Equinox receives bids for Qatar shopping mall

12 April 2011

At least nine groups submit bids for the main construction package

Local developer Equinox has received bids from companies for a contract to build an estimated QR1.5bn ($412m) shopping mall in Doha.

Equinox received bids from at least nine contractors on 10 April for the main construction package on the Northgate Mall shopping development, which will cover a total area of 417,500 square metres.

The bidders include:

  • HBK Contracting Company (local)/ Renaissance Construction (Russia)
  • Al-Habtoor Leighton Group (UAE/Australia)
  • Aljaber Engineering (local)
  • Arabtec Construction (local/UAE)
  • Baytur Construction & Contracting Company (Turkey)
  • Gulf Construction (local)
  • HBK Contracting Company (local)/ Renaissance Construction (Russia)
  • Six Construct (local/Belgium) /Alec (UAE)
  • Qatari Arabian Construction Company (QACC) (Lebanon)

The work will involve the construction of the shopping mall and office buildings. The project is expected to take 30 months to complete.

The shopping complex was designed by the US-based architecture firm Callison. The consultant for the project is the local office of Lebanon’s Associated Consulting Engineers (Ace).

The mall development will contain shopping units, supermarket, cinema, and food and beverage outlets.

There are plans to build several new shopping malls in Qatar’s capital city.

In September 2010, the UAE based Al-Futtaim Group, Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) and the local Aqar Real Estate Investment Company signed a QR6bn ($1.6bn) joint venture agreement to build an entertainment and retail complex in Doha.

The multi-use development will be located on the northern highway, which will link Doha International airport with the proposed Bahrain causeway. The development will include a retail centre, entertainment park and two hotels. The complex will cover a total area of 433,000 sq m.

The project will be divided into three phases. Construction of the first retail phase is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2012. The remaining two phases are expected to be completed by 2015.

The project is owned and developed by Bawabat al-Shamal, the parent company, which is supplying the land to build the project. Bawbat al-Shamal comprises of four primary shareholders: Al-Futtaim Real Estate Services, QIB, Aqar Real Estate Investment Company and a private company.

Al-Futtaim Group is also planning a multibillion-dollar mixed-use scheme in Doha, similar to its existing $5bn Festival City shopping and residential complex in Dubai (MEED 9:9:10).

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