Msheireb Downtown Doha aims to transform people’s perceptions of city life, focusing on redefining the idea of smart cities.
Essential services have been moved underground, resulting in what Msheireb Properties COO Faisal AlMalki calls a “City under the City.” This development improves the urban landscape’s aesthetic and functional quality and encourages sustainability and community involvement.
In an interview with The Peninsula, AlMalki discusses the project’s development, its smart technologies, and how it fits in with international urban development trends, establishing Msheireb Downtown Doha as a trailblazing example for cities of the future.
“Our vision is to change the way that people think about urban environments, and we feel we have achieved our ambition with this, our flagship redevelopment project. By focusing on the user experience and prioritising the pedestrian, we have demonstrated that you can still achieve a smart, well-run and connected city, while also creating a positive user experience. We achieved this by focusing above-ground on the pedestrian and moving services (necessary in any city) below ground, to the ‘city under the city’,” he said.
AlMalki claims that Msheireb Downtown Doha, with its emphasis on sustainability, innovation, and community-centered design, is a prime example of global urban development trends. The project’s goal is to use land efficiently while integrating contemporary infrastructure and creating a lively, walkable neighborhood that respects Qatar’s cultural legacy. Similar to this, cities like Tokyo and Singapore have embraced underground development to address space constraints and improve urban living; Singapore, for example, has built utility tunnels and underground pedestrian networks. These instances show how creative subterranean solutions can alleviate urban problems and enhance livability.
Msheireb Downtown Doha is revitalizing Doha’s historic center, according to AlMalki, who also discussed how the development project has changed over time.
“You could say that we have been evolving here since Doha was established. The original downtown district of Msheireb also focused on what lay beneath, and the site was chosen due to a single water well whose generous reserves inspired a community to put down roots. Today, that original site is home to our downtown regeneration project, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and is now one of the fastest growing and most popular areas of Doha city for residents and commercial tenants,” he added.
With its creative use of smart technologies, Msheireb Downtown Doha is establishing a new benchmark for urban living.
“With over 650,000 Internet of Things (IoT) devices, connected by 450 kilometres of underground fibre optic networks, and physical infrastructure such as underground car parking, as well as a network of service alleys that has removed service vehicles, such as delivery vehicles, and rubbish collection, from the streets. In so doing, we have been able to prioritise the pedestrian and made the entire process of servicing the facilities more efficient,” said AlMalki.
Another pillar of Msheireb Downtown Doha is environmental sustainability, which reflects Msheireb Properties’ dedication to transforming urban living while upholding environmental standards.
“We have focused on using what we have in abundance, such as locally sourced building materials, and clever use of natural attributes like the wind. At the same time, we integrated smart tech to capture and utilise the sun for power through over 6,400 rooftop solar panels to provide onsite energy generation and 1,400 solar panels secure hot water, as well as rainfall capture for use in 70% of non-potable water. As a result of simple design considerations, such as improving the building envelopes of walls and windows, recessed windows, and energy recovery through the outside air entering the building, we have achieved a 30% energy reduction in the performance of buildings,” said AlMalki.
According to Almalki, Qatar is growing and implementing cutting-edge contemporary models. According to him, Msheireb Properties is committed to helping Qatar achieve its goals of becoming a leader in sustainable urban living.
