• Our Vision
• Bid Timeline
• Bid Logo/Slogan
• QATAR NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (QNOC)
• Building the Vision
  • Venue Plans
  • Transport Infrastructure
  • Environment and Sustainability
  • Accommodation
  • Development Projects

As host of the Asian Games in December 2006, Qatar is now moving into the big league of international sporting venues.

On a recent visit to Qatar, IOC President Jacques Rogge said that sport in Qatar was considered not just a physical activity but as a means of developing the country as a whole. "I think Qatar has intelligently invested in organisations, and this puts Qatar on the map."

With sport as a raison d'etre, Qatar has invested in multi-million dollar projects to upgrade Doha's infrastructure to premium international standards, with new roads, hotels and leisure facilities.

The Gulf state has been transformed, seemingly overnight, from a sleepy backwater to a dynamic international hub where government priorities for diversification range from the education and medical sectors to sports and business tourism.

The facts and figures are spectacular - within the US$15billion investment programme is a US$5.5billion airport; The Pearl-Qatar, a US$2.5billion, residential and leisure project; the North Beach development; up to 40 new hotels, including a 30-storey sporting theme hotel; new malls and a Cultural Village conference and heritage centre; new golf courses and possible cruise terminal, plus a Science & Technology Park and Education City with a 7,000-seat convention centre.

The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development was founded in 1995 by decree of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar.

Qatar Foundation's creation was among the Emir's early initiatives, a testament to the importance of the Foundation's mission both to him and to its chair, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned.

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah said: "The sharing of knowledge, ideas and values is the noblest way to transcend barriers. In this sense, globalization is the architect, which constructs academic bridges across cultural and geographical landscapes."

From the beginning, the mission of the Qatar Foundation has been to provide educational opportunities and to improve quality of life for the people of Qatar and the region.

To achieve this, Qatar Foundation supports a network of centres and partnerships with elite institutions from around the world, all committed to the principle that a nation's greatest natural resource is its people.

Education City, Qatar Foundation's flagship project, is envisioned as a centre of excellence in education and research that will help transform Qatar into a knowledge-based society.

Education City is situated on a 2,500-acre campus on the outskirts of Doha that hosts branch campuses of some of the world's leading universities, as well as numerous other educational and research institutions.

Six major US universities have establish branch campuses there and it is now central to Qatar's bid to become the region's educational centre. In an innovative approach to knowledge sharing, the government also plans to bring in major science and technology companies to work alongside existing universities and research centres.

Of all the sectors that have benefited from the recent economic boost in Qatar, the construction industry might be the most fortunate. The influx of liquid assets has brought about massive infrastructure, business and luxury projects in every corner of the country.

The New Doha International Airport is one of the highest profile developments currently under way. Other government-contracted projects include major highway network expansion and upgrades to sewage and waste removal systems.

The private sector is also building furiously, with a number of major projects set for completion in the near future. More than 800 new towers are planned for Doha over the next 10 years, making the city one of the busiest construction areas in the world. Two of the biggest construction projects are the 'city' of Lusail and the artificial island of Pearl-Qatar.

Lusail City is an entire new 'district' being built about 15 km to the north of Doha.

When completed, it will cover more than 35 km2 and house up to 200,000 people.

The development includes numerous hotels of every category, two marinas, residential areas, island resorts, commercial districts, luxury shopping and leisure facilities, including two golf courses and an entertainment district.

Lusail is being built in phases, with the whole city to be completed by 2010.

The Pearl-Qatar in Doha, Qatar is a multi billion dollar artificial island creating more than 32 km of new coastline.

The island is Qatar's first international real estate venture, and will be home to more than 40,000 residents in more than 15,000 dwellings within 12 precincts by 2010.

The island is located 350 meters offshore from Doha's West Bay Lagoon area and is just 25 km away from Doha International Airport.

The Pearl-Qatar is one of the largest real estate developments in the country and the first to offer freehold and residential rights to international investors.

The Pearl-Qatar project will offer its residents a secure and exclusive island retreat, aiming to bring the ambience and lifestyle of the Mediterranean to the heart of the Gulf.