Durrat Khaleej Al Bahrain (DKAB) has awarded Nass Murray & Roberts joint venture a BD20 million ($54.6 million) contract to build 13 bridges in the upcoming Durrat Al Bahrain. The Nass-Murray joint venture was one of the six contractors that were invited to bid.

Qatar plans to raise some $110 billion in project financing by 2010 in loans of up to 30 years, the country’s economy minister said. The country has launched a massive overhaul of its infrastructure, including a new airport and port, to keep pace with rapid economic growth.

United Development Company (UDC) has completed a major milestone with the reclamation of more than two million sq m of land for the company’s iconic Pearl-Qatar real estate development. “Initial land reclamation works began offshore Doha just 15 months ago and the two million sq m mark has been reached on target.

Bids, for the land reclamation works, have been submitted for Bahrain’s BD1 billion ($2.65 billion) Northern Town  project. The bids ranged from BD79.8 million to BD108.5 million.The Tenders Board is currently looking into the lowest bid by a Dutch company, which was decreased by about 20 per cent.

Binladin Group, which won the SR4 billion ($1.17 billion) Jamrat expansion contract, is expected to start work on the project soon after the Haj season in January. The new Jamrat would have four floors apart from the ground floor.

German formwork manufacturer – Paschal Werk G Maier – has once again stood its claim of being one of the leading players in the segment by bagging the structural work of Wadi Hanifah restoration project – Zone 3 in Saudi Arabia.

Nine companies have pre-qualified to tender for the construction of the new BD74 million ($196.3 million) Sitra Causeway bridges, it was revealed. They were selected out of 24 companies that showed interest in the project, said Works and Housing Ministry assistant under-secretary for roads, Essam Khalaf.

The multi-million-dollar renovation of the Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa is nearing completion with the property set to reopen next month. The hotel’s Guidance Team and employees celebrated the halfway completion with the raising of the one-tonne Ritz-Carlton Club spiral staircase from the lobby level to the sixth floor last month.

Global leader in the air-conditioning segment, LG Electronics (LG), has given a total facelift to the traditionally mundane air-conditioners in an effort to transform household electronics and match them to living room furniture or interior décor.

The Qatari Football Federation has announced the launch of two huge projects valued at QR850 million ($234 million). The projects are Digital Sports Hotel, a seven-star hotel with all-inclusive entertainment facilities and the Mobile Village – an integrated project that includes information technology (IT) and mobile services.

Gulf Finance House (GFH), the driving force behind a number of landmark developments throughout the region, unveiled the masterplan for Royal Village in Jordan at the recently concluded Cityscape exhibition held in Dubai.

Work on a new BD1.5 million ($3.97 million) government houses project, near the Riffa Fort in Bahrain is expected to begin by the end of the year. Fifty-four houses will be built under the project, said Works and Housing Ministry assistant under-secretary for housing Nabeel Abu Al Fateh.

The prestigious Barr Al Jissah beach resort project in Oman, is expected to be ready for a soft opening in November. Construction work on the RO70 million ($181.83 million) concept tourism project jointly promoted by Zubair Corporation and the government is almost complete.

Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) has recently launched an easy-to-access Industrial Market Intelligence (IMI) portal in Doha.

Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH) announced early last month that the construction of the integrated development was on the fast track with 39 per cent of the $270 million Financial Centre – the Phase I of BFH – completed. Floors completed include: West Tower (31); East Tower (33); Financial Mall (9); and Harbour House (2).

Bahrain’s Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has ordered the demolition of Isa Town Sports Stadium paving the way for the construction of a multi-million-dinar Khalifa Sport City. The sports city is expected to be built to top international standards with provision for all the main sporting disciplines.

The planned GCC power grid will cost $3 billion, Saudi Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al Hussain. The power grid authority would sign 13 construction contracts this year to implement the first phase of the project.

Infrastructure work is close to completion at the upcoming Amwaj Islands project, with the first tenants expected to move in within the next few months. Project general manager Kareem Shamma said all bridges are now open to construction traffic as the over 20 developers push ahead with their plans to build their various properties.

D-Tec has supplied Oman’s royal hangar at Seeb International Airport with a VSD (Video Smoke Detection) system comprising 16 low light CCD cameras. The airport was planning to install flame and linear heat cables in the 210-m by 110-m by 27-m-high hangar until it learned of VSD’s accuracy and fast response, says a spokesman.

Work has started on the first phase of the BD5 million ($13.26 million) project to renovate Bahrain’s Manama suq. The committee in charge of developing the suq has received the designs for review for final approval, Municipalities and Agriculture Minister Ali Al Saleh said last month.

The new Bahrain World Trade Centre (BWTC) will be the first towers in the world to generate their own electricity using wind turbines, confirming reports published in the Gulf Construction in January this year.

The Middle East real estate industry received a massive Dh100 billion ($27.3 billion) boost from Cityscape 2005 – the Middle East's premier international property investment and development event – which recorded  more than 20,000 visitors. The show attracted a total of 300 exhibitors from 51 countries around the world.

PS Middle East makes debutManama: Bahrain Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Bahrain’s Ministry of Oil, and HQ Link have joined hands to organise PS Middle East 2005 (PSME)  at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, Bahrain from November 14 to 16.

Following an overwhelming response at the annual Saudi Building Industries Exhibition (SBIE) held earlier this year, the organiser Al Harithy Company for Exhibitions is looking forward towards a bigger participation when the show returns again next April.

International Turkeybuild 2006 Istanbul Fair  – the 29th in the series of construction exhibitions – is set to open its doors next May to an anticipated 90,000 visitors who can see the products and services of more than 800 local and international firms.