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| A view of one of the busy commercial areas in Muaither. Rayyan and Muaither are a hub for commercial activities in the evenings. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed |
Enthused by the ever-growing economic developments in Rayyan and its surroundings in the last few years, a number of retailers across the country, in particular those running establishments in Doha city and its immediate neighbourhood are showing greater interest in opening new outlets in Rayyan and other parts of the country’s second largest city.
The latest report of the Qatar Statistical Authority recorded a huge growth in the population in those areas coming under Rayyan municipality in the last few years and the December 2011 figure of more than 455,000 residents within its jurisdiction seem to have influenced the strategy makers in many business groups.
Confirming this to Gulf Times, a prominent home appliances distributor in Doha said his company which could open only a comparatively smaller outlet in Rayyan more than a year ago as no appropriate rental space was available in a particular location of that city, is now considering a large establishment in the area. The company official is among many entrepreneurs who feel there is a sizeable gap between the purchasing capacities of the residents in Rayyan and other cities of the country, including Doha.
Rayyan is the only major city in the country which has Qataris as more than one-third of its residents. Again, the statistical authority has disclosed that the maximum number of Qatari families is residing in areas under the Rayyan municipal limits. “The official disclosure that almost one-third of the city’s population is women shows the large scale concentration of local families in Rayyan,” said an entrepreneur, who recently set up a hypermarket in the area. Their better purchasing power than other communities is increasingly influencing the decisions of entrepreneurs.
According to a Rayyan restaurant operator, who has outlets in at least two different locations in Doha, the twin towns of Rayyan and Muaither are livelier in the afternoons and in particular late in the evening than other places in the country, including Doha. “The opening of a number of large shopping centres in areas coming under Rayyan in the last few years itself indicates the businessmen’s rising confidence in the growing purchasing power of the local population, concentrated largely in the city and its suburbs,” he said.
At least seven shopping centres, including the country’s lone “Family only” mall is operating in Rayyan municipality. “Perhaps the only hypermarket functioning round the clock in the country is in Rayyan’s Shafi Mosque Street,” said a long-time resident of the area. This person recalled that when he set up a supermarket in Rayyan some 15 years ago, not many people were keen on moving to the area. “These days, businessmen are running from pillar to post to get a suitable place to establish their outlets in Rayyan and Muaither,” he said.
However, adequate numbers of suitable and purpose-built commercial complexes are hard to find, according to most traders hunting for space in Rayyan.
A visit to the area in the evenings, especially to either Shafi Street or Muaither gives a true picture of the level of commercial activities taking place in Rayyan and its surroundings. Heavy rush is witnessed in its shopping malls and most other outlets, especially in eateries even on weekdays, it has been found. “Could anyone name a fast food brand not operating in Rayyan area presently,” asked a businessman, who is starting an eatery in the area shortly.
Another company which terminated its operations at Barwa Village a few months ago has also set up their new outlet in Rayyan. “Even though it is too early to predict fortunes in our new area of operations in such a short period, we are certainly receiving more visibility than what it used to be in the Village,” said its owner.
Recently, municipal members from areas coming under Rayyan asked Mowasalat to resume its late evening circular bus services from Doha to Rayyan and Muaither which had been stopped several months back. They cited increasing commercial activities in the areas coming under the Rayyan municipal limits.