A Development Roadmap for Qatar

Challenge

While Qatar has enjoyed a period of unparalleled prosperity, the Middle East nation is at a crossroads. The country’s abundant wealth is creating not only exciting opportunities, but also formidable challenges in:

• managing supply and demand of development
• accommodating population growth
• providing essential infrastructure and services
• addressing sustainable transport
• preparing for the FIFA 2022 World Cup event
• facing the world as an advanced nation
  

The key objective for the Qatar National Master Plan (QNMP) is to advance sustainability and create a high quality of life. OC Global has suggested that if Qatar could accommodate the Gulf’s most livable towns and cities scoring highest internationally, it would bring huge recognition, attract and retain the best talent, and ensure that future generations of Qataris have one of the most envied lifestyles internationally.

The QNMP has been designed as a “framework” so that it provides a structure within which key strategic decisions can be taken to achieve more sustainable results. There are several levels of planning below this and the QNMP has prepared examples of plan making at each level. In order to develop a proper planning system, more plans, regulations and implementation mechanisms will be required. All of these will be set within an appropriate institutional structure that ties together the spatial implications of the work of other ministries and removes the conflict between strategic- and tactical-level implementation. Despite Qatar’s wealth, it is still very important that funds should achieve best value through a proper planning system.

During the project period, a series of workshops, seminars and events were held to invite ideas from the public and to share information with relevant agencies. In addition, a special training program was prepared for executive leaders and technical staff involved in the future urban development of the country.

A three-tier plan has been formulated by OC Global.

1. A National Development Framework within which key infrastructure and strategic land uses are positioned and policies for determining the shape and location of all new development are laid out.
2. Municipality Spatial Development Plans, which lay out the structure of development proposed in each municipality and ensure that agencies coordinate between them and the various municipalities.
3. Area Plans, which provide detailed zoning for centers and for special areas that require urgent or specific action because of their national importance. These plans have been produced for all the major centers and others will be produced in-house as they become necessary.