Doha Festival City development director Greg Douglas, Bawabat Al-Shamal Real Estate Company (Basrec) board member Ahmed Saleh al-Kholaqi, Basrec chief executive officer Kareem M Shamma and senior executive manager Jihad Zarkout (right to left) at the groundbreaking ceremony of the second phase of Doha Festival City. Construction began yesterday on the second phase of Doha Festival City, set for an opening in the first quarter of 2016 with Qatar’s “largest mall”, a major entertainment component, hotel and conference centre and motor showrooms. The mixed-use development north of downtown Doha, beside Al Shamal Road in Al Daayen Municipality, saw the opening of its first phase last month, when Ikea, the Swedish furniture retailer, launched its Qatar store.