The local/UK Al-Futtaim Carillion will be the main contractor for the AED2.2bn ($599m) deal to build the three Theme Districts at the Expo 2020 site in Dubai.

Contractors submitted bids for the deal in late January. It involves building a basement and the main exhibition platform for the Expo. The work also includes completing buildings on a shell and core basis for facilities serving the exhibition area. The fast track project is scheduled to be completed in 24 months.

Expo’s three Theme Districts will be named Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability after its three sub-themes and the design will reflect traditional Dubai architecture. When Expo 2020 Dubai opens on 20 October 2020, the Theme Districts will be home to 136 pavilions for many of the participating countries, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and commercial partners at Expo, and will host exhibits and experiences for visitors to enjoy.

In total, the Theme Districts and the buildings within them will have a floor area of 222,000 square metres.

When bidding, contractors were asked to help arrange the financing for the project. Expo 2020 Dubai did not say whether Al-Futtaim Carillion’s contract includes funding support. In December last year Carillion said it will focus on winning new work with the support of UK Export Finance (UKEF) as the trading environment continues to be difficult for construction companies operating in the region due to low oil prices.

Expo 2020 Dubai says the Theme Districts contract is the first of AED11bn ($3bn) worth of construction contracts that it plans to award in 2017.