Qatar Foundation is expected to invite contractors to bid for the contract to build its 2022 World Cup stadium at Education City by the end of October.

The stadium will have a capacity of about 45,000 and is scheduled for completion in 2018. It will be used to host Fifa World Cup 2022 matches up to the quarter-final stage.

The stadium facilities will include medical clinics, gymnasiums, a swimming pool, tennis courts, football pitches, restaurants and cafes.

The development will target a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (Leed) Gold Sustainability Building Certification by featuring innovative cooling systems and photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal panels to provide electricity and hot water. After the tournament, the stadium will be reduced to a capacity of 25,000 and its grass pitch replaced with an artificial one for future use.

RFA Fenwick Iribarren Architects is the design consultant and Astad Project Management is the project manager.

In July, Qatar awarded the first main construction contract for one of the new stadiums it plans to build for the World Cup. A joint venture of Italy’s Salini Impregilo, the local Galfar Engineering and Italy’s Cimolai was 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 metres, 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.

Other stadiums in Qatar are also progressing. Construction companies submitted bids on 24 May for the deal to build the Al-Wakrah stadium. It is understood two groups have been shortlisted for that contract. They are: Austria’s Porr with the local Midmac Contracting; and Bam of the Netherlands with the local UrbaCon.

That stadium will have the capacity to seat 45,000 people during the World Cup tournament. 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.

Construction companies have also submitted expressions of interest to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for the contract to build the 40,000-seater Al-Rayyan stadium.

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

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.