City Of Doha Research Articles

The impact of globalization on the revival of innovative housing models in Doha, Qatar

After the oil and economic boom of the 20th century, Doha experienced significant development in terms of the architectural scene, design, function, and sociocultural transformations. The advancements in global architecture have facilitated innovative and streamlined construction processes, while creating a paradigm shift in the overall architecture of dwellings and how people navigate around the house. In this context, this research aims to study the impact of globalization on housing typologies and the factors influencing their evolution, focusing on the city of Doha as a case study. This study is based on a qualitative research approach that centers its investigation on Doha while exploring strategies for preserving Arabic-Islamic identity. The research investigation used a content analysis methodology to analyze three additional case studies within the MENA region. The results indicate that new housing typologies have emerged in cities due to globalization and changes in physical and sociocultural dimensions. In addition, preserving older neighborhoods and housing typologies through a bottom-up approach is essential for design creativity and climatic and sociocultural sensitivity while exchanging knowledge and sharing experiences between generations. Furthermore, this article promotes heritage awareness and encourages local authorities to preserve Doha’s surviving historic neighborhoods and architectural language to restore the city’s urban identity. The findings of this research can provide helpful guidance to architects and urban planners on how Doha’s housing has developed until the contemporary period.

The engineering legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Al Janoub stadium

Al Janoub was the first new-build stadium designed for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. This paper describes the journey of the engineering design of the 40 000 seat stadium, from the concept and detailed design development stages led by AECOM and Zaha Hadid Architects, through to the design and build contract on site. An architectural jewel located in Al Wakrah, just south of the city of Doha, the stadium was a world-first, using state-of-the-art computational analysis and physical modelling to create a safe, cooled environment that satisfies FIFA's requirements for both player and spectator comfort in the extreme temperatures of the region. A sustainable post-tournament legacy was also a key factor of the design, allowing it to be reduced to a 20 000-capacity stadium for the local football club and community. The task of integrating the stadium's stringent performance requirements on this path-finder project, including extensive scientific research and development, was a challenge that was overcome through close collaboration between the design team and the Supreme Committee's subject matter experts. The project's success as a test-bed helped it to set the standard for other stadia as part of the overall FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 programme.

Land reclamation and its consequences: A 40-year analysis of water residence time in Doha Bay, Qatar.

Qatar's rapid industrialization, notably in its capital city Doha, has spurred a surge in land reclamation projects, leading to a constriction of the entrance to Doha Bay. By reducing and deflecting the ocean circulation, land reclamation projects have reduced the effective dispersion of wastewater introduced into the bay and hence degraded the water quality. Here, we assess fluctuations in water residence time across three distinct eras (1980, 2000, and 2020) to gauge the impact of successive land reclamation developments. To do this, we couple the multi-scale ocean model SLIM with a Lagrangian model for water residence time within Doha's coastal area. We consider three different topographies of Doha's shoreline to identify which artificial structures contributed the most to increase water residence time. Our findings reveal that the residual ocean circulation in Doha Bay was predominantly impacted by northern developments post-2000. Between 1980 and 2000, the bay's residence time saw a modest rise, of about one day on average. However, this was followed by a substantial surge, of three to six days on average, between 2000 and 2020, which is mostly attributable to The Pearl mega artificial island development. Certain regions of the bay witnessed a tripling of water residence time. Given the ongoing population expansion along the coast, it is anticipated that the growth of artificial structures and coastal reclamation will persist, thereby exacerbating the accumulation of pollutants in the bay. Our findings suggest that artificial offshore structures can exert far-reaching, non-local impacts on water quality, which need to be properly assessed during the planning stages of such developments.

