Managing Director of Qetaifan Projects and Deputy Chairman of Katara Hospitality, Sheikh Nasser bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani.
Doha: Construction of the QR17bn Qetaifan Island North, which is being groomed to be the biggest entertainment destination in Qatar, is on track and expected to be completed before the World Cup despite the pandemic-induced challenges, officials have said.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the island project’s sales auction event for its Phase 2 villa plots recently, Managing Director of Qetaifan Projects and Deputy Chairman of Katara Hospitality, Sheikh Nasser bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani (pictured) said that the island, which spans 1.3 million sqm and with on-going projects spread across 830,000 sqm of land, is set to be operational by the second quarter of 2022. Infrastructure projects including the water park, which is the most anticipated feature at the island, as well as the luxury hotel and plaza among others, are expected to accommodate not only the residents, but also tourists and football fans during the mega sporting event.
“From our side, we’re in a construction phase. And from day one we took it very seriously. We took all the preventive measures not to get affected by the coronavirus. From placing orders, to the contractors, and to the safety of the labourers and employees working there. And we were very successful in that, as we had no major issues or delays in our projects. So that’s how we’re going to be delivering it. We are creating another destination that will complete the whole masterplan of entertainment and tourism in the country. And we will be an addition and an extra option for people to also visit. Hopefully, we’re going to be operational before the World Cup, and the World Cup will be a very strong marketing platform for our product as well as our country,” Sheikh Nasser added.
The water park, set to be the home of the 80-metre Icon Tower which is said to be the world’s highest tower of its kind, is already taking shape, Construction Director at Qetaifan Projects, Mahmoud Fahmy, also told The Peninsula on the sidelines of the event.
“The Iconic Tower now reaches 54 metres high and it will go up to 85 metres high. For the whole island, we have already completed the enabling works for the packages. And the following set of projects which are currently in progress are the beach club, the water park, the hotel, and the infrastructure and plaza are all going on as per schedule. Currently, we have around 5,000 labourers, five contractors, and all the projects are going on 24/7. The target date for completion is by the end of 2021. And the projects will be handed over for testing and commissioning by early 2022 to meet the upcoming World Cup,” he said.
Fahmy added that construction work has continued at the island despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, precautionary health and safety measures have been put in place including social distancing, while meetings have been conducted mostly online.
“We had some challenges with products coming from overseas. But this was mitigated, we tried to keep on the schedule and resolve that by selecting other options to facilitate the project being completed on time,” added Fahmy.
The mixed-use island development project is seeing a growing demand for its residential and beach front villa plots.
Qetaifan Island North’s sales have already exceeded QR1bn within 12 months, while Qetaifan Projects, which is owned by Katara Hospitality, has also just announced its new “Duplex” real estate product at the island.
Sheikh Nasser, who is optimistic about the future of real estate and entertainment sectors in Qatar post-pandemic, also reiterated the island’s unique proposition to attract foreign direct investments.
“Qatar is working on various projects to develop the entertainment sector and attract more tourists to the country. And we are contributing towards that. At Qetaifan Projects, our strategy has always been to build the magnet and then let it attract people and investors, instead of selling lands before we build the actual entertainment product."
"The island’s water park will really be unique. It will show the history of the region and the exploration of oil and gas in Doha. Also, we’re going to have live entertainment shows around the canal. Alongside that you will have the retail and the residential elements. The project, with its holistic approach, will also include a school, medical centre, and a mosque along with elements of entertainment which will all bring a unified product for all,” he added.
