The local Saadiyat Development & Investment Company has received bids from companies for the contract to build a community of villas on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.

Known as Hidd al-Saadiyat, the first phase of the project involves the construction of 280 villas. The second phase of the project is made up of 206 villas. The second phase will start six months after construction of the first phase has started. The project also involves the construction of two single-storey community centres.

The consultants working on the project are Egypt’s Ehaf Consulting Engineers and local office of Naga Architectural Consultants.

Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) has awarded an estimated AED1bn ($272m) contract to build 295 villas on Saadiyat Island to the Al-Jaber Group in 2009.