies to Qatar.

A 30-member Sri Lankan delegation representing the construction industry in the country is currently visiting Qatar. The team is led by the Minister of Export Development and International Trade Professor Gamini Lakshman Peiris and the Minister of Construction and Engineering Services Dr Rajitha Senaratne.

Talking to The Peninsula yesterday, Senaratne said that the high-profile visit was part of the Sri Lankan Government’s efforts to involve more companies from the country in the booming construction sector in Qatar. The delegation will also visit Dubai.

He said that his Ministry, in coordination with the Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI) in Sri Lanka and the embassy here, was preparing to open an office in Doha to follow up on this mission.

“We hope to set up the office very soon. We are looking for suitable premises in Doha,” said Senaratne, speaking with the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Qatar, S.B. Atugoda.

The delegation members exchanged views and ideas with representatives from the construction industry in Qatar as well as the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) at a joint meeting held at the embassy premises yesterday.

“The Ministry of Construction and Engineering Services was set up in February to promote the construction sector in Sri Lanka.

Earlier, major construction projects in Sri Lanka were executed by foreign companies but now our firms are capable of doing that. Now we are looking towards foreign markets, especially the Middle East.

Our companies have already been involved in construction projects in Mali, Singapore and some other Asian countries,” said Senaratne.

“Currently we are supplying only manpower to the Middle East and we are keen to have a role for our companies in the booming construction sector in the region,” he added.

He said only one Sri Lankan company was involved in construction projects in Qatar.

However, there is a good number of Sri Lankan professionals here associated with the sector, along with skilled and unskilled construction workers from the country.

There are 165 Sri Lankan quantity surveyors in Qatar, while in the UAE the number is as high as 600, Senaratne said.

Minister Peiris told The Peninsula that Sri Lankan economy, which was badly hit by the conflict is now on the path of recovery.

He said exports from the country came to tune of US$ 3 billion last year, with the major markets being the US and the European Union.

“Now we are looking forward to diversifying our exports to the Middle East countries, with new products like gems, jewellery, spices etc,” said the minister. He said that Sri Lanka wanted to get way from its image as a country exporting housemaids and unskilled or semi-skilled workers to the region.

“ To bring more Sri Lankan professionals to the Middle East, we need to create more awareness among our people. Our professionals are working in countries like the Maldives and Azerbaijan,” he said.

Joining the conversation, Atugoda said, currently there are about 72,000 Sri Lankans in Qatar, and of them, 10,000 to 15,000 are professionals. The number of housemaids will come to nearly 10,000.

The minister said the CCI was keen to sign an MoU with QCCI to promote bilateral cooperation.