The UAE’s Public Works Ministry has received bids from 12 companies for the contract to build a new ring road in the northern emirate of Ras al-Khaimah.

The low bidder for both of the contract options is Saudi Arabia’s Al-Rahji Contracting with a price of AED377m ($103m) for the first option and AED297m for the second. Al-Rahji’s first option price is about 13 per cent lower than the second lowest bidder, the local Darwish Engineering, which submitted a bid of AED431m. Al-Rahji’s second option price is also about 13 per cent lower than Darwish’s bid of AED459m.

The full list of bidders and prices is:

• Al-Rahji Contracting (Saudi Arabia): AED377m and AED397m
• Darwish Engineering (local): AED431m and AED459m
• Al-Naboodah Contracting Company (local): AED435m and AED460m
• Sharjah General Contracting Company (local): AED437m and AED465m
• China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China): AED446m and AED471m
• Ghantoot General Contracting (local): AED454m and AED AED482m
• National Contracting & Transport Company (local): AED459m and AED488m
• Dutco Balfour Beatty (local/UK): AED480m and AED507m
• Saudi Binladin Group (Saudi Arabia): AED500m and AED530m
• Wade Adams Contracting (local): AED507m and AED538m
• National Wheel J&P (local/Cyprus): AED518m and AED549m
• Batco (Lebanon): AED522m and AED550m

The consultant working on the project is the US’ Parsons International.

In 2008, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan allocated AED16bn for infrastructure projects in the Northern Emirates. The funds are being spent on improving roads, sewage and drainage systems, and schools and hospitals.