Doha, Qatar: As part of the follow-up of the implementation of development and rehabilitation projects for areas of historical and heritage value in Central Doha, President of the Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ H E Eng. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Meer inspected the progress of work on the development project of Al-Asmakh area, first package in Msheireb area, where the construction work of the project was completed, and the procedures for its delivery began.
During the visit, the President of ‘Ashghal’ was briefed with a comprehensive explanation of the project’s developments and delivery procedures after the completion of construction work. He directed the necessity of completing delivery work according to the scheduled date during the current year, while adhering to the required quality and standards.
The President of ‘Ashghal’ stressed that Al-Asmakh Area Development Project – first package embodies the Authority’s keenness to achieve a balance between preserving Doha’s historical and heritage identity in line with modern development requirements, noting that the project extends over an area of 78,000 square meters, and aims to raise the efficiency of buildings, services and facilities in the area, which includes 73 buildings.
He added: The project’s work included implementing an integrated package of development works, which included restoring and rehabilitating existing buildings, reconstructing a number of buildings while preserving their heritage character, developing service buildings, improving facades, in addition to developing infrastructure and redesigning internal streets.
For his part, Eng. Khaled Al Khamis, the project manager, explained that the construction work has been completed, while the project delivery procedures are currently continuing, noting that the development work included re-construction of an integrated infrastructure that includes streets, extensions and various facilities to serve all buildings that have been developed or re-constructed, while preserving their distinctive architectural elements.
The project included redesigning part of the old hotel building, “Doha Palace”, and rehabilitating it again, with the aim of converting it into an old car showroom, which would contribute to repurposing and benefiting from one of the existing buildings, while preserving its value and architectural character.
A number of external works have also been implemented, including roads, walkways, sidewalks and signage, to improve the quality of the urban environment and connect buildings to their surrounding areas in an integrated manner.
