A Middle Eastern nation known for its lavish city centers and abundance of luxurious hotels and shopping centers, Qatar also boasts a range of entertainment, educational, and recreational attractions as well as historical landmarks. Popular tourist sites include the National Museum of Qatar, the Mathaf Museum of Modern Art Qatar, Katara Cultural Village, the mysterious Film City, Al Khor Tower, and the Doha Desert.
In an effort to further boost its tourism sector and diversify its economy, Qatar is undertaking one of its most ambitious development projects to date: the makeover of the historic Lusail City to serve as a cultural center with a variety of attractions and tourist accommodations.
Lusail’s Historical Significance
Located north of Doha’s West Bay, Lusail was named after a rare flower native to Qatar and is the burial site of Sheikh Jassem Bin Mohammad Al Thani, the founder of Qatar. He died in 1913 and was buried in Founder’s Fort, which is considered a cultural landmark in the country. Back then, Lusail was a small port village with only about 50 stone and mud houses.
Key Component of Qatar 2030
Lusail is central to Qatar 2030, a national vision through which Qatar aims to become an advanced society with a high standard of living. Emphasizing human, social, economic, and environmental development, Qatar 2030 more specifically strives to address the following five challenges: modernization and historical preservation, the needs of current and future generations, managed growth and unrestrained expansion, the expatriate work force and the path of development, and environmental management.
Construction on the $45-billion, master-planned Lusail City began in 2006 and, once completed, the development is expected to accommodate 450,000 people. This estimate includes 200,000 full-time residents, 170,000 working professionals across its 19 districts, and 80,000 tourists. These 19 districts will be spread throughout a 38-square-kilometer area. In addition, Lusail will feature four islands and a blue lagoon with a pair of marinas.
A smart city project, Lusail will utilize the latest technologies to ensure safety and efficiency. There will be a centralized command and control center that surveils the city at all times and an operational control center to manage interconnected technologies and activities. The megaproject is being carried out by the Lusail Real Estate Development Company.
Hotels and Attractions
Entertainment City is expected to be Lusail’s premier tourist destination. Its downtown center features hotels and other attractions spread across three districts: The Commercial Street, The Seef, and The Plaza. The Commercial Street combines the country’s cultural fabric with contemporary urbanism to create a unique commercial and residential destination. It boasts a variety of shopping centers and leisure experiences and was designed to accommodate pedestrian street shopping and dining.
The Seef, meanwhile, is a waterfront development covering 520,000 square meters. It has a variety of luxurious contemporary living accommodations in addition to entertainment and cultural destinations. The Plaza is situated in the middle of the downtown area and features two 50-floor and two 70-floor towers.
Twenty-two hotels with international star ratings have been or are in the process of being built throughout the city. These include the Fairmont & Raffles Lusail Hotels and Residences Qatar and the Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas, the latter of which offers visitors access to a private beach spanning 3.5 kilometers. Other major attractions in Lusail include Crescent Park, Lusail Marina, Place Vendome, Marina Food Arena, and Desert Falls Water and Adventure Park, which features 28 slides and rides in a 57,000-square-meter space.
Sustainable Living
In line with its emphasis on environmental stewardship as part of Qatar 2030, Lusail is being developed with a variety of eco-friendly and sustainable features. Its electrical network is managed by a smart grid, while it also has intelligent street lighting and watering. It is the first development in the country to endorse the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) and, to date, every building that has been constructed has met GSAS targets for water conservation, energy consumption efficiency, outdoor environment quality, local material sourcing and recycling, and management and operations.
In regard to its landscape strategy, special consideration was given to measures that protect natural habitats and promote biodiversity. There are more than 30 parks in the Fox Hills District and five plots of natural landscapes in Crescent Park.
World Cup 2022
Although Qatar was awarded the 2022 FIFA World Cup four years after construction began on Lusail, the mega-planned city has since held a prominent position in the country’s plans for the global football tournament. The Plaza is expected to serve as a fan zone for visitors traveling to Qatar to watch the World Cup, while the 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium will host 10 matches, including the tournament final.
One of eight tournament venues, the stadium is expected to be complete by the end of 2021 and, following the World Cup, will function as a mixed-use facility with on-site housing, shops, health clinics, and a community football pitch.