Qatar National Bank (QNB) is to hold meetings in January with groups competing to build its 101-floor, 510-metre-high headquarters. The contract is set to be awarded in March, according to a source close to the project.

The bank will discuss technical details of the project at the meetings in January and negotiate prices with the contractors that have submitted bids (MEED 6:11:09).

QNB received bids from at least five groups in early November to build the tower. The bidders include a joint venture of Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation and Lebanon’s Societe d’Enterprise & de Gestion (SEG); a joint venture of Australia’s Grocon and the local Contraco; Australia’s Multiplex; Lebanon’s Qatari Arabian Construction Company (ACC); and a joint venture of South Korea’s Samsung Corporation, the local Midmac Contracting Company and Belgium’s Six Construct.

The 61-floor building will have a total built-up area of 235,000 square metres. The project will have five basement levels, 88,000 sq m of parking, 9,000 sq m for the entrance and banking halls, and 138,000 sq m of office space. When complete, it will be the world’s second tallest building after the Burj Dubai.

The consultancy team includes Doha-based KEO International Consultants as the project manager and Australia’s Peddle Thorp Architects.

The tower is one of three planned for Doha Corniche. The other two are Qatar General Insurance & Reinsurance Company’s 50-floor tower and an 83-floor IQ Tower planned by state-run downstream energy company Industries Qatar.