A UAE-South African venture has submitted the lowest bid for construction of a joint headquarters for two oil and gas firms in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, having just won a contract to carry out the main package of the Al Jaber complex in Dubai.

The local Al-Habtoor Engineering Enterprises and Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East) submitted a low bid of $68.9 million to build the headquarters for Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer) and Abu Dhabi Gas Processing Company (Atheer).

The new two-tower headquarters will be built at the existing Zadco/Gasco headquarters on the Abu Dhabi corniche. The client is Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), the consultant is the UK's WS Atkins International and the US' DMJM International is the project manager.

The joint venture has just clinched the main package of the Al Jaber complex, worth Dh302.5 million ($82.4 million), which involves the construction of a building, just under 200 m high, to house the UAE's first Shangri-La managed hotel, apartments and offices. The complex will be located beside the Shaikh Zayed highway.

The tower will have two basements, a ground floor and 43 levels to provide a gross area of about 90,000 sq m. It will house the 301-room, five-star hotel, 112 furnished apartments, 62 unfurnished apartments and 8,000 sq m of premium office space. In addition, the venture will build a car-park, which will be connected to the tower by a bridge and tunnel. It will comprise two basements, a ground floor and nine levels.

The main package covers the structure, fit-out, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), cladding and elevators for the tower and adjoining car-park. It does not include the piling package, which has been carried out by Swissboring, part of Italy's Trevi Group.

The client is the local Al Jaber Establishment and Canada's Norr Group Consultants International is the engineer and architect.