Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) has extended the bid deadline for the main construction contract on its $1bn Louvre museum project by one month.

The company has pushed the deadline back to 1 August. The original submission deadline for technical and commercial bids on the contract was 1 July.

TDIC formally invited contractors to bid on the deal on 28 March. Prequalifiers for the construction on the 24,000 square-metre project include the following groups:

• The local/UK Aldar Laing O’Rourke
• The local/Australian Al-Habtoor Leighton Group in a joint venture with South Africa’s Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East)
• A French joint venture of Bouygues and Vinci Grand Projets
• Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company
• Germany’s Ed Zueblin
• Australia’s Multiplex with the UK/local Mivan Depa
• Brazil’s Odebrecht
• Oger Abu Dhabi, the local affiliate of Saudi Oger
• South Korea’s Samsung Corporation
• The local/Belgian Six Construct Abu Dhabi
• A South Korean contingent of Ssangyong Corporation, Daewoo Engineering & Construction, Posco Engineering & Construction and Hanmi Parsons
• Japan’s Taisei Corporation

TDIC originally planned to build the museum under a design and build contract for the entire scheme, but subsequently decided to issue tenders for a series of lump-sum construction packages including the substructure, piling, loading bays and the main construction works.

The developer is currently reviewing bids for the substructure construction contract on the Louvre project.

Contractors submitted offers for the deal in mid-April.

At least 14 groups prequalified for the substructure deal. They are:

• The local Alec
• The local/Australian Al-Habtoor Leighton Group with South Africa’s Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East)
• The local Amana Contracting Company
• The local/Lebanese Arabian Construction Company (ACC)
• The local Dubai Contracting Company
• The local Al-Faraa General Contracting Company
• Germany’s Ed Zueblin
• France’s Vinci Construction Grand Projects
• Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC)
• The local Commodore Contracting Company
• Italy’s Pizzarotti
• The local Darwish bin Ahmed & Sons
• Australia’s Multiplex
• The local/Belgian Six Construct Abu Dhabi

Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is part of the capital’s 18-square-kilometre Saadiyat Island Cultural District, which will include the new Sheikh Zayed National Museum (MEED 22:4:10).