Seven firms have submitted bids for a contract to build the headquarters for Oman’s Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (Sezad). The contract entails construction and maintenance of the Sezad headquarters building, including civil, structural, mechanical and external works.

Local firm Hasan Juma Backer Trading and Contracting submitted the low bid of RO8.6m ($22.5m), which was 16.2 per cent below the second-lowest bid of RO10m by local Galfar Engineering. Local/Indian Larsen & Toubro and Partners Oman submitted the third-lowest bid of RO11m.

The development of the headquarters forms part of a larger plan to turn the central eastern port town of Duqm into a major trade and transport hub, including establishing the country’s fourth-largest sea port and building a major refinery and petrochemicals complex.

Earlier this month, Larsen & Toubro Partners Oman submitted the low bid for a contract for the main building works for Duqm International airport. Work on the project’s third phase involves the construction of the passenger and cargo terminals, air traffic control complex and related support facility buildings, ensuring the airport is fully functional and ready to use.

Larsen & Toubro’s bid of $94.4m was 11.2 per cent less than the second-lowest bid of $105.6m submitted by local Galfar Engineering & Contracting. Kuwait’s Mohammed Abdulmohsin al-Kharafi & Sons submitted the third-lowest bid of $113.7m.

In May, Kuwait’s KEO International Consultants submitted the low bid for the contract to provide consultancy services for a project to develop part of the port town of Duqm. The contract entails planning, feasibility study, design services and preparation of tender documents for the development of the Northern and Central Industrial Zone at Duqm.

In November 2013, National Engineering Services Pakistan and Partners (Nespak) won a consultancy contract for phase one of the Duqm project, which entails designing the road network and infrastructure of the town.