Dubai-based Bhatia General Contracting has been awarded the construction contract for work on a villa community in Dubai.

The 397-villa community in the Oud al-Muteena area is being developed by Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment and is expected to be completed within 20 months, according to a source close to the scheme.

UAE-based Jouzy Consulting Engineers is the project’s lead consultant.

Earlier this month MEED reported that the UAE ministry of Infrastructure development plans to build a $272m housing project in Ajman.

The project will be built under the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, which was established in 1999.

The 950,000-square-metre project will consist of 729 units and will be developed in Ajman near the Al-Montezi area.

Since the establishment the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme has developed $1.7bn worth of projects, including those currently under construction, according to regional projects tracker MEED Projects.