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Qatar Development News & Discussions


By: DOHA NEWS TEAM | May 27, 2014

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One of the last flights to pass over West Bay before routes changed today to head to the new Hamad International Airport. Ameer Abdul Razak.

See more below (too many photos):

PHOTOS: Making the move from Qatar's old airport to the new one - Doha News

Qatar shifts operations completely to new Hamad International Airport - Doha News



Qatar Airways A380 debut flight apparently delayed until July​

By: VICTORIA SCOTT | 9 HOURS AGO

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Glyn Lowe Photoworks​

Qatar’s national carrier appears to have delayed its inaugural A380 flight by at least two weeks, according to its latest route update.
Qatar Airways is slated to get three of its order of 13 A380s – the world’s largest passenger aircraft – this summer. It had scheduled the first route to be from Doha to to London’s Heathrow Airport on June 17, but that has now been pushed back to July 1.
The airline has so far not made any public announcements about the delay. A spokesman told Doha News yesterday that airline has “no new update to offer” on the planned launch flight.
Passengers also do not appear to have been notified of the change of aircraft. A Boeing 777 is expected to operate the flight on June 17 instead.
Travel consultant and blogger Ben Schlappig writes that he has not been told that his booking in First Class on the inaugural flight will need to be re-booked, despite the fact that the airline has no First Class cabin on its 777 fleet.

Delayed deliveries

Qatar Airways formally announced the “highly anticipated arrival” of its first three A380sin a statement at the end of April, in which it also set the June 17 date for the aircraft’s debut to London Heathrow.
The delivery of these super-jumbos is more than six months late, due to the delayed launch of Hamad International Airport, which finally opened its doors to all airlines, including Qatar Airways, this week.
The airport has six specially designed, double-decker gates for the A380, as well as an aircraft maintenance hangar that can hold two of the huge aircraft at once.

New routes

The airline has also announced that the A380′s second destination will be Paris – the launch date for which remains unchanged at July 3.
And earlier this week, the airline’s CEO Akbar Al Baker told Doha News that the A380 would also fly the Doha-New York route.


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Qatar Airways / Flickr
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However, the airline has been unable to clarify whether the aircraft will replace the current Boeing 777 on the route, or whether the addition of the A380 will signal the beginning of twice-daily operations to the city. No launch date for the new service has been announced so far.
When the A380 does enter service, the aircraft is expected to take over flight numbers QR003 and QR004, which leave Doha at 7:55am, and return from London at 3:05pm, respectively.
Qatar Airways’ A380 will have 517 seats in all – 457 in economy, 52 in business and eight in first class.
Its first and business class cabins – and a special lounge area for premium passengers – will both be located on the aircraft’s upper deck, with economy seating being split between both floors of the aircraft.
Were you set to fly on the A380 soon after launch? Thoughts?

Qatar Airways A380 debut flight apparently delayed until July - Doha News
 
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By: SHABINA S. KHATRI | July 6, 2014

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Despite a minor fire last month, construction for Qatar’s upcoming National Museum remains on track, and an opening date is scheduled for 2016, Qatar Museums has confirmed.

When completed, the museum, located across from the Corniche near the Museum of Islamic Art, is expected to look like a desert rose that appears to grow out of the ground.

It will join Qatar’s growing collection of cultural facilities, including the MIA, which opened in 2008, and the Arab Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf), which saw a 2010 launch.

Late last year, Sheikha Amna bint Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al-Thani was appointed as the museum’s director.

Her role includes providing “curatorial and managerial leadership,” and supervising educational initiatives, special exhibitions and conferences, and public programs once the museum is open.

Timeline

Previously, a QM spokesperson said that construction on the National Museum is expected to be finished in December. More recently, a representative added that it would take six months for the cement “off-gassing,” or the release of emissions trapped inside the facility, to occur.

Installation of artwork is expected to take about a year after that, the spokesperson said.

In terms of which art pieces would be displayed inside the museum, QM has previously said that the facility would represent the “past, present and future of Qatar.”

The authority announced today that some items to be included in the museum are pieces of jewelry donated by Sheikha Maryam bint Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani on behalf of her late sister, Sheikha Aisha bint Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, who died earlier this year.

The objects include a few gold items and a pearl necklace belonging to the collection of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani.

