Middle East projects breaking ground

Sabah Al-Ahmad Maritime City

While projects may have stalled in Dubai, the same can't be said for the rest of the UAE or further afield.

Yesterday evening in Qatar, the groundbreaking ceremony of Dohaland's signature project, the 'Heart of Doha' took place, attended by Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. As part of the ceremony, the project was also renamed 'Musheireb', symbolising the historical significance and importance of the area.

Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, Chairperson of Dohaland, symbolised the site's message of the 'ancient and the modern meeting' by reviving an age-old Qatari tradition and leaving her hand-print on the cornerstone of the 'Musheireb' project.

The project is intended to rediscover the heart of the city, converting it into a model community complete with everything that an ideal city can offer. To quote the project's statement, "‘Musheireb' is poised to become the hub of a modern city that incorporates the distinctive qualities of Doha and meets the needs of modern-day citizens."

Speaking at the ceremony, Sheikha Mozah said: "Our past clearly reflected that communities in Qatar have always been close-knit. People lived and worked together in harmony with the climate, with the land and with each other.

"We had our own ways of dealing with our environment which was sustainable and human in scale, and thus, our architecture reflected the unity of our family's identity."

Kuwait's Sea City

Meanwhile in Kuwait, plans are progressing for the Sabah Al-Ahmad Sea City, a massive 6,500 hectare development project located approximately 100km south of Kuwait City, that will eventually provide a home for up to 100,000 people.

Speaking at the British Business Forum at the British Embassy Atrium in Kuwait, Ian Williams, who is a Civil Engineer and Jamie Holmes, a Coastal Engineer who are both working on the project outlined their hopes for the city.

"This is a marine city and does not involve going offshore and reclaiming land from the sea, thus impacting on the marine environment and coastal equilibrium, but by bringing water inland and transforming environmentally impoverished land into a thriving ecosystem," said Williams.

He also added the city has generated enormous worldwide interest and that the Discovery Channel had commissioned two, one-hour documentaries on the project.

The Sabah Al-Ahmad maritime city is not only considered one of the most distinguished projects of its kind in the region, but also in the world. The project will achieve an 84 kilometer long coast following the completion of the water canal phase.

As you can see, despite the slump in Dubai, innovative projects around the region are continuing apace.

Relevant articles:

'Heart of Doha' begins construction | The cancelled Dubai mega-projects | The Burj Dubai is now the Burj Khalifa

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