Qatar approves final stage payment for Gaza projects

The Ambassador of Qatar to the Palestinian Territories has approved the final stage payment for development projects in the Gaza Strip, Safa agency has reported. Mohamed Al-Emadi made the announcement in a joint press conference with the Palestinian Authority Housing and Work Minister Mofeed Al-Hasayneh in Gaza.

A payment of $40 million has been allocated for the final stage of the Qatari projects. Al-Emadi noted that this is the final payment of the $407 million pledged four years ago when the construction work began. Of the $40 million, half is being allocated to the completion of Saladin Street, the main highway across the Gaza Strip, from Rafah in the south to Beit Hanoun in the north.

The remaining money, said the ambassador, is being allocated to several development and public service facilities, including schools, hospitals, sports stadiums, mosques and rebuilding houses across the coastal enclave.

Meanwhile, Al-Emadi reiterated that the grant from the Emir of Qatar to pay the salaries of civil servants in the territory has been paid to the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. The $31 million grant will be paid to civil servants before the end of this month.