DOHA: With more than 14,000 labourers currently working in the ambitious Msheireb Downtown Doha project and their number expected to double in the coming phases, top priority is given to safety and “dignity” of the workers, according to a senior official of Msheireb Real Estate Company.
The project is on track, with the first three phases to be completed by 2016, said Engineer Abdullah Hassan Al Mahashadi, Executive Chairman of the company.
“Currently, there are 14,300 workers involved in the project, but the number may reach more than 28,000 as the project progresses. We have completed 72 million working hours, 68 million of which are free of any accidents or injury. There are 715 buses to transport the workers,” he said, talking to The Peninsula and Al Sharq during a site tour.
He said the company was highly concerned about the safety and security of the workers not only in the work site but even during transportation. “We are implementing the Karama (Dignity) initiative launched by the Qatar Foundation recently to deal with labourers and respect their dignity. We make sure there is nothing that goes against this principle,” he added.
The QR20bn township will have streets free of air and noise pollution caused by moving cars. It will also have one of the largest underground parking facilities in the country with a capacity of more than 10,000 vehicles to be controlled by smart applications, said the official.
Parking areas would all be underground so there would be no car parked on the streets. Visitors will be able to locate their cars in the dedicated parking lots using a new smart phone application.
The project would use an advanced waste disposal system, arguably a first in the country, in which all waste will go to one place through pipes to be processed for recycling. Water, electricity and telecommunications systems would also be underground so that no excavations would be required in case any expansion works are carried out in the premises.
“Thirty percent of the project is now completed, next year it will be 50 percent and in 2016, we will finish the third phase,” Al Mahashadi said.
“We have already awarded all tenders to the construction companies and there are no reasons that could delay the project because all engineering requirements are ready, designs approved and main contractors are there,” Al Mahashadi told The Peninsula.
“Majority of works is still underground but once we come to the surface of the project, work will speed up.”
Government buildings, he said, are ready to be handed over and the museum would be completed by next year. The underground cooling plant, which covers 50 percent of the project, is ready, while there will be another plant to cover the rest.
The last stage of the project will start after the underground Metro station is finished.
“We need to wait until the Metro station is finished before we start the fourth and last phase. We are discussing with Metro station contractors to implement the fourth phase within its schedule.”
The fourth phase includes commercial buildings, hotel, offices and palm open area with restaurants and cafes, he said.
He said the project cost remains at QR20b, however, with the construction of the Metro station, there would be some modifications in the original plan.
“The underground Metro station is located in the place which was supposed to be a car parking area so we moved some of the parking spaces to another building and made underground car parking to six floors.”
With regard to transportation within the Msheireb project, the company is studying options whether to use trams or golf carts, he said. “We plan to use one of these because we want to avoid making use of any vehicles that utilise diesel or cause environment and noise pollution.”
The project, he said, includes eco-friendly buildings providing all needs and services in one place and there would be no need for people to travel outside.
In 2012, Qataris represented 37 percent of Msheireb employees who occupy leading positions in different sections. “We have plans to increase the number of Qataris in the company, which is at 260.”
Several local contracting companies are also involved in the project. “From the beginning we made it a condition to have a local contractor for every foreign contracting company. Six Qatari companies are working in the project and the aim is to make local firms gain experience from foreign companies to be able to work in the future as main contractors.”
Nine major construction companies are working besides 17 sub-contractors.
The 31-hectare Msheireb project includes three equal sections for offices, residential buildings and commercial facilities and comprises Emiri Diwan area which includes building for Emiri Guard and national archive, heritage buildings, mosque, amenities, offices, town houses, apartments, hotels, schools, a cultural centre, mosques, department stores, a day care centre, a museum, restaurants and cafes.
It also includes 900 residential units, four hotels with 800 rooms, and 282 shops, but the number may change, Al Mahashadi said.
The project also has facilities such as art centre, social enrichment centre which would showcases Qatari history, culture and tradition and the history of Msheireb development.
