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Qatar plans quality housing communities for workers

DUBAI, November 10, 2016

Qatar government has announced plans to offer quality housing for 32,000 workers through development of fully-integrated, full service, and “well-thought-out” communities across the country, said a report.

To be developed with local partners in three phases, these are not labour camps or typical housing blocks or barracks, but a government-sponsored workers community project that features sustainable design and operations, reported the Gulf Times.

The first phase features a 4,000-bed single residential facility (SRF) at Umm Salal Mohamed, while the second phase will provide a 28,000-bed integrated worker accommodation community (IWAC) facility at Al Khor area.

As many as 32,000 expatriate workers will be provided with better accommodation and living conditions with the implementation of the first two phases, stated the report, citing a senior official of Qatar-based Daruna Development.

Phase One will feature a city centre with retail, consular and health services, municipal utilities, plus sustainable technologies, and an expansion capability of 10,000 to 12,000 beds.

"The key issue is that there is a lack of high-quality workers’ accommodation despite the very tangible recognition that the value of improving worker welfare is a direct improvement, and a direct benefit for the country, said Daruna projects director Dr Sean Cashin.

He was speaking at the Green Expo Forum Qatar, a platform for practitioners, experts, regulators and researchers, to discuss various topics on sustainability and climate change, which concluded yesterday (November 9) at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha.

Phase One and Two of the project represent 30 per cent of the current government allocated permanent worker accommodation projects in Qatar.

Cashin said the third phase of the project will start soon with three IWACs expected to be tendered early next year.

"The project is a first in terms of the government’s direct response to the challenge of providing better living conditions for migrant labourers," said Cashin.

"It is a unique model for the government to be looking at the private sector to assist on a BOT (build-operate-transfer) model our delivery is very much driven by their vision and expectations," he added.




Tags: Qatar | Workers | housing communities |

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