A consortium of Turkey’s TAV, Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) and the local Arabtec Construction is expected to be awarded the AED10.55bn ($2.87bn) contract to build the midfield terminal at Abu Dhabi International airport.

The TAV-led consortium submitted the lowest price for the contract, which if awarded, will be the largest ever construction contract awarded in the UAE according to regional projects tracker MEED Projects.

The consortium’s price is about seven per cent lower than the offer of AED11.3bn submitted by Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Kumho Engineering & Construction, both South Korean, Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation and the local Al-Shafar General Contracting Company.

A team of US-based Bechtel Corporation, the local Al-Jaber Group, and Turkey’s Enka submitted a price of AED11.6bn and the consortium of South Korea’s Samsung C&T, the local/Belgium Six Construct Abu Dhabi and the local/Lebanese Arabian Construction Company (ACC) bid AED11.9bn.

On 23 April, the client, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac), asked the bidders to extend the validity of their tender bonds to the end of July.

The midfield terminal will be built between the two existing runways at Abu Dhabi International airport. The total built-up area will be 630,000 square metres and it will also include a multi-storey car park. The terminal will include 27,000 sq m of retail and food and beverage outlets. It will also comprise 65 contact gates that will be able to accommodate the Airbus A380 aircraft.

Adac has also invited contractors to submit bids by 6 May for the contract to build the airside areas for the terminal that will support the 65 contact gates and up to 19 remote stands.

The construction work involves infrastructure and civils works around the midfield complex, including 300,000 sq m of pavement concrete, 600,000 sq m of flexible pavement with taxiway connections to the existing and future taxiway systems, and the installation of utilities such as power, stormwater drainage and a jet fuel system.