CTC decided to seek an expert opinion on a Ministry of Electricity & Water (MEW) recommendation, which stated that the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract should be awarded to Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Company, the second lowest bidder.

In August, a team led by Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company, and including Hyundai Heavy Industries Company and Japan's Sasakura Engineering Company, objected to the recommendation, stating that it was the low bidder for the contract.

Five groups of companies submitted two sets of prices by the late-June deadline, with the Hyundai team offering low bids for both options - a base price and an alternative offer (MEED 28:6:02).

The first phase of the proposed Subiya desalination plant calls for the supply and installation of two 12.5 million-gallon-a-day units, with an option to add a further two units of the same capacity, using multi-stage flash technology. The facilities are expected to be commissioned in a little less than 30 months (MEED 15:3:02).