Astad, the project management arm of Qatar Petroleum, has invited companies to submit bids for the main construction package on an estimated $225m car park development.

Prequalified contractors have until 1 May to submit bids for the construction project.

The car park will have four levels above ground and will be located in Education City, a 14-square-kilometre development on the western edge of Doha. The underground car park will have two levels, which will cover a total area of approximately 94,000 square metres.

This is the second car park project that Astad has tendered for Education City.  In October last year, it received bids from at least nine contractors to build the estimated QR800m ($219.7m) North East underground car park.

Bidders for the car park include:

• Al-Jaber & Partners (local)
• Carillion (UK)
• Consolidated Contracting Group (CCC) (Athens-based)
• Construction Development Company (CDC) (local)
• Man Enterprises (Lebanon)
• Midmac Contracting Company (local)
• Strabag (Austria)
• Taylor Woodrow/Construction Dynamics (UK/local)
• Yuksel Insaat (Turkey)

The project manager is still currently considering the bids for the project and it is expected to be the end of May before the construction contract is awarded, according to a source close to the project.

Astad is managing the projects on behalf of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Social Development. The foundation was set up in 1995 by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to lead the state’s transformation into a knowledge-based economy (MEED 22:10:11).