Kuwait’s Public Works Ministry has nominated consultants for the four major hospital construction contracts it is currently tendering. In total, the projects are estimated to cost more than $2bn to build.

Eleven consultants have been nominated for the ministry’s 600-bed maternity hospital project. The selected firms are:

• BDP (UK)
• CF Moller (Denmark)
• HDR (US)
• HKS (US)
• Nikken Sekkei (Japan)
• Perkins Eastman (US)
• Ramboll (Denmark)
• RMJM (UK)
• SOM (US)
• Stantec (US)
• TRO JB (US)

Contractors have until 16 September to submit bids for the main construction contract. The prequalified contractors are:

• Al-Habtoor Leighton Group (UAE/Australia)
• Arabtec Construction (UAE)
• Bouygues (France)
• China Metallurgical Group Corporation (China)
• China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China)
• Daewoo (South Korea)
• Enka (Turkey)
• FCC (Spain)
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Larsen & Toubro (India)
• Nurol Group (Turkey)
• OHL (Spain)
• Pizzarotti (Italy)
• Posco Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• SK Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Ssangyyong Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Strabag (Austria)

For its IBN SINA hospital project, the ministry has nominated 11 consultants. They are:

• Callison (US)
• DMEC (South Korea)
• DP Architects (Singapore)
• KEO International Consultants (local)
• KPF (US)
• Leo A Daly (US)
• NAC Architects (US)
• Rafael Vinoly Architects (US)
• RDG (US)
• Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (US)
• WATG (US)

Contractors are preparing to submit bids for the project on 23 September. The prequalified companies are:

• Acciona (Spain)
• Arabian Construction Company (Lebanon)
• Bam (Netherlands)
• Besix (Belgium)
• China Anhui Construction Engineering Group (China)
• China Yunnam Construction Engineering Group (China)
• Doosan Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Ellaktor (Greece)
• Obayashi (Japan)
• Hanwah Engineering & Construction Corporation (South Korea)
• Hochtief (Germany)
• Pan China Construction Group (China)
• Sacyr Vallehermoso (Spain)
• Shanghai Construction Group (China)
• Taisei Corporation (Japan)
• Xinjiang Beijing Construction Engineering (China)

For the ministries paediatric hospital project 12 consultants have been nominated. The firms are:

• Aecom (US)
• Aedas (UK)
• Archial (UK)
• Cox Architects (Australia)
• Dar al-Handasah (Lebanon)
• DLR (US)
• Dutch Health Architects (Netherlands)
• HGA (US)
• IBI Group (Canada)
• Kling Consult (Germany)
• Obermeyer (Germany)
• Smallwood Reynolds Stewart Stewart (US)

The ministry has invited 17 contractors to bid by 23 September for the contract to build the paediatric hospital. They are:

• Al-Habtoor Leighton Group (UAE)
• Arabtec Construction (UAE)
• Bouygues (France)
• China Metallurgical Group (China)
• China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China)
• Daewoo Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Enka (Turkey)
• FCC (Spain)
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Larsen & Toubro (India)
• Nurol Group (Turkey)
• OHL (Spain)
• Pizzarotti (Italy)
• Posco Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• SK Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Ssangyyong Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Strabag (Austria)

For the Al-Razi hospital project the following consultants have been nominated:

• 3D Reid (UK)
• Cannon Design (US)
• HIM
• KMD (US)
• Payette (US)
• Perkins & Will (US)
• Ratcliff (US)
• RTKL (US)
• Smith Group (UK)
• Westlake Reed Leskosky (US)
• ZGF (US)

The contractors that have been invited to submit bids by 23 September for the Al-Razi hospital are:

• Acciona (Spain)
• Arabian Construction Company (Lebanon)
• Bam (Netherlands)
• Besix (Belgium)
• China Anhui Construction Engineering Group (China)
• China Yunnam Construction Engineering Group (China)
• Doosan Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
• Ellaktor (Greece)
• Hanwah Engineering & Construction Corporation (South Korea)
• Hochtief (Germany)
• Obayashi Corporation (Japan)
• Pan China Construction Group (China)
• Sacyr Vallehermoso (Spain)
• Shanghai Coonstruction Group (China)
• Taisei Corporation (Japan)
• Xinjiang Beixin Construction Engineering (China)

The projects are part of Kuwait’s plans to expand its healthcare infrastructure to cope with its rapidly growing population. Kuwait’s population is expected to increase from the current 3.7 million to 5.4 million by 2030.

In addition to the Public Works Ministry’s plans to build several hospitals, Kuwait’s Health Ministry is undertaking a programme to expand nine existing hospitals.

In June, the ministry approved the award of an estimated KD173m ($617.5m) contract to the local Alghanim International General Trading & Contracting to expand the Kuwait Cancer Centre in the Sabah area of Kuwait. The cancer centre will contain 600 beds and its main function will be for diagnosis to complement an existing hospital for cancer treatment.

In April, the ministry awarded a KD98.1m contract to the local Associated Construction Company for the main construction package on the project to expand the Al-Amiri hospital.