Over 300 major regional and international retailers recently set up for two hours at Doha Festival City, the owners of the iconic mixed-use retail, leisure and entertainment destination, to unveil details of the development’s retail component.

This follows last week’s groundbreaking ceremony that marked the commencement of construction of phase two of Doha Festival City, a statement from an official said.

During the event, attendees were given an exclusive preview of the city’s shopping mall component which is scheduled for completion in Q1, 2016. 

Doha Festival City is the largest super-regional, mixed-use development currently under construction in the Middle East, and it is designed to be Qatar’s largest combined retail, entertainment and leisure destination, the statement said.

Offering a gross leasable area of more than 260,000 m2, Doha Festival City will feature over 500 shops offering a carefully balanced selection of international and local brands and more than 70 restaurants and cafes.

“We are creating something truly unique for Qatar, a destination within a destination, a festive fusion of sights and sounds that will excite the senses, and will become a regular attraction for residents and visitors alike,” said Kareem M Shamma, chief executive, Bawabat Al-Shamal Real Estate Company (Basrec), the joint venture representing the development’s Qatari and Emirati shareholders.

“Already, some of the region’s top retail groups representing the world’s most prestigious and popular brands have committed expansive presence at Doha Festival City. We also plan to have a retail mix catering to both mid and luxury markets.”

Doha Festival City will also be home to automotive showrooms, as well as a hotel and convention centre, all over a total site area of more than 430,000 m2, that will include 8,500 parking spaces with an efficient vehicle management system.

Its indoor-outdoor entertainment park will boast a number of exciting attractions for children and adults alike, making Doha Festival City an ideal day-out destination for the whole family, the statement said.

Various and distinctive interior zones will take visitors through an inspired journey that will excite the senses and provide an unforgettable shopping and entertainment experience in an environment operating under Qatar Sustainability  Assessment System (QSAS).

“The look and feel of Doha Festival City will be unlike anything that exists in Qatar and the Northern Gulf. Apart from the world-class selection of stores, brands and F&B outlets, the development will include one of the largest entertainment destinations in the entire region and a footfall-enhancing layout and floor plan dominated by bright and inspiring walkways allowing consumers to browse in the comfort of wide open arcades,” said Greg Douglas, development director, Doha Festival City.

It is also home to the first Ikea store in Qatar and is strategically located north of downtown Doha, on the main arterial route of Al Shamal Road, between Doha International Airport and the Friendship Causeway, the proposed road link to neighbouring Bahrain. – TradeArabia News Service