Building With Intention: Msheireb Properties CEO Eng. Ali Al Kuwari

In a region long associated with rapid urban expansion, a more deliberate strategy has been applied in the heart of Qatar at Msheireb Downtown Doha, the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project.

At the helm of this effort is Ali Al Kuwari, CEO of Msheireb Properties, whose journey mirrors the evolution of Msheireb Downtown Doha itself. What began in 2010 as one of the region’s most complex regeneration projects has evolved into a city center that welcomed more than 16 million visitors in 2025 alone. Housing global corporations alongside local startups, Msheireb Downtown Doha is today being increasingly cited as a benchmark for sustainable and culturally sound urban development.

Msheireb Downtown Doha’s evolution is one Al Kuwari has experienced firsthand—in fact, his journey to the CEO’s office began on its construction sites. “My path to CEO was shaped during the formative stages of Msheireb Downtown Doha, where I joined from a background in engineering and project management at QatarEnergy [Qatar’s state-owned petroleum company],” he tells Inc. Arabia. “My technical foundation was decisive—this was one of the region’s most complex engineering challenges. As Chief Officer for the Design and Delivery Directorate at Msheireb Properties, I oversaw planning, cost management, and construction phasing across 31 hectares, understanding the project in terms of concrete, steel, and human effort, not just concepts on a masterplan.”

Al Kuwari went on to be appointed as the CEO of Msheireb Properties in an acting capacity in 2018, which was followed by a stint as its Deputy CEO, and he was formally appointed the company’s CEO in January 2023. In this role, he leads the management teams at Msheireb Properties’ main entities and other subsidiaries, including Msheireb Downtown Doha and Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som. “When I became CEO, the mandate was clear: transition from building a city, to operating and curating one,” Al Kuwari shares. “The organization needed someone to bridge the development team with the realities of property management, tenant relations, cultural programming, and placemaking— protecting the vision whilst ensuring commercial viability.”

As CEO, Al Kuwari has been instrumental in leading and overseeing the launch and operations of major assets at Msheireb Downtown Doha, including the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Al Wadi Hotel M Gallery, Park Hyatt, and the Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, developed by Msheireb Properties. During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, he also directed the activation and seamless operation of various events in the Msheireb Downtown Doha, including the hosting of the official FIFA media center. “Today, my role has two dimensions,” he says. “First, stewardship: I’m the guardian of Msheireb’s vision and philosophy. Every decision— from retail tenants to digital services—is evaluated against our principles of innovation and sustainability, cultural authenticity, and community. Second, orchestration: Msheireb Downtown Doha is a living ecosystem of residents, corporations, businesses, cultural institutions, and millions of visitors. My approach is rooted in listening—to our smart city systems, community feedback, and team insights—then making decisive choices that guide the district’s evolution.”

Msheireb Downtown Doha was built as a modern, global city center that is authentically and sustainably Qatari. 

But the principles guiding Al Kuwari’s leadership today were forged long before Msheireb Downtown Doha took its present form. Indeed, their roots lie in the circumstances that first called the project into being. “Msheireb Downtown Doha began as a critical response to urban development in the early 2000s,” Al Kuwari shares. “Doha was experiencing rapid growth following an international model: glass towers in isolated plots, car-dependent, disconnected from local history and climate. The historic heart of the city was being lost. Initiated by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, our visionary founder, the project posed a fundamental question: ‘How do you create a modern, global city center that is authentically and sustainably Qatari?’”

This was how Msheireb Downtown Doha set out to address three issues in an effort to respond to this philosophical— and practical—challenge. The first, Al Kuwari reveals, was to reverse urban sprawl. Instead of expanding outward, the project focused on creating a dense, walkable district where living, working, retail, and culture coexist within minutes of each other. Second, the aim was to respond to energy consumption by building the world’s largest sustainable community with rigorous environmental standards. Third, cultural continuity was on the agenda; this involved rebuilding, not replacing, the historic commercial center, and incorporating Qatar’s architectural and social heritage in a contemporary language. The guiding idea was clear in every move—the vision, Al Kuwari explains, was to “bring the community back to the city’s heart.”

But pursuing such a goal for Msheireb Downtown Doha meant confronting the models that had long defined urban development in the region. “We challenged three fundamental assumptions,” Al Kuwari explains. “First, the primacy of the automobile. Cities were designed around roads, buildings isolated in parking seas. We rejected this—the pedestrian is king here. We created walkable, shaded streets and narrow alleyways, with parking hidden underground. Msheireb Downtown Doha holds the Guinness World Record for the largest underground car park—over 10,000 spaces. This created chance encounters and community, challenging car-centric isolation.”

