Dredging work continues on the prestigious The Pearl-Qatar project in Doha, as contractors prepare their prequalification bids for the infrastructure package and for the high-rise residential towers, townhouses and shops surrounding Porto Arabia, the island’s main marina.

“Dredging and reclamation work is making good progress. Infrastructure utilities, architectural contracts have been awarded to international companies and construction of the first buildings is expected to commence towards the end of the first quarter of this year,” says Khalil Al Sholy, managing director of United Development Company (UDC)–Qatar’s largest private sector shareholding company.
This $2.5 billion offshore, Riviera-style man-made island, covering 400 hectares of reclaimed land, is Qatar’s first international real estate venture, the largest real estate development in the country and the first to offer freehold and residential rights to international investors. It will create over 30 km of new coastline.
Located on a former pearl diving site 350 m offshore from the West Lagoon area, the Pearl-Qatar will eventually house over 30,000 residents in an up-scale, multi-cultural residential community, which will be a secure and exclusive island retreat bringing the ambience and lifestyle of the Mediterranean to Qatar.
Following the successful response to the first phase of the development, UDC launched the second phase last month, ahead of schedule.  Phase two includes a number of 20 storey buildings each with up to 160 apartments and a second batch of townhouses.
The four-phase development comprises 10 distinct districts to be developed over five years, with the first investors expected to take up residency in early 2007 and the entire project is due for completion in 2009.
The first phase of the development will comprises some 60,000 sq m of retail, leisure and restaurant space along Porto Arabia. It includes the West Porto Drive towers, the first of seven, 20-storey buildings of the project  and 43 La Plage beachfront luxury villas. These towers will skirt La Croisette, a lively 2.5 km long hub for diners and shoppers while the villas will make up the first of three La Plage neighbourhoods.  
“These villas, being designed by award-winning US architects RNL International in association with KEO International, will be individual dwellings of superb quality based on the Mediterranean style in keeping with the Pearl-Qatar’s Riviera Arabia positioning,’ says Nick Bashkiroff, development director, The Pearl-Qatar.
The Riviera-themed districts will also house three luxury hotels, with a total room capacity of 800, four marinas, with combined mooring for more than 700 boats, and 60,000 sq m of luxury retail and restaurant space.
The Pearl-Qatar will be linked to the mainland by an eight-lane, palm-tree lined super highway.
The infrastructure package which is currently being tendered includes construction of roads, bridges and infrastructure works within 30 months time, and/or a building package comprising the construction of at least two high-rise, high-quality residential towers, associated parking, townhouses and 220,000 sq m of retail units within 20 months.
Parsons International has been appointed to carry out for the detailed engineering design of the project’s roads, infrastructure and landscaping, while Callison Architecture is the prime consultant and design architect for master planning, design and construction services.
Callison is currently providing design and construction services for the 21, twenty-storey towers comprising 3,116 fashionable apartments with sea views that overlook 410 imaginative town houses and 55,000 sq m of high-end retail with parking structures.  It is co-ordinating the design with local architectural firm, KEO International.
Dredging and reclamation is being carried out by Qatar Dredging Company – which started work on the project last April, while Fugro Middle East is carrying out soil testing.