Abu Dhabi-based Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) has set 17 February as the closing date for bids to construct the Saadiyat Beach apartments on Saadiyat Island.

The project involves the construction of seven apartment buildings on the beach district of Saadiyat Island, close to St Regis resort and the Saadiyat Beach Residences. Both schemes are still being built.

In May 2009, the joint venture of Al-Habtoor Engineering Enterprises and South Africa’s Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East) won the AED2bn ($545m) contract to build the St Regis resort.

In August, TDIC awarded an estimated AED1bn ($272m) contract to build 295 villas at Saadiyat Beach Residences to the local Al-Jaber Group.

Separately, contractors are preparing to submit bids on 10 February for the contract to build Mubadala Development Company’s New York University on Saadiyat Island (MEED 24:12:09).

The qualifiers include Greece’s Aktor; a joint venture of the UAE’s Al-Habtoor Engineering Enterprises and South Africa’s Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East); the local/UK Al-Futtaim Carillion; the local/Lebanese Arabian Construction Company; Saudi Arabia’s El-Seif Engineering & Contracting; and the local National Projects Construction (NPC) with Singapore’s Sembawang Engineers & Contractors.

Two other local firms, Alec and Arabtec Construction, have also been prequalified.

The $27.2bn Saadiyat Island project is one of the largest real estate schemes in the UAE. It includes hotels, villas, golf courses and a cultural district.

In late October, TDIC opened the $191m Saadiyat Bridge which connects Saadiyat Island to Abu Dhabi Island.