12 companies have submitted technical bids for a contract to build package 11 of the Batinah Expressway in Oman.

The final package involves the construction of connecting roads and interchanges.

The bidders are:

• Strabag (Austria)
• Sezai Turkes - Feyzi Akkaya (Turkey)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (Athens-based)
• Ozkar Construction (Turkey)
• Al-Wataniyah United Engineering & Company (local)
• Federici Sterling Batco (local)
• Onur International (Turkey)
• Shapoorji Pallonji (India)
• Galfar Engineering & Construction (local)
• Larsen & Toubro (India)
• Gharbia Enterprises Establishment (local)
• Khalid bin Ahmed & Sons (local)

The tender board has not set a date for commercial bid opening.

The client is the Transport & Communications Ministry.

The 265-kilometre-long Batinah Expressway will be Oman’s biggest road scheme and will link Muscat to the UAE border.

The ministry signed an RO142.5m ($370m).contract with India’s Nagarjuna Construction Company for package two of the scheme on 17 March.

Bids for expressway packages seven to 10 were submitted in January. The work involves 170 kilometres of connecting roads and interchanges.

Technical bids have also gone in for a contract to dualise the Samail – Al-Madrah road. The two towns, in the Al-Dakhiliyah and South Al-Batinah governorates respectively, are separated by a mountain range.

Five companies submitted technical bids:

• Al-Wataniyah United Engineering & Company
• Abu Hatim Company (local)
• Egyptian Contracting Company & Partners (Egypt)
• Al-Hajiry Trading (local)
• Ozkar Construction

Oman is investing heavily in roads and transport infrastructure as it attempts to diversify its economy by becoming a logistics hub.