The demand to own a store at Al Furjan Markets is going up by the day since its launch in 2014. This was evident when Qatar Development Bank announced that it received an overwhelming response from applicants showing huge interest in the first phase of Al Furjan Markets project. Al Furjan Markets are located in remote areas of Qatar to serve residents of those localities, making it easier for residents to access important services without reaching Doha or neighbouring towns.
They are state-owned commercial facilities provided to the citizen on lower rents compared to other markets. The markets, being developed by QDB in collaboration with several other state agencies, are considered to be one of the leading strategic projects and is intended to support the commercial sector in the country, as part of the development of a sustainable economy in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 to create a diverse permanent economic environment.
The motivation behind this project is the projected increase in population within the city of Doha and its surroundings. The retail mix has been devised to cater to the most important needs. QDB received 13,266 applications from the opening date on October 21 till the closing on November 19.
QDB will host a raffle award ceremony on December 11, 2018. The event will specially be dedicated to a number of successful applications being received by QDB, reflecting people’s keen interest in Al Furjan Markets project and also inform people about the facilitation and improvements being made by QDB. An integrated electronic system was developed to allow applicants to apply for the project through Al Furjan mobile application to compete for over 45 retail stores during the first stage.
The application does not require any administrative or financial requirement, as it aims to facilitate the application process for citizens and encourage them to apply for the project. Applicants were given the opportunity to clearly browse and select among a list of many vacant shops according to the required commercial activities, and identify their locations through a map link in the application as well as apply to those vacant shops as per area and activity criteria.
Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa, CEO of QDB, said: “We are elated to have received a tremendous response for the first phase of Al Furjan Markets project raffle draw, which is managed by QDB for the first time in a form of an integrated electronic system. The vast participation is a great indicator for QDB’s success in overcoming the obstacles and difficulties that might complicate any procedure associated with the raffle draw for applying to the vacant shops, as well as ensuring a smooth automated process of registration for applicants, it also reflects the citizens’ overwhelming response of this project.”
The increasing number of applications shows that the measures taken by Qatar Development Bank and different government agencies have begun to yield results.
