Bassam Majbeh, project manager with US-based Turner International, confirms that a decision is to be made imminently.

Piling work is 90 per cent complete, he adds, with a total of 1,500 piles in the foundations covering the 34,000 square metre site.

The firms prequalified for the work include the local/ Lebanon Saudi ACC, El Seif and Saudi Binladin Group, both local, South-Korea's Samwhan Corporation, Dubai-based Arabtec and Athens-based Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCC).

The UAE-based Cayan Investment & Development Company is the client.

The project is located on the Jeddah corniche and involves the construction of two towers on a common podium. The taller of the two towers will reach 310 metres (MEED 1:4:08).