The Qatar Foundation, Science and Social Development (QF), has received proposals from consultants for the design consultancy contract on the planned Solis Doha hotel in its Education City development

QF received bids from consultants towards the end of May, according to sources in Doha.

The proposed five-star Solis Doha hotel will include 418 guest rooms, a 17,000-square-foot ballroom, 17,000 sq ft of exhibit space, four boardrooms and six meeting rooms.

The concept for the hotel was designed by the US-based HKS Hill Glazier Studio in 2009. Solis Hotels & Resorts was appointed to manage the proposed hotel in March earlier this year. The hotel is scheduled to open for business in 2015 and will be located next to the Qatar national Convention Centre in Education City, a 14-square-kilometre development on the western edge of Doha.

The Turkish Baytur Construction & Contracting Company was awarded a $610m contract to design and build the convention centre in 2006. In 2009, a joint venture of Qatar’s Midmac Contracting Company and Belgium’s Six Construct was awarded a $490m contract to build an extension to the convention centre scheme.

The centre will house a 2,500-seat auditorium, a 500-seat theatre, and a 4,000-seat multi-purpose hall, as well as smaller meeting rooms.

Education City is being developed by Qatar Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded in 1995 by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani (MEED 10:9:09).