Street re-design for the adoption of autonomous vehicles: case of the city of Doha, Qatar

PurposeThere is lack of knowledge about how the existing streets need to be redesigned and the infrastructural changes that need to be made to adopt autonomous vehicles. The purpose of this study is to investigate the infrastructure requirements of autonomous vehicles in terms of (1) lane widths, (2) parking spaces, (3) drop-off zones and (4) other facilities, followed by analyzing them and suggesting changes in the existing urban design of Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD).Design/methodology/approachMixed method of combining both qualitative (secondary research of analyzing the existing data about the urban design guidelines for an autonomous future, observations of the existing infrastructure) and quantitative methods (on-site measurements of pedestrian walkways and road lane widths) is used.FindingsThe outcome of the research consists of a series of major infrastructural changes with regard to lane widths, parking spaces, pick-up and drop-off zones and other facilities needed for the deployment of autonomous vehicles.Practical implicationsThe results imply that Qatar can benefit by adopting the proposed urban design suggestions for the implementation of autonomous vehicles on the streets of MDD in particular, and smart cities of Qatar and the region in general.Social implicationsThe proposed changes can work as a reference and serve as a possible setting for addressing Autonomous Vehicle preparations in emerging cities.Originality/valueThe proposed urban design changes can be adapted for an autonomous future in emerging cities.

Investments in sport: fans’ impressions of Qatar 2022

ABSTRACT Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup (WC) was met with criticism and mixed-feelings, especially certain journalists from the Global North. Others acknowledged that it was going to boost economic activities and deepen the sports-tourism nexus. The overarching aim of this paper is to analyse fans’ impressions of Qatar 2022 regarding their lived experiences in the city of Doha, which helps to understand and clarify some negative perceptions held before and during the World Cup. Interviews with 31 participants arbitrarily sampled from different countries reveal that Qatar 2022 brought fans imaginable excitement and indelible lived experiences. According to some, it will take decades for successive host countries to match those lived experiences, spectacular displays, smooth commutations and excellent organisation. Some tag it “the best FIFA world cup ever”. Results show that Qatar 2022 inspired, gingered and spurred fans on albeit, other mixed-feelings associated with the tournament. We report that there is a perceived image-rebranding strategy that worked successfully for the host nation. The fans further recommend that FIFA revisit its ticketing processes and systems to make them more accessible and fluid without difficulties. Fans suggest that subsequent hosts of the World Cup could be confined to ‘one city’ only so that they can watch two matches a day as experienced in Qatar. However, fans have concerns about the WC event becoming more expensive for an average supporter in the future.

A Comprehensive Review of a Decade of Field PV Soiling Assessment in QEERI’s Outdoor Test Facility in Qatar: Learned Lessons and Recommendations

Soiling of photovoltaic (PV) modules is a major issue due to its critical impact on PV performance and reliability, especially in the desert and arid regions such as the state of Qatar. Soiling frequently results in a severe reduction in PV power generation, which drastically affects the economical profitability of the PV plant, and therefore, must be mitigated. The most common way of mitigating PV soiling is surface cleaning. However, the latter could consequently increase the associated operation and maintenance (O&M) cost of the PV site. However, previous studies indicated that even if the best-optimized cleaning schemes are used, the actual global solar-power production can still be reduced by about 4%, which is associated with at least EUR 5 billion in annual revenue losses worldwide. This loss is expected to reach a conservative value of EUR 7 billion in 2023. Accordingly, investigating the interplayed physics phenomena related to the various soiling processes, the site-specific O&M costs, along with a techno-economical assessment of state-of-the-art soiling mitigation strategies (including innovative anti-soiling coating materials) is of paramount importance. The goal of this comprehensive report is to provide the solar community at large, and those focusing on the desert environment in particular, with real field measurements that provide key findings and challenges in addressing soiling research obtained from multiyear testing at the Outdoor Test Facility (OTF) field station, located in the desert environment of the city of Doha, in the state of Qatar.

