VINCI in Qatar

VINCI has been conducting infrastructure projects in Qatar since 2007 through QDVC, in which Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company owns a 51% stake and VINCI Construction Grands Projets owns a 49% stake. QDVC designs and carries out complex and highly technical major infrastructure and civil engineering projects, controlling risks related to the quality of the structure, the environment, ethics, human rights as well as the health and safety of everyone involved on its construction sites, while working hard to satisfy the needs of its clients, partners and employees. QDVC has helped build over 114 km of infrastructure projects in Qatar, including the Lusail Light Rail Transit system (33 km of track and 37 stations, 10 of which are underground), the Red Line of the Doha Metro (16 km, 32 km of tunnels and 5 stations), the New Orbital Highway Contract 2 (47 km motorway), the scenic Sheraton Hotel Park and underground car parks as well as the Lusail Car Parks.

At the height of operations, QDVC employed nearly 6,500 people, however, in April 2022, QDVC’s workforce had contracted to 740 employees. From when it was first established to the present day, over 11,000 people have worked for QDVC. The substantial size of the projects and limited local labour force led the company to recruit people from many foreign countries (around 50 nationalities working on construction sites), including migrant workers primarily from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines. The population of Qatar is composed of over 2/3 of migrant labourers.

Since establishing operations in Qatar, VINCI has taken its role with respect to risk prevention very seriously, especially regarding the risk of breaching fundamental principles and rights at work. Tangible action has been taken across the migration cycle to improve living and working conditions for migrant workers and combat forced labour to benefit its own employees, temporary workers and subcontracted workers involved on its construction sites.

Fully conscious of the complexity of matters relating to workers’ rights in Qatar, VINCI works in close collaboration with its stakeholders to prevent any risk of human rights breaches. Similarly, VINCI and QDVC regularly mandate independent third parties to audit practices and their effectiveness in striving for continuous improvement. It called upon VIGEO in 2011 and in 2015, and tasked Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) with conducting a human rights impact study. This practice of carrying out audits through third parties was continued as part of the agreement signed with Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) in late 2017.