Dubai World Trade Centre has awarded a £160 million (Dh721.4m) construction contract to build a new phase of its One Central mixed-use development to Al Futtaim Carillion.
Phase 1A6 of the project contains two prime office buildings – one 12-storey and the other eight storey – that will have a combined built-up area of 182,500 square metres.
Work is set to start on site this month and is due for completion by the end of 2018. The deal is the third that Al Futtaim Carillion has won on the One Central project to build offices and takes the total value of work it has landed thus far to more than Dh1.8 billion.
Phases 1A2 and 1A5 both also contain two office buildings, with the former now complete and in the process of being leased, while the latter is due to be handed over in the third quarter of this year.
The offices have all been designed to achieve the Leed Gold sustainability standard and are being built on a site between DWTC’s current exhibition centre and Emirates Towers.
Builders are emerging from a tough year in 2016 as low oil prices depressed construction activity. But activity has shown signs of picking up in recent months as the sector prepares to deliver new projects associated with Expo 2020, which Dubai is hosting.
"We are delighted to have been selected for Phase 1A6, the third phase of the One Central development, where we continue to see good opportunities coming to market. We look forward to continuing our close relationship with Dubai World Trade Centre to deliver this important development," said Richard Howson, the chief executive of UK-based joint venture partner Carillion.
One Central is an Dh8bn mixed-use project between DWTC’s exhibition centre and the Emirates Towers building. When complete, it will have a built-up area of more than 1 million sq m containing offices, a tower with four and five-star hotels, retail space, up to 1,300 homes and serviced apartments, a 2,500-seat theatre and an open-air plaza. It has been designed by Hopkins Architects.

Source : The National