Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) has extended the tender closing date for the estimated AED10bn ($2.7bn) substructure contract for Concourse 1 and the West Terminal building to 20 January.

The previous deadline was 6 January, after contractors had earlier been preparing to submit bids in early December last year.

The companies and joint ventures that are understood to be involved in the tender include:

• Alec (local) / ASGC (local)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC – Lebanon) / Arabian Construction Company (ACC – Lebanon)
• DBB Contracting (local) / TAV (Turkey)
• Salini Impregilo (Italy) / Tristar (local)
• Shapoorji Pallonji (India) / Gulermak (Turkey)

The substructure package, the largest contract issued to date for the expansion of Al-Maktoum International, consists of more than 1.7 million square metres of connected basement footprint. It will house the people-mover tunnels, baggage handling systems, ground services road network and other “back of house technical and support facilities”.

The package includes the construction of foundations, basement walls, columns, basement slabs and top slabs for the 2.7-kilometre Concourse 1, West Terminal building, short-term car park and staff car park.

The substructure will have a depth exceeding 18 metres underground and will require the pouring of about 5.5 million cubic metres of concrete.

Tristar is working on the enabling works package for the concourse and terminal.

The enabling works for Concourse 1, the West Terminal building and car park require 20 million cubic metres of excavation and 6,000 piles.

For Concourse 1, the works involve open excavation up to 18.3 metres deep, piling and temporary dewatering and linking tunnels. Altogether, Concourse 1 covers an area of about 910,000 square metres and requires about 5,000 piles.

Dubai confirmed late last year that it had moved the target opening date for the first phase of the $33bn expansion of Al-Maktoum International airport from 2025 to 2030.