Local real estate developer Emaar Properties has extended the tender closing date for the contract to build the Dubai Mall expansion in the Downtown Burj Khalifa area by two weeks to 27 January.

The expansion involves building a fashion avenue next to the existing mall, the lake, Burj Khalifa tower and the existing Address hotel offering 75,000 square metres of retail space and about 25,000 sq m of parking.

The prospective bidders include the local Alec, the local/UK Al-Futtaim Carillion, and the local/UK Dutco Balfour Beatty.

US-based Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart prepared the designs.

The Dubai Mall was built by a joint venture of Dutco Balfour Beatty and Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC).

Emaar recently awarded the contract to build the The Address The BLVD hotel and residential development in the Downtown Dubai area to Canada’s Brookfield Multiplex. The value of the contract has not been confirmed.

Located adjacent to the world’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa, the 63-storey tower will contain 200 five-star hotel rooms and 542 serviced apartments. The 340-metre tower will house studios and apartments with up to four bedrooms. The project will be funded by offplan sales. The tower was designed by UK-based architecture firm Atkins.