Al-Jaber Transport and General Contracting has won a AED185m ($50m) contract to build a petroleum research centre for Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc).

The contract covers the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for a 28,000 square-metre facility housing laboratories and offices in the Sas al-Nakhl area of Abu Dhabi.

The deal was awarded to Abu Dhabi-based Al-Jaber in March and construction started on the project on 3 April, the contractor said. Al-Jaber expects to complete the project in August 2013.

Al-Jaber was selected from a group of several bidders, which also included Amana Contracted & Steel Buildings, ETA Ascon Group, Gulf Contracting Company and Target Engineering Construction Company.

In February, Al-Jaber Energy won a $220m contract for civil works on Abu Dhabi’s Upper Zakum offshore oil field.