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Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed New Murabba Development Company (NMDC) has awarded a contract to set up the temporary site offices at the New Murabba site to the local contractor Saudi Real Estate Infrastructure Company (Binyah). 

The main contract tender was issued in the second quarter and the bid submission date was 23 July.

The contract award follows two project management agreements signed by NMDC for the New Murabba project.

In August, US-based Bechtel and NMDC signed an agreement covering the project management services for the New Murabba masterplan and site-wide infrastructure.

NMDC appointed Turner Arabia to provide project management consultancy services for its Mukaab project at the New Murabba development in September.

Early works contracts

In July, NMDC awarded two contracts for some of the early works packages at the New Murabba project site.

The contract awards include a site clearance package awarded to local contractor Al-Ostool al-Aali, and a fencing, hoarding and finishing works package awarded to the local Saudi Real Estate Infrastructure Company (Binyah).

Downtown development

Overall, the New Murabba development will total more than 25 million square metres (sq m) of floor area and feature more than 104,000 residential units, 9,000 hotel rooms and over 980,000 sq m of retail space.

The scheme will include 1.4 million sq m of office space, 620,000 sq m of leisure facilities and 1.8 million sq m of space dedicated to community facilities.

The new project will be developed around the concept of sustainability and include green areas and walking and cycling paths to promote healthy, active lifestyles and community activities.

The living, working and entertainment facilities will be created around a 15-minute walking radius. The area will use an internal transport system and will be about a 20-minute drive from the airport.

The downtown area will feature a museum, a technology and design university, an immersive, multipurpose theatre, and more than 80 entertainment and cultural venues.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud launched NMDC in mid-February to develop the project.