In a sign of Qatar’s maturing retail market, a local property developer says it plans to open the country’s first outlet mall by March of next year.
Located in West End Park, near the Industrial Area in Mesaimeer, the single-story Doha Outlet Mall will be 20,470sqm, or roughly one-sixth the size of City Center.
Outlet malls typically contain single-brand stores selling off-season or leftover merchandise at a discount. Backers of the Doha Outlet Mall say it will be the first of its kind in Qatar.
Officials said 75 percent of the roughly 170 stores have been leased, but declined to name any specific retailers at a press conference on Sunday, saying only that there will be high-end fashion, jewelry, electronics, shoes, perfumes and sporting goods outlets.
The Doha Outlet Mall is part of a larger development at West End Park that includes a hypermarket that opened last October, amphitheater, four-cinema complex and cricket stadium.
When it was first discussed, officials said the complex was geared towards low-income laborers. But in the run-up to its opening last October, managers have stressed that the entertainment complex is open to families as well.
Retail saturation
Qatar is currently undergoing a retail building boom, with some 1.48 million square meters – the equivalent of 10 Villaggio malls – scheduled to be completed by 2020, according to real estate services firm Colliers International.
In a report released late last year, Colliers said mall owners may find filling all those stores to be a challenge as the supply of retail space increases faster than the demand from Qatar’s shoppers.
But Mana bin Ibrahim Al Mana – the chairperson of Qatar Property Management, which is heading the Doha Outlet Mall project – said his business model means he’ll be complementing, rather competing against, the country’s growing number of shopping centers.
“Retailers that have five locations (across Qatar) have a lot of stock they need to liquidate,” he said.
Al Mana said he hopes the mall will be a popular tourist draw, both due to its proximity to Salwa Road – which leads directly to Saudi Arabia – as well as a planned shuttle service to several five-star hotels.
He declined to provide the total project cost, saying only that the development expenses – features such as landscaping and interior fit-outs, but not the value of the land or the building itself – were roughly QR80 million (US$21.98 million).
Thoughts?
Yipee…another mall
Good idea as there must be so much unsold stock piled up. Pity though the poorly paid labourers who won’t be able to get their non-airconditioned buses close to the mall for all those bargain hunters coming in their upmarket 4x4s from all around Qatar. Maybe they can have ‘Bachelor Only Fridays’ !!!
Or you can put your money where your mouth is and spend your weekend providing a free shuttle service to low income expats driving them to clinics and super markets… That why you would have done something about it rather than just run your mouth
That is actually a good idea. If someone provides a minibus I will drive it on my days off. I would shuttle them around. In fact, if A_qtr comes with me we could make joint posts here. We could have a roster system, myself, A_qtr and wee_johnnie.
At first I thought – finally, a mall in the Industrial Area that might actually let the Asian workers in so that they can do some shopping too.
But then I saw that the mall will focus on “high-end fashion, jewelry, electronics, shoes, perfumes and sporting goods outlets.” And the article goes on to say that it will offer “planned shuttle service to several five-star hotels”.
So will it be surprising to learn later that this mall, like so many others, will also deny entry to bachelors?
If it is in industrial area, majority staying are bachelors…so keeping in mind the owner must have considered it first for the bachelors and then rest
I suppose instead of announcing shuttle services from 5* hotels they could announce shuttle services from the Industrial Area. Does anyone know if the Grand Mall provides a shuttle or if labourers have to spend money on taxis getting to the mall as not really within convenient walking distance for many?
Maybe there is…or probably once it is opened 100% there will be more additions…this is just for our information after which things might be subject to change…let us wait till it is opened…do not assume things
I dont know…but so far no complaints
Or use a karwa bus or walk? Given the west end park will be housing 50,000 low income expats
I think grand mall is providing shuttle service
It’s at West End Park, so definitely open to all.
It’s in the west end park. The project is designed to attract low income expats. Even low income expats do save up to be gold items and electronics. Not so sure about clothes
I’m pretty sure low income expats do wear clothes….otherwise they would offend the Reflect your Respect campaigners…
wooooo hoooo another mall in Qatar, just what we need
Every retail store front has a waiting list of at least 20 to 30 interested renter.. There is a massive shortage of retail price.. More retail space helps decrease rent and calm down inflation… Any empty retial space in Doha is due to the landlord being picky on what businesses he wishes to rent his space out too…
Plus rental space in Doha and AD are the highest in all the Middle East.. Luxury rental space are just as expansive as in Singapore..
@a_qtr:disqus that is a fine point and i’m sure your absolutely right. what i meant was… that’s all they build here. why don’t they build some other form of entertainment other than a shopping mall. maybe a purpose built concert arena to attract big name acts. a go-karting track, a paint balling place, an aquarium a something, anything other than another mall with another carefore and next and topshop and bla bla bla bla the same old stuff just regurgitated over and over… get what i mean
Agree with you. But if I was fortunate enough to own the space and permit for a mall, I’d go for a mall as it yeilds highest return than any other business … Plus less costly overhead than a private hospital … As much as I’d like variety … End of the day mall owners are business men and they will invest in a venture that has the highest return
You forgot to mention Casinos… 😉
Can’t wait to spend 5,000qr on a last season Prada purse instead of 10,000 this year!!!
Now this is where you open a mall or a hotal/spa, in a space allowing for such. Not on the last bit of indigenous greenery remaining in this country… #Sigh