PARKS not only provide vegetative buffers to development but also connect people with nature bringing fitness and wellbeing in their lives. They also improve the quality of air we breathe and are the best places for outdoor recreation for families.
Qatar government through the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, in recent years, has opened many new parks while the work is underway on many others. The Ministry of Municipality and Environment is set to reopen Al Khor Family Park tomorrow which remained closed for development and maintenance work that lasted for 100 days and entailed a cost of QR32m. The renovated park will have several new features including, a museum, an open theatre and new varieties of animals and birds. The entry fee is now QR15 for adults and QR10 for children up to the age 10 years. The Ministry expects that the park is likely to attract around 500,000 visitors annually.
No doubt, the public parks play an important role in community health and wellbeing. A study by Penn State University showed significant correlations to reductions in stress, lowered blood pressure, and perceived physical health to the length of stay in visits to parks.
Seven new sections have been added to the Al Khor Family Park that house new varieties of animals and birds. Al Khor Family Park is considered one of the most important and largest parks in Qatar, and a breather for all residents of the State, and it features green spaces and large trees, in addition to a play ground area for children. The Park includes a Roman theater that can accommodate 400 people to hold parties and events, and a museum consisting of a showroom and a number of halls, in addition to restaurants, cafeterias, fountains and two children’s play areas fully covered with a rubber floor spread in an area of about 4000 square metres. Recently, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) also opened three public parks.
The parks are located at Al Bayt Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium and the former Al Ersal Station training sites cluster, which is located in Onaiza, near West Bay. Each park features tennis and basketball courts, children’s play areas, jogging and cycling tracks, open spaces and workout equipment. Opening the parks illustrates Qatar’s legacy commitment to harness the power of hosting the FIFA World Cup to inspire health and fitness throughout the population.
