Twelve firms have submitted their bids for enabling work on the Bahrain International airport expansion project.

The local GPZ Group has submitted the lowest bid at BD9.9m ($26m) with Bahrain’s AMA Group submitting the highest at BD15m ($40m).

Other bidders include:

• Almoayyed Contracting Group (Local)
• Cebarco Bahrain (Local)
• Bahrain Motors Company (Local)
• Poullaides Construction (Local)
• Terna Construction (Greece)
• Olympic Construction (UK)
• Nass Group  (Local)
• Hafeera Group (Local)
• Aradous Contracting and Maintenance Company (Local)
• Mohammed Jalal & Sons Group (Local)

The contract is expected to be awarded in the second quarter of 2015.

Bahrain Airport Company is also planning to tender the main construction contract for the expansion of Bahrain International airport in the first quarter of 2015 and is preparing a shortlist of prequalified contractors last year.

UAE-based firms are expected to feature heavily in the shortlist as the development is being financed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

The project involves the construction of a 170,000 square metre terminal building, together with associated buildings and infrastructure such as car parks and aircraft parking areas. It also involves managing nominated subcontractors working on specialist packages for baggage-handling systems, passenger loading bridges and information technology systems.

When completed, the new terminal structure is expected to increase the airport’s capacity to 13.5 million passengers a year.