Construction of Phase One, which includes IKEA, is scheduled for completion in 2013.
Excavation work on the first phase of Doha Festival City has proved more difficult than expected but the project is still on schedule, according to its development director.
The $6 billion entertainment, retail and hospitality project, which includes Qatar’s first IKEA superstore, has made significant progress and is on target for scheduled completion of the first phase following its ground breaking in October 2011, said Greg Douglas, development director – Doha Festival City.
Once completed the development will cover a total area of 433,847sqm with 260,000sqm designated as gross leasable area. The flagship IKEA store will be the first piece of a wide ranging retail offering, with the mega complex likely to house more than 500 international and local retail and dining outlets.
“Hard rock made excavation more difficult than expected,” said Douglas. “But we have managed to move over 102,000 metric tons of earth and made significant progress on the structural front.
Three levels of the IKEA store, part of the first phase of development, have already been constructed, he added.
“At 168m, the IKEA store is longer than two new A380 Airbuses laid end to end and covers a GLA of approximately 32,000m2. The roof is the next stage for completion and will cover over 21,000sqm, the size of two and a half football pitches.”
The general contractor package for IKEA has been awarded to the joint venture between Qatari Arabian Construction Co (QACC) and Amana Qatar Contracting Co with the MEP package awarded to Hamad and Mohammed Al-Futtaim Engineering.
“The construction progress is testament to the expertise of all teams involved in this landmark project,” said Kareem Shamma, CEO, Bawabat Al-Shamal Real Estate Company (BASREC), the owners and developers of Doha Festival City. “Their commitment to Doha Festival City is a fantastic endorsement of what we are looking to achieve here. More than 777,000 man-hours have already been invested to bring the project to this stage.”
Construction of Phase One, which includes the IKEA location, is scheduled for completion in Q1 2013, with the remaining phases due in Q3 2015. Doha Festival City is located 15km north of Doha on Al Shamal Road, one of the arterial routes connecting the capital city to Bahrain via the proposed ‘Friendship’ causeway.