TRAGS' contract will be worth about QR 215 million ($59 million). The 16-month contract will involve the supply and installation of a main chiller, including cooling towers, a chilled water network, electrical power and firefighting and drainage infrastructure. The other main contender for the contract was a team of the local Aljaber Engineeringand the UK's Drake & Scull.

J&P's contract will be worth about QR 300 million ($82 million). The contract will involve building the shell and core for the hospital complex, which will comprise three main towers to house paediatric, orthopaedic, rehabilitation and nursing facilities. The total built-up area will be about 220,000 square metres.

The award of the two contracts leaves only a handful of packages to be tendered on the development. These include the finishes package for the hospital buildings and the landscaping.

HMC will initially be used as the athletes' village for the 2006 Doha Asian Games and subsequently retrofitted for medical purposes. The US' Hill Internationalis the project manager on the HMC scheme; the consultant is Thailand's Fedcon.

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