Bidders for the package are understood to include: a joint venture of Belgium's Dredging International, Royal Boskalis Westminsterof the Netherlands and the US' Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company; Belgium's Jan de Nul; Van Oordof the Netherlands; and China Harbour Engineering,with the UK's Costain. Once technical evaluation has been completed, commercial bids will be opened from those companies that are judged technically qualified.

The contract covers the dredging of about 60 million cubic metres of material to create a platform for the new airport; construction of a 14-kilometre armoured revetment to protect the platform; and dredging for a short approach channel turning basin and a new quay to handle aggregates and construction materials.

For the passenger terminal foundation package, interested companies have until 31 October to submit their prequalifications. The contract will involve the sinking of more than 1,000 piles and the installation of pile caps and beams.

The new airport is to be built on a 21 million-square-metre plot of land, of which about 11 square kilometres will be reclaimed. The first-phase development, due to be completed in 2008, will have capacity of 12 million passengers a year.

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