Qatar has awarded the first main construction contract for one of the new stadiums it plans to build for football’s 2022 World Cup.

A joint venture of Italy’s Salini Impregilo, the local Galfar Engineering and Italy’s Cimolai has been awarded the €770m ($850m) contract by the local Aspire Zone to build the Al-Bayt stadium in Al-Khor.

Salini Impregilo says €716m of the contract value covers the construction of the stadium and €53m will go towards the operation and maintenance.

The construction, which is due to be completed in September 2018, involves building a stadium that can accommodate 70,000 spectators, with an area of 200,000 square meters, auxiliary buildings and a utilities centre.

The design of the stadium is based on the Bayt al-Shaar, which is a black and white tent traditionally used by Qataris.

The contract adds to Salini Impregilo’s backlog in Qatar. It is already working on the 1.7-kilometre Red Line North of the Doha Metro, as well as the Abu Hamour hydraulic project.

Other stadiums in Qatar are also progressing. Construction companies submitted bids on 24 May for the deal to build the Al-Wakrah stadium in Qatar.

The stadium will have the capacity to seat 45,000 people during the 2022 Fifa World Cup. The original plans for the stadium involve the top tiers of the structure being modular and, following the tournament, the capacity of the stadium being reduced to 20,000 people, with 25,000 seats removed. The plan is for these seats to be donated and reconstructed in developing countries.

In May 2014, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy awarded the local HBK Contracting Company the enabling works contract. That deal involved bulk earthworks including site clearance, excavation and disposal, fill, as well as underground services and stadium foundations.

In May 2013, the US’ Aecom was appointed design consultant and the local office of Kuwait-based KEO Consultants project manager for the Al-Wakrah stadium project.

Construction companies have also submitted expressions of interest to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for the contract to build the Al-Rayyan stadium in the country.

The stadium will seat about 40,000 people during the World Cup in 2022. Following the tournament, the stadium’s modular top tier will be disassembled and used to build football facilities in developing countries that lack sporting infrastructure, in coordination with football’s governing body, Fifa.

Aecom was appointed project manager and Denmark’s Ramboll design consultant for the project in 2014.

The largest new stadium will be the Lusail Stadium. The UK’s Foster+Partners was appointed to design the flagship facility in early March.

In April 2014, Qatar awarded the first World Cup stadium construction contract to a joint venture of Belgium’s Six Construct and the local Midmac Contracting Company.

The estimated $300m contract involves upgrading the existing Khalifa Stadium and increasing the seating capacity of the stadium to 60,000, from the current 45,000. The 24-month contract will also include the renovation of the museum at the surrounding Khalifa Sports City.