Dubai-based contractor Alec has started work on the contract to build Abu Dhabi’s Natural History Museum.

Located on Saadiyat Island close to the existing Louvre and under construction Zayed museums, it will cover an area of more than 35,000 square metres. It is due to be completed at the end of 2025.

Local developer Miral Asset Management is managing the project. The consultants working on the project include Netherlands-based architect Mecanoo, Canada’s Ellisdon, the local headquarters of WME, and UK-based Turner & Townsend as cost consultant.

The award of a major scheme such as the Natural History Museum will give Abu Dhabi’s construction sector a much-needed boost as it seeks to recover from the drop in awards experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Natural History Museum project is the latest cultural project to start construction in Abu Dhabi.

Contractors are working on two other major museum projects on Saadiyat Island. A joint venture of Besix and Trojan has replaced the local Arabtec Construction as the main contractor for the Zayed Museum, and the joint venture was recently awarded the contract to build the Guggenheim Museum.

Abu Dhabi opened the Louvre Museum on Saadiyat Island in 2017. The contractor was a joint venture of Saudi Oger, Arabtec and Spain’s San Jose.