A joint venture of the local Ghantoot Group and Italy’s Itinera has been selected for the contract to build the estimated $1bn Reem Mall project in Abu Dhabi.

The scheme involves building more than 2 million square feet of retail, leisure, and entertainment facilities, including 450 stores, and 85 food and beverage outlets.

Contractors were approached by the developers backing the project last year after they decided to retender the main construction contract.

The local/UK Al-Futtaim Carillion had been selected as the preferred bidder for the deal in August. At the time, construction work was scheduled to start this year, with the mall planned to open in 2018.

Local firm Dewan Architects & Engineers is the architect.

The UK’s Faithful+Gould is providing a range of core services, including cost management, development advisory, project controls and specialised commercial management.

Kuwait’s National Real Estate Company (NREC) is developing the project in partnership with fellow Kuwaiti developer United Projects for Aviation Services Company (UPAC), which will invest up to $224m in the scheme through its real estate subsidiary Al-Arfaj Real Estate Company.

Last year, Dubai Holding signed a retail agreement with Reem Mall that involves it offers some of its fashion and lifestyle franchises at shopping centre.