CONSTRUCTION of the state-of-the-art $1.6-billion Doha Festival City will begin shortly, following the appointment of the project’s managers, architects and engineers.

The 433,847-sq-m entertainment, retail, hospitality and commercial facility will be designed by DP Architects, with Arab Engineering Bureau (AEB) as project architect, Mace International as project manager and Al-Futtaim Investment Management (AFIM) as investment manager.

Construction of Phase One of the project – the first of its kind in the country – will start with a groundbreaking for the Swedish furnishing giant Ikea.

This phase is slated to be completed by the second half of 2012, with Phase Two scheduled for completion by 2014.
Al-Futtaim, Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), Aqar Real Estate Investment Company and a private investor are partners in this joint venture project. Along with Ikea, other brands from Al-Futtaim Group have already been confirmed as Doha Festival City’s anchor tenants, which are ACE, Toys “R” Us, Marks & Spencer and Intersport.

Landmark Group’s brands such as Centrepoint, Max Fashion, Sports Authority, Fitness First, Home Centre and Iconic have also joined the retail mix. Robinson’s, the 153-year-old department store and an integral piece of Singapore’s history, will be part of Doha Festival City offerings, which also include a fully-serviced shopping centre, an indoor-outdoor entertainment park, automotive zone and two international hotels.

The iconic complex’s futuristic design separates each individual area into its own unique space that will transport guests from the world of waterslides and roller coasters, into a retail area populated with diverse international brands. Also included are ‘green zones’ to ensure space is dedicated to the community for all to use and enjoy.

Omar Al-Futtaim, vice-chairman, Al-Futtaim Group, said: “I am extremely happy that Doha Festival City will break ground and in a very short period of time become the most advanced entertainment, retail and hospitality complex in Qatar. This is a dream come true for us and our partners.”

QIB chairman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani said: “QIB is proud to be part of this major project as it represents a new phase in the country’s economic evolution.”

Doha Festival City is located 15 km north of downtown Doha on Al Shamal Road, one of the main arterial routes to the city centre.

With its strategic positioning, the mega complex is ideally equipped to meet the retail and entertainment needs of not only Qatar, but also the neighbouring GCC countries.