In December 2005, Qatar launched one of the largest developments in the region, Lusail City, a $5 billion enterprise to the north of Doha covering over 5 square kilometres and accommodating up to 200,000 people.  The development will have two marinas, residential areas, commercial districts, and leisure facilities, including two golf courses and an entertainment district.  It will also include Energy City.  It aims to attract industry leaders in oil and gas, support services and energy trading and is slated for completion in 2010.

The construction sector in Qatar is enjoying a boom with a host of new projects on the cards.  Several international firms are bidding for infrastructure and tourism projects.  The boom has been fuelled to a great extent by the 2006 Asian Games as well as the 2016 Olympic Bid. As part of the preparations, existing facilities were upgraded and new facilities, including stadiums and an Olympic Village, were built.

Among other construction projects there is the man-made Pearl Island, the $2 billion bridge between Qatar and Bahrain - the world’s longest, the $3 billion causeway between Qatar and Dubai, $15 billion tourism and hotel projects, and the modernisation of Qatar’s road and social infrastructure valued at $7 billion.  The major roads under construction include Salwa Road, North Road and Dukhan road.  Some roundabouts are also being transformed into signalised junctions and flyovers.

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The Pearl
This multi billion man-made project covers 985 acres (400 hectares) of reclaimed land and is Qatar’s first international real estate development and freehold property which will take the form of a pearl shaped island with residential and commercial buildings.

It is a four-phase mixed-use development comprising 10 distinct, themed districts housing beach front villas, town homes, luxury apartments, exclusive penthouses, 5 star hotels, marinas, schools as well as upscale retail and restaurant offerings.  It will be a destination in its own right -a lavish, secure and exclusive island retreat with a Riviera-style community.

The Pearl Oyster, the management office of the The Pearl project, also sponsors events such as the recent concert by Placido Domingo.
 

Lusail Development
The 5 billion Lusail Development, one of the major real estate and property development projects in Qatar, covers an area of about 35 square kilometres, north of the Al-Qutaifiya lagoon, in Doha. Bound by the sea to the east, the Ritz Carlton to the south, and the Al-Khor expressway, will consist of state-of-the-art buildings and eco-friendly infrastructure.

The Lusail Development will include a large blue water lagoon with two marinas, major residential areas providing quality, high and low density housing to meet all needs, extensive commercial districts and mixed-use areas, comprehensive leisure and entertainment facilities including two golf courses and an entertainment district, naturally functional silt-free beaches as well as all the necessary social amenities such as mosques, parks, schools, shopping centres and medical centres.

Energy City
Located within the prestigious Lusail development in Doha, Energy City Qatar will become the Middle East’s first ever integrated business energy centre, consolidating a range of industry and marketing services under one roof, attracting investment from significant global players in the hydrocarbon value chain and leading the development of the hydrocarbon industry significantly enhancing Qatar’s ability to reshape the dynamics of its oil and gas business and expand its role in the management of resources in the Gulf.

Covering a distance of 20 square kilometres, the multi-billion dollar Energy City Qatar will be home to a dedicated energy trading platform, the International Mercantile Exchange (Imex), which will be regulated by the Qatar Financial Centre, Regulatory Authority.  It will also offer a research centre and a research satellite for environmentally friendly  renewable energy.

Al Khor Master Plan
A $5 billion tourism project, on an area of almost eight million square metres, will feature hotels and a marina with residential apartments, boutique hotels with leisure and residential units, beach chalets, sports facilities including a 18 hole golf course and bungalows.

The project is expected to transform the area into a world-class tourist and property purchasing destination.  Al Khor project is the third of it’s kind in Qatar that has been officially granted the right to offer full freehold property to buyers of any nationality, the others being The Pearl Qatar and the Qutaifiya Lagoon in West Bay. 

An eco-friendly green project, the crescent shaped development - whose infrastructure construction will begin early next year - offers 13,000 apartments, 1,100 town houses, 1,665 villas (both for ownership and lease) and 500 beach front chalets, and is estimated to take five years to finish.

Qatar Science & Technology Park
Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a home for technology-based companies from around the world, and an incubator of start-up enterprises is under the umbrella of the community and education focused Qatar Foundation.  It aims at spurring the development of Qatar’s knowledge economy, by providing the ideal location for companies to develop their technology and deliver it to the marketplace.

QSTP’s main aim is to provide an integrated environment including office and laboratory space, support services, and programs which help accelerate the commercialization process.  This building will serve as a clearing house and “free zone”, encouraging foreign technology companies to establish offices in Qatar.
 

Education City
A series of projects are being launched at the Education City-a 10 million sq. metre multi institutional campus featuring baccalaureate degrees by six American universities.  The sponsor, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, & Community Development (QF) has awarded two contracts worth a total of $180 million, for the construction of a major accommodation complex for Education City faculty, staff and students. Both contracts are scheduled to take about 16 months to complete.

Other imminent projects include the construction of a 7,000 seat convention centre which will be across the street from the universities, and the newest completed building, in an area of 53,000 sq. m, for Texas A and M University in Qatar, which features degrees in petroleum and mechanical engineering. 

Construction is already under way for the new buildings of Carnigie Mellon University in Qatar and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar, along with buildings which will feature centralized services for all faculty, staff, and students such as the central library.

Al Waab City
Nasser bin Khaled and Sons (NBK) launched the Al Waab City project to provide a unique living environment in Qatar.  Al Waab Development company and Amwal, both holdings within NBK are the project developers and the financial advisors, respectively. 

Designed specifically with the goal of creating a vibrant community, the project features the idea of gathering in a physical space of a piazza, at the centre of the residential, retail, and commercial buildings.  This public area will serve as the connecting point for residents of approximately 2,200 units, users of a 300 bed hotel, and other visitors who will utilize the variety of services, amenities, recreation, and entertainment options available for their enjoyment.

The New Doha International Airport
The new Doha airport, a multi billion dollar project, will offer highest standards of safety and security, excellent service standards and convenience for passengers and visitors, unconstrained future jumbo aircraft operations, efficiency of operations keeping in mind environmental compatibility, effective transition from old to new airport in addition to taking into consideration the financial viability.

The airport will set new standards for airports of the future with respect to security, function and passenger convenience

By the time it is fully developed in 2015, it will have an annual capacity of 50 million passengers and allow for Qatar Airways’ continued meteoric growth.

New Doha Port
A new port and free trade zone involving a total investment of $205 million planned to be built over a 500-hectare reclaimed site near the existing port of Doha, east of the Doha International Airport. Port facilities will be able to handle three million shipping containers annually, compared to the current capacity of 100,000 containers annually at the existing Doha Port.

The port will be linked to the mainland via an 8.5 km long bridge. The entire new Doha port, as well as the airport area, is to be designated as a free trade zone.

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