A joint venture of the South Korea’s Posco Engineering & Construction with the local Syed Hamid Behbani & Sons submitted the low-bid in July 2008, with a price of KD319m ($1.2bn).

The bid was almost double the original estimated KD170m cost of the project, and is one of the largest civil construction contracts awarded in the state.

Four other firms also submitted bids. A Chinese/local joint venture of China Gezhouba Water & Power and United Gulf Construction Company submitted the second lowest bid of KD329m. The third bid, of KD300m, came from Egypt-based Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman) with Kuwait Arab Contractors.

The two other bidders were China Railway Construction Company with the local Combined Group, and Turkey’s Metag Insaat Ticaret with the local Al-Hani Construction & Trading (MEED 31:7:08).

The hospital is located in South Surra and is expected to be completed in 2011.

The Public Works Ministry is the client. The local/US team of Gulf Consult and Langdon Wilson is the design consultant.