At least eight contracting groups are competing for the contract to build the new Atlantis resort on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah.

The bidders include:

• Al-Futtaim Carillion(local/UK)
• Alec (local)
• Arabian Construction Company (ACC) (Lebanon)
• ArabtecConstruction (local)/ TAV(Turkey)
• Bel Hasa Six Construct (local/Belgium)/Ssangyong Engineering & Construction Company (South Korea)
• Brookfield Multiplex (Canada)
• Habtoor Leighton Group (local/Australia)
• Samsung C&T (South Korea)/Al-Faraa General Contracting Company

In late April, the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) invited prequalified contractors to bid by 21 June for the deal to build the estimated $1.4bn expansion of the Atlantis resort on the Palm Jumeirah.

Known as the Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences, the hotel building will be built next to the existing Atlantis hotel, which opened in 2008 on the crescent of the Palm Jumeirah. The new 800-room, 46-storey hotel will be managed by Bahamas-based luxury hotel developer and operator Kerzner International. The development will also include 250 luxury residences, as well as retail outlets. The property is scheduled for completion by 2017.

New York-based Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates is the architect for the project, and Canadian-owned WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff is providing a broad range of engineering and environmental consultancy services. London-based GA Design has been appointed to do the interiors for the resort and US-based SM Design is working on the interiors for The Residences. 

UK-based Faithful+Gould is the project manager. Kerzner International is the development manager. In April, ICD bought a equity stake in Kerzner International Holdings.

ICD is planning another major building project in Dubai. In early February, it invited selected contractors to submit prequalification documents for the deal to build a major new high-rise tower in the World Trade Centre area of Dubai, known as One Zabeel.

Companies were invited to express interest in the project in January. A consultancy team for the project was appointed last year. The architect is Japan’s Nikken Sekkei, the structural engineer is UK-based WSP, and the project manager is UK-based Mace Group.

The building has been designed as a new landmark structure for Dubai, with Nikken Sekkei’s design being chosen ahead of proposals from at least three other leading international design firms.