Restoration scheme in Qatar's capital

A US$ 5.5 billion project to rebuild a 35 ha area in the old part of Qatar's capital city is being developed by Dohaland, a unit of the non-profit Qatar Foundation.

Construction of ‘The Heart of Doha' will be built in five phases and is planned for completion by the end of 2016.

UK-based architect Allies and Morrison is developing the master-plan for the first phase of the project in partnership with Arup and Edaw. US-based Burns & McDonnell is also involved in design work for this stage of the scheme.

The cost of the first phase is being met by Qatar Foundation with methods of funding further phases still being examined.

The mixed use development will feature 226 buildings in total, ranging from three to 30 storeys, including a national archive, theatre, museum, hotels and heritage quarter. It will also include residential units, offices, schools, a tramway and other facilities.

The first phase of the project includes the demolition of some areas, which has already started, and the expansion of some government buildings.

According to local media Dohaland is counting on rental income to generate profit from the project by leasing units to Qataris and expatriates.

The Heart of Doha project is Dohaland's first real estate project and company CEO, Issa Al-Mohannadi, said in a statement, "Today we aim to restore the lost lustre to a location that is close to our hearts, we want to bring it back to life."