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.
Umm Salal Mohammed is a town in the municipality of Umm Salal situated about 21 kilometres from the capital Doha. Together with 8 other districts it forms zone 71 of Qatar. The town is bordered by Umm Salal Ali to the north and Al Kharaitiyat to the south. It has numerous farms, wells and a large water reservoir which is filled during the rainy season.
As part of the Qatar National Master Plan (QNMP) Umm Salal Mohammed has been designated a Town Centre and it is the only Urban Centre in the municipality. The existing site of the proposed Town Centre is largely undeveloped and will be situated between two Metro stations on the Al Shamal Road (Q1) also known as the Doha Expressway which runs along the west edge of the district. It is expected that it will have a higher density of buildings than the current town of Umm Salal Mohammed as well as distinguishable landmarks. It is expected that due to its close proximity to two Metro stations, the area will have relatively high pedestrian accessibility. Several new buildings have been planned including several schools for all ages and a park.
A number of local and private international schools have a presence in Umm Salal Mohammed making it an area favoured by families looking for good schools and affordable homes to rent. In line with the development plans for the area several large residential compounds have been constructed that offer an abundance of both furnished and unfurnished apartments and villas with facilities to suit families, especially those with younger children.