UAE construction firm Habtoor Leighton, an affiliate of Australia's Leighton Holdings, has won a mixed-use shopping mall and office project in Qatar valued at QR1.06 billion ($291 million).

The project represents the first phase of the North Gate mixed-use development in a growing neighbourhood on a strategically important arterial roadway, north of Doha’s West Bay central business district.

The North Gate Mall is positioned as a mid- to premium-development and has been designed by Callison.

Phase 1 will have a total built-up area of around 375,000 sq m, with a podium comprising two levels of car park, a three-level mall and six, five-level office buildings.

Construction will start immediately and the project is due for completion in March 2014, a statement said.

“We’re seeing major opportunities across all our market sectors as the country continues its rapid development, and this is just one example of the type of work we are pursuing,” said Habtoor Leighton Group CEO and managing director Laurie Voyer.

“We’re targeting a number of large-scale infrastructure and building projects in the country – such as the new Doha Metro and Lusail Expressway - and we see Qatar as one of our key markets going forward,” Voyer added.