Egypt’s Ministry of Finance has issued tenders for the estimated $200m Mowassat Specialised University Hospital and the Smouha University Maternity Hospital at Alexandria University. The schemes are managed by the public-private partnership (PPP) Central Unit of the ministry.

According to sources working on the project, the tender closing date is 25 July. Financial bids will open on 19 September and contracts will be awarded on 9 October.

The PPP Central Unit prequalified 14 groups last year for the contracts to build the two hospitals. The prequalified contractors include:  

• Orascom Construction Industries (local)
• Samcrete (local)
• Al-Ahli Capital Holding Company (local)
• IT Ventures (local), Industrial Construction & Engineering Company (local)
• Gemmo Egypt (local), Dorra Group CRC (local)
• Hassan Allam Sons (local)
• Arab Academy for Electronic & IT Services (local) and Hill International (US)
• Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.) (local)
• Kuwait Finance & Investment Company (Kuwait) and Alghanem International General Trading & Contracting (Kuwait)
• Saudi German Hospitals Group (Saudi Arabia)
• Abu Dhabi Investment Company (UAE)
• Bouygues Batiment International (France)
• Philips Healthcare (Holland)
• Carillion (UK)

While 14 groups prequalified, a source close to the project says that further joint ventures are being made, which will reduce the final list of contractors to no more than nine.   

The Mowassat Specialised University Hospital is a 223-bed facility that will provide advanced healthcare for men including neurosurgery, a urinary tract centre and a kidney centre with facilities for kidney transplants. The new hospital will be built adjacent to the existing Mowassat hospital.  

The Smouha Maternity University Hospital is a 200-bed facility for gynaecology and obstetrics. Together with a children’s hospital and emergency surgery centre, the project will form part of the Smouha University Hospitals Complex.

Both projects are due for completion during the first quarter of 2013.

The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation is the lead financial transaction adviser on the project. Two UK companies are also involved in the project: Trowers & Hamlins is the legal adviser and Mott McDonald is the technical adviser. 

The Alexandria hospitals project is part of the public-private partnership (PPP) programme managed by the PPP Central Unit of the Ministry of Finance. The PPP programme aims to enhance the level of services provided to citizens, provide new employment opportunities and encourage the private sector to participate in establishing infrastructure projects to ease the burden on the state’s budget.