Insight into vegetation inclusion along urban roads: A pilot study on the preferences of expatriate roadside users in downtown Doha, Qatar

Physical Activity (PA) is vital for health and well-being. Automobile-oriented urban development hinders PA in rapidly urbanized cities. In this regard, Complete Streets’ is an emerging design approach to provide equitable services for all road users while promoting PA. Qatar is introducing ‘Complete Streets’ as part of an urban beautification project in which trees are an integral design element. In the capital city of Doha, expatriates constitute a large portion of the resident population; and primary roadside users due to their dependence on public transportation like the Metro rail. Using a quantitative survey, this pilot study conducted in a typical road segment of downtown Doha investigated the preferences of expatriate roadside users for ecosystem services (ES) offered by the street vegetation, the four potential roadside vegetation types, and the associated reasons. The results revealed that the top two preferred ESwere the benefits of street vegetation in the aesthetic enhancement of streets and microclimate regulations. The vegetation type that was perceived to have more greenery was most preferred. The perceived ‘restorative’ benefits of street vegetation mainly influenced the preferences. The findings of this study provide insight into the inclusion of vegetation along roads under the beautification projects in downtown Doha by the Public Works Authority, Ashghal. It is the first study in Qatar that focuses on the preferences of expatriate roadside users for the ES offered by street vegetation and street vegetation types.

Deterritorialization in the context of cultural heritage and globalizing Msheireb downtown Doha

The State of Qatar has witnessed rapid urban activity and development in the decades since the discovery of oil, which has led to a large-scale change in the local cultural heritage and behavior of its residents. This uncontrolled rapid urbanization, along with the acceleration of globalization and modernity that has encompassed all areas, especially the city of Doha, has led to the deterioration and destruction of the downtown area of Msheireb. These transformations threaten the identity and local culture of Qatari society, affecting the place's sense of identity. The country's authorities have rushed to implement strategies and development plans aimed at redeveloping the old city center and improving the environment by creating innovative and inspiring living spaces that enable both locals and foreigners to communicate and integrate with one another to restore a sense of community. This study addresses the “Msheireb Downton Doha” project and the consequences of globalization. The study examines the concept of “deterritorialization” as a cultural condition that has pushed Msheireb Downtown Doha from modernity to postmodernism as an element of globalization. In this study, we will analyze the reconstruction of Msheireb, which helped to move the city toward cultural universality while simultaneously reducing regional borders. The study will analyze the extent to which this process succeeded or failed in preserving the spirit of the area's traditional architectural heritage and cultural identity in a manner that reflects the genuine sentiments and values of Qatari society.

Cooling Degree Days for Quick Energy Consumption Estimation in the GCC Countries

One of the most useful and simplified approaches in assessing building energy estimates is the degree days method. The heating and cooling requirements can be easily compared for different locations as well as system trends. In this paper, the cooling degree day values for the capitals of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are presented. Degree day values at different base temperatures are also produced for these locations. These values are useful for engineers and policy makers for evaluating energy demands and their cost for these countries. A typical two-story residential building is considered here and its yearly cooling load is evaluated. The total cooling energy is compared based on the energy cost of the respective GCC countries. The results presented in this investigation illustrated that the cooling load, based on the cooling degree days (CDDs) at a 23 °C base temperature, agrees well with the detailed hourly cooling load simulated by eQuest software. Additionally, the highest CDDs value of 2589 was observed in the city of Doha and the lowest value of 2037 was seen in Riyadh city. The lowest cooling cost of USD 492 corresponds to Muscat, while the highest value of USD 1672 belong to Abu Dubai, partially due to a higher tariff of 0.081 USD/kWh.