Another idea the Msheireb Downtown Doha team set out to dismantle was what Al Kuwari called the generic “global city,” known to feature glass-clad towers that, while unsuitable for the climate of the region, could just about belong anywhere. “We believed that cities should tell their story,” Al Kuwari says. “So, we developed the ‘Seven Principles,’ our architectural language from a three-year collaboration with leading architects, planners, and academics: ‘Continuity, Individual and Collective, Space and Form, Home, Streets, Designing for Climate, and A New Language of Architecture.’ In addition, we mandated stone and regional textures, reinvented wind towers for passive cooling, designed buildings for shade. True modernity responds to local climate and culture.”

A third focus for the Msheireb Downtown Doha team was to have sustainability as a core principle rather than a secondary feature. “We made it the non-negotiable core of an entire district,” Al Kuwari reveals. “We achieved the highest sustainability rating for every building, implemented district cooling, and generated renewable energy on-site. Sustainability was seen as foundational infrastructure, not marketing. This felt like uncharted territory—there were no templates for this scale marrying cultural specificity with global technology and sustainability standards. We faced skepticism about commercial viability and traditional aesthetics. But this boldness attracted architects and engineers inspired to prove a different urban model was possible. We redefined success in urban development: well-being, identity, and resilience, not only economic output. That perspective now drives urban practitioners worldwide seeking human-centered, sustainable cities.”

Msheireb Downtown Doha utilizes aspects of Qatar's ancestral architecture, such as thick walls for insulation, wind towers for cooling, courtyards for family life, and narrow streets for shade.

Much like sustainability, technology too wasn’t an afterthought for Msheireb Downtown Doha—in fact, Al Kuwari describes it as the city’s “central nervous system,” built with the philosophy that “innovation should be invisible, seamless, purpose-driven, working quietly to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and quality of life.” And to create digital infrastructure to support every function of the city, 430 kilometers of fiber-optic cable was laid to connect over 650,000 Internet of Things (IoT) devices. “These are the district’s senses and reflexes,” Al Kuwari explains. “They monitor energy in real-time, allowing our command center to optimize chillers and lights across buildings as one integrated system. They manage automated vacuum waste collection, reducing lorry traffic and noise. They provide data on pedestrian flow, water usage, air quality. Technology is the underlying intelligence making the district work smoothly, cleanly, and efficiently.”

For Al Kuwari, technology’s real impact lies in how it transforms daily experiences across Msheireb Downtown Doha. Residents, for instance, receive monthly reports on energy and water consumption versus district averages, encouraging sustainable living. Businesses plug into world-class digital infrastructure from day one. Meanwhile, district management uses predictive maintenance that allows it to, say, address cooling system faults before they fail, or even dynamically adjust lighting based on occupancy. There is also a battery-operated tram system that runs on a two-kilometer closed-loop track with nine stations, providing eco-friendly transport. Smart underground logistics has also been integrated for deliveries, reducing surface congestion. As Al Kuwari put it: “Technology here is utility—as essential as electricity or water—enabling environmental performance, operational excellence, and effortless urban experience.”

Msheireb Downtown Doha may appear to be seamless today, but its making was anything but simple—in fact, Al Kuwari admits, “Turning vision into reality tested us at every stage.” One of the earliest challenges lay in maintaining architectural coherence across Msheireb Downtown Doha’s consortium of world-renowned architects, each with strong design voices. Al Kuwari notes that there was a risk that the development would appear to be a disjointed collection rather than the unified, Qatari-inspired neighborhood it was envisioned to be. However, a solution came through in the form of the ‘Seven Principles’ guidelines that dictated everything from materials and color palettes to window proportions and shading devices—it functioned as a non-negotiable rulebook requiring constant dialogue with design partners, persuading them to serve a larger collective vision.

Similarly, while technology is a cornerstone of Msheireb Downtown Doha today, Al Kuwari points out that integrating cutting-edge systems in the district was a challenge. “Building dense underground networks for utilities, district cooling, waste collection, and logistics before superstructures was monumentally complex,” he recalls. “Moments in excavation when the tangle of pipes, conduits, and tunnels seemed impossible to coordinate.” But Al Kuwari says the hardest challenge of all was commercial and time pressures relating to the project. “As construction progressed, costs scrutinized, strong arguments were made to simplify details, use cheaper materials, or scale back sustainability features,” Al Kuwari remembers. “Original ambitions were directly tested.”

