Oman’s Transport & Communications Ministry (MOTC) has invited firms to bid by 15 January for the contract to design, build and maintain a road linking the towns of Dibba and Khassab in the Musandam governorate.

Companies that are expected to bid for the contract include:

• Abad Rahan Pars (Iran)
• China Harbour Engineering Company (China)
• Combined Group Contracting (Kuwait)
• Galfar Engineering and Contracting (local)
• Kolin (Turkey)
• Larsen & Toubro (India)
• Larsen & Toubro (Oman branch)
• Mohammed Abdulmohsin al-Kharafi & Sons (Kuwait)
• Salini Impregilo (Italy)
• STFA (Turkey)
• Strabag Oman (Austria/local)

The planned 65-kilometre road will commence near Al-Khalidiya and extend eastwards, passing Lima before ending near Dibba.

The road project will have 9 major junctions, 10 tunnels and 19 bridges.

Musandam is located on a peninsula in the Strait of Hormuz, and is geographically isolated from the rest of the sultanate by the UAE.

There are also plans to build a new regional airport and two runways in the governorate.