Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has invited companies to bid by 1 October for an estimated AED1.3bn ($353m) contract to build exhibition space at the Expo 2020 site in Dubai.

Known as the Co-Ex Campus, it has been designed to host events and performances as part of the Expo that starts in October 2020, as well as provide an arrival area for visitors travelling to the Expo on the new Route 2020 metro rail link.

The buildings will have a total built-up area of about 150,000 square metres, which includes about 46,000 sq m of exhibition space and 38,500 sq m for the arrival and general concourses.

The design consultant is Australia’s Woods Bagot. The programme manager for the Expo 2020 site is a joint venture of the US’ CH2M and the UK’s Mace.

There has been a series of contract awards and tenders for construction work at the Expo site over the summer. DWTC awarded the local/Australian HLG Contracting an AED619m deal for the construction of two sections of the Expo Village development.

DWTC and its joint venture partner Emaar Properties awarded the local Arabtec Construction the AED363m contract to build the Project Star retail centre.

In early July, Arabtec was awarded the deal to build and operate the UAE Pavilion at the Expo 2020 site. Abu Dhabi’s Masdar is the development manager for the scheme.

Two other pavilions are being tendered. Emaar has invited contractors to bid by 21 September for the construction of the Mobility and Sustainability pavilions.

Earlier this year, the local/UK Al-Futtaim Carillion was awarded an AED2.2bn contract to build the Thematic Districts at the Expo site.