Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) says it is continuing to develop its Al-Ain, Mafraq and Tawam hospital projects.

A spokesman for Seha says the tendering process for the main contracts for the new Al-Ain and Mafraq hospitals is continuing but could not confirm when tender documents will be issued or which companies had prequalified for the tender.

It invited contractors to prequalify for the multi-billion-dirham construction deals in October 2009 (MEED 22:10:09).

“The actual awarding of the contract is subject to a number of procedures and approvals that are not necessarily in our control,” says the spokesman. “We will notify all parties in due course.”

MEED reported on 5 February that sources involved with the projects expect the award of the main construction contracts on both developments to be delayed.

In December, contracts were awarded for the enabling works packages for the Al-Ain and Mafraq hospitals.

Austria’s Strabag is working on the Al-Ain hospital and Swissboring, which is part of Italy’s Trevi Group, is working on the enabling works package for the Mafraq hospital.

Both contracts are scheduled for completion by the end of the summer.

The new Mafraq hospital will have 690 beds. It will cover an area of 245,000 square metres and will have underground parking for 1,300 vehicles. US-based Burt Hill is the design consultant.

The new Al-Ain hospital will have 688 beds and will cover 358,000 square metres, with underground parking for 1,500 cars. The design has been prepared by a joint venture of Switzerland’s ICME Healthcare, Germany’s Faust Consult Architects & Engineers, and Germany’s Obermeyer Engineering Consulting.

US-based Allen & Shariff Corporation is the project manager for both schemes.

Seha says it is also continuing to develop the Tawam hospital project in Al-Ain, after Abu Dhabi-government controlled investment vehicle Mubadala Development Company cancelled tenders for the project in early February.

“We are continuing with the project as before, just Mubadala isn’t involved,” says the Seha spokesman.

Mubadala received bids from five contracting groups on 4 January but told bidders on 3 February that it had cancelled the tender (MEED 5:2:10).

The project involves building a five-floor hospital adjacent to the existing hospital in the city. The plans include a series of clinics, in-patient units, operating theatres, an accident and emergency unit, diagnostic centres, and teaching and research facilities.