US giant Bechtel wins five billion dollar contract for new Qatar airport

[Judi Lynn]

US giant Bechtel wins five billion dollar contract for new Qatar airport
2 hours, 51 minutes ago Add Business - AFP to My Yahoo!



DOHA, (AFP) - US engineering giant Bechtel has signed a five billion dollar contract to build a new airport for the Qatari capital Doha, Abdul Aziz al-Nuaimi, the head of the Gulf emirate's civil aviation authority, announced.

The first of three stages in the construction of the new airport would be completed in 2008 at a cost of 2.5 billion dollars, Abdul Aziz al-Nuaimi told a press conference.


"The airport will be one of the biggest in the world with an (annual) capacity of 50 million pasengers in Qatar" when it is finished around 2015, he said.


The chief executive of Qatar Airways, Akbar al-Baker, announced in December that tenders were going out for the first phase, adding that it would boost capacity to 12 million passengers.
(snip/...)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1504&e=6&u=/afp/20040124/bs_afp/qatar_air_bechtel_040124085709

[onebigbadwulf]

1. What a suprise

:eyes:

[acmavm]

2. Don't you have to wonder how the middle east survived for thousands

of year before the founding of the United States? Hell, how did they survive before the Bush* administration? Apparently there are no middle eastern companies capable of building an airport, repairing the damage in Iraq, or doing anything. Who the hell built the airports, palaces, mosques, schools, government buildings, etc. before we took over? I am so confused.

[Submariner]

3. I was in Doha for 2 days last week

The Arabs in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates don't have to do any work themselves because they are all so rich from the oil and gas they sell to the world.

It is indeed all foreign (EU and U.S.) companies that are subcontracted all the work in those countries. They do have some large construction companies of their own, but they are all staffed by expatriates.

[bobthedrummer]

5. In business too? Exxon-Mobil sells gasoline to Kuwait from Qatar.

They got that deal at around the time Third Army Command relocated it's headquarters to Qatar in December of 2001-just another coincidence my ass. IMO realpolitik is now about PNAC.

[salin]

4. Pay-off rather than for "war effort to support the troops"

We needed a Gulf state to take the lead in the Baker-led effort to forgive Iraqi debt. So we will spend a huge amount of dollars for an airport ... and the first phase won't be complete until.... 2008.

I wonder how much the govt of Qatar will forgive - compared to the 5 billion US taxpayers will pay...

[Fla_Dem]

6. Qatar to waive most Iraq debt

http://www.gulf-times.com/2004/01/21/main.htm

Iraq, according to unofficial estimates, owes Qatar about $4bn that has accrued since the 1980s

[salin]

10. good find

so we are again underwriting the costs accrued by any "ally" who assists in our war effort.

btw, welcome to du! :hi:

[jmcgowanjm]

13. google this: Rice Baker LNG Bechtel Halliburton

In any order. Some or all.

IMHO, to Houston Readers, I would consider
changing your Airport to James Baker Int'l.

[FreeperSlayer]

7. Uh, Bechtel just happens to be...

...the largest construction company in the world. This is what they do. They build BIG things, like large airports.
No conspiracy here.

[Fla_Dem]

8. Oh come on now,

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good conspiracy thread :D

[bobthedrummer]

9. Good conspiracy/Bad conspiracy technique, heh?

Welcome to DU, Fla_Dem:hi:

BTW, what facts did you have in mind about Qatar and PNAC?
That is a conspiracy-PNAC.

[salin]

11. Is the story Bechtel

or about a nearly two year pattern of usng govt 'aid' to buy support in the war effort... then selling the support to the public to prove that this is/was an international effort... while for the most part the international "support" is underwritten by US Tax Payers.

Imo, THAT is what is interesting about this news item.

[ConcernedCanuk]

12. Hmmmm - the country with the largest WarMachine building airports -

.
.

Hmmm again

I'd be VERY suspicious about the country with the biggest WarMachine building stuff like Airports.

It just might be *cough* "needed" for Military purposes . .

Right at Saudi Arabia's back door (can they feel the pain?)

And across from Iran

- Naaah that has nothin' to do with it -

[Cassandra]

14. I don't think "wins"...

is quite the operative word here.

[okoboji]

15. Next Vacation Hot Spot

"with an (annual) capacity of 50 million passengers in Qatar"


come on ... the new airport isn't going to be used for war - it's for tourist (/sarcasm)

[0007]

16. Bechtel wins five billion dollar contract!

I bet the competition was stiff, LOL!!