Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) has received bids from contractors for the contract to establish infrastructure that will be used during the construction of Al-Maktoum International airport’s expansion.

The works involve building site offices, roads, drainage and sewerage lines, and other utilities that will be used by firms working on the estimated $33bn expansion scheme.

The contract is the second construction deal to be tendered for the expansion. DAEP received bids from contractors for an enabling works package in March.

For consultants, Lebanon’s Dar al-Handasah (Shair & Partners) is the frontrunner for the design and supervision of the passenger terminal building and other landside areas.

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.

An expansion to the existing terminal at the airport is also under way. In March, DAEP awarded the local Alec the deal to expand the passenger terminal building at Al-Maktoum International. The contract involves expanding the airport’s built-up area from the existing 66,107 square metres to 145,926 sq m by June 2017.

The local Al-Naboodah Contracting was awarded an estimated AED275m ($75m) deal to complete the external works for the passenger terminal building expansion project.