Katara Cultural Village set for major expansion
Qatari project looks to attract more visitors through expansion of cultural project
Katara Cultural District is in line for expansion.
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Katara Cultural Village, a tourism development project in Qatar, plans to construct more buildings, including a shopping mall, residential villas, hotels and other facilities, as it looks to attract more visitors over the coming years.
Construction of the mall is likely to begin in June of this year, said Dr Khalid Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, general manager of Katara. He said that what was currently on the ground was only the first phase of the project, with further expansion planned in stages.
“Many new buildings are set to rise on the south side of Katara, including a commercial plaza on top of the basement parking. These projects would likely start in June this year. We are going within the schedule of phases of development,” Dr Al Sulaiti told The Peninsula, a Qatari newspaper.
“The foundation is a huge entity and requires several years to accomplish this dream, which is scheduled to be finalised in 2018. By completing stages of the Cultural Village project, Qatar will be succeeding in investing in culture, as the government funds cultural activities, and preserving its legacy, because culture is the memory of people, and the main motive of its heading to future prospects,” he added.
The Cultural Village has become a major tourist destination in the country for visitors looking for art expos and performances from artistes.
“The events held in Katara contributed to support and stimulate the cultural sector in Qatar. The daily average of visitors to Katara exceeded 20,000, with a maximum percentage of the numbers on holidays and weekends, and during events and festivals such as the Doha Tribeca Film Festival which recorded 180,000 visitors and during the two-day Eid event which had 160,000 visitors. During weekends the number of visitors reach 90,000,” Dr Al Sulaiti said.
