Qatar launches $3.3bn Space City project

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A Qatar newspaper has reported that work has started on a $3.3bn project on the outskirts of Doha that will take passengers in to space.

Qatar Space City is being built in Al Khor, and will be implemented in several phases, Qatari newspaper The Peninsula reported on Monday. The new city will be established near Al Khor airstrip, a part of which — 40,000m² — will be used for the project. The project is linked to Qatar Foundation (QF) and has a special budget and management.

The project will include expertise from NASA, and will also include a research facility dedicated to satellite and space sciences, plus a science museum and plans to cater for tourists.

The report also stated that the QF started working on the project almost four years ago and that it had now reached a “strategic level” and was under the auspices of the office of the Heir Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Further details of the project, its deadlines, scope and other information were not available.