Some commercial tenants in the Shara Al Asmakh area of Doha have said they are anticipating a fresh round of demolition in the neighbourhood.
They say the decision of landlords and agencies to stop collecting rents is a “clear indication” that some buildings in the area will be razed soon.
If it happens, the latest round of demolition will take place after a long interval, the tenants say. It is understood that the demolition drive is part of a major urban development project, as reported by Gulf Times earlier.
According to some of them, the agency that collected their monthly rents had stopped doing so and also indicated that the business operators there should consider relocating without waiting for further orders from the relevant authorities.
Establishments that are likely to be demolished in the latest phase includes a complex that houses a well-known restaurant, hotels and groceries, it is learnt.
It could be recalled that a number of buildings had earlier been earmarked for demolition in Asmakh. Eviction notices were also served, prompting some of the occupants to seek an extension.
Some shops selling electrical and electronic goods in the area had stopped operating months ago in anticipation of a demolition drive, and relocated to other city areas. A prominent Asian sweet shop was one of the establishments that shifted to a city suburb last year.
Enquiries made with some of the shops’ operators revealed that many of them had taken possession of new rooms in other areas, some of which were outside Doha Municipality limits.
One of them said though the compensation he received for vacating his premises in Asmakh was “fairly good”, he had to part with “more than that amount” to provide a security deposit to the owners of the property where he had relocated.
Meanwhile, tenants in some other parts of Asmakh said they were not considering shifting yet.
One of them said representatives of his landlord had assured the tenants repeatedly that they would be able to stay put in their present location at least until the end of this year. This area includes a number of old buildings.
For many residents, particularly old-timers, visiting Shara Al Asmakh was a regular affair to buy different kinds of goods despite the arrival of swanky and large shopping centres in the city.
Traffic congestion is common but that doesn’t deter residents from thronging the place in large numbers.
A section of the Asmakh area. PICTURE: Jayaram
