The Football World Cup has made the small emirate of Qatar the center of the world these days. The sporting event attracts thousands of fans from all over the world and is a first-level showcase for the development of new businesses. However, for at least 35 Spanish companies, this enclave was previously a good place to settle. Most Spanish companies in the country are dedicated to construction, engineering and water management, but there are also educational institutions, a paddle tennis club or Dani García’s BIBO restaurant. Companies such as ACS, Iberdrola, Técnicas Reunidas, Acciona, Ecisa, Sacyr, Ferrovial or Aguas de Valencia have secured concessions of more than 7,000 million Euros, as can sometimes be seen from the sum of some of their most important projects. in collaboration with other consortia.
Construction of new infrastructures It has been essential to make life more comfortable for a population living in the middle of the desert. and faces very high temperatures most of the year. Water management is another of the main challenges facing the population and is the reason for a significant portion of Spanish investment.
Although the lands occupied by Qatar today have been inhabited since Paleolithic times, there is more construction and infrastructure to be done, a real goldmine for major Spanish construction companies. The current royal family, Al-Thani, took control of the country in the 19th century. At the beginning of the last century, this land was a humble settlement of fishermen and pearl collectors. Most of the inhabitants of the place were nomads who roamed the Arabian peninsula. This situation changed radically with the discovery of oil in 1939. The discovery of natural gas in 1971 made Qatar one of the richest countries in the world. Fossil fuels currently represent 92% of the country’s exports, but the economy has gradually diversified since 2000.
The selection of Qatar to host the World Cup in 2010 was the impetus. for some big Spanish construction companies to come to the country. Ferrovial entered the FCC in 2010, entered Sacyr in 2013. Others, such as ACS, Técnicas Reunidas, which arrived in 2005, or Ecisa, the construction company established in the Persian Gulf since 2007 and won contracts worth 700 million euros, although they were previously present and continue to operate in the emirate to this day. Other construction related groups in the emirate are Cobra Group, Acciona Engineering, Ceinsa, Copasa, Urbaser or Toscana Venture.
Other services that will be covered in the emirate and where job opportunities are concentrated range from sewer networks to hotels.. This explains the existence of Acciona Agua SA or Aguas de Valencia. It also paved the way for companies dedicated to entertainment and restaurants. Among these, we can count the BIBO restaurant signed by chef Dani García, which opened in Doha in 2020, and Lobito de Mar, which settled in the capital last March. Tatel restaurant, a kitchen project in which Rafa Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo and Pau Gasol continue to invest, is also included in Doha’s culinary offer.
The SEK educational institution has an international school in Doha that opened its doors in 2013.. Since the opening of the Spanish company Pádel Qatar, which offers fields to practice this sport in the capital of Qatar, padel lovers have also taken their place in Qatar.
The modernization of the emirate has led to the construction of new infrastructures, one of the most important being the Doha Metro. In 2014, the FCC won a tender to build one of the Red Line’s sections, and OHL won the tender for the design of the two stations. Another major contract won by Ferrovial was the construction of a hospital in 2008. industriousness and slow work pace. Focusing on energy projects, Ibedrola also won major tenders in Qatar.. The most famous was a combined cycle plant concession at Mesaieed in 2007 with a budget of 1,051 million euros.
Construction companies
In the case of ACS, the construction company won significant contracts. Although its presence in the country goes back to 2005, the year it received its first concession was 2012.. It was the Doha tram with a prize of about 400 million euros, together with Siemens. Among the contract portfolio, we can count the New Orbital highway, whose concession is 1,223 million euros.
Leighton, one of the subsidiaries of ACS, has won tenders for a total of 560 million by 2015. This company also built 265 million sewer tunnels. In 2016, it built two residential towers for 151 million euros and a 53 million euro contracted road.
From Ecisa, Alicante, the construction company arrived in the emirate amid the real estate boom in 2007 and has managed to add a project worth close to 700m euros, including four towers to house luxury hotels. Moreover, He also upgraded his 16-metre reproduction of La’Ebb, the mascot of the World Cup in Qatar. His works include a 53-story skyscraper and more than 30 towers..
Shortly after, in 2013, Sacyr started doing business in the emirate. The company came to win contracts worth up to 800 million euros. Among them, we can highlight the prize of 415 million euros for building roads worth 70 million euros at Private Rayyan or for carrying out the same task with another company. It has also been commissioned for the construction of sewers.
In the case of Técnicas Reunidas, recently received a concession worth 1,052 million euros.
water management
Acciona wins key contracts in QatarAmong these, the construction of two desalination plants was tendered for a total of 462 million TL. Cleaning and waste management services also reported hospital management. Together with GSSG, the company manages the management of Al Wakrah, Al Khor, Dukhan, two pediatric emergency services and five health centers. Another Spanish company in the sector is Aguas de Valencia, which is responsible for just over five million euros in water management for the Government.
Business of the emirate in Spain
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on his behalf Qatar has a growing presence as an investor in SpainEmirates in sectors such as civil aviation (Qatar Airways owns 25.1% of IAG, a group that includes Iberia), construction (owns 20% of Colonial), distribution and services (12.2%) It is the second largest investor in the Gulf after . El Corte Inglés), finance (3.3% in Banco Santander), energy (8.65% in Iberdrola) or communications (5.1% in Prisa). In addition, the QIA state wealth fund owns the marina Port Tarraco, the W hotel in Barcelona and the Intercontinental in Madrid. The total value of Qatar’s positions in Spain is 10 billion euros.
The Emir of Qatar, who visited Spain in May, promised to increase his country’s investments in Spain during his first official visit to Madrid.. The agreed investment volume amounts to $5,000 million, corresponding to €4,700 million in various sectors of the Spanish economy.