Qatar's newest hotel, the Rydges Plaza, is set for a soft opening on November 1.

Work is progressing at a frenetic pace on the 138-room, 11-storey property located at Al-Bida, overlooking the Corniche and the Doha Bay.

The glass and granite structure is being built by Gettco Contracting and the property is owned by FBQHC, of Shaikh Faisal bin Qassem Al Thani.

The four-star hotel is to be managed by the Australian group Rydges. It will have two restaurants Ñ an all-day dining, Italian buffet facility Il Rustico at the mezzanine, and Aussie Legends, a sport theme restaurant on the eleventh floor. The hotel will have a grand opening after the Ramadan, said manager David Tonkin, and sales manager Chadi Kassem.

The hotel, which has a swimming pool on the eleventh floor, intends to target corporate clients from the GCC and other business visitors "associated with oil and gas", said Tomkin, who has been in Doha since March, along with a six-member management team.

The hotel has a conference room, which can seat 120 diners. It can be divided into three smaller rooms, all with the latest audio-visual facilities.

The Rydges group has another property in Dubai and is looking to expand its brand in the Middle East and Asia, Tonkin added.