NDIA Steering Committee welcoms VIPs to preview Passenger Terminal Complex at Hamad International Airport

In a simple, yet elegant ceremony that symbolized the first passenger check-in, Brigadier Abdullah Muhammed Al Suwaidi, as a representative of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al-Thani —Minister of State for Internal Affairs, received a specially designed and framed boarding pass from H E Abdul Aziz Al Noaimi and the NDIA Steering Committee members.

Speaking on the occasion, H.E. Al Noaimi, said, "We see a fulfilment of our Emir's vision to have not just a new airport, but an airport that ranks among the best in the world. Today we gather here to celebrate the accomplishment of the NDIA Steering Committee's task... to create a world class airport that meets the demands of rapidly evolving aviation needs combined with leading edge technology."

It is indeed a moment to celebrate what marks a new chapter in the State of Qatar's aviation industry: the world's newest aviation hub, a world-class facility that is all set to redefine passenger and transit experience and the national carrier's future home.

Guests at the ceremony were invited to be amongst the first worshippers to attend the Noon Prayer within the Public Mosque located at the Passenger Terminal Complex. A building that architecturally echoes the water theme that runs through the airport, its interior is truly breath taking with the gently domed roof filtering sunshine on to the prayer area in an ever-changing pattern of light and shadow.

Lunch followed the prayer service after which departing guests were given an exquisite crystal model of the iconic, crescent-shaped ATC Tower of the Hamad International Airport together with a commemorative book that documents the journey of the making of this airport and a book on the future plans of the proposed Airport City.

The airport is set to receive passenger flights of a dozen or more airlines as early as April this year, while cargo operations are set to open by March. Poised at the edge of the Arabian Gulf, the Hamad International Airport's tranquil waterside setting provides a perfect backdrop for its stylish architectural elements underpinned by leading edge technology.

Two world-class runways, reputed to be among the longest in the world, a state of the art Air Traffic Control Tower, a stunning passenger terminal with a capacity of 30 million passengers per year, over 25,000 sq m of retail and food& beverage facilities, a uniquely shaped public mosque: there is certainly more than "wow" to the Hamad International Airport.

In the words of Al-Noaimi, "Design, art, substance and safety intersect... to create an unparalleled, never-before passenger experience."