Doha - The Pearl-Qatar, the multi-billion dollar offshore island and one of the largest real estate developments in the country has completed all land reclamation works and is moving ahead with tower and infrastructure developments, company officials said on Thursday.
The island development, one of the most prestigious real estate development projects in the region completed all dredging and land reclamation exactly two years after the approval of the work to begin.
"It is with great pride that we announce today the completion of the island. The Pearl-Qatar, one of our flagship projects and one of the region's most breathtaking real estate developments, has come a long way in the past two years and with each passing day we come closer to fulfilling our vision of creating a community like no other, said Khalil Sholy, Managing Director of United Development Company (UDC), owner and developer of The Pearl-Qatar.
Two years after the process started, The Pearl-Qatar has emerged as the largest island in Qatar waters. During this time, 400 hectares of new land have been created with a 32-kilometre shoreline, three coves, and navigable canals in addition to numerous other features.
Dredging and excavation is a complex process which, in the case of The Pearl-Qatar, saw the use 10,000 horsepower cutter-suction dredgers (CSD) to penetrate the earth and excavate soil, gravel and rock.
Officials of Qatar Dredging Company (QDC), which was responsible for dredging and reclamation works, said about 15 million cubic metres of land had been excavated and reclaimed to create the island that will be home to some 42,000 residents.
The Pearl-Qatar is one of the largest and most prestigious real estate projects in Qatar and the first development to offer true freehold investment opportunities. Porto Arabia, the first district of the island to be developed, is virtually sold out while residential units in Viva Bahriya, the second district of the island, are generating wide interest and are expected to be launched soon.
Construction of The Pearl-Qatar has been racing ahead and can be viewed from Doha's waterfront. The island will be home to some 42,000 residents by 2010.
© The Peninsula 2006
