Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) has received bids from contractors for the main construction contract on its $1bn Louvre museum project on Saadiyat island.

The bidders for the 24,000 square-metre museum include the local/Australian Al-Habtoor Leighton Group with South Africa’s Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East); Canada’s Brookfield Multiplex; Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) with Saudi Oger; South Korea’s Samsung C&T; and the local/Belgian Six Construct Abu Dhabi.

TDIC originally planned to build the museum under a design and build contract for the entire scheme, but subsequently decided to issue tenders for a series of lump-sum construction packages, including the substructure, piling, loading bays and the main construction works.

TDIC is currently evaluating bids for the substructure package. In August, it said that piling work on the museum had been completed by Germany’s Bauer.

Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is part of the capital’s 18-square-kilometre Saadiyat Island Cultural District, which will include the new Sheikh Zayed National Museum (MEED 1:11:10).