A social-ecological perspective for emerging cities: The case of Corniche promenade, “urban majlis” of Doha

In the past decade, the capital city of Doha of the State of Qatar has experienced rapid urban expansion and other changes due to globalization, which has caused (i) the loss of a compact urban pattern, (ii) landscape fragmentation, and (iii) deficiency of green spaces. Therefore, as envisioned by Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV-2030), the State of Qatar plans to invest substantial funds into the urban regeneration of the built environment, along with the development of large areas of public parks as a means of promoting more sustainable urban development and enhancing city residents’ well-being. Accessibility contributes to the usability of public facilities on the part of the neighborhood community, thus enhancing city dwellers’ well-being. Nonetheless, the authors argue, the urban network along Doha’s Corniche promenade, the dominant open public space and the spine of the city, lacks connectivity at various scales of space. Therefore, this research study aimed to assess the existing conditions of Doha’s Corniche and recommend strategies for implementing its integration into the newly emerging city’s urban fabric. The findings, revealed through a network-analysis investigation based on graph theory, allowed us to generate a framework for shaping open public spaces, promoting higher living standards through a green network system planned at the city scale. The proposed framework addresses social-ecological challenges of distinctive open public spaces and helps define an approach for (i) tailoring the accessibility of open public spaces to their surroundings, and (ii) enhancing city dwellers’ well-being.

Mega shopping malls technology-enabled facilities, destination image, tourists’ behavior and revisit intentions: Implications of the SOR theory

Mega shopping malls technology-enabled services influence tourists shopping behavior as Jumbo malls offer a broader range of products and services with innovative features that impacts revisit intentions. This study’s novelty is the research on mega shopping malls as literature lacs it. Travel, leisure, and tourism sectors have gained balanced attention, and scholars have contributed with academic research perspectives. Mega malls in modern cities attract tourists that help foster economic development with revisit intentions. Technology-enabled products influence sustainable tourists’ experiences. Despite broad investigative studies on tourists’ experiences, literature shows little regarding tourists’ shopping experiences in mega shopping malls that lead to reviewing tourist destination choices. This narrative research explores how shopping malls attributes influence tourists’ behavioral intentions in mega malls’ shopping environments that satisfy them for revisiting intentions in the future. Doha city is an economic hub that plays a crucial role in the economic and social development of the region. The city lies on the sea and has many mega shopping malls that offer technology-enabled products and services to attract regional and global tourists. It boosts sustainable economic activities, climate change, and environmental protection concerns. The city of Doha oscillates widespread beaches, and its mega shopping malls are famous as tourist attractions for domestic, regional, and global travelers. As an independent and economically affluent country, it has its take on attracting tourists. The study aimed to examine the revisiting behavior of Doha tourists with destination revisit intentions. A pleasant shopping experience in sizeable technology-enabled shopping malls is critical for tourist satisfaction. The trust, perceived value, and environmental effects affect tourists’ revisit intentions. Other factors include high spirits, excitement, new tourist destinations, and visiting friends. External factors include a preference for natural and historical destinations, technology-enabled facilities, infrastructure, safety, affordability, comfort, budget range, and sociocultural factors. The study recommends future inquiries based on factors that empirically test mega malls’ technology-enabled product effects on tourists’ behaviors. The findings not only contribute to tourists’ experiences in mega shopping malls and revisit intention literature but also provide implications’ for officials and policymakers to articulate policies that promote tourists’ mega-mall shopping experiences and destinations.

Evaluating the Effect of Dynamic Message Signs and Lane Control Signs on Driver Behavior in a Developing Country

Developing countries are continuously upgrading their transportation systems. The latest improvement in Qatar, a fast-developing country in the Middle East, was the installation of dynamic message signs (DMS) and lane control signs (LCS). These signs were installed in multiple areas in the city of Doha, the capital of Qatar. However, there have been no studies in Qatar or the region regarding the effectiveness of such signs on driver behavior. This study aims to evaluate and compare the impact of DMS and LCS on driving behavior on different types of roads. A real-life driving experiment was conducted along a defined route in Doha that consists of three sections: arterial road, freeway with electronic signs, and freeway without electronic signs. The details of the trips were recorded using multiple methods. The results showed that the introduction of DMS and LCS did not significantly affect speed compliance. The results also indicated that LCS and DMS did not have a major effect on other driver behavior variables such as harsh braking and lane changing. The study provided several recommendations to road authorities concerning the deployment of electronic signs and highlighted a few topics for future research work.

