Dubai extends deadline for Al-Maktoum airport

02 March 2016

Contractors are competing for the $33bn scheme’s first construction deal

Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) has extended the tender closing date for the enabling works contract for the $33bn expansion of Al-Maktoum International airport to 15 March.

The previous closing date was 29 February.

The contract covers earthmoving work for the entire 36 square kilometre site. There had early been an expectation that the scope may only involve work on a small section of the airport expansion area.

The prospective bidders include:

  • Al-Jaber Group (local)
  • Al-Naboodah Contracting (local)
  • Ghantoot Group (local)
  • Tristar (Local)

The contract has been tendered before. MEED reported in January 2015 that DAEP had been expected to award the enabling works in late 2014.

The ambitious upgrade to the airport will make it the biggest in the world by 2050 with the capacity to handle 255 million passengers a year. The planned construction work includes the new terminal building, six nodes or concourses connected to the terminal by people movers, and new runways. The terminal will also be connected to the new metro link planned by Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA).

The first phase alone will be the largest airport construction scheme ever undertaken in the world. Once complete, it will take the airport’s capacity to 130 million passengers a year and make it capable of accommodating 100 A380 aircraft at any one time. The first phase is expected to open in 2025. “A 2025 opening date should be possible,” says the senior source.

Once the first phase is complete, a second phase will start that will increase the capacity further to 255 million with five runways, another terminal building and more concourses. The entire development will cover an area of 56 square kilometres and it is due to be completed by the end of 2021.

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