Duplex is a term used to refer to apartments that are laid out over two floors connected by an inner staircase. In some regions duplexes are also called maisonettes. In some newer designs of duplex apartments there is a mezzanine level offering a smaller living space on the upper-level that overlooks the larger lower-level space, which instead has a higher than usual ceiling level, creating a feeling of spaciousness due to the large open space.
Industrial area is a district in the municipality of Doha and zone 57 of Qatar. It was formerly part of the Al Rayyan municipality but in recent years has been separated as an enclave and although geographically it is not part of Doha it is under the management of Doha municipality with its own municipality office, labour department office and general hospital. The area is densely packed with workshops and industrial units relating to commercial activities in the automotive, mechanical and heavy machinery industries. The area also has several large stores for various government departments and some large national companies.
The area is also home to approximately 400,000 workers and labourers that live in the area in purpose-built worker accommodation units. In 2015 "Labour City", also known as "Asian City", a massive development project was completed by the Qatari State to provide large scale residential, commercial and recreational facilities and essential services for the worker population. The largest of its kind in Qatar and the Gulf region, spanning an area of over 1.1 million square metres and built to international standards. Asian City is home to Qatar's largest cricket ground: the West End Park International Cricket Stadium, a large shopping mall with over 200 retail units and supermarket, a four-screen cinema which screen movies in many languages and an amphitheatre. There are 55 three-storey residential buildings, a designated medical centre and various places of worship. The town was designed to cater to the large population of Asian expatriates, mainly from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and the Philippines.
The area is served by six bus routes which operate every day and the Industrial Area Metro station is currently under construction and will be part of the Green Line once complete. The housing blocks in the area are either owned and/or rented by companies for their workers. It is possible to find a whole building for rent but not individual apartments.