The UK’s Hyder has been appointed to revise the masterplan for the Masdar City project in Abu Dhabi.

The project was launched in 2006 with a masterplan that was prepared by the UK’s Foster & Partners. Since then Abu Dhabi’s property market has slumped and a new masterplan that reflects the current market dynamics is needed. The original 6.5 square kilometre masterplan was expected to cost $22bn to build and would have accommodated 1,500 businesses and 50,000 residents.

A number of contractors are already working on projects within the city. Canada’s Brookfield Multiplex was awarded the contract to build a headquarters building for Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) in October last year. In January 2011, the local/Lebanese Arabian Construction Company (ACC) was awarded a contract to carry out expansion works on the Masdar Institute of Science & Technology (Mist).