Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) has extended the closing date by three weeks to 7 July for the contract to build a special security hospital in Abu Dhabi.

The 125-bed hospital will be built in the Shamkha area of the emirate and will have a built-up area of 32,000 square metres (MEED 6:5:11).

US-based Hill International is the project manager for the hospital, which is part of Seha’s plans to overhaul the healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi with investment in major new hospitals such as those planned for Al-Ain and Mafraq, together with smaller hospitals and clinics.

Seha also recently decided to retender the contract for the new hospital it is planning in Al-Ain and has invited contractors to prequalify for the contract.

Seha tendered the contract last year and had selected the joint venture of the local Al-Shafar General Contracting and the local National Projects Construction (NPC) with Japan’s Shimizu Corporation for the estimated AED2.6bn ($708m) contract (MEED 3:12:10).

The contract involves building a 688-bed hospital. It will cover 358,000 sq m, with underground parking for 1,500 cars. The design has been prepared by a joint venture of Switzerland’s ICME Healthcare, Germany’s Faust Consult Architects & Engineers and Obermeyer Engineering Consulting, also of Germany.

In early March, Seha awarded the local/Australian Al-Habtoor Leighton Group and South Africa’s Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East) the estimated $800m construction contract for Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi emirate.

Mafraq hospital will have 690 beds. It will cover an area of 245,000 sq m and will have underground parking for 1,300 vehicles. US-based Burt Hill is the design consultant. US-based Allen & Shariff Corporation is the project manager (MEED 3:12:10).