The three contracts, worth almost $375 million, have been awarded to a Kuwaiti company. They cover the design and construction of infrastructure, housing and support facilities. Construction is expected to take two years.

The largest contract, worth $197.6 million, is for the housing package, covering the design and build of multi-storey apartment buildings, temporary lodging, a parking garage and related facilities with a total area of 112,000 square metres.

The second, $90.6 million, contract entails the design and construction of the site infrastructure, including utility plants, utility distribution systems and related facilities. The project also comprises a design and build element for perimeter security systems and compound access control facilities.

The third contract is worth $82.3 million and involves the design and construction of support facilities covering maintenance and warehouse facilities, commissary facilities, a community centre, a school and related facilities with a total area of about 32,000 square metres.

The fourth contract, covering the design and construction of the diplomatic facilities, including the chancery and ambassador offices, has still to be awarded (MEED 25:3:05).

Seven companies were prequalified for the contract when the tender was issued in March. The compound is being built to replace the existing embassy, which does not conform to the exacting criteria for US diplomatic facilities imposed after the 1998 attacks on the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania (MEED 28:1:05).

ww.meed.com/construction