What ultimately steadied the project was a renewed focus on its founding intent, or as Al Kuwari called it, returning to its “why.” “We brought teams back to masterplan models and original vision statements, asking: ‘If we compromise this, what promise are we breaking?’” Al Kuwari explains. “This created cultural defense against compromise. Leadership guarded the vision, protecting long-term value, even when short-term pressures suggested otherwise. Overcoming these challenges required disciplined planning, adaptive problem-solving, sustained collaboration. We established governance, ensuring alignment between strategic objectives and execution, enabling iterative learning. This culture of resilience delivered a district meeting—and exceeding— expectations.”

The impact of that approach is now visible not only in Msheireb Downtown Doha’s identity, but in its performance. Occupancy rates, for instance, rose from 84 percent to 94 percent in 2025. The last year also saw Msheireb Downtown Doha get presented with 14 major international awards for everything from leadership in sustainability to architectural excellence—this included a win at Inc. Arabia’s Best in Business Awards Dubai 2025 in the Smart Cities and Urban Innovation category.

Msheireb Downtown Doha includes a battery-operated tram system that runs on a two-kilometer closed-loop track with nine stations.

But for Al Kuwari, these represent outcomes for Msheireb Downtown Doha, not its essence. “True success is lived,” he says. “Children playing in Sikkat Wadi Msheireb whilst parents chat at cafés. Different languages mixing in Barahat Msheireb during festivals. A community organically rooted in a place designed for connection. Global corporations like Google Cloud, Microsoft, EY, TotalEnergies, American Express, Qatar Airways, and many others choosing Msheireb Downtown Doha not just for space, but because the environment attracts top talent. Hosting national celebrations and international events, from FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to upcoming Art Basel. In 2025, we welcomed over 16 million visitors, building on 15 million in 2024. Msheireb Downtown Doha is the stage for Qatar’s contemporary story.”

From Al Kuwari’s perspective, as Qatar positions itself as a global hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and dialogue, districts like Msheireb Downtown Doha offer tangible expressions of national ambitions and values. “Msheireb Downtown Doha functions on three levels,” he explains. “First, physically embodying national vision. Qatar National Vision 2030’s pillars—human, social, economic, environmental development— are abstract until made concrete. Msheireb Downtown Doha translates them: human-scaled environment (human development), platform for community and culture (social development), magnet for investment and business (economic development), model of green technology (environmental development). When visiting entrepreneurs or diplomats walk through Msheireb Downtown Doha, they experience Qatar’s future ambitions made real—a powerful statement of intent and capability.”

“Second, creating environment for innovation and dialogue,” Al Kuwari continues. “Innovation thrives on chance encounters, cross-pollination of ideas, informal collaboration. Msheireb Downtown Doha’s dense, mixed-use, walkable design generates these interactions. Tech founders, government officials, museum curators, architects colliding in public squares and courtyards… Third, redefining global narrative. For decades, Gulf cities meant futuristic skylines divorced from context. Msheireb Downtown Doha presents a counter-narrative: a modern, knowledge-based economy deeply confident in and connected to heritage. Progress and preservation as partners. Nations can be custodians of tradition and leaders in smart, sustainable urbanism. This shapes how Qatar is understood—not just as a wealthy energy exporter, but as a thoughtful, culturally-grounded, forward-looking nation building with intention and respect for the past.”

According to Al Kuwari, this is how districts like Msheireb Downtown Doha become living ambassadors, proving how Qatar’s national vision translates to everyday life, supporting economic opportunities through attractive, functional environments, expanding how the world understands the country’s identity—honoring heritage, embracing innovation, and valuing people and community equally.

At Msheireb Downtown Doha, heritage is regarded as a living filter rather than a museum relic. 

“Msheireb Downtown Doha’s success positions us powerfully,” Al Kuwari adds. “First as a proof of concept—development rooted in cultural identity, human scale, and environmental stewardship can be both a civic asset and a commercial triumph. Second, knowledge leadership. In 2025, we partnered with Cundall to decarbonize our entire portfolio—the first project of this scale in Qatar, targeting emissions across all scopes, aligned with the global Science Based Targets Initiative. We’re setting new industry standards, sharing lessons on smart city integration and sustainable materials with universities and cities globally. Third, our path forward—refining, evolving, and exporting placemaking principles, creating lasting cultural, social, and financial value. This sets groundwork for future growth. It proves sustainable, human-centric urban development is desirable and viable. It provides a replicable model for Qatar and the region, affirming urban regeneration can enhance cultural legacy, whilst meeting modern economic and environmental demands. Lessons from integrated planning to smart infrastructure will inform future initiatives, helping Qatar achieve its goals as a hub for innovation, culture, design, and sustainable growth.”

