Qatar eyes progress on $3.3bn Space City project

Qatar will move forward with plans to establish a $3.3bn Space City once the project has won approval from authorities, a senior official has said. Abdul Aziz Mohamed Al Noaimi, chairman of Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), said the space city would be built in the Al-Khor area of the Gulf state. In comments published by state news agency QNA, Al Noaimi said: "There is a plan for space city in Al-Khor area the details of which will be revealed after it gets formal approval from the top authorities in the state." He added that an official body would be appointed to be responsible for the development of the project, with the General Authority of Civil Aviation is part of it. The project will be implemented in several phases and will include establishment of a university in cooperation with US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), it was reported last year. The project will also include a science museum and other tourism attractions. The new city will be established near Al Khor airstrip, a part of which will be used for the project.