Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) has awarded a contract for enabling works on a residential project in the Saadiyat Cultural District.

The contract, which was awarded to the local Nael & Harmal Hydroexport (NBHH), is expected to be complete by September 2015.

The Mamsha al-Saadiyat, a residential project that is part of the Saadiyat Island masterplan, is made up of five clusters and will feature nine low-rise buildings including apartments and townhouses.

The unit sizes will range from one- to four-bedrooms and feature ground-level retail space.

The project will also encompass a serviced-apartment building and a retail centre with approximately 5,000 square metres of leasable area, for both retail and dining outlets.

The $27bn masterplan for Saadiyat Island, owned by the TDIC, covers 18,000 hectares divided into several zones including Saadiyat Beach, Saadiyat Lagoons and Saadiyat Cultural District.

It will include outposts of the Louvre and Guggenheim museums, as well as the Zayed National Museum. Bids are under evaluation for the Guggenheim Museum, while the Louvre is under execution. The museums were originally due for completion by 2013.