A joint venture of Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Healthcare Company and Al-Batterjee Holding is preparing to appoint a contractor for a 300-bed hospital in Egypt.

The hospital, which is set to be built in the northern city of Alexandria, will be the first phase of the proposed $600m Batterjee Medical City.

Sources close to the scheme have told MEED that Saudi Arabia’s International Hospitals Construction Company (IHCC) is likely to be the contractor appointed. IHCC is an affiliate of the Middle East Healthcare Company.

The second phase of the proposed scheme is set to include seven specialised hospitals in addition to housing for employees. The third stage will consist of a medical tower with 220 clinics. Meanwhile the fourth stage will include college for medical sciences and technology.

Other major hospital schemes in Egypt include the $200m expansion of the Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357 in Cairo.

In June last year MEED reported that Lebanon’s Arabian Construction Company (ACC) was appointed to carry out work on a children’s hospital in Egypt.

ACC was awarded the initial contract to build the hospital in 2006.