The local/Belgian Six Construct Abu Dhabi is the frontrunner for the contract to build the Zayed National Museum on Saadiyat Island.

It is understood that the contractor is in negotiations with Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) for the contract and the aim is to sign a contract during the first half of this year.

TDIC invited contractors that submitted bids for the contract to build the museum in 2013 to start talks last year.

The main construction contract includes the concrete superstructure, structural steelwork and specialist cladding, mechanical, electrical and plumbing, and the interior fit-out.

The project, which was originally unveiled as part of the Saadiyat Island masterplan in 2006, has been delayed for most of this decade following a strategic review of future projects by Abu Dhabi government in 2011.

In 2010, Italy’s Swissboring completed the enabling works, the local NSCC completed the piling, and a joint venture of the local/Australian Habtoor Leighton Group and South Africa’s Murray & Roberts Contractors completed the substructure.

Construction work was completed last year on the nearby Louvre museum. The main construction contract for that museum was awarded to a joint venture of the local Arabtec Construction, Spain’s San Jose and Saudi Arabia’s Oger Abu Dhabi.