Msheireb Downtown Doha almost complete, open for public

Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD), which is the ‘Smartest” and ‘Most sustainable fully-built City District in the world’ is more than 90% complete and is now open for the public through most of its quarters. 

The “world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration” project, the QR20bn Msheireb Downtown Doha, revives the old commercial heart of the city through a “new architectural language” that is based on community living, across a 76-acre site.Central to Msheireb Downton Doha are its “green features”, from rainwater harvesting to shady overhangs that make walking outside cooler, points out Clark Williams, Director – Marketing, Msheireb Properties, which is developing the City District.“We are the first to introduce the cool pool system in Qatar and have the largest number of PV solar panels in the country,” Williams said in an interview with Gulf Times here.Most of the mixed-use development, which comprises more than 100 buildings, is fitted with PV solar panels, solar water panels and overhangs designed to shade the surrounding sidewalks.The entire project, Williams noted, features sustainable designs that consume fewer resources, generate less waste, cost less to operate and achieve a reduced carbon footprint. All buildings within the city district are targeting an average ‘Gold’ rating under the internationally recognised LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification system developed by the US Green Building Council, while several buildings will aim for a ‘Platinum’ rating. The Jumaa Mosque at Msheireb is one of the first LEED certified mosques in the region (LEED Gold). MDD has the largest known concentration of LEED Gold-certified buildings in the world, he noted. Msheireb Downtown Doha is seen as part of a wider mission to meet Qatar’s National Vision 2030 plan, which aims - among other goals - to reduce energy consumption and the nation’s carbon footprint.Msheireb Downton Doha’s commitment to “sustainability” is evident from the fact that it has the “largest onsite water treatment of non-drinking water” for district cooling use in Qatar.It is the “first large-scale mixed-use development project in Qatar” to use non-drinking water for flushing water.Msheireb Downton Doha is the “first known development” that collects condensate water from air conditioning in Qatar. The district has the “largest fully automated” waste collection system in the country. It is home to one of the biggest Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants in Qatar supplying non-potable water for irrigation, flushing water and the cooling towers (6500m3 in a day)Msheireb Downtown Doha is a social and civic services hub with a combination of commercial and residential properties, civic services, retail, cultural offerings, entertainment areas and four hotels, which include the 5-star Mandarin Oriental, Park Hyatt, Al Wadi Doha MGallery by Accor Hotels and a Boutique hotel. Two of these luxury hotels - Mandarin Oriental, Doha and Al Wadi Doha MGallery were opened to the public last month.It is adjacent to the “redeveloped” Souq Waqif, a successful mixed-use scheme based on a traditional Qatari souq and the historical ‘Al Koot Fort’.Highlighting some of the development’s key features, Williams said, “We have one of the world’s largest underground connected car parks with provisions to accommodate thousands of vehicles at any given time.”Beneath Msheireb Downtown Doha will be the largest metro station in Qatar (with a capacity to host 25,000 passengers in an hour) and it is also home to the first operational tram in Qatar.The project will have Qatar’s longest outdoor pedestrian shopping street.Williams said Msheireb Downtown Doha is one of the “largest connected developments” in Qatar. It is one of the largest developments in Qatar that has developed a fiber backbone of approximately 430km of fiber optic network and growing. The project hosts the largest network of electronic amenities (EA) in the region and is home to the “largest connected fire safety systems” in the region.MDD is the “first development in Qatar” offering the largest and most advanced security and safety systems (9,000+ CCTV cameras) and the “single most connected development” in the region operating a fiber optic back-bone cable system.“We also have one of the largest monitored developments using close to a million sensors and devices around the city - above and below ground level,” Williams pointed out.The country’s iconic financial institution – QNB moved into Msheireb Downtown Doha in October 2018. The ‘Souq Underpass’ connecting MDD with Souq Waqif had opened in October 2018. Besides offering convenient access between the properties, the Souq Underpass contains many retail shops, he said. Clearly, the Msheireb Downtown Doha project blends traditional Qatari heritage and aesthetics with modern technology, a focus on sustainability and harmony with the environment. It is set to realise the objective of “bringing people back to their roots- to rediscover a sense of community and togetherness.”No wonder many see the project as the “best example of urban regeneration” in the world!