WORK on all the three phases of Qatar’s Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD), billed as the world’s first sustainable regeneration of a major downtown area, is currently under way with the project on schedule.

Msheireb Properties, Qatar’s leading sustainable real estate developer, awarded the Phase Three project to a consortium comprising Obayashi Corporation and HBK Contracting in May this year.

Phase Two of the project was awarded in November 2012 to Arabtec while work on Phase One (1A, 1B, 1C) is on target.

Work on MDD began in 2010 and is scheduled for completion in 2016. When complete, the 31-hectare mixed-use development will comprise more than 100 buildings, with dedicated areas for commercial, residential, retail, cultural offerings and entertainment.

The QR20-billion ($5.49 billion) MDD project, which was showcased last month at the Cityscape Global expo in Dubai, UAE, has been designed to meet the ever-increasing demand within a rapidly growing metropolis.

The project features a multitude of retail offerings such as a leading department store, supermarket, cinema, children’s edutainment zone, large fashion flagships, casual and fine dining restaurants and cultural offerings all within a downtown environment.

The project will be home to the region’s largest shaded open-air square, Al Baraha – a family destination with restaurants and cafés featuring events and large-scale shows.

All buildings in the development will target an average Gold rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) certification system, meaning MDD will have the highest concentration of Leed-certified buildings in the world.