Jordan’s Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) has asked international firms to submit expressions of interest together with a local company in order to ensure the local construction sector is active in projects of national importance.

“Local and international firms are being invited to jointly submit the documents in order to demonstrate their capability to undertake the construction of the marine works of the New Port of Aqaba,” says Shadi Ramzi Majali, chief executive of the ADC.

ADC has delayed the submission date for expressions of interest for the marine works contract to 16 May to give companies time to form consortiums.

The ADC had previously set a submission deadline of 11 April (MEED 11:3:10).

The marine works consist of dredging and reclamation, four general cargo berths, a roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) and grain terminal, a marine services harbour, a breakwater and the extension of an existing seawater intake and outfall.

The construction works for the port will be divided into several packages. The design of the first package involving the marine works has already been awarded to US-based Aecom.

The ADC is expected to start issuing the request for qualification for the design of the onshore packages during the second quarter of this year.

The onshore packages include the earthworks and utilities, grain terminal and silos, and the general cargo, and a roll-on and roll-off ferry terminal.

ADC announced in November last year that it would finance and build the new port project before cancelling the tender for a public-private partnership to develop the scheme.

Once the new project is completed, ADC will hand over the existing port site to UAE-based Al-Maabar, which has plans to build Marsa Zayed, a waterfront development  (MEED 3:8:09).

The completion date of the new port is still confirmed for the end of 2012.