01 November 2011

QATAR-BASED Bawabat Al Shamal Real Estate Company (Basrec) said that the construction has begun on its super-regional retail and entertainment destination, Doha Festival City.

Al Futtaim Group, Qatar Islamic Bank and other investors formed a joint venture for this project which, according to its promoters, will become a leisure and entertainment destination in Qatar.

To be built at a cost of more than QR6 billion ($1.6 billion), the  project is located north of downtown Doha on Al Shamal Road, which will connect the city to Bahrain, once a planned causeway is built.

An Ikea store, operated under the Al Futtaim franchise, will be developed in the first phase of construction. The 32,000-sq-m-store is due for completion in the last quarter of 2012. The remaining elements of Doha Festival City are due for delivery in the last quarter of 2014.

Developed over a 433,847-sq-m site with 260,000 sq m of gross leasable area, Doha Festival City is designed by DP Architects with Arab Engineering Bureau as project architect, Mace International as project manager and EC Harris as quantity surveyor and cost consultant.

The general contractor package for the Ikea store has been awarded to a joint venture between Qatari Arabian Construction Company and Amana Qatar Contracting Company, with the MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) package awarded to Hamad and Mohammed Al Futtaim Engineering. Ammico Contracting Company is undertaking the excavation and Redco International will be supplying the precast concrete elements.

Doha Festival City will also offer an entertainment and leisure complex, automotive showrooms and international hotels. The interior design of Doha Festival City is inspired by nature and the elements of wind, water, wood and earth. Within the retail loops there will be four distinct interior zones – Water Concourse, Garden Promenade, Rainforest Boardwalk and Fashion Galleria.

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