QATAR plans to offer the first tender for its railway and metro system in the next three months, an executive of the Gulf state’s railways company said.

Preliminary designs had already been prepared, Abdullah Al Subaie, managing director of the Qatar Railways Company, told Qatar’s state news agency.

Subaie said the total cost of the Qatar railway project will reach QR130 billion ($35.7 billion) and more than 1.2 million tonnes of steel would be required for the project.

The project will involve the construction of a total of 100 stations and excavation of tunnels, he said. Subaie said work on the system would start with the metro and its first phase be ready by 2021, one year before the Fifa World Cup. The entire project would be completed by 2026. Subaie has urged Qatari companies to establish partnerships with international firms to work on the construction of the project.