All land reclamation works have been completed on The Pearl-Qatar, the multi-billion dollar offshore island and one of the largest real estate developments in Qatar, and the project is moving ahead with tower and infrastructure developments, company officials said.

The island development, one of the most prestigious real estate development projects in the region, completed all dredging and land reclamation exactly two years after the approval of the work to begin.
Officials at United Development Company (UDC), owner and developer of The Pearl-Qatar, and its sister company Qatar Dredging Company, which was responsible for dredging and reclamation works, said it was a landmark day.
“This is a very exciting and special day for all of us at UDC and our partner companies,” said Khalil Sholy, managing director of UDC.
“It is with great pride that we announce today the completion of the island. The Pearl-Qatar, one of our flagship projects and one of the region’s most breathtaking real estate developments, has come a long way in the past two years and with each passing day we come closer to fulfilling our vision of creating a community like no other,” he added.
Today, two years after the process started, The Pearl-Qatar has emerged as the largest island in Qatar waters. During this time, 400 hectares of new land have been created with a 32 km shoreline, three coves, and navigable canals in addition to numerous other features.
Dredging and excavation is a complex process which, in the case of The Pearl-Qatar, saw the use 10,000 hp cutter-suction dredgers (CSD) to penetrate the earth and excavate soil, gravel and rock.
QDC officials said about 15 million cu m of land had been excavated and reclaimed to create the island.
Since dredging is a process that creates defined shorelines and beaches, it has been recognised as an environmentally-friendly procedure which generates new opportunities for marine life to grow.
“Maintaining and enhancing marine life is a very important issue for us and we are very grateful to have worked closely with Qatar’s Supreme Council for Environment and Natural Reserves over the past two years to ensure the protection and improvement of marine life,” said Nick Bashkiroff, development director of The Pearl-Qatar.
The Pearl-Qatar is the first development in the country to offer true freehold investment opportunities. Porto Arabia, the first district of the island to be developed, is virtually sold out while residential units in Viva Bahriya, the second district of the island, are generating wide interest and are expected to be launched soon.
Construction of The Pearl-Qatar has been racing ahead and can be viewed from Doha's waterfront. The island will be home to some 42,000 residents by 2010.