Contractors have been invited to bid for the contract to build the first phase of the stalled World Trade Centre development on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Documents were issued to companies on 1 October and a closing date has been set for mid-October.

The first phase involves the construction of a 90,000-square-metre (sq m) office building and a 555-room hotel.

Construction work on the project slowed in December 2008. The overall development involves building:

• Seven towers with 242,000 sq m of offices
• A 35,000-sq-m four-star hotel
• A 22,000-sq-m three-star hotel
• 20,000 sq m of retail space
• A four-level, 110,000-sq-m basement

The total built-up area is about 1 million sq m.

The local Alec was awarded the AED3.4bn ($910m) deal to build the first phase of the redevelopment in May 2008.

The UK’s Mace International is the project manager. Hopkins Architects, also of the UK, is the consultant and another UK-based firm, WSP, is the structural, mechanical and electrical engineer.

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is the client.

Tender documents for another major Dubai construction project are being issued to contractors. Local developer Nakheel has invited contractors to bid for the deal to build its AED2.5bn Nakheel Mall project on the Palm Jumeirah.

The 418,000-sq-m retail, dining and entertainment centre includes five retail levels with more than 100,000 sq m of shop space. There will also be three basement parking levels, 4,000 parking bays, a 1,000-sq-m indoor garden and a 180-metre-high viewing deck with panoramic views of the Palm Jumeirah and the Dubai skyline.

Once complete, Nakheel Mall will have 200 shops, including a 4,200-sq-m supermarket, two anchor department stores, a nine-screen cinema and six medical clinics.

A separate contract to build a five-star, 50-storey hotel alongside the mall will be let separately.

The complex is due to open in 2016. The consultant is Singapore’s RSP.