About

Msheireb’s ‘first-of-its-kind’ ‘megaproject’, Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD), is the five-year $7bn regeneration and preservation of Doha’s historical old city centre. ‘MDD will blend traditional Qatari heritage and aesthetics with modern technology, with a focus on sustainability and harmony with the environment’, Kandarp Thakar says. ‘The aim is to bring people back to their roots, to create an iconic landmark globally recognisable but simply, to make Doha unique’. Constructing a legal team to support a project of this scale presented Thakar with a considerable challenge, but one he addressed in a simple logical way. ‘You start from the bottom and build organically’ he says. ‘Anticipating and foreseeing risks and planning in advance to avoid and tackle them. A progressive in-house legal team’. Built on a specialist model, the five-strong team is entrenched in all stages of the project’s strategic planning and development, and is also closely involved in liaising with public bodies. MBA-qualified Thakar is an increasingly visible and respected figure in the region’s in-house legal community. He previously practised at DLA Piper Middle East LLP and Baker and McKenzie LLP.