Executive Director Commercial at UDC Hussain Akbar Al Baker, Director of Lulu Group International Dr. Mohamed Althaf with other officials, during the signing ceremony on the sidelines of Cityscape Qatar 2021, yesterday.
Doha: United Development Company (UDC), a leading Qatari public shareholding company and the master developer of The Pearl-Qatar and Gewan Island, yesterday signed major retail leasing agreements as part of its participation in the 9th edition of Cityscape Qatar 2021, while continuing to achieve remarkable sales on Crystal Residence apartments launched exclusively at the event.
UDC has signed a contract with LuLu Group to open LuLu Hypermarket in Giardino Mall at The Pearl-Qatar covering an area of 13,000sqm, in addition to LuLu Supermarket and retail brands at Gewan Island on an area of 700sqm.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the event, Hussain Akbar Al Baker, Executive Director Commercial at UDC said: “Today we are signing agreement with new retailers for Gewan Island, and we are very excited because these retail stores are international franchises and are first comers into the Qatari market. We have been working aggressively for getting the right retail stores, tailor-stitching the island to fulfill the customer needs. We can see that even after the World Cup, The Pearl-Qatar market will boost up and go even higher,” Al Baker added.
Speaking on the outlook of the real estate of Qatar going forward, he noted that UDC is a mature project and among all the developers and investors, The Pearl-Qatar has its position in the market.
Dr. Mohamed Althaf, Director of Lulu Group International added: “We have plans for a large format Lulu Hypermarket inside The Pearl-Qatar in Giardino Mall, which will be completed by next year. This will be a major step for us as there is a large community that require lot of services. Gewan is a second development that we are signing with The Pearl-Qatar, which will be a smaller outlet but will cater to the needs of all the people around the area. These two outlets show our confidence in Qatar as The Pearl-Qatar is becoming a very interesting mix of people and is a cosmopolitan living area now in the Gulf. As The Pearl expand its footprint, we will also expand our footprint and presence there”.
Speaking about sustainability Althaf said: “The upcoming malls will follow the same model as we have managed to make our old buildings more sustainable, and less resource incentive, and all the new buildings are based on the principle of sustainability”.
He noted that with The Pearl-Qatar outlet, the Group’s strategy is very clear. “At least by 2030 all our carbon footprint will be reduced by 50 percent, and by 2050 we want to become net zero and carbon neutral. We are targeting about 40 percent less energy than conventional hypermarkets. We have huge target on the reduction of the wastage, and we will have zero waste stations and a lot of other innovations only to minimise our impact on environment,” added Althaf.
During the event, UDC also concluded an agreement with its subsidiary, Hospitality Development Company (HDC) to open Spontini restaurant at Gewan Island and “Burger & Lobster” in Porto Arabia at The Pearl-Qatar.
QBA Chairman Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani with UDC President, CEO and Member of The Board Ibrahim Jassim Al Othman at the Cityscape Qatar 2021.
On the exhibition’s second day, UDC further signed leasing agreements with Ariane Holding to open Qatar’s first Sainsbury Supermarket “Mowneh” in Al Mutahidah Towers at The Pearl-Qatar which will cover an area of 1,200sqm, and with Al Maha Global to open “Kernel & Roast” gourmet store in Porto Arabia also at The Pearl-Qatar, in addition to a local coffeeshop concept “Café de Rêve at Gewan Island.
More retail and F&B concepts will be revealed on the exhibition’s closing day, demonstrating The Pearl-Qatar’s position as a leading leisure and shopping destination and Gewan Island as Qatar’s most exclusive and promising luxury address.
The Pearl-Qatar houses more than 350 brands operating across the Island’s main retail hubs, each offering a unique experience. The Island’s retail offering continues to grow. So far in 2021, 40 new and diverse retail and F&B brands have opened their doors at The Pearl-Qatar benefitting from the Island’s more than 35,000 residents, in addition to its unique setting of beautiful architecture and scenic views, attracting more than 28 million visitors annually.
Gewan Island will also feature a lively outdoor retail hub and Qatar’s longest climatised ‘Crystal Walkway’ which is characterised by elegant crystal overhead panels and will house 101 retail and F&B brands spanning an area of 11,000sqm. Crystal Walkway is nestled between Crystal Residence’s 15 buildings where UDC has launched its first phase of apartment sales exclusively at Cityscape Qatar 2021.
