On this occasion, Eng. Hassan Al Ghanim, Assistant Manager of Doha Central Development Projects, clarified that the second and third package projects, within Doha Central Development and Beautification Projects, include development of six main areas between Corniche Street and A-Ring Road. It covers development of seven main streets including the development of infrastructure, construction of plazas, pedestrian and cycle paths, installing street lighting network, new traffic signals, road signage and pedestrian crossings. All works of Doha Central development and beautification projects are scheduled to be completed in first quarter of 2022.

Eng Ahmed Ali Al Emadi, Project Manager of the Second Package of Doha Central Development and Beautification Projects, stated that the project includes developing the areas surrounding National Museum of Qatar and areas opposite to Museum of the Islamic Art. The works are divided to three sections spread over an area covering ​​4.78 square kilometers. The works include developing and beautifying main streets and internal neighborhoods in these areas. The infrastructure development works in this package include developing 8.5 kilometers of surface water drainage network, 4.7 kilometers of foul sewer network and 6.8 km of electricity network. Eng. Al-Emadi added that the project works also include installing 329 decorative lightening Poles, planting about 1,400 trees 10,000 square meters of green areas, in addition to construction of 22.6 km long pedestrian and cycling paths.

On the other hand, regarding the third package of projects, Eng. Ali Mohamed Al Darwish, Project Manager, clarified that the third package includes development of areas around Grand Hamad Street divided to three main areas spread along ​​8.24 square kilometers, he added. The works include developing and beautifying the main streets and inner neighborhoods of these areas, in addition to infrastructure development works including 10.2km of surface water drainage network, 11.2 km of foul sewer drainage network and 4.7 km of electricity network. Eng. Al-Darwish further commented that the project works also include installing 515 decorative lightening poles, planting about 3250 trees and about 30,000 square meters of green areas, in addition to construction of 35.3 km long pedestrian and cycling paths. Eng. Ali Al Darwish also clarified that all the main streets will be covered with granite to give a unique feature for this area, so that in the future it will be possible to completely close of the street for vehicles and opening it only for pedestrians during celebrations and special occasions. 

Progress of work in the first package of the project

The Supervisory Committee of the Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar continues works of implementing the first package of project for development and beautification of Doha central region, where 20% of works are completed.

Eng Abdulla Al-Nuaimi, the project manager, stated that the ongoing works include completion of infrastructure development works including development of foul sewer drainage network, surface water drainage network, the treated effluent network, electricity network and communication network. This phase of the project works will also include installing lightening poles, street furniture, traffic signals for vehicles and pedestrian, pedestrian crossings and shared paths for pedestrian and cyclists. The project also aims to reduce traffic volume by promoting pedestrian movement besides increasing tree plantation and landscaping.

The works of first package of the project includes development of Abdullah Bin Thani Street, which is one of the main streets in the Doha Central region. It also includes development of Al-Dostour St, Al-Sakhama St, Ras Brouq St, Dar Al-Kutub St, Bu Hasaya St, Al-Ghous St and Ras Usheirej St. All the streets within this package will be paved with beautified flooring, whereas Abdulla Bin Thani Street will be fully paved with granite slabs. The street is designed to make it possible in the future to close the street completely for vehicles and open it only for pedestrians during celebration events.

Doha Central Development and Beautification Projects

Eng. Layla Jassem Salem, Designs Manager of Doha Central Development and Beautification Projects at the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar briefed that the committee’s projects aim to create a healthy socialising cultural environment that will encourage the people of Qatar to adopt a healthy community lifestyle, besides rerouting destinations of their fun trips. 

Doha Central development and beautification project is designed to provide pedestrian-friendly transportation including footpaths and crossings to encourage visitors using various modes of transportation, and to promote walking by connecting all lively centers in the area. The designs manager, Eng. Layla Salem, added that the project includes development of seven main areas and seven main streets and the works include development of infrastructure, building plazas, pedestrian and cycling tracks. Implementing the complete vision of development of the area will contribute in enhancing the identity of Qatar's historical and cultural legacy, and recognizing the natural environment of Qatar.

The area for implementing the project is chosen considering its historical importance as it contains many tourist attractions such as Corniche, Al Bidda Park, Museums (Museum of the Islamic Art, Museum of Fine Arts and National Museum of Qatar), shopping and entertainment centers such as Souq Waqif, Falcon Souq and Dar Al Kutub library among others.

The project also aims to develop public places and plazas in the region to create attractive and lively places through provision of services and aesthetic elements including retiring areas, benches, kiosks, display screens and visual art works attracting visitors to socialize and enjoy the general view. This is in addition to beautifying the main and inner streets to raise the aesthetic value of streets, residential areas and vital centers, and to preserve the environmental balance.

These projects will benefit all people and visitors of Qatar, especially the residents and business stakeholders of areas covered within Doha central including Al Hitmi, Al Rufaa, Al Mirqab, Souk, Old Al Ghanim, Al Najada, Al Jasrah, Msheireb 4, Fareej Bin Mahmoud, Fereej Abdul Aziz and Al Doha Al Jadeeda. 

