Al Baraha Worker's City

Doha • Barwa Real Estate Company has launched a QR4bn housing project in Industrial Area which can accommodate up to 50,000 labourers. The first phase of the project, being developed at a cost of QR500m, will be ready in May. It includes a parking area with space for more than 4,000 trucks.

The construction of the entire project and other structures in the second phase, worth some QR3.5bn, will be completed by mid-2010.

Barwa Real Estate Company Chairman, Ghanim bin Saad Al Saad, told businessmen at a function held to launch the project that the project was part of Qatar's comprehensive development plans which gave high priority to the well being of individuals.

[b]“Labourers’ rights and improving their living and health standards is our main objective behind the project,”[/b] said Al Saad.

The accommodation will be leased out to companies and will consist of 64 buildings made up of four floors, each with 130 rooms. The buildings, which will accommodate a total of 49,920 people, will be split into four clusters of 16 blocks each.

Each cluster will have its own dedicated facilities and landscaping. The four clusters will be built to international standards.

Residents will have all the necessary facilities for their comforts, including eight dining halls serving multi-cuisine menus three times a day. Facilities also include laundry services through a central collection system, thus providing them with ample leisure time.

A total land area of 16,000 square metres has been allocated for a commercial plaza housing 48 service retail outlets and communal areas. Each cluster will include a mosque, a football court, basketball and volleyball courts and public restrooms.

Later speaking at a news conference, Barwa Al Baraha CEO, Engineer Ibrahim Yousef Fakhroo, said a maximum of six workers will be allowed to share a room.

“Each worker will be provided with 4.25 sq.m of space, far above the standards applied in some developed countries where only 3.25 sq.m of space is made available,” he said.

He said the accommodation will strictly comply with the standards put in place by the municipality and National Human Rights Commission.

Fakhroo said the rents have yet to be fixed but assured the prices will be reasonable.

Al Baraha, to be located in the Industrial Area will be built on over 1.8 million sq.m area with 754,000 sq.m reserved for the built up area and 250,000 sq.m devoted to landscaping and recreational space.

Source: http://iloveqatar.net/forum/read.php?26,937