Qetaifan Projects, a company owned by Katara Hospitality, signed a memorandum of understanding with ADMARES Construction and Trading to construct and operate 16 floating hotels on the shores of Qetaifan Island North to provide accommodation for the fans within the fan villages during the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The hotels have a unique design; 72-meter-long and 16-meter-wide, each consisting of 101 guest rooms, a restaurant, and a lounge bar. All the 16 four-story hotels will be identical, offering a total of 1616 floating hotel rooms.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Sheikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Managing Director of Qetaifan Projects and Vice Chairman of Katara Hospitality, Hesham Sharaf, Chief Operating Officer, and Sheikh Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Head of Business Development in Qetaifan Projects, in addition to Mikael Hedberg, CEO of ADMARES, and Samer Malaeb, Regional Director of the company.
Sheikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani expressed his happiness in attracting investments to the country, saying, “We are pleased that there are investors who share our vision and see the development of Qetaifan Island North as a promising project that has a future as the first touristic destination in Qatar. This indicates the aspiration of investors in the returns due to the safe and secure climate achieved by the state to encourage and attract foreign investment and create new opportunities, which will reflect positively on the local market, encourage competition, and stimulate the state sectors in all fields, especially with the recent developments witnessed within these sectors.”
ADMARES is the world leader in alternative real estate with pioneering construction methods that combine cutting-edge marine, offshore, land and modular construction techniques.
“The hotels will be built according to the strictest energy standards – for instance, the hotels will rely on solar energy. To ensure the overall functionality and attractiveness of the hotels, the modern and urban buildings have been designed by the award-winning Finnish architect firm, Sigge Architects,” a statement said..
“This is the first time ever pure floating real estate that has been used as a temporary solution for accommodation needs at this scale. These hotels do not require major ports and deep water as their draft is significantly less than large cruise ships”, says Mikael Hedberg, CEO of ADMARES.
He added that “after the World Cup, the hotels can be placed at any coastal location where the water is at least 4 meters deep. We are excited to be part of the solution for the amount of accommodation needed for the FIFA World Cup 2022.”
In view of the proximity of Qetaifan Island North to Lusail International Stadium, which will host the opening and final games of the FIFA World Cup 2022, and the expected high numbers of tourists and fans that will visit Qatar before and during the World Cup, which will be held for the first time in the Middle East, the island will provide all the needs of the fans and tourists; with projects, facilities, and entertainment activities in addition to the fan villages during the tournament, which will include the floating hotels.
It is worth mentioning that Qetaifan Island North, located off Lusail city, features seven beaches; which makes it the city’s distinct waterfront destination. The island spans approximately 1.3 million square meters with 830,000 square meters of attractions.
The Peninsula
19/01/2020
