HBK Contracting Company has been awarded the enabling works contract for Qatar’s Al Wakrah stadium, the first proposed venue to be delivered ahead of the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

The Qatar-based contracting company was due to begin work last month and is scheduled to complete it by next March.

Under the contract awarded by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, HBK will undertake bulk earthworks including site clearance, excavation and disposal, fill, as well as underground services and stadium foundations.

Foundation works will be launched at a ceremony in September, following which the main construction contractor will be appointed at the end of the year.

Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the committee, said: “We are excited to announce the next stage of works for Al Wakrah Stadium and look forward to continued progress on the ground this year. On completion, the stadium and surrounding precinct will leave a social legacy in Al Wakrah.”

The 40,000-seat stadium, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, is the future home of Al Wakrah Sports Club. It will be surrounded by approximately 560,000 sq m of a heritage precinct with a new sports centre and community hub. The precinct will deliver a range of community facilities, including a park, mosque, school, hotel, wedding hall, vocational training centre and retail outlets.