Mace delivers major leisure and retail project, Doha Festival City

Mace has completed its work on the new 433,847 sq m Doha Festival City development in Qatar for Bawabat Al Shamal Real Estate Co. WLL (BASREC), owned by Dubai based Al Futtaim Real Estate Services, Qatar’s Aqar Real Estate Investment and Development Company, Qatar Islamic Bank and a private Qatari investor.  

Mace experts were brought in to oversee the construction of Doha Festival City as project managers in 2010, which is now open to the public and includes the biggest mall in Doha. It’s home to 525 shops, 8,000 parking bays and covers an impressive 433,847 sq m – the size of 57 football pitches. This is the fourth major retail delivery project that Mace has undertaken in the MENA region and is a great story of collaboration and success.

Doha Festival City unites shopping, dining, hospitality, entertainment and leisure in a single location. With a 32,000 sq m IKEA superstore among the multitude of shopping units, Doha Festival City will be a one stop destination for Qatari citizens and visitors. The site also includes a 39,000 sq m entertainment facility, a five-star hotel, convention centre and luxury restaurants. 

The project is located in a northern suburb of Doha with direct access from Al Shamal and Lusail roads. Now one of the main shopping and entertainment destinations in Qatar, it creates jobs, has invigorated the area, brings people together and provides exciting experiences for the whole family.

The design and construction of the development allows natural light to flood through the windows and illuminate the 500+ shops, while pedestrian walkways allow people to navigate their way through the mall. Key structural elements act as focal points inside the centre. 

Having such a complex project to deliver – with a staggering value of £1.4bn and a 9,000 strong workforce – Mace knew this project had to be carefully managed in terms of health and safety, delivery programme and collaboration. Mace’s Qatar-based retail team successfully fitted-out and delivered 200 quality retail units, while raising the bar in Health & Safety and MEP compliance. 

The Mace team also fitted-out an 18 screen VOX Cinemas within the complex, including  four luxurious THEATRE by Rhodes screens, offering a unique fine dining cinema experience and unsurpassed VIP treatment, an exclusive 4DX screen boasting immersive cinema technology complete with motion chairs and environmental sensory effects, two MAX theatres with wall-to-wall screens, laser technology, crisp audio visual systems and a new VIP seating option and two KIDS theatres dedicated to the littlest of movie fans. The new VOX Cinemas will also include a candy bar incorporating the latest food and beverage initiatives, as well as foyer and concourse fully catering to movie fans, helping them create great moments for everyone, every day.

During the construction phase, Mace built up a strong reputation regarding health and safety excellence and worked collaboratively with a whole host of partners. Last year, the project team secured an International Safety Award with merit for the second consecutive year. In addition, Mace senior construction manager, Steve Taylor, came a close second in the Health and Safety Champion category, which recognises exemplary individuals who keep their colleagues and the public safe.

As part of the vision to preserve a safe working environment, Mace employees helped to develop role-play scenarios and industrial theatre events to help communicate key safety messaging to workers on site.

Innes Alexander, Mace Operations Director at Doha Festival City, said:
“This was a mammoth project to be so heavily involved with, working so closely with other teams and our clients. We worked together to successfully deliver the project but extra thanks goes to the Mace team which went the extra mile and got the job done. The sheer size of the development is breath taking and it’s been great working on a project that will have such a positive impact on the local area and its people.” 

Mark Taylor, Mace Regional Director of Consultancy in MENA, said:
“Since 2010 we have worked with other companies and partners to ensure a timely and safe programme delivery and are extremely happy to be celebrating the opening of Doha Festival City. This project is of huge importance to the region and plays a big part in developing the area for visitors and locals to enjoy. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed and made this a successful project. We are really proud of what we have achieved.”

Michael Beggs, Development Director, Al Futtaim Real Estate, said:
“Mace have been a leading member of a Project Team that have successfully delivered the Mall. They imparted their knowledge and expertise and regardless of the hurdles faced, worked tirelessly with all stakeholders to ensure the opening was achieved within a tight program. The achievement is something that the whole Team can be proud of and I take this opportunity to thank Mace for their hard work in the delivery of this landmark in Doha.”

Kareem Shamma, CEO of BASREC, said:
“Mace have played a key role in bringing this iconic project to reality, all the time with Health & Safety at the forefront. They have demonstrated expertise and a “can-achieve” approach in their work, which has kept the entire project team focused and motivated. I would not hesitate to recommend Mace for similar projects in the future.”