The Kuwait University Current Campus Project involves the renovation of existing buildings and the construction of a new college of education, a faculty of arts, warehouses and multi-storey car parks at existing sites in Kaifan, Khalidiyah, Jabriyah and Shuwaikh.

The selected project manager will also update and redesign Kuwait University’s masterplan, should it decide to expand its campuses again in the future.

Firms submitted bids for the contract at the beginning of this year, but prices exceeded the university’s budget.

Potential bidders expect to submit lower bids the second time around because the new tender does not ask for a geographical information system (GIS) study, which was in the original tender.

The university is upgrading the campus to handle greater numbers of students.

It is also building a new campus at Shaddadiyah near Kuwait International airport.

The Shaddadiyah campus will cost KD1bn ($3.5bn) to build and is due to open in 2014. It will accommodate up to 30,000 students, with separate facilities for men and women, and comprise more than 25 faculty buildings, including a 600-bed hospital, dormitories, sports facilities and auditoriums. Contractors were prequalified for the contract to build the campus in July.

Bahrain-based Projacs Inter-national with US-based Turner Construction International is the project manager.