Expo 2020 Dubai has awarded two major construction contracts worth a combined AED670mn to international building company, Laing ORourke.
Under the terms of the agreement, the UK-headquartered contractor will build Expo 2020s Leadership and Media Pavilions, and the events Hammerhead access road to Al Wasl Plaza plus landscaping.
The company will also be responsible for carrying out associated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) works. With a diameter of 150m, Al Wasl Plaza will form the centrepiece of Expo 2020s 4.38sqkm site in Dubai South. It will include a massive steel trellis dome, the contract for which was awarded to Cimolai Rimond ME in November 2017.
Ahmed Al Khatib, senior vice president of Real Estate and Delivery at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: We are on track to deliver an exceptional site for an amazing Expo. We are delighted to announce Laing ORourke as the main contractor for these important two contracts. The company was selected from among strong international competitors due to its keen understanding of our technical and commercial requirements. It has a long and prestigious history within the UAE construction sector.
These projects will be constructed in close proximity to the UAE Pavilion and other pavilions. This area is already a hive of construction activity, with all of these projects being built simultaneously. With this in mind, close collaboration between construction companies on site will be vital to coordinate logistics and ensure that work continues according to our schedule.
UAE-based real estate developer Meraas is managing design and procurement activities for Expo 2020s Al Wasl Plaza, which was designed by Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. Expo 2020s Leadership and Media Pavilions will be transformed into hotels post-Expo, as part of the District 2020 legacy development project. They are both expected to achieve four-star ratings. The Leadership Pavilion will accommodate UAE leadership during the Expo.
The Hammerhead, so called because of its distinctive shape, will house a ramped access road for Expo 2020s truck tunnel a subterranean road that will run underneath Al Wasl Plaza. It was designed by Pasadena-based Parsons Corporation.
Construction related to Expo 2020 is expected to reach its peak towards the end of 2018 and early 2019. There are already about 12,000 people working across all projects on the site; this figure is expected to grow to 35,000 by early 2019.
Ray ORourke, chief executive at Laing ORourke, said: The continuation of work in Dubai South is a great opportunity to showcase the strength of our Middle East team on Expo 2020. We are committed to local employment in the region, and innovation, through our approach to offsite manufacturing, building on the knowledge and experience we have gained in the Emirates over the past decade.
We are delighted that Laing ORourke has been chosen to build these prestigious projects, and look forward to playing our part in the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region in 2020.
Laing ORourke is due to commence work on January 28, 2018. All shell-and-core construction on site is scheduled to be completed by October 2019 a full year before Expo opens on October 20, 2020.
Ahmed Al Khatib said: Today marks 1,000 days before Expo 2020 Dubai opens its doors to the public. However, with all heavy construction activities due to be completed more than a year before the Expos inauguration, it is essential that work continues to progress smoothly.
In keeping with Expo 2020s subtheme of sustainability, Laing ORourke and its fellow construction companies will work together with Expo 2020 to ensure environmental, economic, worker welfare, and health and safety best practice. All of Expo 2020s buildings will meet or exceed LEED Gold standards.