Public Beaches Development Project To Boost Tourism

Doha: The recently announced second phase of Public Beaches Development Project seeks to enhance both domestic and international tourism in Qatar, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Municipality.

The initiative focuses on upgrading public beaches across the country with world-class facilities, cultural and sports activities, and environmentally sustainable infrastructure to attract visitors and improve the overall quality of life.

Senior Quality Projects Engineer at the Ministry of Municipality Eng Issa Muqbil explained that the initiative is built on three strategic goals: improving public well-being, promoting local tourism through cultural and sports activities at the beaches, and attracting foreign tourists by providing world-class beach infrastructure in coordination with Qatar Tourism.

Speaking to Qatar TV recently, he said that the project is being implemented in two phases. The first phase, which has been completed, involved the development of eight public beaches across various municipalities.

This included the provision of essential services such as signage, walkways - designed to be accessible for people with disabilities - shaded seating, beach furniture, children's playgrounds in family areas, kiosks, sand levelling, and various other amenities to ensure a high-quality visitor experience. The second phase, currently underway, will see the development of an additional 18 beaches across the country.

Muqbil emphasized that environmental sustainability is a top priority throughout the project. The Ministry collaborates closely with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change at all stages - from selecting suitable beaches and developing initial and detailed designs, to implementing eco-friendly construction practices.

The project features solar-powered lighting systems to reduce environmental impact and a dual-bin waste management system - grey bins for organic waste and blue bins for recyclable materials - to support sustainable waste disposal practices.

The selection of the eight beaches for phase one was based on several criteria. These included environmental sustainability, geographical distribution across municipalities to ensure easy public access, and existing infrastructure such as road connectivity and nearby utility networks.

Looking ahead, the Ministry is working to incorporate smart technology into beach services. For example, an electronic booking system is being launched for 974 Beach, which has seen significant footfall - particularly on ladies-only days, with attendance reaching 2,800 visitors, and weekend averages of about 800 daily.

The Ministry has implemented multiple channels to monitor visitor satisfaction and collect feedback.

A dedicated team monitors social media comments and suggestions, while visitors can also submit their feedback via the unified Ministry contact number or the“Oun” mobile app. Additionally, field teams regularly visit beaches to assess service quality and gather feedback directly from beachgoers. All feedback is carefully reviewed and acted upon promptly.

Private sector involvement is central to the initiative. In the first phase, beach development was carried out by private companies, and 974 Beach is currently operated by a private company to ensure high-quality service delivery. Opportunities for private investment will expand further in the second phase, where 18 more beaches are slated for development.

Muqbil confirmed that beach development will remain an ongoing effort, with plans to explore new beach locations not included in the current project phases. The findings of the final study for the upcoming development phase are expected to be announced soon.

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