Qatar Development Bank (QDB) has received 13,266 applications for Phase 1 of its Al Furjan Markets Project since it has opened it to public registration from October 21 to November 19.
QDB said it will host a raffle award ceremony on December 11 at the Four Seasons Doha, which will be dedicated to a number of successful applications received by the development bank.
QDB assured the integrity, fairness, and transparency of the raffle draw, which will be a fully-automated process and will be supervised by an international audit firm under the supervision of a committee composed of QDB members and other governmental stakeholders.
An integrated electronic system was developed allowing people to apply for 45 retail stores during the first stage of the project through the Al Furjan mobile application, which can be downloaded from Apple Store or Google Play.
“QDB has taken all the required measures to overcome and control any obstacles or difficulties that might complicate any procedure associated with the raffle draw and applicants are required to deposit some funds or relevant licenses as a form of guarantee,” QDB said in a statement.
The Al Furjan mobile application does not require any administrative or financial requirement, as it aims to facilitate the application process for citizens and encourage them to apply for Al Furjan markets project, QDB said.
It added that the mobile application version provides applicants the opportunity to clearly browse and select among a list of many vacant shops according to the required commercial activities, and identify their locations through a map link in the application, as well as apply for vacant shops as per area and activity criteria.
QDB CEO Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa said: “We are elated to have received a tremendous response for the first phase of Al Furjan Markets Project raffle draw, which is managed by QDB for the first time in a form of an integrated electronic system.
“The vast participation is a great indicator for QDB’s success in overcoming the obstacles and difficulties that might complicate any procedure associated with the raffle draw for applying to the vacant shops, as well as ensuring a smooth automated process of registration for applicants.”
He added: “It also reflects the citizens’ overwhelming response of this project. The results of Al Furjan Markets raffle draw will be announced on December 11. QDB will continue to improve and develop Al Furjan Markets, and is set to announce soon a list of new vacant shops.”
The Al Furjan Markets project is a unique initiative launched in collaboration with a number of the government sectors, in cooperation with QDB, which is handling all construction and administrate work for the project.
The initiative is considered one of Qatar’s strategic projects and is intended to support the commercial sector in the country, as part of the development of a sustainable economy in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 to create a diverse permanent economic environment.
The motivation behind this project is the forecast increase in population within the city of Doha and its surroundings.
The retail mix has been devised to cater to the most important needs.