Gaza opens its first restaurant on water

The Israeli siege on Gaza means cement and other building essentials are unable not allowed into the enclave, but this hasn't stopped local engineers from find alternatives to build the first restaurant over the water in the Strip

by Mohammed Asad

The Qalaa restaurant in Gaza, on 20 August 2023 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

The Qalaa opened its doors to patrons in Gaza yesterday with restaurant seating over the waters of the Mediterranean.

The first of its kind in the besieged enclave, the venue was built on stilts which are positioned in the water.

Engineer Mahmoud Abu Kamil, owner of Al Jazeera Construction Office, told MEMO: “We faced the most difficult problem, which is the lack of cement that is not affected by weather factors, and we circumvented this by changing the proportions of the concrete mixture so that it helps in resisting weather and water factors, as well as coating it with bitumen and protecting the reinforcing steel.”

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In addition to having to overcome the lack of appropriate concrete as a result of Israel’s ongoing siege, engineers need to find a means of drilling in water without the necessary equipment. This they did by using a rig and raising and lowering the items that needed to be drilled out of the water.

The workmanship, Mahmoud added, proves the capabilities of Gaza’s engineers.

The Qalaa restaurant in Gaza, on 20 August 2023 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

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