Pres. Park asks companies’ participation in Qatar World Cup project

At a summit meeting with Qatar`s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Sunday, President Park Geun-hye asked Korean companies’ participation in the construction project of infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

Up for the World Cup in 2022, Qatar has risen as a “biggest investor” for infrastructure construction project in the world. The nation has planned to spend a total of 100 billion U.S dollars, which includes 35 billion U.S. dollars in long-distance railway, 19 billion dollars in roads and bridges, 7.4 billion dollars in new ports and 4 billion dollars in World Cup stadium.

“The economy of Qatar is now at a turning point. If Korea makes the best use of this opportunity by diversifying the areas of cooperation and enhancing the quality of cooperative relations, new opportunities will open up for Korean economy,” President Park said at the meeting with Korean business people in Qatar on Saturday.

Qatar’s investment in Korea will also be promoted down the road. At a meeting with President Park in November 2014, Sheikh Tamim requested an investment list in Korea and Korea delivered the list of 48 viable projects in January this year.

egija@donga.com