Abu Dhabi General Services Company (Musanada) has received offers from consultants to manage AED25bn-AED30bn ($6.8bn-$8.2bn) of construction projects. The spending is expected to account for about 70 per cent of the government’s capital investment in projects in Abu Dhabi over the next three years.

Musanada intends to appoint three firms to manage work on three broad business lines on a three-year contract with the option to extend for another two years to ensure ongoing projects are completed. The selected consultants will take over from US-based Aecom, which has been acting as the company’s project manager on a two-year contract.

The business lines are health, which involves managing construction projects being built for Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha), infrastructure, which includes schemes for the Department of Transport, and buildings, which will cover building projects for entities such as Abu Dhabi Education Council.

At least 10 firms have submitted offers, with some bidding for work across all three business lines.

The bidders include:

• Aecom (US)
• EC Harris (UK)
• Faithful & Gould (UK)
• Hill International (US)
• KEO International Consultants (local office)
• Louis Berger (US)
• Mace Group (UK)
• Parsons International (US)
• Turner Construction (US)

Musanada’s role in Abu Dhabi’s construction sector was enhanced last year, when it was mandated with managing all government construction projects in the emirate. The decision, which was taken by Abu Dhabi’s Executive Council, means large-scale schemes that were being delivered by other government agencies will now be transferred to Musanada.

The move involves staff from organisations such as the Department of Transport (DoT) and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) transferring across to Musanada to manage schemes such as Abu Dhabi Metro, the Mafraq-Ghuweifat highway and Sheikh Khalifa Medical City.

Musanada is a public joint stock company backed by the Abu Dhabi government. It was established by Abu Dhabi ruler and UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan in 2007 with the passing of Law 27.

The firm was formed to provide best-in-class shared services to the Abu Dhabi government in four business areas: design and construction project management, which includes housing and infrastructure; facilities management; technology; and business support.

In late 2012, its most active business unit was construction, which was overseeing 82 projects with a total value of AED33bn. Of these, 20 are housing and infrastructure schemes, 14 are in the education sector, 12 are civic and sports projects, and 36 are special projects and office buildings.