In a statement, QM chairperson Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani said:

“The National Museum of Qatar is very happy to receive donations from members of the community. These objects will be preserved and shared with the public in order to ensure that our heritage and culture remain long after us.”

We thank all who contributed and continue to do so through the donation of objects, knowledge or oral histories. It’s because of your efforts that the NMoQ will achieve success when it opens in 2016.”

Visual update

In this video published on YouTube in late April, QMA offers a peek into the construction of the National Museum.

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The five-minute video contains beautiful aerial perspectives of the development and interviews with key figures, including French architect Jean Nouvel, who designed the museum.

It also shows that the heart of the new development will be the original national museum, which opened in 1975, and was also the former Emiri palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al-Thani.

Qatar's National Museum eyeing 2016 opening - Doha News
 
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Sovereign wealth a major GCC asset
Author: Dr Jassim Hussein
March 17, 2015 - 12:58:01 am
Despite the sharp decline in oil prices, especially during the second half of 2014, the GCC countries own huge sovereign wealth. It is remarkable that the wealth of Gulf sovereign wealth funds increased during the course of the year.

According to Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute, which monitors sovereign wealth, sovereign wealth funds have registered steady growth during the past few years. Oil wealth accounts for around 60 percent of global sovereign wealth.

Based on the institute’s statistics, the value of sovereign wealth at present is around $7,111bn, rising from $7,057bn, $6,831bn, and $6,609bn in December, September, and June of 2014, respectively.

This marks steady growth in the value of sovereign wealth during the oil price fall, which indicates investments outside the oil sector.

The report said the sovereign wealth of the GCC states was $2,676bn, according to the last available statistics. This is a significant figure since it forms around 38 percent of the world’s sovereign wealth. It reflects the global importance of the Gulf.

Of course, the Gulf also controls over a quarter of global oil production. At the moment, Saudi Arabia is the biggest exporter of crude oil. Thanks to Qatar, the GCC countries are also key players in the field of natural gas.

Over the past few years, the value of sovereign wealth in the GCC has improved. Looking back, Gulf sovereign wealth formed about 36 percent of world sovereign wealth in March 2014.

The value of the GCC sovereign wealth reached $1,775bn at the end of 2012. This means that it has increased by $900bn in two years, and this is a major achievement.

As of today, the GCC countries have the best statistics when it comes to the size of their global sovereign wealth and its international significance.

Through consideration, Emirates alone acquired more than a trillion dollars (to be precise, $1,079bn), which accounts for more than 15 percent of sovereign wealth worldwide.

This figure includes wealth belonging to Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and a group of organisations belonging to the emirate of Abu Dhabi, including Mubadala Development Company, in addition to Dubai’s wealth.

The value of the sovereign wealth held by ADIA is second only to that of Norway’s retirement fund.

Norway spends only a portion of its oil revenue, keeping the rest for future generations on the principle that no one generation should benefit from the country’s wealth more than another generation.

Norway is distinct among oil producing countries in that its political circumstances do not change with oil prices.

Additionally, three GCC members own huge sovereign wealth. These are Saudi Arabia, with $763bn, Kuwait ($548bn) and Qatar ($256bn).

Qatar is known for transparency in its investments, especially since it announced the details of its purchase of the Harrods store in London.

On the other hand, Oman and Bahrain have limited sovereign wealth, according to Gulf standards, with about $19bn and $11bn, respectively.

The GCC has a remarkable record of using its wealth to solve international problems. This was clearly demonstrated during the peak of the global financial crisis in 2008.

At that time, the Gulf states generously contributed to a fund established under the supervision of the International Monetary Fund to address the crisis.

Also, some GCC countries, including Qatar, invested in Greece at the peak of the economic crisis in the debt-ridden EU member.

Moreover, the GCC countries are always ready to use their money to solve local problems. Kuwait used part of its sovereign wealth to liberate the country in 1990, and also provided financial support to its citizens who stayed abroad during the Iraqi occupation.

Kuwait is considered a pioneer in this field as it established the Kuwait Investment Authority way back in 1953.

Abu Dhabi offered financial support to Dubai in 2009 to help it out of a debt crisis after it had delayed payment of some of its financial commitments.

In the GCC, the four countries with substantial sovereign wealth had announced that they would offer $10bn in financial aid to Bahrain and Oman for development, after political unrest in the two countries at the start of 2011.

