They are: the local Arab Technical Construction Company (Arabtec) with the local/Belgian Bel Hasa Six Construct; the local/Australian Nasa Multiplex; the local/UK Al-Naboodah Laing;the local/South Africa joint venture of Al-Habtoor Engineering Enterpriseswith Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East); the local/South African team of Bu-Haleeba Contractors with Grinekar-LTA;the local Khansaheb Civil Engineering; and Arabian Construction Company (ACC)- also local.

Estimated to be worth at least AED 400 million ($109 million), the contract will cover the construction of a two-storey complex over a total area of about 220,000 square metres. It will include a 130,000-square-metre Carrefour hypermarket, entertainment and related facilities. The package will take about two years to complete.

The project is expected to be carried out in several packages: a 300-room hotel; a 5,000-5,500-capacity car park; a 23,000-square-metre indoor winter sports facility; and related civil, mechanical and electrical works.

The indoor sports centre will include the construction of a 300-metre-long ski slope and ski centre. Hyder Consultingand Acer Snowmec, both of the UK, are consultants for the proposed winter sports facility. The Souk al-Nahkeel development will be located at Al-Barsha on Sheikh Zayed highway.

The US' F&A Architectshas prepared the final designs. The project manager is the UK's Mace; Holford Associates, also of the UK, is the architect of records. A third UK company, Mott Macdonald,is the structural engineering consultant. The client is the local Majid al-Futtaim (MAF) Group of Companies.