A QR20-billion ($5.5 billion) project to redevelop the Downtown Doha area has started made headway with the opening of its first building, Qatar Academy Msheireb, a report said.

The school, which has a 12,754-sq-m campus and can accommodate up to 450 pupils, has been described by developers Msheireb Properties as a “significant milestone” in the construction of the Downtown Doha project, which is running behind schedule but expected to open in phases over the next few years, said the Doha News report.

Facilities at the school include a swimming pool, basketball and volleyball courts, a gym, a dining hall, music and art rooms and a library.

There is also a student drop-off and pick-up zone in the building’s basement, the newspaper quoted developers as saying.

The school is the fifth branch of the Qatar Foundation-run Qatar Academy chain, whose private, non-profit schools cater to pre-school, primary and high school students.

The other branches are located in Education City, Al Khor, Al Wakrah, and there is also a Qatar Academy Sidra, said the report.

Msheireb Downtown Doha aims to be the world's first sustainable downtown regeneration project, designed to regenerate and preserve the historical heart of Doha.