CONSTRUCTION of the Mall of Qatar is on schedule and the mega project is expected to open in the last quarter of 2015 in the Al Rayyan district of Qatar according to its developer.

Mall of Qatar will offer more than 400 shops, three major anchors, a luxury five-star hotel, a unique family entertainment centre, a world-class daily live entertainment concept and an array of 81 international restaurants, cafes and specialty food shops.

Urbacon Trading and Contracting is the main contractor on the project.

Being built 20 km from downtown Doha, the mall will have more than 195,000 sq m of retail leasable space on three levels, in addition to underground and surface parking for 7,000 cars. It will be situated adjacent to a Fifa 2022 World Cup stadium and will also include its own integrated metro station.

The management team at the Mall of Qatar anticipates that by the end of third quarter of this year an estimated 70 per cent or more of the strategic leasing agreements will be concluded, based on letters of commitment and negotiations at hand. The mall is being built in the heart of a major new development area that will see 10,000 new villas being built alongside a new metro and regional rail links and improved highway connections to the centre of Doha.

Shem Krey, deputy managing director, Mall of Qatar, said: “Mall of Qatar will be introducing a number of unique elements into our project that have not been seen in the Middle East before, from the innovative format of our anchor hypermarket to our daily Q-Live entertainment facility and family entertainment centre that will be debuting formats for the first time that will delight young and old.

“There was an enthusiastic response from major retailers who have responded positively to our plans to create the first super regional shopping mall destination in Qatar.”

Mall of Qatar has selected Cinemacity to create the largest Cineplex in Qatar, with an Imax theatre featuring its next-generation digital laser projection system that will be one of 19 screens at the complex.