QNB to build one of world's tallest towers

Qatar National Bank, the country's largest lender by market value, plans to build one of the world's tallest towers in the Qatari capital Doha to house its new headquarters, a magazine reported yesterday.

The skyscraper, for which main contractors have been invited to express interest, would be taller than the 509-metre Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan, which is the world's tallest completed building, London-based weekly MEED reported in its latest issue.

The tower will have a total built-up area of 235,000 square metres, with five basement levels, the magazine said without saying where it got the information.

Over the past few weeks, contractors have been approached for two super-high-rise towers on the corniche: the 510-metre-tall Qatar National Bank headquarters building and a 100-storey tower planned by Abu Dhabi's Al Jaber Group.

More projects are on the way, including the high-rise tower that will form the centrepiece of the new convention centre. Further projects are expected as development along the corniche reaches critical mass.

This is good new for the construction industry as these projects create welcome opportunities for contractors. They will attract the attention of regional heavyweights. Doha could soon have a skyline to match its ambitions as a regional business centre.