Kuwait’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education has awarded Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation and the local Kharafi National a KD140m ($458m) contract for building work at Sabah al-Salem University City.

The three-year deal involves the construction of 13 academic support buildings with a total built-up area of 213,000 square metres.

Kuwait is investing in other university construction projects. In February, India’s Shapoorji Pallonji won a $525m contract to build college buildings at Kuwait University.

That 42-month deal involves the construction of the colleges of social sciences, law and Islamic studies. The work also includes associated buildings, such as a food court, prayer hall, libraries and a car park.

More construction work is planned. In August, a joint venture of US-based Perkins Eastman and the local SSH and Soor Engineering Bureau was awarded the masterplan and design of a new education complex by the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) in Kuwait.

The 230,000-square-metre campus is located in the Jahra governorate, about 39 kilometres from Kuwait City. Once complete, it will be a 12,000-student campus with four colleges for technology, business, health sciences and education.