Barwa to build $ 5.5 billion island off the coast of Doha

DOHA: Qatar has unveiled plans to build a $ 5.5 billion island off the coast of Doha with floating hotels to house soccer fans expected to flock to the country for the World Cup in 2022.

Plans for Oryx Island, which would feature luxury villas, a water park, and five floating hotels using cruise ships, were unveiled by Qatari developer Barwa Real Estate, part-owned by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.

The hotels would be able to house as many as 25,000 soccer fans, Barwa CEO Abdulla Al-Subaie said at the sidelines of a real estate conference in Doha.

Demand for residences and hotel rooms are expected to increase in the state as projects for the 2022 World Cup tournament come on stream.

Qatar, the world’s top liquefied natural gas exporter, has allocated 40 percent of its budget to 2016 to infrastructure projects.

“We anticipate that there will be a short-term demand for hotel rooms, so maybe it is not wise to offer all these hotel rooms for only a short time,” Subaie said.

“Oryx Island can accommodate 20,000 to 25,000 people. Cruise ships can be docked for one week, two weeks. It can be mobilized and demobilized for a short time.”

Oryx Island will cost 20 billion riyals ($ 5.5 billion) to build, he said, adding that the project was only in the conceptual phase.

Subaie said the company had agreed to sell one million square meters of land to Qatar’s 2022 Supreme Committee to build Lusail Stadium, where the closing match of the tournament will take place.

Barwa, the Gulf state’s largest listed property developer, has properties in France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and focuses on retail, office, hospitality and residential developments.