On the east coast of Qatar, about 40 km north of the city of Doha, lies Simaisma, a town of traditional houses and mosques that predate the discovery of oil and natural gas in the country. Its name, which is thought to derive from the diminutive of the Arabic word “simsim”, meaning “sesame”, refers to the small sandy mounds that make up its natural landscape. Since the announcement by the Qatari Ministry of Municipalities in June 2024, Simaisma is on its way to becoming a tourist and residential destination for leisure and entertainment, representing one of the most ambitious transformations in the country. Incidentally, Amusement Logic contributed to this transformation through its design, consulting and urban planning team.
The Simaisma tourism and urban development project covers an area of more than 8 million m2 and opens onto the waters of the Persian Gulf via a 7 km long unspoilt beach. As is usual in this type of project, the master plan aims to preserve the historical legacy while offering state-of-the-art tourist facilities. As pointed out by the Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, the developer of Simaisma, it is not just a question of building infrastructure, but of creating “novel tourism and entertainment experiences”.
Among its components, a 650,000 m2 theme park, franchised from Turkey’s Land of Legends, promises to be a major attraction for families. Alongside it, there are plans for an 18-hole golf course, luxury residences and villas, a marina and, of course, hotels and resorts. One particularly innovative aspect, although it is not specified exactly what it consists of or how it will be implemented, is the idea of installing “outdoor air conditioning technology” to ensure the comfort of visitors and residents in the Qatari climate throughout the year.
Otherwise, the financing of this major project follows a collaborative model. As highlighted at the Qatar Economic Forum (May 2025) by the president of Qatar Tourism, Saad Al-Kharji, the €4.7 billion Simaisma project will be developed through a public-private partnership. This approach is part of a clear government strategy to guide the sector’s growth. This strategy is also reflected in the decision to limit new hotel supply in the country, as, according to Al-Kharji, Qatar currently only issues new hotel licences for beachfront and seaside properties and resorts.
After all, tourism is a key factor in Qatar’s ambition to attract foreign direct investment, with a target of €800 billion by 2030. The hotel sector already demonstrated its vitality in 2024, with a 25% increase in visitors, reaching 5 million. The country expects to welcome 6 million visitors annually by the end of the decade, and projects such as Simaisma are essential to attracting luxury tourists seeking coastal experiences.
However, the project has not forgotten its roots. The town is home to historical gems such as the Simaisma Mosque, built in 1938, and Casa Al Qarn, a 1950s beachfront residence that was meticulously restored in 2023. Integrating heritage with cutting-edge developments will be one of its challenges and, if successful, also one of its attractions. On the other hand, sustainability is considered “a fundamental pillar of the project”, in the words of the developer Qatari Diar, with a commitment to using “smart systems” and “local and recycled materials”. Simaisma beach will be closed from May 2025 for approximately five years to carry out the works.
Sources: Wikipedia, Arabian Gulf Business Insight, Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company.
