BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: Katara Cultural Village’s unique appeal to visitors would be further enhanced with the construction of more buildings, including a mall, which is likely to begin in June this year, according to Dr Khalid Ibrahim Al Sulaiti (pictured), General Manager of Katara.
“Many new buildings are set to rise on the south side of Katara, including a commercial plaza on top of the basement parking. These projects would likely start in June this year. We are going within the schedule of phases of development,” Dr Al Sulaiti told The Peninsula yesterday.
He said what people see on ground right now is only the first phase of the project and that the nature and magnitude of the project demands it be carried out in stages.
“The foundation is a huge entity and requires several years to accomplish this dream, which is scheduled to be finalised in 2018. By completing stages of the Cultural Village project, Qatar will be succeeding in investing in culture, as the government funds cultural activities, and preserving its legacy, because culture is the memory of people, and the main motive of its heading to future prospects,” he added.
Residential villas, hotels and other facilities serving culture and tourism are among other projects included in Katara development, he said, “nevertheless, the main stage that we want for the Cultural Village is the development and adoption of the Qatari intellect and innovations.”
With the meteoric rise in the number of visitors to Katara, the Cultural Village has become a major tourist destination in the country for visitors who wish to witness art expos and performances from world-class artistes.
“The events held in Katara contributed to support and stimulate the cultural sector in Qatar. The daily average of visitors to Katara exceeded 20,000, with a maximum percentage of the numbers on holidays and weekends, and during events and festivals such as the Doha Tribeca Film Festival which recorded 180,000 visitors and during the two-day Eid event which had 160,000 visitors. During weekends the number of visitors reach 90,000,” he said.
Al Sulaiti said people can expect more world-class events and performances as Katara works closely with top companies and collaborate with various diplomatic missions.
“Katara is an international hub for multi-cultural events in various fields of art and we are bringing more of these in our coming activities. In order to look into other cultures, it is important to work with various embassies.”
The Cultural Village, he said, is the first project of its kind in the region because “it is not just traditional buildings or entertainment or commercial facilities, it involves several projects that put culture in the centre all activities.”
The Peninsula
