The local Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) has awarded a $300m construction contract to a joint venture of the local International Centre for Contracting Company (ICC) and Freyssinet Saudi Arabia.

The contract covers the construction of a portion of the 170,000 square metre Addiriyah Heritage City, which is located 30 kilometres northwest of Riyadh. The contract was awarded in mid-June and is expected to take two years to complete.  

The deal represents just half of the entire heritage city project. The contract for the second half of the city will be awarded in 2011 when ADA receives its annual budget allocation from Riyadh, says a source close to the project.

The heritage city part of the project includes four museums, a traditional souk, multimedia centre, dining facilities and meeting space. It also includes rehabilitation of Addiriyah’s al-Tarif archeaological site.

The contract must be executed under strict international guidelines as Addiriyah is a recognised heritage site under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).  

The local Al-Yamama Contracting redeveloping the first three phases of Addiriyah township under a $160m contract. The roads and infrastructure portion of the project began in 2008 and is currently nearing completion. The Addiriyah business park is 25 per cent complete and is scheduled to finish in late 2012 (MEED 17:2:09).

A consortium of consultants including UK-based Buro Happold, US-based Ayers Saint Gross and Canada’s Lord Cultural Resources is overseeing masterplanning and architectural design of Addiriyah Heritage City.