Kuwait has asked the groups that bid for the contract to build the new terminal at Kuwait International airport to propose value engineering options that will reduce the cost of the project.

It is understood that all of the prices that contractors submitted in early November are above the budget that Kuwait has given the terminal building project.

Turkey’s Limak submitted the lowest bid for the contract with a price of $4.7bn. Limak’s price is nearly $1bn lower than the second-lowest price of $5.6bn submitted by Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). The other two bidders are the UAE’s Arabtec Construction at $5.8bn and a joint venture of Italy’s Astaldi with Turkey’s Ictas at $5.9bn.

The new terminal, known as Terminal 2, will contain 30-51 gates, a transit hotel, VIP and first-class lounges, and car parking for 4,500 vehicles.

The new passenger terminal was designed by a team led by the UK’s Foster & Partners, which won the contract in November 2009. Foster & Partners is working with the local Gulf Consult. The design team also includes the UK’s Arup, the US’ Parsons Brinckerhoff and the Netherlands Airport Company.

Terminal 2 will increase the capacity of the airport from 6 million passengers a year to 13 million. It will be located south of the existing terminal between the two existing runways. The terminal is designed to set a new environmental benchmark for airport buildings and is inspired by local forms and materials. The building will consist of three symmetrical wings of departure gates, each spanning 1.2 kilometres.

The project is targeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) Gold standard and aims to be the first passenger terminal in the world to achieve this.

The Public Works Ministry has also invited 14 prequalified consultants to submit bids for the contract to provide project management consultancy services for the construction of the new terminal building.

The prequalified consultants are:

• ADPI (France)
• Dar al-Handasah (Lebanon) / Perkins & Will (US)
• Dorsch Groupe Dorsch International Consultants (Germany)
• Fentress Architects (US)
• Foster & Partners (UK)
• Grupo TYPSA (Spain)
• Halcrow International Partnership (UK)
• Mott MacDonald (UK)
• Nippon KOEI Company (Japan)
• Naco (a Company of Royal Haskoning DHV) (Netherlands)
• Obermeyer Middle East (Abu Dhabi branch) (Germany)
• Oriental Consultants Company Limited (Japan)
• Parsons International (US)
• URS Infrastructure and Environment UK (US)

The successful bidder will supervise the construction of the new terminal, central plant and tunnels.

The total investment in developing Kuwait International airport is expected to reach $6bn. In addition to the new terminal, an estimated $3bn will be spent on widening runways, enhancing control tower facilities and building new cargo facilities.

Kuwait has also invited contractors to submit prequalification documents in November for the design and construction of new runway utilities at Kuwait International airport.