DOHA: Qatar’s Elan Group and US Life Nation Company have successfully won the public tender for operating Lusail and Ali bin Hamad Al Attiyah multi-purpose sports arenas.
This comes within the framework of the Ministry of Culture and Sports’ strategy towards achieving efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability and optimal utilization of sports facilities and opening the way for investment and private sector in the management and operation of these facilities.
The Ministry in December opened a public tender for the management and operation of ‘Lusail and ‘Ali bin Hamad Al Attiyah’ multi-purpose sports facilities.
Some 15 international and local companies applied to get the tender documents, while four technical and financial firms submitted bids before the closing date on February 22, reports QNA.
The Minister of Culture and Sports, H E Salah bin Ghanim Al Ali, affirmed the Ministry’s keenness on the best use of all sports facilities in the state to serve the community both economically and socially, in a move for preparing to run legacy the 2022 World Cup, and the other international tournaments, which makes it imperative to use this large number of sports facilities in a practical way.
The Minister said in a press statement yesterday that the opening of these facilities to the private sector confirms Qatar’s support for the private sector to participate in national development, in accordance with the directives of the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the follow-up of the Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, to make room for the private sector to actively participate in the various aspects of the overall economic, development activities of the state.
The Minister pointed out that the move is a measured and strategic one to enhance cooperation between different parties in the community in order to provide everything that would sustain cooperation in the implementation of development plans.
He explained that the work team has prepared a comprehensive study to get international expertise for the management and operation of each of the two arenas.
He also stressed that the Ministry seeks to support sports and the various needs of the community through these facilities and through hosting local and international events and creating a family environment throughout the year in addition to reducing the government operating expenses, providing a futuristic road map to prepare for the World Cup 2022.
The Minister noted that the same will be applied on in a number of sports facilities in the future such as Lusail International Circuit in accordance with Qatar National Vision 2030.
He commended the efforts of the working team, stressing that the study they prepared formed a suitable ground for the management and operation of other facilities that the Ministry will inherit in the future after the 2022 World Cup.
The Peninsula
