Abu Dhabi General Services (Musanada) has awarded four infrastructure contracts worth an estimated total of AED8bn ($2.2bn) on its Shamkha South development.

The winners of the four contracts, which are worth about AED2bn each, are the local Saif bin Darwish, a joint venture of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Rahji Construction and Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation, the local Tristar Engineering & Construction and the local Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting.

The contract involves the construction of 80 kilometres of main roads, 270km of minor roads, as well as street lighting, stormwater drainage, sewage systems and electrical distribution networks (MEED 25:4:10).

The Shamkha South development is located on the emirate’s mainland about 50km south of Abu Dhabi island. It covers a total area of 40 square kilometres, is expected to house up to 200,000 residents in 43 neighbourhoods. It will feature parks, shops, mosques, hospitals, shopping and retail facilities, clinics, health clubs, schools, playgrounds and entertainment areas. The infrastructure also has a green belt connecting the parks with the city centre.

It was previously managed by the Abu Dhabi Centre for Housing & Service Facilities Developments (ADCHS). The government decided in May to dissolve ADCHS and transfer ownership of their projects, including Shamkha South, to the state-owned Musanada.

The masterplan consultant is the Abu Dhabi office of KEO International Consultants.

The local developer Sorouh Real Estate is also planning to develop a large residential project at Shamkha. The AED15bn development will contain 6,453 residential units, 14 local and grand mosques, nine schools, offices, four health clinics and community centres.

The project will cover a total area of 12 million sq m. The local office of KEO is currently working on the masterplan for the development (MEED 23:4:10).