Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is now expected to prequalify consortiums in mid-July for the design-and-build of the new metro link connecting to the Dubai Expo 2020 site.

It is understood that about 10 groups submitted prequalification documents in mid-June. They include:

• Mapa Gunal (Turkey) / China Railway Group (China) / CSR Corporation (China)
• Acciona (Spain) / Gulermak (Turkey) / Alstom (France)
• Obayashi (Japan) / Wade Adams (local) / Brookfield Multiplex (Canada) / Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan)
• Orascom (Egypt) / Yapi Merkezi (Turkey) / GS Engineering &Construction (South Korea) / Siemens (Germany)
• Salini Impregilo (Italy) / Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (Spain)
• Nurol (Turkey) / Astaldi (Italy) / Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (Spain)
• Habtoor Leighton Group (local/Australia) / Deutsche Bahn (Germany) / Hochtief (Germany) / Hyundai Rotem (South Korea)
• Ssangyong Corporation (South Korea) / Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (Spain)
• Afcons (India) / SNC Lavalin (Canada)
• Ansaldo Breda (Italy)

Once bidding groups have been prequalified, the RTA will tender the contract. The closing date is expected to be in December and an award is planned for January 2016.

The scheme, known as Route 2020, involves building a 15-kilometre-long line branching off the existing Red Line at the Nakheel Harbour & Tower station, between the Ibn Battuta Mall and Jumeirah Lake Towers stations.

About 11km of the line will be elevated, with five elevated stations and two underground stations.

In July 2014, the RTA awarded a joint venture of the US’ Parsons International and France’s Systra the deal to complete the preliminary engineering for the new metro line. Work on the study began in August that year.