British Ambassador to Qatar H E Jonathan Wilks (third right), Managing Director of Qetaifan Projects Sheikh Nasser bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani (fourth left), Co-Founder and Director at Fenton Whelan James Van Den Heule, Co-Founder and CEO of Aplomado Invest
Doha: A British 5-star medical centre and a British school with a combined value of £127.5m will be built at the Qetaifan Island North, after officials from the island’s master developer Qetaifan Projects which is owned by Katara Hospitality, and UK-based firms Fenton Whelan and Aplomado Investments signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to spearhead the projects yesterday.
Managing Director of Qetaifan Projects Sheikh Nasser bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani (pictured), Co-Founder and Director at UK specialist real estate developer Fenton Whelan James Van Den Heule, and Co-Founder and CEO of UK investment and development firm Aplomado Investments Jeremy Bussey facilitated the signing of the MoU at a ceremony which was held in the presence of the British Ambassador to Qatar H E Jonathan Wilks, and other officials.
The premiere healthcare centre will provide 8,500sqm of state-of-the-art medical facilities and cutting-edge healthcare services. The facility is specifically designed for primary care services, outpatient consultation and diagnostic medicine, emergency services, and specialist services, in addition to preventive medicine and telemedicine. The International Hospitals Group (IHG) is advising the partnership in identifying the operating partner for the healthcare facility.
The British school will provide a 30,245sqm campus with a built-up area of 17,000sqm, comprising classrooms, main school hall, campus library with lounge areas, science and technology building, sports hall and school canteen/restaurant. The school’s extensive playing fields, tennis courts and grounds will front on to the waters of the salt canal, and it is envisaged that in true British style, students will be able to learn Oxford/Cambridge style competitive rowing and leisurely riverboat punting on the canal. The private K-12 school is also expected to accommodate about 1,500 students. Construction of both projects will start in parallel in Q1 2022 and each will have a 24-month construction programme.
Addressing a press conference after the MoU signing ceremony, Sheikh Nasser reiterated that the new partnership not only develops Qatar’s tourism landscape, but also supports the advancement of foreign direct investments (FDIs) in the country.
He added that construction for the Qetaifan Island North project is still on track, and the island which will be the first beach entertainment hub in Qatar, is still expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2022.
He added: “We are happy to conclude this agreement, which shows the concerted efforts of government bodies and institutions in the country, which have worked and are still working to provide an attractive investment environment for foreign investments, and perhaps the most prominent of these efforts is starting to implement the freehold law for non-Qataris, which would provide the local market with international standards and options that work on developing and revitalising sectors such as tourism, hospitality, entertainment and of course real estate development.
“We do not consider the medical centre and the school as just an addition to the residents of Qetaifan Island North, but we treat this type of facility as an addition to the whole local real estate development market, which would increase investment opportunities,” Sheikh Nasser said.
Aplomado Investments and Fenton Whelan are working with UK Export Finance to assist with project procurement and logistics for the projects. Support has also been offered from the office of the British Ambassador to Qatar.
Speaking during the event, Ambassador Wilks reiterated that the new partnership was a symbol of the UK’s confidence and trust in Qatar as a stable and safe place to invest. He added that investment and trade figures between Qatar and the UK have increased during the last five years. It may be noted that bilateral trade between both countries reached $3bn last year.
The Ambassador added: “I am delighted that Qetaifan Projects, and UK investors Fenton Whelan and Aplomado Investments, have formed a partnership to develop a British school and a British medical centre on Qetaifan Island North. I look forward to seeing our high quality British healthcare and education institutions establishing themselves as leaders in their field in Qatar at one of Qatar’s most desirable new residential and leisure areas. The UK is proud to support this project in Qatar as a symbol of partnership and confidence between our two countries.”
Located off Lusail City, Qetaifan Island North is a 1.3 million sqm development which will provide a new waterfront destination for Qatar. The island will feature a linear park and a 1.2 km salt canal linked to the sea, a beach club, waterfront shopping and restaurants promenade, a 129,296 sqm waterpark under the management of international Rixos Hotels chain, a 15,400 sqm retail plaza and a luxury 5-star hotel comprising 335 keys and 10 chalets. Alongside these retail and leisure facilities there will be mixed-use residential buildings including 107 villas and over 3,650 apartments and penthouses, in addition to the school, medical centre, and a mosque.