Because of their readiness to offer financial support, the GCC countries, especially the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar come to mind whenever there is mention of sovereign wealth funds.

The author is an economist researching GCC economies

The Peninsula Qatar - Sovereign wealth a major GCC asset



Some updates would be appreciated @Bratva .
 
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FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar
Winning the bid for the FIFA World Cup 2020 was an honour not just for the country, but for the region. Qatar is currently preparing itself to welcome a global audience into its home for one of the most widely-attended events in the world. Qatar is undergoing a complete infrastructural makeover to cater to a global audience.


These infrastructural projects include the building and development of existing facilities such as stadiums, roads and freeways, an extensive railway network, housing projects, hotels, malls and even the brand new Hamad International Airport. Each of these will be world-class facilities that will offer an unparalleled quality of services.

Qatar’s preparation for World Cup 2022

STADIUMS

Many new stadiums will be built to accommodate a large number of spectators from all over the world. For the ease and comfort of both spectators and players, air conditioning units will be installed across all stadiums. A number of existing stadiums will be developed to accommodate a larger number of spectators than is possible at present. This will be made possible by installing modular seats, which can be removed or retained after the 2022 World Cup tournament.


Lusail Iconic Stadium

The design of this stadium, to be located in the upcoming Lusail City, is inspired by the sail of a traditional show boat surrounded by water. It will host the opening and final matches of the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

Capacity: 86,250



Al-Gharafa Stadium

This stadium currently has a seating capacity of 21,175. It will be expanded to seat nearly double the number of people on an upper tier built using modular elements. Ribbons representing the nations which qualify for the World Cup 2022 will form the façade of the stadium. These ribbons will also symbolise mutual football, mutual friendship, tolerance and unity, which are all values the tournament represents.

Capacity: 44,740


Al-Khor Stadium

Al-Khor Stadium will be built with a marvellous seashell motif and a flexible roof. It will consist of two tiers – the permanent lower tier and a modular upper tier, which will seat 25000 and 19,830 persons, respectively.

It will be located in a sports and recreation zone and spectators will have a magnificent view of the Arabian Gulf from their seats.

Capacity: 45,330


Al-Rayyan Stadium

Al-Rayyan Stadium, which currently has a capacity of 21,182 will be expanded to seat 44,740 persons using modular elements to form an upper tier. A special ‘media membrane’ façade will act as a screen to project news, updates and current matches. Once the tournament is over, the stadium will be downsized to its current capacity.

Capacity: 44,740


Al-Shamal Stadium

This stadium too will have two tiers of which the lower tier will be a permanent one. The stadium’s design and shape are derived from the traditional Gulf ‘dhow’ fishing boat. Spectators can arrive at the stadium via the Doha Expressway, water taxis, the Bahrain-Qatar Friendship Bridge as well as the Doha Metro Rail.

Capacity: 45,120


Al-Wakrah Stadium

The design of Al-Wakrah Stadium, located in one of Qatar’s oldest cities with a long history of commercial fishing and pearl diving, is inspired by the sea which has shaped its history.

Capacity: 45,120


Doha Port Stadium

This stadium will sit on an artificial peninsula in the Gulf and will be completely modular. It will be cooled using water, which will run over its outer façade and add to its aesthetic appeal. Both water taxis and ferries will transport visitors to the stadium.

Capacity: 44,950


Education City Stadium

Shaped like a jagged diamond which glitters by day and glows by night, Education City Stadium will be located in the middle of several university campuses at Education City.

After the World Cup, the stadium will retain 25,000 seats for use by university athletic teams.

Capacity: 45,350


Khalifa International Stadium

Located in Aspire Zone, Khalifa International Stadium will be expanded to accommodate more than 60,000 spectators. It will include sweeping arcs and partially covered stands. Also located within a short radius are some of Qatar’s finest sports facilities such as Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, ASPETAR Sports Medicine Hospital and many other sporting venues.

Capacity: 68,030


Qatar University Stadium

This stadium currently consists of a running track and a field. After the 2022 World Cup, the stadium will also serve the students of Qatar University in their sports tournaments and other sporting events in Qatar. The design of the stadium consists of a gold façade, which blends traditional Arabic geometric patterns with free-form open surfaces, which create the image of the past and the future.

