Al Gharrafa

Al Gharrafa
الغرافة
District
Al Gharrafa
Coordinates: 25°19′47″N 51°26′52″E / 25.329790°N 51.447903°E / 25.329790; 51.447903Coordinates: 25°19′47″N 51°26′52″E / 25.329790°N 51.447903°E / 25.329790; 51.447903
Country Qatar
Municipality Al Rayyan

Al Gharrafa (Arabic: الغرافة‎) is a district of Al Rayyan City in Qatar, located in the municipality of Al Rayyan.[1] In close proximity to metropolitan Doha and Education City, the Doha Expressway runs along the district. Many malls operate out of the area, most notably Landmark Mall.[2]

Etymology

In Arabic, "gharafa" translates as "to scoop up". It was so named because it is a low-lying floodplain from whence locals would scoop up water from in the past.[3]

History

J.G. Lorimer's mentioned Al Gharrafa in 1908 in his Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, referring to it as "Qarāfah". He stated that it lied "8 miles west of Dohah" and remarked on the presence of a masonry well that is only 3 feet deep yielding good water.[4]

Administration

When free elections of the Central Municipal Council first took place in Qatar during 1999,[5] Al Gharrafa was designated the seat of constituency no. 21.[6] It would remain the headquarters of constituency no. 21 for the next three consecutive elections until the fifth municipal elections in 2015, when it was made the headquarters of constituency no. 15. Also included in its constituency is south Izghawa and south Al Kharaitiyat.[7] In the inaugural municipal elections in 1999, Ahmed Hussein Al Kubaisi won the elections, receiving 21%, or 88 votes. The runner-up candidate was Mohammed Salem Al Marri, whose share of the votes was 18.9%, or 42 votes. Voter turnout was 68.6%.[6] Elections in 2002 saw Nasser Salman Al-Dosari elected as the constituent official.[8] In 2007, Mubarak Faresh Salem won the elections,[9] and retained his seat in the 2011,[10] and 2015 elections.[7]

Infrastructure

Construction of Sidra Medical and Research Center in 2015.

Sidra Medical and Research Center, a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation, is located in Al Gharrafa. To the south-west is Gharrafat Al Rayyan, which hosts the Qatar Science & Technology Park, the Qatar National Convention Centre, and other facilities of Education City. Also located south of Al Gharrafa is the district of Al Shagub, which accommodates some of Education City's universities.[3]

Sports

Multi-sports club Al-Gharafa SC is based in the district. The football team plays its home games at Thani bin Jassim Stadium.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "2015 Population census" (PDF). Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics. April 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "Doha : Popular Rental locations for expat to live in". QHomes. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  3. 1 2 "GIS Portal". Ministry of Municipality and Environment. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  4. ↑ "'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol. II. Geographical and Statistical. J G Lorimer. 1908' [1526] (1641/2084)". Qatar Digital Library. Retrieved 6 July 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ↑ "Central Municipal Council". Government Communications Office of Qatar. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  6. 1 2 "إنتخابات الدورة الأولى" (in Arabic). Central Municipal Council. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  7. 1 2 "مقـار الدوائـر" (in Arabic). Ministry of Interior (Qatar). Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "الدورة الثانية" (in Arabic). Central Municipal Council. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "إنتخابات الدورة الثالثة" (in Arabic). Central Municipal Council. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "رابعاً: إنتخابات الدورة الرابعة كشف بأسماء السادة المرشحين الفائزين في عضوية انتخابات المجلس البلدي المركزي (الدورة الرابعة - 2011م)" (in Arabic). Central Municipal Council. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Al Gharafa Club". Qatar Football Association. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
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