Al-Khobar-based real estate developer Rikaz Development & Planning has awarded three contracts worth a total of SR 121 million ($33 million) to local companies covering marine and infrastructure works on the City Fanar development in the Eastern Province (MEED 21:5:04).

The largest of the contracts, worth SR 78 million ($21 million), has been awarded to a team of Faisal for Electro-mechanical & Electrical Works (Femco) and Abdullah Ahmed Dossari Company. It covers the construction of stormwater drainage, utilities, street lighting, electrical networks, roads and a water distribution network. The facilities are due to be completed by June 2006.

Femco, along with Abdulrehman Turki Company (Atco),has also been awarded a SR 23 million ($6.7 million) contract for the sewerage package on the proposed development. Work is due to be completed by late September. Huta Hegerfeld, part of the local Huta-Sete, is due to complete by year-end work on the SR 20 million ($5.3 million) contract for the six-kilometre shore protection and related marine works.

The next stage in the project implementation will be the issue in mid-2006 of the main buildings construction package. Estimated to be worth SR 600 million ($160 million), it will involve the construction of 16-storey mixed-use towers and single-storey residential buildings with a range of commercial and entertainment facilities, a 115,000-square-metre shopping mall and hotels.

The mixed-use City Fanar or Lighthouse City complex will have a total built-up area of 3.4 million square metres. To be located between Al-Khobar and Damman, the project will be built on a man-made lagoon covering an area of 300,000 square metres. About 200,000 square metres of the complex area will be set aside for gardens. Ballast Ham Dredgingof the Netherlands has already carried out the land reclamation contract. Lebanon's PolyStaris the project manager.

Rikaz is also pressing ahead with plans to build its second major waterfront mixed-use facility in the Eastern Province. A tender is due to be issued by October for the main construction works on the first phase of the Royal Amwaj development. The SR 300 million-350 million ($80 million-93 million), two-year contract will involve the construction of 314 villas, 44 townhouses and related facilities. Huta-Sete has completed about 90 per cent of the backfilling, levelling and site preparation works for phase 1.

In March, Rikaz unveiled plans to invest SR 622 million ($166 million) in the construction of the scheme, to be located at Half-Moon bay, 20 kilometres south of Al-Khobar. Phase 2 of the development will entail the construction of a 200-room, five-star hotel, a mini-market, a 160-metre infinity pool, three mosques, staff accommodation and administrative facilities. Both phases will be built over 1 million square metres. Beirut-based NG Architecture & Planningisthe architect.