Established in 2005, its brief is simple: innovate through transformative projects, improve the quality of community life and respect cultural and local heritage.
The idea is a deliberate, people-centric journey: one where physical environments are shaped, the integration of social and cultural mores is key, and the focus is on generational value creation. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Lusail, the progressive and self-contained smart city, where Qatari Diar showcases its commitment to vision and quality.
It is Qatar’s largest, single-city development, spanning 38 million square metres – equivalent to 38 square kilometres, or roughly two-thirds the size of Manhattan. The name Lusail is derived from Al Wassail, the Arabic name for a rare, native desert shrub. The site is significant to the Qatari identity; in the early 20th century, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, founder of modern Qatar, chose the site to erect Lusail Castle, famously known as the Founder’s Fort.
To football fans, Lusail Stadium evokes memories of the legendary 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout. Yet just over a decade earlier, the site remained undeveloped until the World Cup was awarded to Qatar which, in turn, spurred a wave of hyper-futuristic infrastructure projects.
When Qatari Diar took on the Lusail project, the team decided from the start against retrofitting an old city. Instead, they planned everything from the ground up using integrated technology, artificial intelligence and sustainable engineering. This approach meant to optimise daily urban life, leverage transit like the Doha Metro Red Line and create an extraordinary environment.
Qatari Diar, through its subsidiary the Lusail Real Estate Development Company (LREDC), designed a centralised hub called the Lusail Command and Control Centre (LCCC) – effectively the brain of the smart city. The LCCC brings together more than 10,000 video feeds and 200 operational technology systems across 80 sites. If a traffic accident occurs, the system instantly alters traffic signals, dispatches emergency services and reroutes surrounding public transport without waiting for manual, human coordination.
Massive cooling plants chill water and pump it through underground pipes to air-condition the city’s high-rises. This centralised system is vastly more efficient than individual AC units, eliminating 200,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
Lusail is an ongoing project. It was the first development to endorse the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) for all its buildings, addressing the challenges of Qatar’s hot,arid desert climates and severe water scarcity while maintaining its distinct cultural identities. Aside from pampering its residents, the supercity hopes to encourage tourism at a projected rate of 80,000 visitors per day.
Qatari Diar currently manages 41 investment projects globally with a combined value of nearly $39bn.
Even with its international portfolios, Qatari Diar applies the same philosophy: a fusion of tradition and innovation. These projects include the Chancery Rosewood in London, built on the site of the former US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, and the Chelsea Barracks, a former army garrison. In Egypt, the company drives a multi-billion-dollar mega project, the Alam Al Roum city off the Mediterranean coast. In Washington, DC, Qatari Diar’s CityCenterDC project has already won an award for transforming central parts of the American capital.
Qatari Diar’s world-renowned design team collaborates with some of the world’s leading architecture firms, including HOK, Foster + Partners, Squire & Partners, Sir David Chipperfield and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
Qatari Diar goes beyond bricks, mortar and glass. It creates shared spaces that blend housing, commercial offices, retail shopfronts and community facilities. This successful, holistic approach fosters a real sense of belonging for residents, encourages local employment and ensures social interaction is the norm.
Qatari Diar’s philosophy rests on uncompromised quality and an ironclad, global reputation – bridging the here and now with a vision of tomorrow’s future.
Qatari Diar has always celebrated the Al Wassail flower as a symbol of Qatar’s uniqueness. By holding fast to this raw desert heritage, the company shapes an ethos that sets Qatari Diar apart as it remains steadfast in its pursuit of the real estate of tomorrow.
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