A villa is a property/house that is either detached or attached to one or more other villas and commonly set out over two or three floors. A compound villa is defined as a villa that is located within a residential compound or "neighbourhood/society". Compounds vary in size and can be anything from a handful of villas to hundreds in the much larger compounds. Renting a villa or apartment in a compound offers many benefits such as security, maintenance, swimming pool, gym, clubhouse with various facilities, children"s play area and other sporting facilities to name a few. Some compounds are gated and others have the convenience of a mini supermarket for groceries, a restaurant or even a mosque. There are compounds which are private and belong to companies offering their employees housing as part of their contract. Most international schools have residential compounds located near them and it is very easy to find good accommodation nearby for the convenience of families. There is a wide variety of compounds in Qatar that suit most budgets and have all kinds of amenities. It is worth asking the agent about any adverts you have seen and checking the amenities with them if you are looking for anything in particular, as sometimes agents do not list all the available amenities in a compound.
Al Gharrafa is a district in the Al Rayyan municipality of Qatar. The word "Gharrafa" in Arabic means "to scoop up". It was named such due to the low-lying floodplain land profile that meant locals could scoop up water from the area. Al Gharrafa is known for its many large shopping malls that attract the residents of surrounding districts and namely the Q Mall, Ezdan Mall, Landmark Mall and Gulf Mall. There is plenty to do and something for everyone to enjoy as each one is buzzing with a wide selection of retailers including various boutiques, large chain stores, artisan cafes, restaurants, supermarkets and cinemas, all easily accessible from Al Shamal Road.
Al Gharrafa is home to the impressive Sidra Medical and Research Centre, a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation located on Al Gharrafa Street. Other local landmarks in the district also include the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium on Al Zubar Street, Al Gharrafa Health Centre on Abu Silla Street, Fereej Al Gharrafa Stadium which is administered by the Qatar Olympic Committee on Al Argam bin Abi Al Argam Street. Al Gharrafa is a district populated with many residential compounds offering varying levels of facilities that suit all budgets. The majority of apartments and villas for rent in Al Gharrafa are found in these compounds that also offer additional benefits to their residents like 24 hr security, maintenance, children's playgrounds, clubhouse facilities, swimming pools, gyms, spa facilities, indoor and outdoor sporting facilities to name a few. This makes them an ideal choice for families especially and one can find plenty of furnished villas and apartments to make the move easier.