Doha Festival City, the largest entertainment and retail development in the Gulf which is estimated to cost QR6.5 billion ($1.78 billion), has entered into its final phase of development and is set to open its doors to the public in March, said a report.  

The giant mixed-use development, located in the north of Doha on Al Shamal Road, will be home to more than 500 international and local brands along with entertainment offerings and food and beverage (F&B) outlets, reported The Peninsula, citing a top mall official.

With a gross building area the equivalent size of 94 football pitches, and a gross leasable area of 244,000 sq m, the project is expecting over 20 million guests within the first year of the launch, it stated.

"On the opening day, the majority of the mall will open including the two main hallways, the Centre Court and North Food Court,” revealed Trevor Hill, the general manager, Doha Festival City Mall.

"We have a phased approach to bring our remaining key attractions on line, by April 2017 we will launch the second food court – in the south of the mall, and the luxury wing," stated Hill.

"The theme parks will also open throughout Q2 (second quarter) – with the immersive digital gaming venue Virtuocity set to be the first of the four, followed by Angry Birds World, Snow Dunes and Juniverse,” he added.

Some of the prominent brands that are set to open include the international department stores - Harvey Nichols – a first for Qatar, Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Centrepoint and BHS as well as the first ACE Hardware store in Qatar, said the report.

The international retail franchise operator M H Alshaya Company has announced that 45 of its leading brands will open at Doha Festival City, with several ‘market firsts’ promised.

The French retail chain, Monoprix Hypermarket, is also set to open its largest store worldwide at the mall, it added.