In a bid to have a full switch to electric bus system and obtain environmental-friendly vehicles, Qatar, has signed contracts worth QR6 billion to create state-of-the-art infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) in the country, according to the Minister of Transport and Communications HE Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti.

The minister added that the contracts include  procuring:

• thousands of electric buses from China’s Zhengzhou Yutong Group

• electric vehicle assembly plants

• setting up electric bus depots

• charging stations across Qatar.

All buses to be used during the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be electric, the minister furthered.

"We are also in the process of signing contracts to procure almost 200 electric taxis for Mowasalat next year," the minister said.     

According to Mowasalat CEO Fahad Saad Al Qahtani, the awarding of these contracts will ensure that at least 25 percent of public transport vehicles in Qatar are electric prior to 2022 FIFA World Cup.

"While we already have Doha Metro that completely runs on electricity, many of the buses including the school buses in Qatar will be electric in the next two years," Qahtani said.

He stated that Mowasalat is also working to have electric taxis soon.

"We are in the process of procuring about 200 such taxis next year. Our aim is to completely transform to an environment-friendly transport system by 2030,” he disclosed.

QFZA CEO Lim Meng Hui said that by next year, the China’s Zhengzhou Yutong Group plans to set up an assembly plant for electric buses in one of the free zones in Qatar. He added that this project will be initiated before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.