Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar has been officially declared home to the world’s longest air-conditioned pedestrian and jogging path in an open park. The 1,143-metre path is in Umm Al Seneem Park and becomes the fifth project of Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal) to obtain a Guinness World Record.
The Guinness World Records official adjudicator Pravin Patel made the announcement during a tree-planting event organised by Ashghal’s Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar.
"We are proud of the title as the park achieves a strategic plan for the humanisation and beautification of cities at the highest quality levels and international standards. Central parks with air-conditioned paths also aim to promote a healthy lifestyle in all seasons,” said Ashghal President Engineer Saad Ahmed Ibrahim Al Mohannadi.
Umm Al Seneem park includes 88,400 square metres of green spaces, 912 trees, a 1,135-metre cycling path, a 1,143-metre pedestrian and jogging path, three exercising areas with fitness equipment, two playing areas and 40 bicycle stands.
Yousef Al Emadi, Projects Affairs Director at Ashghal, said: "This achievement is a reward to the work team that was able to implement an air-conditioning system for the longest air-conditioned pedestrian and jogging path in an open park.”
Committee Chairman Mohammed Arqoub Al Khaldi said, "Umm Al Seneem Park is the second central air-conditioned park by the committee and breaking Guinness World Records for the longest air-conditioned path in open park is an achievement to be added to the committee’s achievements records.”
Jarallah Al Marri, manager of the Buildings Projects Department, said: "We are proud that the pedestrian and jogging path conditioning system is environmentally friendly as it depends on generating a large percentage of electricity required to operate the air conditioners using solar panels.”
Abdulhakim Al Hashemi, head of the Public Projects Section at Ashghal, said: "We are proud of the achievement of Ashghal’s engineers who proved their competencies and received professional excellence, as they have left a significant mark in the achievement of Qatar’s prosperity.”Mohamed Al Khouri, director of Public Parks in the Ministry of Municipality, said: "Breaking a new global record in Guinness World Records in the name of Qatar is a major accomplishment that we are proud of, as it also motivates us to achieve further accomplishments.”
Majed Al Maadadi, project manager, said: "Air-conditioning open space is a challenge and it requires years of studies and engineering experiments as the Ashghal work team prepared engineering designs and conducted necessary experiments to ensure the success of the path’s air-conditioning system.”Yasmine Al-Sheikh, project design manager, said: "The implementation of the longest pedestrian and jogging path in a safe and environmentally friendly manner encourages people to exercise as the park was also designed to be a recreational destination for Qatar’s citizens and visitors.”