Msheireb Properties, a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation, has further strengthened its involvement in the local community with an initiative offering free IT training to construction workers.

Construction staff of the contractors employed in the QR20 billion ($5.49 billion) redevelopment of the historical centre of Doha, described as the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project, will now have the chance to take a six-week course in basic computer skills.

Msheireb Properties’ IT department will run the training at the workers’ living quarters and plans to expand the initiative to become a fully fledged corporate social responsibility platform in the long term, providing free tuition to many workers and involving the participation of other businesses and community groups in Qatar to help enrich the course content.

Mohammed Al-Marri, projects director at Msheireb Properties, said: “Developing the IT literacy of our construction workers will improve their jobs skills and make a difference to their quality of life – helping them to communicate with family and friends back home more easily and to become more independent.

“Our training initiative fits in with the larger community strategy of the company, which prioritises causes related to knowledge sharing. The current programme involves workers in Msheireb project and hopefully expands into a large-scale CSR activity over time.”

Already under way, the IT training comprises 12 two-hour sessions with two classes held each week in English and Hindi.

Msheireb, the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project, is realising a new architectural language for Qatar and developing an urban community that is sensitive to Qatar’s environment, culture and heritage.

Built on a 31-hectare site in the old commercial district of Doha, Msheireb will comprise more than 100 buildings, including 900 residential units, retail and office space, as well as hotels and cultural attractions.

Construction at Msheireb began in January 2010 and phase one will include a museum, Eid prayer ground, and National Archive.

The mixed-use project will open in five phases from 2012 through 2016 and preserve several existing heritage sites, including houses dating back to the beginning of the last century.

All buildings within the development 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.

Msheireb expects to achieve one of the highest concentrations of LEED-certified buildings in a single community anywhere in the world.  -TradeArabia News Service