The building will include a reception hall that can accommodate 60 people. “It’s distinctive in line with the comprehensive renaissance that the country is witnessing under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani,” he said.
The new structure is designed in such a way to link it to the current building of the Shura Council so as to make them one block. Once the new hall is completed, the current headquarters of the Council will be used as a facility for the employees.
The existing Shura Council building is a historic structure designed in the Arab Gulf style and established in 1954. It was in 1972 that the building was selected to be the headquarters of the Shura Council, which at that time consisted of 25 members.
“The just concluded Shura Council elections reflect the wise leadership’s keenness to enhance citizens’ participation in decision-making by choosing their representatives,” al-Shahwani said.
He explained that every year before the start of the Council session, intensive preparations are made. The refurbishing of the current Shura Council building took about three months.
The official noted the growing awareness of voters about the importance of participating in the elections, as male and female citizens were keen to go to the polling stations since the first hours of the polling stations opening their doors.
“They came out in big numbers to vote, believing in their responsibility and their role towards the country,” al-Shahwani recalled.
The Shura Council elections are an important step in strengthening the traditions of the body and the development of the legislative process with a broader participation of citizens, which constitute a qualitative leap in the history of Qatar. "This will support the role of the legislative authority," he added.
