Eviction ‘shock’ for shops in Musheireb

The eviction notices are final and there is no plan to extend the deadline, says an official at the Urban Planning and Development Authority

Eviction notices served to shops in Musheireb last month are the final attempt to clear the area and authorities are waiting for the power supply to be cut off before demolition begins.

A Land Acquisition Department official at the Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA) yesterday told Gulf Times that the notices were final “and we have no plans to extend the deadline”.

The notices, served on shopkeepers and residents of Doha’s oldest business hub, were posted outside buildings on August 19, giving a deadline of September 15.

The “affected” part is the most prominent section of Musheireb after Al Kahrabaa Street. “The deadline has indeed passed. But our job here at the department is completed.

It is now up to Kahramaa (Qatar Water and Electricity Corporation) to cut off power,” the official said. “Any delay in honouring the deadline of September 15 is from Kahramaa and it should be a matter of days now,” the official added.

The notices have jolted hundreds of businesses and thousands of residents in what are now known as Area 2 and Area 3 of Musheireb in technical terms, as the 35-hectare part of the city undergoes massive urban regeneration ending in 2016.

Shops which received the notices are located on Akhtam, Nakheel, Al Shiraa, Sikkat Al Suhoul, Sikkat Al Ghafat and Al Shefa Streets. Traders and residents have previously said they were caught off guard when notices were posted at their doors, giving them less than a month to vacate the premises. Construction work in Area 1A and 1B is underway, with Area 4 that comes under the fifth phase being the only untouched area remaining in the QR20bn project.

“Area 4 is scheduled for demolition in June 2011,” the Land Acquisition Department official said.

This generally includes the area facing Doha Jadeed and Jaidah Bridge and houses shopping complexes like Souq Hamad, along with scores of jewellery and mobile phone outlets.

The Land Acquisition Department of UPDA has been working on clearing the densely-populated area since 2006 and is also responsible for payment of compensation to building owners and traders.