The works of Doha Central Development and Beautification Projects include seven major areas between Corniche and A Ring road including seven major streets. The works also include infrastructure development, construction of plazas, pedestrian paths and cycling paths. The main streets include Al Safiya Street, Sharaoh Street, Museum Street, Ali Bin Omar Al-Attiya Street, Jabr Bin Muhammad Street, Grand Hamad Street, Al Asmakh Street, Ali Bin Abdulla Street and Abdulla Bin Thani Street. The works also include increasing green areas, tree plantation, implementing street lighting network, installing new traffic signals, pedestrian crossings, and new road signs. In addition to the construction of multi-story buildings and roadside slots for car parking to accommodate about 6000 cars. The car parking slots will be fixed with meters to encourage the public to follow healthy lifestyle and healthy means of transportation.  

It is worth noting that Doha Central Development and Beautification Projects is designed to benefit people with special needs. It includes wide pedestrian paths in conformity with international standards. It also include connected paths that allow people with special needs to move freely without support of others, and with provision of dedicated parking lots for people with special needs.

Pedestrian Bridges 

The works also include a project to construct pedestrian bridges. Works have begun for construction of some bridges, namely, 63 meters long bridge across Doha Expressway/22 February Street linking Al Nasr Commercial Street and Al Soudan Area, and 38 meters long bridge across Suhaim Bin Hamad Street linking Fereej Bin Mahmoud and Al Sadd Areas.

Similarly, the design of other bridges is completed and their implementation is scheduled to start this year. It includes a 60 meters bridge across Najma Street connecting Old Airport and Nuaija Areas; Al-Istiqlal Street Bridge linking the West Bay and Dafna. This is in addition to another pedestrian bridges under bidding. These pedestrian bridges are located in various streets including Al Jamiaa Street, 22 February Street, Khalifa Street, Al Sadd Area and Al Muntazah Street. 

All the pedestrian bridges will have elevators to serve the people with special needs. Also they are designed without air conditioners to protect the health of users from the effects of sudden changes in temperature.

Rain Water Drainage Tunnel 

It is worth noting that, Within Doha Central Development and Beautification projects, a project to construct a main surface water drainage tunnel. Engineer Abdulla Al-Nuaimi, Project Manager, stated that it has been designed with a length of 2.2 km and 3 meters diameter to accommodate up to 70,000 cubic meters of storm water.

Electric Cars Charging Points 

The project will also provide dedicated places for charging electric cars, encouraging people to use environmentally friendly cars. It is proved that electric cars do not cause harmful carbon emissions and are more suitable for a healthy environment. Therefore, providing necessary infrastructure for their use is vital to achieve this goal. This is also in line with Qatar's national strategy to conserve the country's resources and provide a clean, healthy and safe environment for future generations.

Development of Doha Corniche

The project works also include development of Doha Corniche. Eng. Hassan Al Ghanim, Assistant Manager of Doha Central Development and Beautification Projects, who also work as Project Manager of Doha Corniche Development, clarified that the project works also include developing Corniche walkway to include a cycling path and a jogging path, and connecting it with tracks along Airport Road and Ras Bu Abboud extending to Lusail Expressway. It also includes construction of three pedestrian tunnels namely Al Dafna, Al Corniche and Al Bidaa tunnels. These tunnels aim to enhance pedestrian movement and connect commuters to neighboring places. The project also includes construction of three plazas on Corniche, namely, Al Dafna, Al Corniche and Al Bidda plazas, to function as open exhibition spaces along the Corniche, with several artworks.

Artworks and Sculptures in Doha Central Area

Considering the importance and peculiarity of Doha Central Development and Beautification Projects, the Technical Committee for Artwork (a sub-committee comprising members of the main Committee, Qatar Museum Authority and the Ministry of Culture and Sports) is studying a mechanism to involve local artists in proposing and developing some artwork in the area, utilizing extensive expertise of artists to meet the needs in terms of idea and design. This experiment will be unrolled to many other areas of the state in future.

Engineer Fatema Al Zaraa, member of the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar, stated that, as a first phase, eight locations in Doha central area are chosen to implement the artwork, namely, t Grand Hamad Street, Souq Area, Al Meena Street Intersection, Abdullah Bin Thani Street, Al Mirqab Area, Al Najada Area, Grand Hamad Intersection, and Al Rifaa Area. These artworks are scheduled to complete in the first quarter of 2022.

Modifying Building Façades

The project works also include modification and beautifying facades of architectural buildings to accomplish the comprehensive developmental vision of the area, which will contribute to enhance the identity of historical and cultural legacy of Qatar and respect the country’s natural environment. 

Eng. Ahmad Abdulla Al Mahmeed, from Building Projects Department at Ashghal, stated that design and implementation work has begun in Souq and Museum Street areas to modify façades of 55 buildings and the works in those areas are to be completed in the second quarter of 2021.

Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar

The committee’s projects are aimed at creating a sustainable environment through implementing several main tasks including construction of central public parks, provision of dedicated pedestrian and cycling tracks, provision of retiring areas with street furniture, fancy street lighting, developing Doha Corniche and some beaches, development of Doha Central area by reviving some main roads and internal streets, vital places, residential areas and open plazas. The committee also aims to contribute in creating a societal environment with distinctive identity through involvement of community members in artworks and tree plantation works, in coordination with several ministries and government entities of the State.