Abu Dhabi Ports has invited firms to bid by 7 December for the marine works contract at Delma Port, located on the island some 42km off the Abu Dhabi coast.

The contract entails the construction of a 280-metre quay wall and 220m breakwater on the northern side of the existing port.

The technical bids are due on 7 December. No date has been announced for the submission of commercial bids.

According to a source with knowledge of the scheme, the marine works project is estimated to cost between $150m and $200m.

In July, Abu Dhabi Ports officially opened a $46m multi-purpose port catering to cargo vessels, passenger ferries and fishing boats on the eastern side of Delma Island.

As of July, the upgraded port covers a total area of 280,725 square metres.

The port includes an administration building, a fish market, a public building, and a storage area for fishing equipment, an Adnoc marine fuelling facility, a ferry terminal building and a Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority (CICPA) inspection facility.

The expansion of Delma Port is part of the plan to develop Abu Dhabi’s Al-Dhafra region. It is also in line with the Abu Dhabi Plan, which calls for an effective transportation system to serve the community and economy, with an emphasis on the development of sustainable sea transport.

Delma Island can be visited by taking ferries from Abu Dhabi’s Jebel Dhanna.