Old Airport (Doha) Explained

Old Airport
Native Name:المطار العتيق
Native Name Lang: ar
Settlement Type:District
Pushpin Map:Qatar Doha#Qatar
Coordinates:25.2481°N 51.5544°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Qatar
Subdivision Type1:Municipality
Subdivision Name1:Ad Dawhah
Subdivision Type2:Zone
Subdivision Name2:Zone 45
Subdivision Type3:District no.
Subdivision Name3:44
Area Total Km2:4.7
Population Total:44,275
Population As Of:2010
Population Density Km2:auto

Old Airport (Arabic: المطار العتيق; also referred to as Al Matar Al Qadeem) is an area of Doha, Qatar.[1] The district is located close to the site of Doha's old international airport servicing Qatar before the construction of the Hamad International Airport. Running through the district is Al Matar Al Qadeem Street (known in English as Old Airport Street), around which many businesses and retailers cater to the residents of the area. The first mall constructed in Qatar is also located within the district, next to the congested Najma roundabout.

History

The Qatar government decided to create an airport in the mid-1900s, and Old Airport served as the site of this airport before it was relocated to a new site. Municipal officials turned their attention towards developing Old Airport in the 1970s. In the 1980s, the falling price of oil resulted in these plans scaled back and eventually put on hold indefinitely. No new master plans have been put in place for the district since then.[2] In September 1985, a post office was opened in the district.[3]

Administration

When free elections of the Central Municipal Council first took place in Qatar during 1999,[4] Old Airport was designated the seat of constituency no. 9.[5] It would remain seat of constituency no. 9 in the next three consecutive elections until the fifth municipal elections in 2015, when it was decided that it would become the seat of constituency no. 8. Included among constituency no. 8's districts are Ras Abu Aboud, east Nu`ayjah, Al Khulaifat, Al Hitmi, Doha Port, Al Mirqab, Al Souq, Old Al Ghanim, Al Jasrah, Umm Ghuwailina, Najma, Fereej bin Durham, Al Hilal, Al Mansoura, and Barahat Al Jufairi.[6]

In the inaugural municipal elections in 1999, Abdulrahman Mohammed Al-Jufairi won the elections, receiving 61%, or 617 votes. Trailing behind him with 28.2%, or 285 votes was Salman Ahmed Mohammed Al Meer. Voter turnout was 84.7%.[5] Constituency no. 9 became in notable in the 2002 elections when it elected Sheikha Yousuf Hasan Al Jufairi,[7] making her the first woman win a municipal election in the GCC.[8] Al-Jufairi went on to retain her seat in the three following elections in 2007,[9] 2011[10] and 2015.[11]

Transport

Road

Mowasalat is the official transport company of Qatar and serves the community through its operation of public bus routes. Old Airport is served by one bus line which departs from Al Ghanim Bus Station. Route 11 has stops at Najma, LuLu Hypermarket and Old Airport and a terminus at Al Thumama at Bus Stop 5, running at a frequency of every 20 minutes on all days of the week.[12] [13]

Major roads that run through the district are D Ring Road, E Ring Road, Airport Street (also known as Matar Street) and Najma Street.[14]

Air

Doha International Airport, previously Qatar's main airport, was located near here. It was made defunct after the opening of Hamad International Airport in May 2014 but remains active for government flights, military, and diplomatic flights.[15]

Rail

Currently, two underground metro stations serve Old Airport: the Al Matar Al Qadeem Metro Station, and the Oqba Ibn Nafie Metro Station, both of which are part of the Red Line of the Doha Metro.[16] As part of the metro's Phase 1, the stations were inaugurated on 8 May, 2019, along with most other Red Line stations.[17]

Al Matar Al Qadeem station is situated at the crossing of Airport Street and D Ring Road, and provides underground pedestrian tunnels at all four corners. Among the station's facilities are a Qatar National Bank ATM, a prayer room and restrooms.[18] Nearby landmarks within walking distance include the Old Airport Park, the Oryx Rotana Hotel and the defunct Doha International Airport.[19] There are no metrolinks serving the station.[18]

Oqba Ibn Nafie station is located at the Airport Street–Oqba Ibn Nafie intersection, to the south of Al Matar Al Qadeem Station. It contains the same facilities as the Al Matar Al Qadeem station.[18] There are a total of three metrolinks, which is the Doha Metro's feeder bus network, servicing the station:[20]

Qatar National Master Plan

The Qatar National Master Plan (QNMP) is described as a "spatial representation of the Qatar National Vision 2030".[21] As part of the QNMP's Urban Centre plan, which aims to implement development strategies in 28 central hubs that will serve their surrounding communities, Old Airport has been designated a Town Centre, which is the third-highest designation.[22]

Much of Old Airport Town Centre's importance lies in its status as a route between southeast Doha and Al Wakrah. Thus, the plan emphasizes constructing more mixed-use office and retail space, improved pedestrian infrastructure and higher building heights on Airport Street, which connects the two regions. Pedestrian accessibility is another priority of the centre plan, particularly the construction of overhead pedestrian bridges.[23]

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the district comprised 10,063 housing units[24] and 856 establishments.[25] There were 44,275 people living in the district, of which 61% were male and 39% were female. Out of the 44,275 inhabitants, 72% were 20 years of age or older and 28% were under the age of 20. The literacy rate stood at 98%.[26]

Employed persons made up 57% of the total population. Females accounted for 22% of the working population, while males accounted for 78% of the working population.[26]

Education

The following schools are located in Old Airport:

Name of School Curriculum Grade Genders Official Website Ref
Al Hamad International Developed International Kindergarten – Secondary Both N/A [27]
American Academy International Primary – Secondary Both Official website [28]
Al Fajar Al Jadeed Kindergarten International Kindergarten Both N/A [29]
Al Kholoud Kindergarten International Kindergarten Both N/A [30]
Bhavan's Public School - Airport International Kindergarten – Secondary Both Official website [31]
Global Academy International International Kindergarten – Secondary Both Official website [32]
Haqel Al Rabeea Kindergarten - Airport International Kindergarten Both N/A [33]
Rising Stars Kindergarten International Kindergarten Both Official website [34]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2010 population census. Qatar Statistics Authority. 29 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402142501/http://www.qsa.gov.qa/eng/publication/annabs/2014/1_Population2013.pdf. 2 April 2015.
  2. Urban Sustainability and Livability: An Analysis of Doha's Urban-form and Possible Mitigation Strategies. Sustainability. MDPI. Soud K. Al-Thani . Alexandre Amato . Muammer Koç . and Sami G. Al-Ghamdi . 2019. 11. 786. 10 November 2019.
  3. Web site: افتتاح مكتب بريد المطار القديم. Al Raya. Arabic. 2 September 1985. 10 June 2024.
  4. Web site: Central Municipal Council. Government Communications Office of Qatar. 14 August 2018.
  5. Web site: إنتخابات الدورة الأولى. Central Municipal Council. ar. 14 August 2018.
  6. Web site: مقـار الدوائـر. Ministry of Interior (Qatar). ar. 14 August 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180814103236/https://www.moi.gov.qa/Elections/CirclesLocations.htm. 14 August 2018.
  7. Web site: الدورة الثانية. Central Municipal Council. ar. 14 August 2018.
  8. Jack Kelly, "Qatar ruler pushing nation toward democracy" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette April 09, 2003
  9. Web site: إنتخابات الدورة الثالثة. Central Municipal Council. ar. 14 August 2018.
  10. Web site: رابعاً: إنتخابات الدورة الرابعة كشف بأسماء السادة المرشحين الفائزين في عضوية انتخابات المجلس البلدي المركزي (الدورة الرابعة - 2011م). Central Municipal Council. ar. 14 August 2018.
  11. Web site: كشف أسماء الفائزين لعضوية المجلس البلدي المركزي. Ministry of Interior (Qatar). ar. 14 August 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180814103935/https://www.moi.gov.qa/Elections/Electionsresult2015.htm. 14 August 2018.
  12. Web site: Route Maps. Qatar Transit Guide. 21 January 2019.
  13. Web site: Qatar Public Transport Program (QPTP). Ministry of Transport and Communications. 21 January 2019.
  14. Web site: Index map of Qatar. ArcGIS.com. 30 August 2019.
  15. Web site: Airport Insight: Doha Hamad International Airport. Blue Swan Daily. 6 August 2018. 8 December 2019.
  16. Web site: QAR Metro. arcgis.com. 17 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191204130524/https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=d7bdb1a6c8374913a8b98292194b187c. 4 December 2019.
  17. Web site: Qatar rolls out first-ever 'landmark' metro for public. Al Jazeera. Saba Aziz. 8 May 2019. 6 December 2019.
  18. Web site: Plan My Journey Map. Qatar Rail. 6 December 2019.
  19. Web site: Places to visit near Doha Metro stations. iloveqatar.net. 27 November 2019. 6 December 2019.
  20. Web site: Metrolink. Qatar Rail. 6 December 2019.
  21. Web site: About Qatar National Master Plan. Ministry of Municipality and Environment. 11 November 2019.
  22. Web site: About the Centre Plans. Ministry of Municipality and Environment. 11 November 2019.
  23. Web site: Centre Plans and Zoning Regulations. 4. Ministry of Municipality and Environment. 84–94. 11 November 2019.
  24. Web site: Housing units, by type of unit and zone (April 2010). Qatar Statistics Authority. 7 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150708032221/http://www.qsa.gov.qa/QatarCensus/Housing%20units/PDF/9_25_B.pdf. 8 July 2015.
  25. Web site: Establishments by status of establishment and zone (April 2010). Qatar Statistics Authority. 7 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150708050951/http://www.qsa.gov.qa/QatarCensus/Establishments/PDF/10.02.pdf. 8 July 2015.
  26. Web site: Geo Statistics Application. https://web.archive.org/web/20120911175559/http://gsa.qsa.gov.qa/GSA/GSA.html. 11 September 2012. Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. 7 August 2015.
  27. Web site: Al Hamad International Developed. Supreme Education Council. 18 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150721195204/http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/ServicesCenter/Pages/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolID=109. 21 July 2015.
  28. Web site: American Academy. Supreme Education Council. 18 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150721195210/http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/ServicesCenter/Pages/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolID=254. 21 July 2015.
  29. Web site: Al Fajar Al Jadeed Kindergarten. Supreme Education Council. 18 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150722025357/http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/ServicesCenter/Pages/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolID=498. 22 July 2015.
  30. Web site: Al Kholoud Kindergarten. Supreme Education Council. 18 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150721195200/http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/ServicesCenter/Pages/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolID=499. 21 July 2015.
  31. Web site: Bhavan's Public School - Airport. Supreme Education Council. 18 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150722025353/http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/ServicesCenter/Pages/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolID=290. 22 July 2015.
  32. Web site: Global Academy International. Supreme Education Council. 18 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150721195000/http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/ServicesCenter/Pages/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolID=248. 21 July 2015.
  33. Web site: Haqel Al Rabeea Kindergarten - Airport. Supreme Education Council. 18 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150721194805/http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/ServicesCenter/Pages/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolID=490. 21 July 2015.
  34. Web site: Rising Stars Kindergarten. Supreme Education Council. 18 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150721194902/http://www.sec.gov.qa/En/ServicesCenter/Pages/schooldetails.aspx?SchoolID=486. 21 July 2015.