Measuring, Mapping, and Evaluating Daytime Traffic Noise Levels at Urban Road Intersections in Doha, Qatar

In this study, equivalent hourly traffic noise levels at different intersections in the city of Doha, Qatar were measured and compared to the local and World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds. As part of the study, equivalent sound pressure levels, ambient temperature, humidity, and wind speed were recorded during the morning, afternoon, and evening hours on weekdays and weekends. The results showed that regardless of the day (weekday or weekend), the mean 16-h daytime traffic noise levels at all sites exceeded the local and the WHO’s recommended thresholds. The values of the mean weekday noise levels at the sites ranged between 67.6 dB(A) and 77.5 dB(A), whereas the weekend values ranged between 68.8 dB(A) and 76.9 dB(A). The measured noise levels were also compared with traffic noise levels reported in other countries. Finally, some recommendations to reduce excessive traffic noise levels were suggested. The results of the study could be used as a benchmark of traffic noise levels in the country after the implementation of any countermeasures in the future.

A New Sustainable and Novel Hybrid Solar Chimney Power Plant Design for Power Generation and Seawater Desalination

This study presents a case study of a novel hybrid solar chimney power plant (HSCPP) design’s performance in the city of Doha, Qatar. The HSCPP construction is similar to the traditional solar chimney power plant (SCPP) but with the addition of water sprinklers installed at the top of the chimney. This allowed the solar chimney (SC) to operate as a cooling tower (CT) during the nighttime and operate as an SC during the daytime, hence providing a continuous 24-h operation. The results showed that the HSCPP produced ~633 MWh of electrical energy per year, compared to ~380 MWh of energy produced by the traditional SCPP. The results also showed that the HSCPP was able to produce 139,000 tons/year of freshwater, compared to 90,000 tons/year produced by the traditional SCPP. The estimated CO2 emission reduction (~600 tons/year) from the HSCPP is twice that of the traditional SCPP (~300 tons/year). The results clearly show that the HSCPP outperformed the traditional SCPP.

Traffic routing in the ever-changing city of Doha

Traffic routing in the ever-changing city of Doha

Quantifying the impact of COVID–19 preventive measures on traffic in the State of Qatar

Ever since the beginning of 2020, the mobility of people and goods all over the world has been extremely limited as a result of movement restrictions imposed by local authorities as part of several other efforts to stop the wide spread of COVID–19 pandemic. The Supreme Committee for Crisis Management in the State of Qatar adopted the policy of incremental preventive measures that were adjusted based on the pandemic status. These actions involved several restrictions, aiming a balance between reducing the pandemic spread and the typical daily activities disturbance. This paper assesses the impact of pandemic response measures on traffic mobility by quantifying the holistic impact of the incremental measures at different stages on traffic volumes and traffic safety. Daily traffic counts from 24 intersections were collected every 15-min for several days, representing the traffic before and after implementing each preventive measure. Besides, a screenline was used to represent the traffic entering and leaving the Central Business District (CBD) in the City of Doha. The results show that the daily traffic demand distribution over the course of day was not affected by those preventive measures. However, an overall demand reduction of 30% in baseline traffic was observed for all studied intersections and the screenline when all preventive measures were active. Moreover, the analysis of traffic violations and the total crashes indicated a drop of 73% and 37% respectively. The results from this assessment will assist decision and policy makers, and planners to prioritize traffic management actions for future needs. Further, the findings can also be utilized for mega–event traffic management in the post-COVID era, such as FIFA World Cup 2022 and 2030 Asian Games.

