Qatar Construction Sector Expected to Grow 10 Percent in Two Years

DOHA, QATAR, 17 February 2013 -- Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a world leader in 3D design and engineering software, is sponsoring the Qatar Projects 2013 summit. The summit will feature overviews of pivotal construction projects that are under development, as well as those that will be awarded as Qatar prepares for the 2022 World Cup. Qatar Projects 2013 is scheduled to take place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Doha from February 17-20, 2013. The event will be held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry, Qatar; and Chairman & Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum.

Qatar has been one of the fastest-growing economies in the world over the past few years. The country's economy was among the most resilient in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region during the global recession, largely due to capacity expansion and government initiatives to spur the financial sector as well as the build up to 2022. This makes it one of the main business and investment destinations in the Middle East.  

"Qatar continues to experience an increase in major new construction projects. Autodesk Building Information Modeling (BIM) is helping customers design and build these megastructures as efficiently as possible," says Louay Dahmash, Territory Director - Autodesk Middle East. Autodesk BIM is an intelligent model-based process that provides insight for creating and managing building and infrastructure projects faster, more economically, and with less environmental impact.

"In the past year, Autodesk has experienced double-digit growth in Qatar, as well as across the Middle East and Africa. Our network of more than 80 Autodesk channel partners in the Middle East has contributed to the success of customers adopting and implementing BIM." adds Dahmash.

According to the General Secretariat for Development Planning, Qatar, between 2012 and 2019, Qatar has planned infrastructure investments in the region of US$130 billion. The successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, coupled with Qatar National Vision for 2030, helped boost the construction sector and accelerate the country's long-term infrastructure development program - which includes a metro and light rail system, railways linking to regional networks, and improvements to the road system. A study by Research and Markets has indicated that the construction industry will grow at a rate of 12 percent per annum until 2015.

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© Press Release 2013