Local Oman Company for Building and Contracting has been awarded an OR21.4m ($55.7m) contract to upgrade the road between Mirbat and Hasik in the Dhofar governorate of Oman.  

Oman’s Transport and Communications Ministry received five bids from contractors for the tender in May. Oman Company for Building and Contracting submitted the lowest bid, followed by Oman Gulf Company and local Galfar Engineering & Contracting.

Oman has recently issued a flurry of large road contracts as it looks to bolster its economy by developing more modern and integrated transport infrastructure. The government has earmarked $8bn for the construction of 12,704km of road projects as land transport continues to be the main means of getting around the sultanate.

The biggest road scheme being built is the 260km Batinah Expressway, which will be Oman’s first dual four-lane road. The $2.6bn project will connect Sohar, Muscat and the UAE, and is expected to reduce the travel time between Muscat and the UAE border by at least an hour.