Lanka wins major construction contract in Qatar

Mohammed Naalir

Qatar has given Sri Lanka an opportunity to construct 330 luxury villas in Doha, Qatar at a cost of US $ 80 million, Construction and Engineering Services Minister Rajitha Senaratne said.

Minister Senaratne said this is part of the main contract of US $ 500 million signed with the Chamber of Commerce of Qatar. The agreement to commence the construction of the luxury villas will be signed on December 10 at the Construction and Engineering Services Ministry.

State Engineering Corporation Chairman Kumara de Silva and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce Chairman will sign the contract.

The Minister said they intend to commence the construction work on the luxury villas in January.

He described the Qatar contract as the biggest ever contract in the history of Sri Lanka and no Government has obtained such a contract in a foreign country before.

He said the investment in the Qatar's construction sector is most profitable and will exceed the earnings of 250,000 housemaids presently employed in the Middle East. The earnings of the housemaids also could be considered as an additional income in parallel to the earnings over the construction investment in Qatar.

Minister Senaratne was accompanied by Export Development and International Trade Minister G.L.Pieris on this tour.