The local Immam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University has invited contractors to submit bids for the estimated SR1.5bn-2bn ($400m-533m) construction deal to expand its university campus in Riyadh.

Contractors have until 11 November to submit bids for the construction tender. The work will involve building several educational buildings and a large car park. The consultant on the university expansion scheme is the Spanish firm Typsa.

The project to extend the university campus is part of Riyadh’s efforts to upgrade educational infrastructure throughout the country, which will involve a substantial construction programme. The 2012 budget allocated $44.2bn, 24 per cent of the total $184bn budget, to improving education and training.

In 2011, construction work was completed on the $12bn Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University for Women in Riyadh, the largest women’s university in the world. The university, spread over a campus of 8 million square metres, has been designed for an intake of more than 50,000 students and 12,000 employees.

In addition to numerous academic colleges, the university contains six medical colleges, 700-bed university hospital, conference centre and various commercial centres.

In January 2009, Saudi Arabia’s Finance Ministry awarded three contracts worth more than SR30bn to build the university. Local contractors Saudi Oger, Saudi Binlandin and El-Seif Engineering & Contracting were awarded the main packages.