A BD1 million ($2.65 million) link building at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) is to be constructed by the local Project SA. The proposed centre will conveniently link the existing exhibition Halls One and Two, which offer a total exhibition area of 14,000 sq m.

Shaikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, secretary general of the Qatar National Olympic Committee, signed six major contracts valued at $22 million, at the recent QSi Expo. The contracts form part of a development plan announced earlier by Sheikh Saoud estimated to cost $1.8 billion.

The contract for construction of the new air traffic control tower at Bahrain International Airport is to be awarded shortly. Six companies have submitted bids. The Works and Housing Ministry's special projects department, under the construction projects directorate, is responsible for the contract administration and project management.

A major shake-up of Bahrain's contracting sector is on the cards, with the introduction of a new classification system. It is being drawn up by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and should be implemented in the next two to three years.

Kuwait Building Construction Company (KBCC) has named Norr Group Consultants International as the lead architect on a proposed multi-use real estate development in the emirate. The 1.6-million-sq ft development will overlook the Fifth Ring road in the Al Rai area. The designs are expected to be completed in a year.

Bids are under study for the construction of the 60,000-seat Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmed Stadium in the Ardiya area. The estimated $190 million project, sited 12 km southwest of Kuwait City, will cover about 130,000 sq m. Construction is expected to begin by early March 2003 and take 27 months to complete.

Qatar's Ministry of Municipal & Agriculture will issue pre-qualification tenders to local and international contractors in the first quarter of this year for the proposed Qatar National Library (QNL) building.

Finishing touches are being put to a $26.5 million resort being built at the southern side of the Manama-Muharraq lagoon in Bahrain. The Novotel Al Dana Resort, which was originally been scheduled to be completed in September last year, is now expected to open in March.

Saudi Cable Company (SCC) has won a BD7.8 million ($20.69 million) contract to manufacture and commission cables to upgrade Bahrain's electricity network. The contract covers the longest high-tension line awarded worldwide, according to SCC.

Germany's Uhde has won a contract to build a giant fertiliser plant for Oman's Sohar International Urea and Chemical Industries (SIUCI), which is promoted by Sheikh Suhail Salem Bahwan. The plant will cost more than $600 million, making it the largest industrial investment by an individual in a GCC country.

Work on a BD2.1 million ($5.6 million) office tower has started in the Diplomatic Area in Manama, Bahrain. The 19-storey Al Rossais Tower is named after Saudi businessman Mohammed Al Rossais, who is financing the project.