Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works is considering tendering the next packages for the construction of the Mubarak al-Kabeer Seaport in Bubiyan island within six months.

According to sources familiar with the project, the schedule for the release of the tender is still tentative and highly contingent upon the government.

It is understood the first construction package of the first phase of the scheme is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

The contract, worth $449m, entails mainly soil treatment and foundation works. It was awarded in 2006 to a team of China Harbour Engineering, Oman’s Galfar Engineering and the local Gulf Dredging.

The port was originally scheduled to open in 2010. Contract awards began falling behind schedule after the first award in 2006. The second package for the construction of the quay wall and berths and dredging work was awarded only in 2010. This forced authorities to revise the target opening date to 2016, which has also been missed.

The next packages to be tendered entail dredging works as well as the construction of a basin and a container yard, among others.

In June last year, Kuwait Ports Authority tendered and awarded a consultancy deal for developing a general strategy for the future development of the state’s major commercial ports.

The study was designed to assess the feasibility of currently proposed development and expansion projects at the ports in Shuwaikh, Shuaiba and Doha.

The study will also determine the feasibility of a new port to be built in Kuwait’s southern region, considering the new Mubarak al-Kabeer Seaport is currently under construction at Bubiyan Island in the north of Kuwait.