Work on a $2.5 billion real estate development in Qatar continues unabated with almost 40 per cent of the land reclamation completed and on schedule for the target completion date of June 2006.

The Pearl-Qatar project, which started in April 2004, involves the reclamation of 400 hectares of land 350 m offshore the West Bay Lagoon area of Doha and will create over 40 km of new coastline.
When completed, the main island will be home to over 30,000 people and will include 31 tower blocks, 500 villas, three luxury hotels, three marinas with combined mooring for over 700 boats, more than 90,000 sq m of luxury retail and restaurant space and a string of nine individual islands ranging from 17,000 to 19,000 sq m each.
This Riviera-style man-made island 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.
Being developed by United Development Company (UDC), 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.
Dr Alexander Babovic, senior marine engineer/resident engineer with the consultant Dar Al Handasah, points out that at this stage of the development, accelerated settlement, which incorporates drains and surcharge is being used.
“Normally it should take about a year for the reclamation to settle but as the client is in a hurry, we have accelerated settlement with a surcharge which is currently quite high at 5 m. This will be removed reducing the height of the island to 2.7 m above sea level,” says Babovic.
The project is ongoing 24/7 and by mid-June 36 per cent of the reclamation had been completed. The shape of the island is now clearly visible as the latest satellite pictures show and already construction on the quay wall and channels in Port Arabia – the main marina of the Pearl-Qatar – is in progress.
With the Northwest Canal connecting Port Arabia to the sea, the plan is that the marina will be able to take superyachts with a draft of 2.5/3 m.
According to Babovic, the beaches will be generated from reclaimed sieved sand. The promenade of Port Arabia will be 2.5 km long.
Currently at this earthmoving phase of the contract, almost 500 men are on site working with heavy machinery including 40 dumptrucks, 25 excavators and 15 bulldozers. However, once construction reaches a peak, it is expected that there will be a workforce of 20,000 people on site.
With 14.5 million cu m of sand to be reclaimed (part from the sea through dredging and the rest from dry excavation), the project is also receiving scrutiny from the Environmental Supreme Council. The 21-month reclamation contract is being carried out Qatar Dredging Company.
A total of 140,000 cu m of concrete will be poured for the project. The marina quay walls are formed with precast blocks with the top row laid insitu – a standard precast line producing 50 blocks per day has been erected on site for the purpose.  It is equipped with two Demag gantry cranes handling blocks and two cranes for the formwork. 
One problem has been the shortage of cement, which has been exacerbated because of other massive projects under way in Qatar such as the Asian Games Village and Education City. This shortage is being supplemented with imports from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, design work continues on various elements of the project. The designs for the Mediterranean-style interiors of the first 10 towers to be built around Porto Arabia were recently unveiled. The luxury interiors, designed by Seattle’s Callison Architecture Inc, reflects what will be Porto Arabia’s traditional lifestyle.
“This will embody the essence of old-world craftsmanship while embracing the advantages of modern living,” Nick Bashkiroff, development director Pearl-Qatar says “Behind graceful, solid entry doors lies a living space touched at every corner by different materials the world has to offer. The interior designs are firmly aligned with The Pearl-Qatar’s unique positioning as the Riviera Arabia and live up to our purchase promise of delivering quality.”
The project interiors vary to differentiate the imaginative town homes, fashionable apartments and elegant penthouse offerings among other developments.
Three of the world’s top architectural firms are currently competing in an international design contest for Viva Bahriya – the second largest marina precinct on The Pearl-Qatar. The international firms invited to participate in the competition are: SRSS & Associates, WBTL Architects and Zeidler Partnership Architects and the winner will be offered the overall design contract for Viva Bahriya – ‘the harbour of life’.
The masterplan concept of Viva Bahriya features a family destination of Northern Mediterranean ambience surrounding an enchanting harbour bordered by a clean white beach.