BOUYGUES Bâtiment International, a subsidiary of the French Bouygues Construction group, has won a contract to build a vast real estate project in Doha, Qatar.

The project, totalling QR4.75 billion ($1.3 billion), was awarded by Barwa Financial District, a subsidiary of Barwa Real Estate, the largest semi-public property group in Qatar.

Situated in Doha’s new business district in West Bay, the huge complex will include nine 18- to 52-storey office buildings, a five-star hotel with more than 400 keys, a shopping centre, a conference centre, a mosque and all the necessary parking facilities and utilities. The work will take place in a particularly challenging environment due to the cramped site.

The site was made available in September and construction time will be 42 months. Bouygues Bâtiment International will carry out the works in collaboration with two Qatari companies – Midmac Contracting Company and Aljaber Engineering.

This fast-track project will involve 6,000 people at peak time and considerable plant resources, notably 17 tower cranes.

“This contract is excellent news for Bouygues Construction,” said Yves Gabriel, chairman and CEO. “In the current economic environment, it enables us to improve our visibility abroad and become a major player in a high-growth area.”

Bouygues Construction has recently delivered a number of projects in the Gulf region, including the Jeddah Equestrian Club in Saudi Arabia and the elevated rail transit system in Dubai in the UAE.