Contractors have been invited to bid by 29 July for the contract to build the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan mosque in Al-Ain in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The prequalifiers for the project include:

• Al-Jaber Group (local)
• Arabian Construction Company (ACC) (local/Lebanon)
• Bam (Netherlands)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)
• Samsung C&T (South Korea)
• Six Construct Abu Dhabi (local/Belgium)

Once under construction, the grand mosque will be one of Abu Dhabi’s biggest building projects. According to some sources involved in the project, the development could be even larger than the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque that opened in late 2007.

The project was first revealed in late 2010 and early 2011, and contractors were invited to express interest in the piling and shoring package. The project was subsequently delayed by a review of major projects that slowed the pace of development in Abu Dhabi until late last year.

The early design documents in 2010 showed that the main feature of the new mosque is a 160-metre-wide dome that will cover the main prayer hall and four 120-metre tall minarets, two next to the mosque and two at the entrance to the site. The complex also includes other buildings for ablution, classrooms, and offices, as well as underground parking.

The total built-up area is about 32,000 square metres, of which 14,500 sq m will be for the mosque.

The architect is the local Bayaty, the engineering consultant is the local office of KEO International Consultants, and the project manager is the UK’s EC Harris.

The client is Abu Dhabi’s Department of President’s Affairs, which is currently building the 330-metre-tall Landmark tower on Abu Dhabi Corniche. A joint venture of the local/Australian Al-Habtoor Leighton and Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) won the estimated $381m main construction contract in 2007.

There are several major project planned or under way in Al-Ain. Last year, the Netherlands’ Bam won an estimated $785m contract to build a mixed-use project featuring a 25,000-seat football stadium, a sports centre, a hotel, a commercial centre and residential buildings.

The Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) is also planning to build a palace-style hotel known as the Qasr al-Ain. Details of the project emerged in early 2011, but it, like the mosque, stalled as Abu Dhabi government reviewed major projects in 2011 and 2012.

According to a source close to the project during the early design stages, the resort could cost more than $500m to build and will be even bigger than the Emirates Palace hotel on Abu Dhabi island that opened in 2005.

South Africa’s Northpoint prepared the concept architecture for the hotel. KEO is the architect and the cost consultant is South Africa’s MLC.