Qatar has received bids for the first contract tendered for one of the nine new stadiums it plans to build in preparation for hosting the football World Cup in 2022.

Doha’s 2022 Supreme Committee received bids from companies on 29 July for the project and construction management contract for the 45,000-seat capacity Wakrah stadium, which will be located in Al-Wakrah city in southern Qatar.

About seven companies were invited to bid for the contract to provide project management, design management, commercial management and construction management consultancy services for the Wakrah stadium after firms submitted prequalification entries in May. The project management deal is for a minimum period of 10 years.

According to sources in Doha, the Supreme Committee is looking to appoint the project manager before it tenders the consultancy and master-planning contract for the stadium, for which it is currently evaluating prequalification proposals.

The Wakrah stadium is one of nine new stadiums planned as part of Qatar’s preparation to host the 2022 World Cup. In addition to the new stadiums, Doha is planning to expand three existing stadiums. The largest new stadium planned is the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which will have a capacity of more than 86,000 people and is to be used for the opening and closing matches. Doha expects to spend $4bn on building the new stadiums and related sporting infrastructure for the event.