Qatar plans to open the world's first open-air, air conditioned public plaza, it was announced this week. The 38,000-square-meter project at Doha's Katara Cultural Village is intended to open in 2016, with a Galeries Lafayette department store, a dedicated children's mall and Evian-branded spa. Ground-cooling technology will enable shoppers to wander around the plaza even during the hottest months of the year, the project's directors told a press conference in Doha, according to constructionweekonline.com.

The Katara Cultural Foundation manages a range of projects and facilities at Katara Village, including museums, restaurants, concerts, an opera house and several arts and culture festivals throughout the year. It is also overseeing the development of a luxury villa development nearby, called Katara Hills.

However, the Katara Plaza will be its first commercial retail project. Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, general manager of the Katara Cultural Foundation, told the assembled press that the intention is to use profits from the scheme to maintain the cultural activities on offer at the village.

The state-backed organisation has partnered with the retail distribution company Ali Bin Ali Group to secure tenants for the scheme. Among the deals already inked are with anchor tenant, French department store Galeries Lafayette, which has signed on to take more than 13,800 sq m of space dedicated for fashion retail.

The intention is to select exclusive fashion brands over chain retailers, Nabeel Ali Bin Ali, vice-chairman of Ali Bin Ali Group told assembled press at Katata Hall. Meanwhile, mineral water producer Evian has signed to develop a branded spa at the plaza, and there will also be a large children's mall designed in the shape of a wrapped present.

Paris-based architect, Bruno Moinard, has been appointed to design the scheme, and said it will combine classical Roman architecture - columns, arches and the trademark horseshoe plaza shape (pictured) - with traditional Arabic building styles.

The Katara Cultural Village has attracted up to one million visitors from across the world each year since it opened in 2010. It is hoped that the planned opening of the commercial plaza will significantly increase these numbers, by establishing Doha as an international centre for arts, retail and culture.

However, Al-Sulaiti said the foundation's underlying aim is to celebrate Qatar's heritage, and it would seek to ensure the new commercial plaza was accessible and affordable to local residents as well as tourists.

Separately, France-based technology firm Thales said on Wednesday it has signed a contract to deliver an integrated supervision, telecommunications, security and automatic fare collection system for the Lusail Light Rail Transit System in Qatar. The company has been hired by QDVC, a construction firm jointly owned by Qatari Diar and VINCI Construction Grands Projets, a statement said. The new tramway will consist of four lines, covering 32km, and serving 37 stations. It will be the backbone of public transportation for the new city which is located about 23 km north of Doha. Spread over 35 square km, the new city of Lusail will have an estimated population of 260,000 people with public transport expected to carry up to 450,000 travellers per day. The contract also stipulates maintenance services and logistical support. Thales has already delivered fully integrated systems for the world's longest driverless metro and ETCS main lines, Dubai's urban transport network and Saudi Arabia's North South Railway, respectively. It has also delivered an integrated signalling and supervision system for the Mecca metro. QDVC recently signed a contract for the last phase of the LRT project development, having already carried out the design and excavation phase of this project. The Lusail Light Rail Transit is part of Qatar Railways Company Development Program, including the Doha Metro project and the Long Distance Passenger and Freight rail network.