The deadline to submit technical and commercial proposals for the main construction contract of Kuwait University’s College of Engineering & Petroleum (COEP) has been extended to 1 August.  

The bid deadline has been extended by one week from the previous submission date of 25 July. This is the third time that the submission date has been extended.

The original submission date was 9 May. It is believed the extension was given to allow contractors more time to prepare bids. The contract was the first tender issued on the $3bn Sabah al-Salem University campus (MEED 20:5:10).  

Designed by the local Gulf Consult and US-based Cambridge Seven Associates, the new facility will include eight engineering departments, as well as the university’s department of architecture.

At least nine contracting groups have prequalified. They include:

• Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company (South Korea) and Copri Construction Projects (local)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)
• SNC Lavalin (Canada) and Alamiah Building Company (local)
• Bouygues Batiment International (France) and Al-Ahmadiah Contracting & Trading Company (local)
• Arab Contractors (Egypt) and Kuwait Arab Contractors Company (local)
• Construction China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) (China) and Mohammed Abdulmohsin al-Kharafi &  Sons General Trading & Contracting (local)
• China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China) and Kharafi Construction Company (local)
• Posco Engineering & Construction (South Korea) and Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons (SHBC) (local)
• Sinohydro Corporation (China) and Al-Hani Construction & Trading (local)

Scheduled for completion in 2014, the college will be divided into two buildings – one for male students, the other for female students.

The two buildings will contain separate laboratories, lecture halls, auditoriums, conference rooms, exhibition space, prayer rooms and faculty offices, while sharing a central library.