Contractors have been invited to submit an expression of interest (EOI) for the mechanical, engineering and plumbing (MEP) contract for the estimated SR1bn ($266m) Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) Project in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD).

The contract will involve carrying out MEP works on the 40-storey tower project. The development will cover a total area of 140,000 square metres and will be located at KAFD on the outskirts of Riyadh. The site will also contain a three-storey car park.

Meanwhile, contractors are still waiting to receive tender documents for the main construction package on the stock exchange project. Contractors submitted prequalification entries on 29 June and had been expecting to receive tender documents by the end of October. However, by 13 November the client had not released documents, according to a source in Riyadh.

UK-based Mace Group is the project manager and Japan’s Nikken Sekkei is the architect for the tower.

Located on a 1.6 million sq m site north of Riyadh, the KAFD will offer commercial and residential districts along with hospitality, retail and recreational facilities. KAFD is being developed by Al-Rayadah, the investment arm of the state-owned Public Pension Agency.

Saudi financial institutions building high-rise towers at KAFD also include the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and the local Samba bank.

In June 2010, the local El-Seif Engineering & Contracting was awarded the estimated SR900m ($240m) contract to build a new headquarters for Samba. The 39-storey tower will cover a total built-up area of 110,000 sq m. The building was designed by UK architecture firm Foster & Partners (MEED 29:4:11).