Location | Doha, Qatar |
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Opening date | 7 June 2006, reopened on 20 September 2012 after fire |
Developer | Gondolania Entertainment |
Management | Tzoulios Tzouliou |
Owner | Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al-Rabban |
No. of stores and services | 220 |
Total retail floor area | 100,000 m2 |
No. of floors | 1 |
Website | http://www.villaggioqatar.com |
Coordinates: 25°15′38″N 51°26′35″E / 25.26056°N 51.44306°E
Villaggio Mall is a shopping mall located in the Aspire Zone in the west end of Doha, the capital city of Qatar. It is located on Al Waab street between the Hyatt Plaza and Sports City and has over 200 stores, including many famous brands in the U.S., U.K., Italian and German markets.
Inside, the interiors are Italianate-themed both as an Italian hill town, but also with a 150-meter long indoor canal with gondolas.
The Mall was partially re-opened on September 20, 2012, after meeting strict safety standards following the May fire that resulted in 19 lost lives. Portions of the mall remain closed as a result however, the food court, ice rink, movie theater, Carrefour hypermarket, and many stores are open for business with more opening as they are able to restock their shelves.
The mall contains the Gondolania Theme Park, an indoor theme park which includes the Gondolania Ice Rink, one of two ice hockey rinks in Qatar, which is the home of the Qatar Ice Hockey League and the regional Desert Cup tournament. It is the only Olympic-size rink in Qatar. Also included are a ten pin bowling center and a rollercoaster.
At around 11:00 AM May 28, 2012, a major fire broke out in the Villaggio Mall, triggering an alarm described by an eyewitness as being "a very benign fire alarm, almost like a door bell". At first many were not worried as there had been a recent false alarm.