Doha is tendering four construction contracts totalling an estimated $1billion for new public buildings and museums.

State-owned Qatar Petroleum (QP) is managing all four projects. It is set to receive bids for three contracts by early August and is planning to issue tender documents for a fourth project by the end of September.

QP is managing three of the projects on behalf of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Social Development, and the fourth project on behalf of the Qatar Museum Authority.

For the first scheme, QP has set a new tender closing date of 18 July for the contract to build the estimated QR1bn ($274m) new Qatar National Library. The previous deadline was 4 July.

The library will be located in Qatar Foundation’s Education City, which is located on the outskirts of Doha.

At least 12 firms have prequalified and are expected to submit bids for the project. They are:

• Aktor (Greece)
• Besix (Belgium)
• Bouygues (France)
• Carillion (UK)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Joannou & Paraskevaides (J&P Overseas) (Cyprus)
• Midmac Contracting Company (local)
• Multiplex (Australia)
• Strabag (Austria)
• Taisei Corporation (Japan)
• Yuksel Insaat (Turkey)

The 24-month project involves the construction of the library, excavation, piling, superstructure and exterior and interior work. This will include all of the mechanical electrical and plumbing work, and the provision of furniture.

QP originally awarded Turkey’s Baytur International a $245m contract to build the library in 2005, but the project was cancelled a few months later (MEED 12:8:05).

For the second project, QP has invited firms to bid by 1 August for a contract to build a new QR1bn headquarters building for Qatar Foundation at Education City.

The work will involve construction of a 12-storey headquarters building and a three-four-storey study centre.

The winning contractor will also be in charge of carrying out landscaping works, earthworks, substructure work and provision of utilities works. The utilities works will include the installation of water services, drainage, air conditioning systems and security systems.

The headquarters is expected to take 24 months to complete.

The buildings were designed by the Dutch architectural firm Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), and the consultant for the project is the UK’s Arup.

QP has also set a deadline of 1 August for the third project it is managing for Qatar Foundation, the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Education City.

The prequalifiers are:

• Aktor (Greece)
• Amana (UAE)/Walbridge (USA)
• Arabtec Construction (UAE)
• Carillion (UK)
• Consolidated Contracting Group (CCC) (Athens-based)
• Construction Development Company (local)
• Midmac Contracting Company (local)
• Qatari Arabian Construction Company (Lebanon)
• Strabag (Austria)
• Taylor Woodrow/Construction Dynamics (UK/local)
• Yuksel Insaat (Turkey)

The Faculty of Islamic Studies will located in the southern zone of Education City. It will include classrooms, auditorium, exhibition space, faculty offices, a mosque and an underground car park.

The project is expected to cover an area of 55,980 square metres. The project is scheduled for completion by August 2012.

QP is also preparing to issue tender documents on behalf of the Qatar National Museum by the end of September.

QP has already prequalified contractors for the contract to build the museum and is expected to tender the construction deal in August or September, says a source close to the project.

Contractors had earlier thought that the tender documents would be issued by the end of June.

At least eight groups have prequalified for the contract to build the new museum. They are:

• Bouygues (France)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Impregilo (Italy), Qatar Arabian Construction Company (ACC) (Lebanon)
• Joannou & Paraskevaides (J&P Overseas) (Cyprus)
• Six Construct (Belgium), Midmac Contracting Company (local)
• Strabag (Austria)
• Taisei Corporation (Japan)

Construction work on the project is expected to be completed by October 2012. The museum is scheduled to open in November 2013 when all of the other work on the project is completed.

Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the museum will be built on two plots of land next to the existing Qatar National Museum. The two plots on the corniche cover an area of about 150,000 square metres, separated by Al-Muthaf Road.

Most of the old museum will be demolished, but the old palace building that was used by Qatar’s ruling family in the early 20th century will remain as part of the new museum complex.

The existing museum was opened in 1975 in the old palace building. By the time it was shut in 2007, it had expanded to include an archaeological and natural history museum building, a lagoon, a maritime museum, and an aquarium (MEED 11:6:10).