Local developer Emaar properties is evaluating bids for the contract to build its planned opera house at the Downtown Dubai area.

The bidders are:

• Al-Futtaim Carillion (AFC) (local/UK)
• Arabian Construction Company (ACC) (Lebanon)
• Brookfield Multiplex (Canada)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)

Emaar invited contractors to express interest in working on the Dubai Modern Art Museum and Opera House District in May.

The district will be built next to its Burj Khalifa development in the Downtown Dubai area. In addition to the opera house, it will also contain two hotels, studios and leisure facilities. The consultant is the UK-based Atkins.

The developer is also preparing to receive bids for two other major projects in the Downtown Dubai area.

Firms are preparing to submit prices on 27 October for the deal to build the Address Residence Fountain Views development. The scheme is a 220-metre-tall, 60-storey, 280-unit luxury residential tower looking out to Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and The Dubai Fountain.

The prospective bidders for the deal are AFC, ACC, Brookfield Multiplex, CCC and the local/UK Dutco Balfour Beatty (DBB).

Emaar is also preparing to receive bids on 29 October for an extension to Dubai Mall. The work involves building a fashion avenue next to the existing mall, the lake, Burj Khalifa and the existing Address hotel offering 75,000 square metres (sq m) of retail space and about 25,000 sq m of parking.

The prospective bidders are AFC, Brookfield Multiplex, CCC, DBB and South Africa’s Murray & Roberts.

Emaar received bids from at least four contractors to build the substructure of the expansion earlier this year.

The developer had received bids at the end of January for a much larger contract covering the construction of the entire extension, but the tender was cancelled shortly after prices were submitted. It is understood that the design of the mall was not complete at the time.

Dubai Mall was built by a joint venture of DBB and CCC.