Qatar’s Quality Group International has signed a contract with the local Global Real Estate Company to launch a new shopping mall.

The 160,000-square-foot mall will be developed in the Al-Wakrah area and will be completed by 2017, according to a company statement.

Qatar’s construction market has slowed down over the past year as the government rationalises spending to focus on essential schemes directly related to the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

There were $2.1bn of contract awards during the first of this year in the country, down from $13.9bn from the corresponding period of 2015.

Other mall developments in Qatar include the Doha Festival City scheme. Bawabat al-Shamal is developing the project on the outskirts of Doha. 

The QR1.65bn ($453m) deal to build the Festival City shopping mall was awarded to a joint venture of the local Gulf Contracting and UAE-based Alec in 2014.

Located on the northern highway leading out of the capital, the development will include the main shopping mall, an entertainment park, two hotels and an automotive park with car showrooms. The complex will cover a total area of 433,000 square metres.