Umm Salal Mohammed

Coordinates: 25°25′N 51°24′E / 25.417°N 51.400°E / 25.417; 51.400
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Umm Salal Mohammed
أم صلال محمد
Town
View of Barzan Towers
View of Barzan Towers
Umm Salal Mohammed is located in Qatar
Umm Salal Mohammed
Umm Salal Mohammed
Coordinates: 25°25′N 51°24′E / 25.417°N 51.400°E / 25.417; 51.400
Country Qatar
MunicipalityUmm Salal
ZoneZone 71
District no.128
Established1910
Area
[1]
 • Total8.1 km2 (3.1 sq mi)
Overview of Umm Salal Mohammed from one of the iconic Barzan Towers
View of Umm Salal Mohammed from Al Shamal Highway

Umm Salal Mohammed (Arabic: أم صلال محمد, romanized: Umm Şalāl Muḩammad) is a town in the municipality of Umm Salal in Qatar.[2][3] The town has numerous farms, wells and a large water reservoir which is filled during the rainy season.[4]

Geography[edit]

The town is bordered by Umm Salal Ali to the north, and Al Kharaitiyat to the south.[5] Qatar's capital, Doha is located 21 km to the south. Other distances include Al Khor – 23 km to the north, Al Wakrah – 35 km to the south, Zubarah – 52 km to the northwest, and Dukhan – 65.2 km to the west.[6]

History[edit]

Umm Salal Mohammed was initially founded around 1910 by its namesake, Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani. He designed and oversaw the construction of the town after he had decided to refurbish the Barzan Towers to serve as his winter residence as well as an outpost to scout for incoming Ottoman troops.[4]

Visitor attractions[edit]

Umm Salal Muhammad is a small town in the center of the country and is different from most of the other urban developments in Qatar. The historic Barzan Towers are situated on a low hill called Jebel Lusail in Umm Salal Muhammad. This location was chosen for its vantage point of the town and because the relatively high winds provided a cooling effect to those keeping watch.[7] The towers date back to 1895 and its enclosed site was excavated by a Danish archaeological team in 1958.[8]

Qatar's largest mall, Doha Festival City, was partially opened in Umm Salal Mohammed[9] in April 2017. Valued at QR 6.4 billion, the mall will eventually have 540 retail stores covering an area of 244,000 m².[10]

Mohammed bin Jassim Park opened to the public in May 2015. It spans an area of 5,988 m² and features a cafeteria, children's play area and 13 different species of plants.[11]

Industry[edit]

Delta Doha Corporation, an oilfield equipment designer and manufacturer, was founded in the town in 1995 with its initial facilities being situated on a 9,000 m² plot of land.[12]

The town hosts Umm Salal Nursery, one of the region's most sizable plant nurseries. It has played an important role in Qatar's preparations to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, growing the turf and trees required for stadia and their surrounding areas. It is spread over an area of 880,000 m² and in February 2018 had within it 16,000 trees and about 679,000 shrubs.[13]

Transport[edit]

Currently, the elevated Umm Salal Mohammed Metro Station is under construction, having been launched during Phase 2A. Once completed, it will be part of Doha Metro's Green Line.[14]

Qatar National Master Plan[edit]

The Qatar National Master Plan (QNMP) is described as a "spatial representation of the Qatar National Vision 2030".[15] 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, Umm Salal Mohammed has been designated a Town Centre, which is the third-highest designation. It is the only Urban Centre in the municipality.[16]

The existing site of the proposed Town Centre is largely undeveloped and situated between two metro stations on Al Shamal Highway. It will have a higher density of buildings than the town of Umm Salal Mohammed as well as distinguishable landmarks. Due to its close proximity to two metro stations, the area will have relatively high pedestrian accessibility. Among the new buildings planned are a 96,152 m² girls' primary and secondary school, a kindergarten, a youth centre and a 28,189 m² town park.[17]

Education[edit]

Entrance International School of London Qatar in Umm Salal Mohammed

A number of private international schools have a presence in Umm Salal Mohammed, such as the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, which opened to students in September 2016,[18] in addition to the Qatar Finland International School[19] and the International School of London Qatar.[20]

Schools in Umm Salal Mohammed include:

Name of School Curriculum Grade Genders Official Website Ref
Royal Grammar School, Guildford British Kindergarten – Secondary Both Official website [18]
International School of London IB Kindergarten – Secondary Both Official website [20]
Qatar Finland International School Finnish Kindergarten – Primary Both Official website [19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "District Area Map". Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  2. ^ "2010 population census" (PDF). Qatar Statistics Authority. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Umm Salal Municipality". Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  4. ^ a b Jaidah, Ibrahim; Bourennane, Malika (2010). The History of Qatari Architecture 1800-1950. Skira. p. 52. ISBN 978-8861307933.
  5. ^ Qatar Year Book. Press and Publication Department, Ministry of Information, 1981. 1981. p. 21.
  6. ^ "Qatar in Figures" (PDF). Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. 2015. p. 9. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  7. ^ R. Hawker (10 June 2008). "Traditional Architecture of the Arabian Gulf: Building on Desert Tides". WIT Press. p. 148.
  8. ^ Zahi Hawass (30 May 2013). "أم صلال محمد.. تاريخ وتراث". Asharq Al Awsat. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  9. ^ Dipti Nair (21 March 2017). "Doha Festival City to open on April 5". Qatar Tribune. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  10. ^ Joey Aguilar (5 April 2017). "Qatar's 'largest mall' Doha Festival City opens". Gulf Times. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  11. ^ "New public park inaugurated in Umm Salal". The Peninsula. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  12. ^ ""دلتا دوحة كوربوريشن" توقع عقدا مع "هانت اويل" الأمريكية لتوريد آبار استكشافية" (in Arabic). Al Raya. 16 November 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  13. ^ "Supreme Committee opens Tree Nursery to grow turf & greenery for 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums". The Peninsula. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  14. ^ "QAR Metro". arcgis.com. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  15. ^ "About Qatar National Master Plan". Ministry of Municipality and Environment. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  16. ^ "About the Centre Plans". Ministry of Municipality and Environment. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  17. ^ "Centre Plans and Zoning Regulations" (PDF). Ministry of Municipality and Environment. pp. 209–215. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  18. ^ a b "Royal Grammar School, Guildford in Qatar opens to pupils". The Peninsula. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  19. ^ a b "Qatar Finland International School". schoolsinqatar.net. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  20. ^ a b "International School Of London". schoolsinqatar.net. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Umm Salal Mohammed.
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