Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) has floated a tender for consultancy services for the third construction package on its convention and exhibition centre development near Muscat International airport.

The consultant will be required to supervise the construction of phase 3 of the project, which entails a 3,100-seat main auditorium, a secondary auditorium with 450 seats, two ballrooms, a food court, 20 meeting rooms, roads and car parks. The deadline for bids is 3 July.

In February, Omran issued a tender for the construction contract for package three. The 13 groups that have prequalified to bid are:

• Oman Shapoorji Pallonji (India)
• Alec (UAE)/Services & Trade (local)
• Douglas OHI (local)/Obayashi (Japan)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (Athens-based)
• Taylor Woodrow (UK)/Towell Construction & Company (local)
• Ssangyong Engineering & Construction (South Korea)/Al-Watanyiah United Engineering Construction Company (local)
• Carillion Alawi (local/UK)
• Al-Habtoor Leighton Group (UAE/Australia)/Dawood Contracting Company (local)
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)/Galfar Engineering & Contracting (local)
• Bahwan Engineering Group (local)/Murray & Roberts (South Africa)
• OHL (Spain)
• Larsen & Toubro (India)/Bahwan Construction Company (local)
• Six Construct (Belgium)/Al-Hajiry Trading (local)

Omran has also floated tenders for two hotels, packages 4 and 7, at the development.

In June 2013, Omran awarded a $202m contract to the local/UK Carillion Alawi for the second construction package on the project. Carillion Alawi will be responsible for the construction of 13 buildings, including exhibition halls with a gross floor area of 45,000 square metres, an energy centre, ancillary buildings for security, taxi services, maintenance, waste management facilities and electrical substations, and car parks for 4,200 vehicles.

In April 2010, UK-based RMJM was awarded the main consultancy contract, which involves design and engineering work for the project. Canada’s Hanscomb & Company is the quantity surveyor. US-based WATG is masterplanning the development.