The local Lusail Real Estate Development Company has received prequalification documents from contractors for the contract to build a 550-metre-plus tower at the Doha Convention Centre development.

Located on Corniche Street, opposite the Sheraton hotel, the 112-storey, mixed-use tower will have a built-up area of 330,000 square metres and will include a hotel, offices, and apartments.

There will be several specialist contracts awarded separately covering the fit-out works for the apartments, hotel, penthouse apartments, private club and restaurants, and a cigar club.

High-rise schemes in Qatar have struggled to move forward in recent years. Local developer Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company had been planning to build a 400-metre-tall tower at the convention centre development.

The project was cancelled in early 2009, and at the time sources close to the developer said it was delayed for two key reasons. The first is that construction costs are expected to fall over the coming year, making the tower cheaper to build if the start date for construction is postponed.

The second is the restriction on the height of developments close to Doha International airport’s flight path, a restriction that will will be lifted when New Doha International Airport (NDIA) opens.

The exhibition hall and conference halls of the convention centre are currently being built. A joint venture of the local Midmac Contracting and Belgium’s Six Construct was awarded the estimated $800m contract to build the convention centre at the development in 2009. The contract involves the construction of a convention centre with a total built-up area of 100,000 sq m.

The US’ Murphy Jahn prepared the concept designs for the convention centre.