The joint venture of Germany’s M+W Group and the local commodore contracting company is the frontrunner for a contract to build two data centres in the UAE for Abu Dhabi government-controlled Mubadala Development Company.

Known as the Khazna project, the scheme involves building data centres together with other technical buildings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The built up area of the Dubai buildings is 25,500 square metres and the built up area of the Abu Dhabi buildings is 15,500 sq m.

The project manager is the UK’s EC Harris.

M+W has secured work from Abu Dhabi clients before. In May 2011 it was selected by Advanced Technology Investment Company (Atic) to start design work for its microchip plant in the emirate. The estimated cost of building the fabrication plant, or fab, is $6bn.