Building With Roots: Eng. Ali Al Kuwari on how heritage became strategy at Msheireb Downtown Doha

One of Msheireb Downtown Doha’s defining characteristics has been its focus on embedding Qatar’s history and heritage into everything that it does. Why would you say that it was important to take that approach, and how does it continue to shape day-to-day decision-making across the district today?

“Embedding heritage was never stylistic or marketing—it was a core purpose. In an era where city centers feel interchangeable, places need roots for meaning and longevity. Heritage provides foundation, answering: ‘Who are we? Where do we come from?’ Without this, developments are just buildings—no soul, no story, no connection to people.

This approach served two functions. First, cultural continuity. We researched photographs, maps, oral histories, and preserved four historic houses into Msheireb Museums, physically and narratively connecting the new district to the old. We wove the past into the future. In 2025, we celebrated the museums’ 10th anniversary—600,000+ visitors, 200,000+ students over 10 years through educational programs blending culture, creativity, and learning.

Second, practical sustainability blueprint. Ancestral architecture was inherently sustainable: thick walls for insulation, wind towers for cooling, courtyards for family life, narrow streets for shade. Reinterpreting with modern technology isn’t nostalgia—it’s intelligence, using centuries of locally-evolved wisdom for contemporary energy and climate challenges.

Heritage shapes our daily decisions, too. When evaluating new restaurants, for instance, their concepts, menus, and designs are evaluated for authentic regional connection. Generic chains are less favored than local entrepreneurs offering modern Qatari cuisine. Architectural control is in place too—for example, flashy neon signs clashing with stone-and-wood materiality get rejected. Design guidelines born from heritage protect the district’s visual harmony, while programming celebrating national days, traditional crafts, local artists, keeps the cultural pulse strong.

Heritage isn’t a museum relic—it’s a living filter guiding commerce curation, aesthetic management, and community planning, ensuring Msheireb Downtown Doha remains unmistakably, proudly Qatari.”

Leadership Lessons: Eng. Ali Al Kuwari distills principles for building with purpose and long-term impact in the MENA region

Eng. Ali Al Kuwari describes his leadership philosophy as “purpose-driven pragmatism,” wherein he remains focused on the vision for the ultimate goal, which he dubs “the why,” while being practical and adaptive about the “how.” “I’m a bridge,” he says. “Translating our vision into actionable plans for engineers, elevating practical challenges to ensure solutions honor our vision. I lead by asking questions, listening to experts at all levels, making decisions focused on long-term legacy over short-term convenience. Trust, transparency, and shared responsibility are cultural foundations.”

From that philosophy flows a set of principles Al Kuwari believes are essential for building (and growing) in the MENA region—here’s a primer:

1. Understand the ecosystem, more than the market. “Success requires thoroughly understanding social, cultural, and governmental landscape. Build genuine relationships, respect local customs and business etiquette, align your goals with broader national visions like Qatar National Vision 2030. Be a contributing citizen to the region’s story, not an extractive entity.”

2. Embrace the connection between tradition and innovation. “The most significant opportunities lie at their intersection. Use local knowledge—architectural, agricultural, cultural—as inspiration for innovative products, services, business models. This creates unique value that cannot be replicated elsewhere, resonating strongly with local and international audiences.”

3. Prioritize long-term legacy over short-term profit. “The region invests in its future for centuries. Mirror this mindset. Build quality into everything. Choose partnerships and make decisions that stand the test of time, contribute positively to community fabric. Reputation for integrity, quality, and long-term thinking is your most valuable asset and foundation for sustainable growth.”

4. Build for resilience and sustainability. “The region is acutely aware of environmental challenges and economic diversification. Integrate resilience into your core model from day one through energy-efficient operations, sustainable sourcing, digital transformation. This is a fundamental expectation from consumers, partners, governments—it future-proofs your business.”

5. Build strategic partnerships, and nurture local talent. “Collaborate with public, private, community stakeholders from the outset. Strong networks provide access to knowledge, expertise, and opportunities, accelerating growth whilst aligning with broader social and economic goals. Invest in training, mentorship, clear career pathways for local team members, giving them real responsibility and opportunity to contribute meaningfully.”

Pictured in the lead image is Ali Al Kuwari, CEO of Msheireb Properties. All photos courtesy Msheireb Properties. 

This article first appeared in Inc. Arabia's Special Edition for Web Summit Qatar in February 2026. To read the full issue online, click here.