A total of Dh10.8 billion worth of construction contracts for Expo 2020 Dubai have been awarded this year, as well as Dh411 million of non-construction contracts, organisers said, adding that the mega-event is on track to award Dh11bn of construction-related tenders by the end of 2017.
“This has been a significant year on the journey to Expo 2020 Dubai and we are excited to continue our progress into 2018, which will see us offer further opportunities to companies in the UAE and wider region,” said Manal Al Bayat, the senior vice-president of business development and integration at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Dubai will host the World Expo 2020 at a 4.38 square kilometre site currently under construction in Dubai South, an economic free zone close to Al Maktoum International Airport and Jebel Ali Port.
____________
Read more:
Dubai Expo 2020: All you need to know
Expo 2020 marks three years to go as it champions life-changing innovation
Countdown to Expo 2020: United States joins growing list of participating nations
____________
Organisers said on Sunday that preparations are “on track”, with Expo 2020 Dubai having exceeded its pledge of distributing Dh360m of non-construction contracts in 2017. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) received more than 50 per cent of contract awards this year, the organisation has said.
Meanwhile, a target announced in January to award Dh11bn of construction contracts by the end of the year will have been reached once certain urban planning and event overlay packages are finalised. Among the tenders awarded this year was a Dh353m contract to build the UAE's showcase pavilion, snapped up by the Dubai contractor Arabtec Holding’s construction arm.
There are currently 12 cranes operating on site and a further 10 will commence over the next month as new sections break ground into 2018.
Sectors to offer procurement opportunities next year include design, logistics, health and safety, construction and construction materials. The total number and value of these will be announced in the coming months, organisers said.
The majority of "outer" construction work at the Expo site is due to be finished by October 2019 and countries’ exhibition pavilions by the end of the first half of 2020. The huge exhibition opens in October 2020 and continues for six months until April 2021.
Expo 2020 Dubai hopes to attract 25 million visitors over the course of the event.