Manama: Plans for the expansion of Qatar's electricity and water networks, electricity generation and water production from 2011 to 2021 are worth around QR 70 billion ($19,213,000), the minister of energy and industry has said.
Mohammad Bin Saleh Al Sada told the opening session of the 10th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Water Conference in Doha that the electricity sector needed around QR 30 billion ($8,234,160) and that the water sector required QR22 billion (6,038,380) in investments over the next 10 years.
The minister called for analysing the GCC's agricultural and industrial needs and stressed that investments in agriculture and in industry had to take into account the dry nature of the region, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
According to the minister, drinking water in the GCC was subjected to the highest health standards in the world.
However, Al Sada called for new ways for the maintenance of water networks to continue supplying the highest service to consumers.
GCC countries should boost their cooperation on scientific research in order to develop water circulation technologies, he said.
