Doha Festival City opens its doors
Doha Festival City, the largest entertainment, retail and hospitality destination in Qatar opened its doors to the public last week, April 5.
Thousands of visitors flocked to the new mall, managed and operated by Al-Futtaim, to be amongst the first to shop, dine and be entertained. The mixed-use development will be home to more than 500 retail units, including leading international and local brands.
Trevor Hill General Manager of Doha Festival City Mall said, said: “After many months of anticipation, we are tremendously proud to finally welcome the public to our world-class destination and are already enjoying the positive feedback.
“We invite visitors to come and celebrate with us time and again, as we have a number of surprises in store at Doha Festival City to ensure ongoing one-of-a-kind experiences for all.”
As a ‘Smart Mall’, Doha Festival City has incorporated a number of innovative concepts that combines with unique technology, enhancing its visitors’ experience at every part of their journey within the destination.
From digital wayfinding, smart car parking and free high-speed wifi to its extensive digital media network – every ‘Smart’ aspect has been considered throughout.
Arcadis successfully helped to deliver Doha Festival City over the last six years. In 2011, the firm was appointed by Bawabat Al-Shamal Real Estate Company WLL (BASREC), the owners and developers of Doha Festival City, to provide cost and commercial management services on the development.
Throughout the construction period, the Arcadis team managed change requests from over 500 tenants and in each case, provided timely cost estimates that enabled the client to make informed decisions on spend.
A two-stage procurement process was also implemented to allow an early works contract to be let, which meant the client could start work ahead of an anticipated increase in construction costs in the Qatar market.
Kareem Shamma, CEO, BASREC said: “The official opening of Doha Festival City is a proud moment for all of the parties that have supported the scheme over the last six years. Throughout this period, the Arcadis team has consistently provided excellent cost and commercial management advice. This has enabled us to deliver a world-class development that’s already exceeding the expectations of our visitors, tenants and investors.”
Jack Overkamp, Qatar Managing Director, Arcadis added: “The opening of Doha Festival City is another important milestone in Qatar’s incredible journey. Arcadis is proud to have been involved on a scheme that’s helping to improve quality of life in Doha, by providing the city’s growing population with access to first-class leisure, retail and entertainment facilities.”
Arcadis has worked on a large number of retail and mixed-use developments across the Middle East including City Walk, Mall of the Emirates and Mirdif City Centre in Dubai, the Al Wahda shopping mall in Abu Dhabi and Muscat City Centre in Oman amongst many others.
