Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has received bids from contractors for the construction of its new $500m police academy building in Doha.

Sources close to the scheme have told MEED that up to six contractors submitted their bids in December 2016, with an award expected in the second quarter of this year.

The scope of the work involves the construction of a new college building, a sports facility and a horse track at the Al-Rayyan Police Training College Complex.

The project was initially announced in 2014 but faced delays resulting in the ministry retendering the scheme in the final quarter of last year.

Despite construction activity surrounding the Fifa World Cup 2022, contract awards in Qatar during 2016 declined to $13bn, 40 per cent less than the $22bn in the previous year. This drop in awards is due to limited government spending with the authorities opting to prioritise projects directly related to the World Cup.

According to data from regional projects tracker MEED Projects, it is expected that $11bn-worth of construction awards will be made in 2017.