The venture plans to build an entertainment and retail complex in Doha, the companies said in a joint statement today. The project will be located on the northern highway linking the Doha airport with the proposed Bahrain Causeway.

Construction of the 433,000 square-meter project will begin in early 2011 and the first phase is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2012 and the remaining two phases by 2015, according to the statement.
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The government is forcing almost all Qatari businesses based in residential areas to move into commercial districts over the next two years after a state-backed construction boom helped turn an office shortage into a glut.

“This issue has cost me lots of losses,” said Al Toubassi, administrative manager of Amana Steel Buildings Contracting Co. “I employed four of the staff working full time for three months to find a new office.”

A dearth of commercial space five to six years ago prompted company owners to move into houses and villas, where rents were lower and room was plentiful. A building push driven by rising values and support from the government of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani delivered new office properties to the market just as the financial crisis caused investment to slump in the second half of 2008, saddling the sheikhdom with vacant space.

The government helped speed up office construction by giving out land to individuals and companies on the condition they started building within five years, said Mark Proudly, associate director at property adviser DTZ Research. At the same time, rising rents and a growing foreigner population encouraged developers to start work.

Vacancies Rise

Vacancy rates tripled since 2008 in West Bay, the waterfront district that’s home to most of Doha’s newest hotels and office blocks, and now range from 15 percent to 20 percent, according to DTZ. A further 192,000 square meters (2.06 million square feet) of office space will be added to the area’s existing 1.1 million square meters this year, he said.
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The money will be transferred as part of the deal within three weeks, a local Arabic daily reported yesterday.

Spokesman of Qatari Diar and Barwa Real Estate Company, Ghanim bin Saad Al Saad said Qatari Diar and Barwa have always backed Al Imtiaz and the latest move of taking over the golf course development project at Lusial is to help the company with liquidity. The daily said Al Saad outlined the details of the deal at the general assembly meeting of the company. He said Al Imitaz had successfully overcome the impact of the global financial crisis.[Read More]

The peninsula’s main educational investment vehicle is the Qatar Foundation, headed by Shaikha Mouza Bint Nasser Al Missned, the wife of the country’s emir.

Besides focusing on education and research, it runs a multitude of more unusual cultural events and initiatives, such as a philharmonic orchestra and an equestrian centre.[Read More]

With a rise in consumerism, beauty treatments are not restricted to the four walls of a room any more.

Some parlours are quite innovative and have included in their range of services facilities such as gymnasiums, Jacuzzis and swimming pools as well.

Beauty treatment centres are in this way building large and loyal clientele bases, instead of continuing to serve motley groups of customers, some on a one-off or occasional basis.

Many of the patrons are regulars and tend to look at beauty treatments in a comprehensive way as they opt for all-round beauty enhancement, including physical exercises, to look fit and attractive.

But, although some expatriate women from higher income groups are part of the revolutionary changes in this business of beauty and personal upkeep, most in the expatriate communities cannot afford the extravagance. Rich and upper middle-class Qatari women are, obviously, more into it.[Read More]

Shaun Brook, practice leader of insurance management for Kane, will head the new office.

“Qatar has made a significant commitment to becoming a global center of excellence for captive insurance and has established a well-structured regulatory regime, which is robust, flexible and conducive to captive growth,” Mr. Brook said in a statement.[Read More]

In May, Qatar Airways announced the extension of ARI-ME’s duty free management consultancy until the opening of the New Doha International Airport, scheduled for 2012.

Replacing Mullen in Cyprus is Toni McDonald, who has many years of experience with ARI, dating back to the company’s early years as pioneer of the Moscow Duty Free business in Russia.

ARI-ME Managing Director John Sutcliffe said: “Toni is an excellent and very able retail manager, and we worked together in Moscow during the early years of that business. Her experience will be a great asset in Cyprus.

“Martin is perfect for this new role in Doha. He has great experience, which will prove invaluable to the business at Qatar Duty Free, especially as it approaches the opening of the new airport. Martin was heavily involved in major shop openings for Bahrain Duty Free, and more recently in the new terminal openings at Larnaka and Pafos airports.” [Read More]

The government is forcing almost all Qatari businesses based in residential areas to move into commercial districts over the next two years after a state-backed construction boom helped turn an office shortage into a glut.

“This issue has cost me lots of losses,” said Al Toubassi, administrative manager of Amana Steel Buildings Contracting Co. “I employed four of the staff working full time for three months to find a new office.”

A dearth of commercial space five to six years ago prompted company owners to move into houses and villas, where rents were lower and room was plentiful. A building push driven by rising values and support from the government of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani delivered new office properties to the market just as the financial crisis caused investment to slump in the second half of 2008, saddling the sheikhdom with vacant space.

The government helped speed up office construction by giving out land to individuals and companies on the condition they started building within five years, said Mark Proudly, associate director at property adviser DTZ Research. At the same time, rising rents and a growing foreigner population encouraged developers to start work.

Vacancy rates tripled since 2008 in West Bay, the waterfront district that’s home to most of Doha’s newest hotels and office blocks, and now range from 15 percent to 20 percent, according to DTZ. A further 192,000 square meters (2.06 million square feet) of office space will be added to the area’s existing 1.1 million square meters this year, he said. [Read More]

The southern Indian city of Cochin, currently served daily, will get an additional four flights a week – two from September 1 and the other two from November 5.

The beginning of the Northern Winter flying programme on October 31 will see the highly popular Doha – Delhi route securing an additional daily flight taking capacity to the Indian capital up to 14 services a week. [Read More]