After two years of waiting and work, Qatar’s Dragon Mart has finally received Civil Defense clearance to open for business.

The complex of Chinese shops and stalls on Barwa Commerical Avenue has repeatedly delayed its launch because of new safety requirements that prevented it from obtaining a government license to operate.

Speaking to Doha News, Logistics Manager Yang Li said that Qatar revamped its fire safety protocols after the 2012 Villaggio fire, in which 19 people died.

“That means everything changed,” Li said, adding that it took more than a year to redesign the 300 shop units inside the Dragon Mart complex.

Preparations underway

Since obtaining the permit three days ago, a handful of shops at Dragon Mart have already begun operating. But most are not ready, Li said. He added:

“We are already legally ready to open, but we have to give our tenants one to one and a half months for their preparations, because they all come from Dubai and China.”

An official launch is expected by next month, he said. At that time, some 200 shops are expected to be open to the public.

Dragon Mart takes up some 20,000 sqm of retail space in the 8km Barwa development, which flanks a major route to the Industrial Area.

The shops will offer a host of Chinese-made products, including building materials, furniture, electronics and textiles. A similar concept is already present in Dubai, but is several times larger than the complex in Doha.

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