Msheireb area residents seek more time to look for alternative housing

By Joey Aguilar

Staff Reporter

The Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) seemed to have spared thousands of residents in the Msheireb area from disconnecting electricity to their accommodations yesterday, contrary to notices issued earlier.

“We still have electricity,” a resident told Gulf Times around 8:30pm, hoping they would be given more time to look for alternative housing.

However, he noted that accommodations and room rates within Doha had become “too expensive” for low-income workers like him. He said he had found some rooms but the rates ranged between QR2,500 and QR3,500 a month, “which does not fit his budget”.

He said he could only afford QR1,200 to QR1,500. He lamented that landlords usually asked for deposits and advance payments for rent.

The resident, who works for a shop that sells CCTVs in the Msheireb area, said that many of his compatriots and colleagues were also yet to find any accommodation that suited their budget.

“If they disconnect the electricity now, I really don’t know what to do,” he said. “It is too hard to find an accommodation like this”.

Kahramaa’s disconnection notice only applies for accommodations and has exempted shops and  business establishments. Employees of a travel agency said this extension was based on an agreement signed between the shop owners and the developer of the Msheireb Downtown Doha project.