Contract covers the construction of raft foundations for Phase 3 of the Msheireb Downtown Doha project

Doha, November 27 2012: Msheireb Properties, Qatar's leading sustainable developer, today announced that it had awarded the contract for the construction of the raft foundations of Phase 3 of its flagship project Msheireb Downtown Doha to HBK Contracting Company.

The seven-month contract with HBK Contracting Company represents another milestone in the ongoing development of the Msheireb Downtown project, described as the world's first sustainable regeneration of a downtown area.

Raft foundations are used to spread the load of a building structure over a large area. Phase 3 raft slab will be 45,500 square meters in area, and 1.5 meters thick on average.  

Spread over 150,000 square meters of gross floor area (GFA), Phase 3 of Msheireb Downtown Doha features 15 mixed-used buildings. These include two office blocks with 90 retail units; 11 residential buildings with 350 apartments; a mosque of more than 2,500 square meters; and a five-star Park Hyatt Hotel.

The raft foundations contract is the second contract awarded by Msheireb Properties to HBK Contracting Company, which is currently completing the superstructure for Msheireb Downtown Doha's main building works.

Mohammad Al Marri, Chief Officer for Design and Delivery at Msheireb Properties, said,

"This opportunity to expand our working relationship with HBK Contracting Company, a leading local contractor, is an encouraging development and reiterates our commitment to work with local companies and further promote Qatari expertise in sustainable urban development.

"Msheireb Properties' long-term strategy is to raise the skills of local contractors and the Qatari workforce so that they have the capacity to independently tender, build and manage projects of the largest scope. The capabilities of local industry are progressing at a rapid rate and this latest contract is witness to its development."

Sheikh Ali Bin Hamad K Al-Thani, Chairman & Managing Director of HBK Contracting Company said, "We are very proud to have another opportunity to strengthen our association with Msheireb Properties. Through this award, we aim to demonstrate our consistency in delivering to the highest quality standards. Moreover, we reaffirm our commitment to the developer's strict guidelines on sustainability and advanced environmental performance as we have demonstrated in Phase 1A contract with Msheireb Properties along with our partner M/s Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co."

Construction of Msheireb Downtown Doha started in 2010 and the development will be completed in five phases. The recent agreement with HBK follows the appointment of Brookfield Multiplex Medgulf WLL responsible for the construction of all substructure and superstructure works involved in Phase 1C of the project.

First phase 1A construction contract of the project was awarded to a consortium of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co and HBK Contracting Co. Carillion was also appointed in March to complete building works on Phase 1B.

About Msheireb Properties
Msheireb Properties is a real estate company and a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation. The company was established as a commercial venture to support the Foundation's aims, as well as the goals of Qatar's 2030 Vision. Msheireb Properties' mission is to change the way people think about urban living and improve their overall quality of life, through innovations that encourage social interaction, respect for culture, and greater care for the environment.

Msheireb Properties spent three years researching Qatari architecture and numerous approaches to urban planning all over the world with the most respected experts in the industry - in order to realise an architectural language rooted in the best of the past that may be preserved for and by future generations. The company name, Msheireb, means 'a place to drink water' and is the historical name of the downtown area of Doha. The company's corporate identity depicts the mouth of a stone well, a feature of traditional Gulf societies, and its distinct ink effect evokes classical Arabic calligraphy. Msheireb Properties recently achieved ISO certification from the British Standards Institution for quality (ISO 9001:2008), environmental performance (ISO 14001:2004), and occupational health and safety (BS OHSAS 18001:2007).

The company has also earned widespread industry recognition, including at the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards in Cannes, France. The Msheireb Enrichment Centre is a floating community and knowledge-sharing facility moored in Doha's West Bay district. Open to the public from Monday to Thursday, from 9.00 am to 8.30 pm, and from 3.30 to 6.30 pm on Saturdays, the Msheireb Enrichment Centre regularly receives visits from international VIPs and dignitaries.###

© Press Release 2012