Corrected Rock Fracture Parameters and Other Empirical Considerations for the Rock Mechanics of Rock Masses of Doha, Qatar

The objective of this paper is to provide insights into the intact rock and rock mass properties of the rock formations under the city of Doha, State of Qatar. We also intend to scientifically clarify these properties by presenting and statistically characterizing the ranges of the parameters, and by discussing the correlations between the parameters with respect to their usage and research potential. The rock quality designation corrected (RQDC) parameter is validated and a new parameter, the fracture index corrected (FIC), is proposed. The significantly improved correlation between RQDC and FIC is demonstrated and their derivation is explained. The paper demonstrates the correlation between the rock mass estimation parameters obtained through rock face mapping and discusses the applicability of the Hoek–Brown criterion to the studied rock masses, which is found to be relevant. A discussion about how properly performed triaxial tests can directly provide the rock constant mi values for all geological members is presented. Other estimation approaches for mi are also validated and compared with the existing knowledge base. Data for laboratory and field intact rock and rock mass parameters are combined using equations from various authors to obtain narrow ranges for rock mass strength and rock mass elasticity modulus values. Finally, within the framework of previous studies by other authors on the low-end transition range of rocks toward soils, it is shown that only the Rus formation member is sufficiently soft and can be included in the range.

Assessment of Traffic Noise Near Schools in a Developing Country

Schools are one of the land uses that are sensitive to traffic noise. While schools must be silent zones, many are located in urban areas and are exposed to high noise levels. In this study, an assessment of traffic noise around multiple schools in the city of Doha, Qatar was conducted during school hours. The results indicated that the noise is positively correlated with the traffic volume around the schools, indicating that locations with higher traffic volumes tend to have higher noise. The results also showed that the noise levels exceed the reference value of 53 dBA according to the World Health Organization. Furthermore, the measured noise levels exceeded the Qatar local standards for residential area and public corporation day-time noise level (55 dBA). To address this problem, several solutions were recommended.

Assessing Walking and Cycling around Schools

To encourage students to walk and cycle to school and ensure their health and safety, it is essential to provide safe and operationally efficient infrastructure around schools. This study used an audit tool to assess the infrastructure and environment around schools in the city of Doha, Qatar, with a particular emphasis on active transport (walking and cycling). The aim was to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Twenty-two schools with varied education levels were assessed. Among all assessed categories, active transport items scored the lowest, requiring the most improvements. A detailed analysis was conducted based on school type (elementary, primary, high, and mixed-schools) and revealed similar results except for elementary schools (scored acceptable for active transport). The study revealed that adding bike lanes, installing bicycle parking, and providing good separation of travel modes are the most needed improvements at school sites. In summary, improving active transport could significantly improve the overall quality of the infrastructure around schools in Qatar. Such improvements could greatly encourage more school children to walk and cycle to school instead of being primarily dropped-off and picked up by their parents’ vehicles or school buses.

Unfolding of Filipino School Leadership Experiences in Doha, Qatar

Due to internationalization, Qatar is hiring foreign educators and leaders to share expertise in their country. Filipinos are mostly hired as domestic helpers, yet there are also Filipino leaders in educational institutions that exist, particularly in the capital city Doha. The researchers find it significant to examine the experiences of Filipino teachers abroad, due to the rising number of educators and school leaders in Qatar. Romanowski et al. (2018) cited that there is a very few studies regarding principalship and diversity of educators notwithstanding the enormous knowledge of research that emphasize leadership in school and diversity of students. The study attempts to unfold the lived experiences of Filipino school managers in international schools in Doha, Qatar specifically with: 1) the experiences of Filipino school managers in terms of: (a) Planning; (b) Organizing; (c) Leading and (d) Controlling. 2) The challenges of being a school leader in international schools in Doha. Four (4) themes emerged from the study with subthemes that depicted the experiences and challenges of Filipino school leaders. Theme 1 explains the Filipino school leaders in complying with mandates and policies. Theme 2 discusses the Filipino school leaders in adapting with culture. Theme 3 defines the Filipino school leaders conforming with programs. Theme 4 depicts the Filipino school leaders in conforming with resources. The study is beneficial to the aspiring and current school leaders not only to Filipinos, but also to other nationalities interested in or are presently managing international schools in Doha.
 KEYWORDS: school leadership, school management, Filipino principals, experiences, culture