Saudi Aramco is planning to award construction contracts for its stadium building programme on 10 November.

Nine contracting groups are preparing to submit bids by 26 October for the construction of the 11 stadiums.

The selected groups are:

• Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)/Strabag (Austria)
• Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) (local)/Eiffage (France)
• Al-Muhaideb Trading & Contracting Establishment (local)/Six Construct (Belgium)
• Nesma & Partners (local)/Salini Impregilo (Italy)
• Nasser al-Hajri (local)/Vinci (France)
• Bouygues (France)/Almabani (local)/Huta (local)
• Samsung C&T (South Korea)/Azmeel Contracting (local)
• Baytur (Turkey)/Clark Construction (US)
• El-Seif Engineering & Contracting (local)/Bam (Netherlands)

The bidders have been asked to submit their rates for work as Aramco has fast-tracked the scheme and the final designs have yet to be completed. The state oil company had earlier been planning to tender the work in November.

Aramco is currently evaluating bids from project management firms. It is understood that the company intends to appoint four firms to manage the construction of the 11 stadiums that it plans to build at different locations across Saudi Arabia. Three of the selected companies will manage the development of three stadiums each, and a fourth firm will manage the construction of two stadiums.

The stadiums are expected to cost at least $400m each to build, meaning the overall programme will cost more than $4.4bn. The contractors have been asked to bid for all the stadiums, with a maximum of two awarded to each company. The 18-month deals will be due for completion in June 2016.

The facilities will be built in Medina, Al-Qassim, the Eastern Province, Asir, Tabuk, Hail, the Northern Borders, Jizan, Najran, Baha and Al-Jouf.

Aramco is building the stadiums as part of a King Abdullah Programme to improve sports facilities in the kingdom.