The Pearl Island () in

Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

, is an

artificial island An artificial island or man-made island is an island that has been Construction, constructed by humans rather than formed through natural processes. Other definitions may suggest that artificial islands are lands with the characteristics of hum ...

with an area of nearly . It is the first land in Qatar to be available for freehold ownership by foreign nationals. As of 2018, there were 27,000 residents. Once fully completed, The Pearl was expected to create over 32 kilometers of new coastline, for use as a residential estate with an expected 18,831 dwellings and 45,000 residents by 2018. In 2004, when the project was first revealed, the initial cost of constructing the island stood at $2.5 billion. It is now believed the project will cost $15 billion upon completion.

Residential development

Residential development on the island is intended to incorporate various national and international themes, including aspects of Arabic, Mediterranean, and European culture. The Pearl Island is divided into 12 districts (also referred to as precincts), each of which has a distinct architectural style.

Porto Arabia Towers

Total number of towers will be 31 with a total of 4,700 apartments. The address format is Unit 1234, 1 Porto Arabia. Some references use ''PA-1'' for convenience.

Viva Bahriya Towers

There will be 29 towers in total. The address format is "Unit 1234, 1 Viva Bahriya", with "VB‑1" being the shorter, convenient version.

Qanat Quartier

The Pearl Island's "

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

-like community" has an extensive

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

system, pedestrian-friendly

square In geometry, a square is a regular polygon, regular quadrilateral. It has four straight sides of equal length and four equal angles. Squares are special cases of rectangles, which have four equal angles, and of rhombuses, which have four equal si ...

s and

plaza A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Rela ...

s and beachfront

townhouse A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of Terraced house, terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type o ...

s. The first residents started to live in Qanat Quartier in 2012. When complete there will be: * 977 residential apartments in 31 buildings * 188 townhouses * 15 bridges, including a replica of Venice's Rialto Bridge * 200 retail units * 320,000 square feet of retail space * 1,135

parking space A parking space, parking place or parking spot is a location that is designated for parking, either paved or unpaved. It can be in a parking garage, in a parking lot or on a city street. The space may be delineated by road surface markings. The ...

s for cars * 200

moorings A mooring is any permanent structure to which a seaborne vessel (such as a boat, ship, or amphibious aircraft) may be secured. Examples include quays, wharfs, jetties, piers, anchor buoys, and mooring buoys. A ship is secured to a mooring to ...

in the

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

* Kempinski Resort and Spa

Abraj Quartier

This precinct is located by the entrance of The Pearl Qatar, and will have 7 towers including the tallest buildings planned for the development, at 40 storeys high.

Commercial attractions

The Central Authority Directorate (TCAD), which provides services like property registration and residency permits, opened on 3 December 2011. The island was also host the 2023 Qatar Classic Cars contest and exhibition and to several events during the

2022 World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...

. The Pearl Island has several restaurants, as well as a coffee bar.

Hotels

View of Marsa Malaz Kempinski from Pearl Boulevard

The Pearl Island currently has six hotels. Two of them, the 281-key Marsa Malaz Kempinski and the 193-key The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl Qatar, are located on their own islets. The other four hotels are the 199-key Retaj Baywalk Residence, the 250-key Sedra Arjaan by Rotana, the 414-key Hilton Doha The Pearl, and the 161-key Four Seasons Resort and Residences at The Pearl-Qatar.

Transport

Modes of transport varies from precinct to precinct. Golf carts are heavily used in Porto Arabia and Medina Centrale, while boat taxis are available in Porto Arabia and Qanat Quartier. Limousines are available in Porto Arabia, Medina Centrale, Qanat Quartier and Viva Bahriya. There are also bus stations, with routes that go to the Legtaifiya station. The M110 bus route goes from Porto Arabia and goes to parts of Viva Bahriya, then to the metro station.

Gallery

File:Construction of The Pearl Qatar in 2010.jpg, The Pearl Island, under construction File:The Pearl Marina in Nov 2013.jpg, Porto Arabia File:Murano area of Qanat Quartier in The Pearl.jpg, Murano area of Qanat Quartier File:Bridge to Marsa Arabia in The Pearl.jpg, Bridge to Marsa Arabia in The Pearl File:Dusk at the Pearl Qatar (6279825109).jpg, The Pearl Island at dusk File:2022IslandsDohaBay.jpg, Part of The Pearl Island seen from the air in 2022

References

External links

The Pearl Island
– Official Website {{Ad-Dawhah Municipality Islands of Qatar Artificial islands of Qatar Doha