Qatar University (QU) plans to spend about QR5bn over the next 10 years to develop its infrastructure and facilities, at the rate of about QR500m every year, a senior official has said.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency, Engineer Ibrahim Yousuf Al Fakhroo, Director of Capital Projects Affairs Department at the University, said that QU, which currently has over 17,000 students, has witnessed a remarkable development in its infrastructure over the past years and has successfully responded to the requirements of change, modernisation and expansion of its academic colleges, scientific laboratories, research centers and recreational facilities.
Visitors to the campus can recognize the size of expansion of the university facilities and the giant projects which the university has been implementing to meet current needs and fulfill future aspirations.
Engineer Ibrahim Yousuf Al Fakhroo, Director of Capital Projects Affairs Department at the University, hailed the rapid response by the wise leadership for achieving such major projects, noting that the projects offered for QU facilities this year and over the next three years are estimated at about QR3bn.
He noted that the total campus area is estimated at 5.5 million square meters approximately, while the utilized and constructed areas are estimated at 1.8 million square meters.
This year, QU will open several strategic projects including male student housing and female students housing which include 668 rooms accommodating about 1000 male and female students.
Eng. Al Fakhroo pointed out that the student housing is in its final stages to receive students, noting that this project will save millions of riyals that were paid annually to the rented buildings.
The university is preparing this year to open residential apartments for faculty members visiting the campus. The project includes 208 apartments and a club for university employees and students, in addition to a gym which is being furnished temporary until the completion of the basic club.
Al Fakhroo added that the university will inaugurate the College of Pharmacy Building (Male and Female) this year within the framework of the Health Sciences Complex including colleges of Medicine, Health sciences and Pharmacy, as well as a multi-story parking building that accommodates 2000 cars in addition to the opening of the Early Childhood Center.
In September 2015, the University opened a new building of study halls which accommodates about 3,600 students, adding to the existing halls in the college buildings.
Commenting on the expansion, Eng. Al Fakhroo said that the Capital Projects Affairs Department study the University's plans regarding the expansion in facilities, including colleges, labs, entertainment facilities, administrative building, car parking and others, for the best use of the campus areas in order to meet the immediate and future needs.
He stressed that the design of the facilities at the University takes into account flexibility in use in order to meet the requirements and future needs, adding that some of the projects currently underway are the Faculty of Law, the Student Affairs Building and the College of Education Building, which will be inaugurated soon, along with the Management Building which will be launched by the end of this year.
The University's vision with regard to development and change strategies gave priority to leisure facilities for their role in enriching the student experience in the campus. One of the most important projects currently underway in this regard is the Student Affairs Building which includes recreational and sports areas, restaurants and shops.
In the next few months, a tender for the establishment of the Sports and Events Building will be launched. The building will include various Olympic stadiums for the university's students that can also be used for the Olympic competitions hosted by the country, Eng. Al Fakhroo said.
Speaking about the movement of traffic in the framework of the QU expansion, he explained that the issue of traffic is currently under study and that the results will determine the type of transportation allowed inside the university.
In this context, Eng. Al Fakhroo said that "The Rail" project within Qatar University will link the university with all the municipalities and will make the movement easier, noting that the project will also serve the investment area of QU, which is currently being studied for commercial use which revenues would benefit the university.
Concerning the car parking spaces inside the campus, he underlined that the QU has succeeded in developing solutions to face the increasing number of students by opening a multi-story parking building by the end of this year, with a capacity of up to 2000 cars, in addition to several ground parking spaces.