Capacity: 43,520


Sports City Stadium

Sports City Stadium is inspired from traditional Arab tents. It will consist of a retractable roof, a partly retractable pitch and retractable stands which will serve the people even beyond the World Cup 2022 tournament. Apart from football, it will also be able to accommodate concerts, theatre performances and other non-football related athletic events.

Capacity: 47,560


Umm Slal Stadium

Located in close proximity to one of Qatar’s important forts, Umm Slal Stadium’s design will be a contemporary version of a traditional Arab fort. After the tournament, the Umm Slal Football Club will use this stadium once its seating capacity is reduced to 25,500.

Capacity: 45,120



Qatar Integrated Railway Project

One of Qatar’s primary goals is to develop an extensive railway network which would serve residents of Qatar in moving from one place to another locally as well as a long distance rail service which would increase mobility of passengers between Qatar and its neighbour Saudi Arabia.

Qatar Rail is developing a world-class efficient public transportation system, which will consist of three main services:

  • Doha Metro
  • Long Distance
  • Light Rail Transit


Doha Metro

The Doha Metro is an important part of Qatar Rail Development Program (QRDP), and will be divided into four lines spread across 216 kilometres and approximately 100 stations. The Metro will cover Greater Doha area and will include connections to different parts of the country, including residential and commercial areas. While the Metro will be underground in central Doha, it will be above ground on the outskirts and other areas.

It will be divided into four routes: Red Line (Coast Line), Green Line (Education Line), Gold Line (Historic Line) and Blue Line (City Line).


Long Distance Passenger and Freight Rail

The long distance rail network is planned over a length of approximately 510 kilometres. The QRDP plans to develop a long distance rail network that will carry passengers between Qatar and its neighbouring GCC states Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.



Lusail Light Rail Transit

This new rail transit system will be located across Lusail City, the waterfront city located at the north of Doha will extend across 35 sq. km. of land and will be one of the largest developments around the world. To build an entire community in itself, it will encompass not just residential, commercial and retail opportunities but also other facilities for residents such as schools, medical facilities, entertainment and shopping centres.

This transit system will consist of four lines, 25 stations including four at Marina District, one at Entertainment City, one at Energy City, one at Qatar Petroleum District and one at the Pearl Doha station.


Malls

Mall of Qatar

Located in a master-planned community Al Rayyan Gate, and in close proximity to Education City and Al Rayyan Stadium that will host some of the 2022 FIFA World Cup matches, Mall of Qatar will be one of Qatar’s largest mixed use/residential and educational community. The mall will house over 400 international brands, including a luxury court, which will feature brands by some of the world’s best designers.

With over 20 international restaurants, 21 food court eateries and 40 cafés and specialty food stores

The Doha Metro will link Mall of Qatar to the rest of the city

In addition, a live performance area ‘QLIVE’ with a four-storey high glass dome roof will have live programming throughout the year.

Area: 4 million sq. feet

Parking: 7000 spaces (including 3000 indoor spaces)


Doha Festival City

Doha Festival City located on Al Shamal Road, is one of the largest retail developments in Qatar. Its anchor tenant, Swedish furniture giant IKEA opened doors in early 2013.

It will feature more than 500 stores and over 85 restaurants and cafés.

An indoor and outdoor entertainment park will entertain families and children throughout the day.

The mall will also house two five-star hotels and a large conference centre to give the business community in Qatar easy access to a business venue.

One of the unique and exciting features of this mall is the cinema theatres with VOX MAX technology, which will enhance the moviegoer’s experience with motion-based seating. Each of these cinemas will feature a 20m digital wide-screen equipped with 3D technology. The VOX Gold service will feature the country’s first in-theatre butler service.

Area: 433,847 m2


Marina Mall Qatar

Set against the Lusail Marina on the east coast of Qatar, the Marina Mall will be linked to five pebble-shaped retail islands. The mall building alone will have over three main levels including a hypermarket in the basement. It will also have cinema theatres, family entertainment centres, and restaurants with terraces overlooking the marina and spa facilities.

The design of the mall is inspired by natural forms that are created when land and water meet.

Area: 1.07 million sq. ft.


North Gate Mall

North Gate Mall, located on Al Khairatiyat Street off Shamal Road, will feature three floors with cinemas, a supermarket, as well as leading home, fashion, dining and entertainment brands and stores. There will also be a Crystal Garden, indoor/outdoor Market Street, Shamal Hall and other features which will make it a very community-friendly place.

