Lusail City

Lusail City is a mixed-use, sustainable city project¹ located on the coast in the southern part of the municipality of Al Daayen². Unveiled in 2004³, the project embodies the spirit and ambition of the Qatar National Vision 2030^{4 i}. It seeks to become the “City of the Future” and a lasting legacy for Qatar⁵. The city is planned to accommodate 450,000 people, including over 80,000 visitors⁶. It also aims to provide financial and economic opportunities for future generations.

Lusail city covers an area of 38 square kilometers and consists of 19 integrated districts⁷. Designed to foster community living, each district consists of basic civic facilities to reduce travel distances and provide greater accessibility for all⁸. Some of the major districts include Marina District, the downtown⁹ of Lusail City, as well as Energy City Qatar, the region’s first comprehensive oil and gas hub¹⁰. Other facilities across the districts include a blue lagoon with two marinas, 25,000 residential buildings, a business square with a 20-storey mixed-use tower, 2 piazzas, recreational facilities, as well as bicycle and pedestrian routes that are connected to Lusail Light Rail Transit (LRT)¹¹. One of the major developments in this city is the Lusail Stadium, constructed for the World Cup 2022, with a capacity of over 80,000 seats¹².

The project incorporates principles of a smart city, through the establishment of a central control system connected to multiple services of the city, including that of surveillance¹³. It also aligns with national sustainability standards, including the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS), that rate all buildings for their performance and sustainability¹⁴. Building infrastructure utilizes underground networks to control building temperatures and reduce their dependency on other cooling systems¹⁵. Moreover, 17% of the total land area is earmarked for landscaping and open public spaces, enhancing the quality of the built environment¹⁶. The irrigation mechanism for green spaces in the city utilizes recycled greywater, and the sewerage system is planned to dispose of all waste to treatment plans outside the city¹⁷.

The Construction of the city started in 2006 and is planned to be completed by 2025¹⁸. It is being carried out in 12 phases, divided across 12 construction packages¹⁹. The leadership is led by Qatari Diar²⁰ established in 2005 by the Qatar Investment Authority. In 2008, Qatari Diar set up the Lusail Real Estate Development Company (LREDC) to develop the project’s master plan²¹, which formed a joint venture with German contractor, Hochitef, for planning and construction services²². Multiple other consultants have also been engaged for various components of the master plan²³. Other contractors contributing to the implementation of the project are Al Jaber & Partners and AECOM²⁴ where the overall estimated project construction cost is $45 billion²⁵ funded by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA)²⁶.