MEED reported that Kuwait's Public Works Ministry has invited pre qualified contractors to bid by July 28th for the marine works contract on its port project at Bubiyan Island.

The design and build contract covers the construction of a container terminal, 4 berths and a 1,300 meter long quay wall in addition to port buildings and utilities, digging and soil improvement works and site levelling.

The pre qualifiers are

1. Geneva registered Archirodon Construction Services with Kuwait's Mushrif Trading & Contracting Company

2. China Harbour Engineering Company with the local Mohamed Abdulmohsin Kharafi & Sons

3. Local Gulf Dredging & Contracting

4. South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction with the local United Gulf Construction Company

5, Turkey's STFA with the local Combined Group.

Contractors expect the ministry to tender dredging works in September. The 2 tenders provide the latest evidence that work on the project will accelerate after 3 years of slow progress.

The ministry expected to open the port project in 2010 after the local/Chinese consortium of Gulf Dredging & Contracting, Shaheen al-Ghanim Roads & Bridges and China Harbour Engineering Company started work on the KWD 115.7 million phase-1 construction contracts in late 2006.

The contract involves the construction of a 34 kilometers long road and bridge to the port. The Public Works Ministry is also tendering a contract to provide project management services.

(Sourced from MEED)