The contract involves removing more than 200 million cubic metres of earth along a 9 kilometre stretch of the waterway. This will be used to form new landscapes, including hills up to 200 metres high.

The second package is approximately 50 per cent larger than the first package, which was awarded to Abu Dhabi-based Tristar Transport & Contracting at the end of September (MEED 29:9:08).

Work on phase one will begin within days and is due to be completed in three years.

Ten other companies submitted bids for package one including the local Al-Shafar Transport Company, Belgium's Jan De Nul, Australia's Minesite, Iran's Mobin, and Australia's Gulf Leighton in a joint venture with Netherlands-based Van Oord.