Qatar has won four prizes in the 13th edition of Arab Towns Organisation Awards announced yesterday. Doha city won the first position in Architecture Award category for its project Hazm al Markhiya residential project. Doha shared the award with the Urban center and heritage village in Madinah in Saudi Arabia. Al Shamal won the second position in the Green Award category and Al Rayyan came third in Beautification Award.
Al Wakra shared the second position in the Architectural Heritage Award for renovation of Al Wakra Fort with Al Qaysariyah Market in Al Hafouf, Saudi Arabia. “We have provided new proposals to add more of categories to the Awards, and is still waiting approval from the organisation”, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Award Eng Jamal Matar Al Nuaimi said yesterday, while announcing of the results at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment headquarters.
Al Nuaimi appreciated the jury saying, “About 50 towns and individuals were in the race for the awards. The award distribution ceremony will be held in May and it will include many prizes”.
A number of officials from the ministry attended the event where the awards were announced. The 13th edition of the awards was primarily focusing on architecture and the cities greenery.
Dr Mohamed Hisham Saudi, the head of the jury said that around 23 entries were received for the Architecture Award, 15 for greenery and beautification, and no names were nominated for the expert of city beatification award.
Besides Al Shamai, other cities which have won Green Awards are Al Jubail, industrial city in Saudi Arabia and Laayoune town in Morocco.
The cities which won awards for beatification are Al Rayyan in Qatar, Ramallah in Palestine and Dhofar in Oman.
The Arab Towns Organization’s Awards were established in 1983 and its aim is to promote and preserve the heritage and identity of Arab towns, Al Nuaimi said.
