The Omani Ministry of Transport & Communications has awarded a contract to construct package 2 of the Ibri-Al-Dreez-Miskin dual-carriageway, from Hujayrimat to Miskin, to local Marmul Contracting & Trading.

The contract, which has not yet been signed, will be worth RO26.43m ($68.7m).

Marmul submitted the third lowest bid, at RO26.7m.

The low bidder was Turkish Yuksel Construction at RO25.4m, while local Hasan bin Juma bin Backer Trading & Construction submitted the second-lowest bid of RO26.5m.

Oman is investing heavily in roads and transport infrastructure as it attempts to diversify its economy by becoming a logistics hub. A road programme is upgrading rural roads across the country, despite the difficult mountainous terrain.

In January local Galfar Engineering & Construction was awarded a contract for the second phase of the dualisation of Oman’s Nizwa-Ibri road for RO28m.

The ministry is preparing to tender a $1bn road in Musandam. Nine international consortiums prequalified to bid on the project.