Local developer Meraas Holding has appointed contractors for nearly $1bn of building work on its Bulgari hotel, Bluewaters and Nikki Beach Resort developments in Dubai.

The local Alec has been awarded the AED1.5bn ($408m) contract to build the Bulgari hotel. The two-year contract involves building a resort on Jumeirah Bay Island that has been designed to resemble a titanic seahorse off the coast of Jumeirah Beach Road. The hotel will feature 100 rooms and suites in the main buildings, as well as 20 hotel villas. The total built up area is about 140,000 square metres.

The hotel has been designed by Italian architect Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel & Partners. The engineering consultant is UK-based WSP, the cost consultant is UK-based EC Harris, and the project manager is UK-based Faithful & Gould.

Alec has also been awarded the estimated AED1.2bn contract to build the Wharf retail component of the Bluewaters scheme that is being built off Dubai’s coast close to Jumeirah Beach Residences. The shopping area will have two large parking basements and about 50,000 square metres of retail space.

The consultant is WSP. The cost consultant is the local office of Rider Levett Bucknall. South Africa’s Mirage Mille was appointed as the programme manager for the development in January this year.

The Bluewaters scheme also includes the AED1bn Dubai Eye, which will be the world’s largest Ferris wheel. South Korea’s Hyundai Contracting and the Netherlands-based Starneth Engineering have been appointed as the design-and-build contractors for the 210-metre-tall Ferris wheel.

Other components of the Bluewaters scheme involve building, residential, hospitality and entertainment zones. A contractor is also close to being appointed for the development’s residential component.

Canada’s Brookfield Multiplex has been awarded an estimated AED350m contract to build the Nikki Beach resort on Meraas’ Pearl Jumeira development located close to Dubai Drydocks.

Meraas is developing the infrastructure on the 770,000 sq m island, allowing investors to build their own properties. There are more than 300 residential villa plots split into seven zones.

The project consultant for the island is Lebanon’s Dar al-Handasah. The Saudi Binladin Group is the contractor for the infrastructure works. Van Oord was the dredging contractor.