Area: 100,000 m2

Parking: 4000 (approximately)


Tawar Mall

Tawar Mall will be the first green mall in Qatar. It will consist of three floors with over 265 stores. An interesting feature of the mall will be its oriental-themed rooftop indoor/outdoor open rooftop garden along with a deck of mezzanine-floored restaurants and coffee shops next to a large food court that can seat more than 1000 persons. The skylight above will allow natural light into the area.

Other facilities comprise twelve 3D cinema screens (including two separate VIP Screens and VIP Lounge), a family entertainment/splash center, a four-star hotel and a large hypermarket.

Area: 106,000 m2

Parking: Two levels of basement parking with approximately 2600 spots.



Other Projects


Lusail City (Seef Lusail or City of Tides)

Lusail City is a planned city that will extend across 38 square kilometers and will consist of four exclusive islands and 19 multi-purpose residential, entertainment, mixed use and commercial districts.

It will initially be able to accommodate around 200,000 residents and 170,000 employees and will be able to welcome 80,000 visitors. It also has a prominent marina called the Lusail Marina where yachts and boats can be docked.

The city will also have a prominent mall in the form of Marina Mall, which will house a large selection of local and international brands and stores as well as dining and entertainment options.


Msheireb Downtown Doha

Msheireb’s Downtown Doha project will blend traditional Qatari heritage and aesthetics with modern technology to create a commercial heart for Doha. Sustainability and harmony with the environment is a major focus for the project. However, the central concept includes building a mixed-use development that will be a meeting point for people with differing interests – retail, commercial, cultural as well as entertainment areas.

The key aim of the Msheireb project is to discourage the pattern of real estate development, which has tended to use isolated and energy-intensive land use, urban sprawl and an excessive reliance on automobiles and fossil fuels.

On completion, Downtown Doha will be a central location for the people of Doha to come together.

Barwa Commercial Avenue

This will offer retail, commercial and residential space for the residents of Qatar. Located in the Industrial Area, Barwa Commercial Avenue will comprise of five distinct yet interconnected zones that will be offer convenience to shoppers and retailers along with local and international companies as well as persons looking for accommodation

http://www.lifeinqatar.com/Pages/en/article/living/fifa-world-cup-2022-in-qatar.html

Some more photos of Qatar:

Souq waqif by JOJI, on Flickr

Untitled by Ziad Hunesh, on Flickr

ســوق واقـف by mohamed alsuwaidi, on Flickr

Untitled by Philip Bradford, on Flickr

MIA Park, Doha by claireschmidtmeyer, on Flickr

Qatar by Kannan Sairam, on Flickr

The Pearl #Doha #Qatar @hellopoe Like ❤ Comment Tag TAG YOUR Awesome Photos #Qatarism by Qatarism, on Flickr

Have a Blessed Friday #Doha #Qatar @7assansalem #Qatarism #SeeMyMosque by Qatarism, on Flickr

This image was from the Project to Shoot " Qatar National Day 2014" commissioned by QATAR AIRWAYS. Surprisingly got a award for this from Amiri Guard on 2015 . It's time to dig the archives to post the un published images.. #qatarinstagram #lifeindoha #ni by Qatarism, on Flickr

Beautiful Doha Skyline #doha #dohacity #dohaphotography #dohaqatar #dohainstagram #qatar #qatarlife #qatarinstagram #qatarliving #qatarairways #thisisqatar #dohacorniche #qatarism #seemydoha2016 #wearedoha #walk_and_walk #wgoqatar #addicted_to_nights #nig by Qatarism, on Flickr

Desert meets the sea. Reminds me a bit of the Namib Desert in Namibia although the latter is obviously bigger and more unique.



Old heritage town - Al-Wakra by A.Rahman AlKhulaifi, on Flickr

My brother son by YOUSIF AL-JANAHI, on Flickr

The Inland Sea - Qatar by Mohamad Nuski, on Flickr

Mangrove, Dhakira by AZFLICK, on Flickr

Its not amazon - Its Al-Khor by AZFLICK, on Flickr

Qatar is actually a quite underrated country with surprisingly interesting areas. It's a nice small peninsula that is connected to the largest peninsula in the world (Arabian Peninsula).

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