Preliminary work has started on the 42-storey Almoayyed Tower which will be Bahrain's tallest building when completed in 2003.

UAE-based Fujairah National Construction Company has been awarded the main contract for the construction of the BD20 million ($53 million) tower in the Seef area.

The tower, designed jointly by UAE's Shadid Engineering Consultants and Bahrain's Mazen Al Umran Consulting Engineering Bureau, will be located on a 12,000 sq m site opposite to the new Citibank headquarters.

"There will be a shopping mall on the ground and mezzanine floors, and a penthouse on the upper two floors," said Y K Almoayyed Group chairman Farouk Almoayyed.

"The penthouse will accommodate a modern health club, a spa, a coffee shop and a restaurant belonging to an international chain.

"All the other floors will be let out to offices. Besides space for 40 cars for VIP parking in the basement, there will be parking space for 300 cars outside," he said.