Two new major contracts for STRABAG in the United Arab Emirates – a mega bridge in Abu Dhabi (contract value: approx. 145 million Euro) and shopping centre in Ras Al Khaimah (contract value: approx. 70 million Euro). Orders on the book in the Arabian Peninsula reach half a billion Euro.

Vienna, Austria – STRABAG has been awarded the contract for two spectacular projects on the Arabian Peninsula. “We managed to be successful against stiff competition, especially from Japan and Korea” said Dr Hans-Peter Haselsteiner, Chairman of STRABAG’s Executive Board. “At the same time this enables us to establish ourselves as the leading European construction group in a market which is currently showing the strongest growth rates in the world.”

Via Züblin, a STRABAG subsidiary, Austria’s largest construction group is designing and building a 1.45 km long bridge as General Contractor (design & build). The bridge stretches from Abu Dhabi City to Saadiyat Island – a gigantic tourist centre presently under construction. With a width of 60 metres, making it one of the widest in the world, the technically highly demanding bridge accommodates ten traffic lanes and two railway tracks. Constructed using three different methods (falsework, cantilevering, and incremental launching), the main connection between the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the “Island of Happiness” (translation of “Saadiyat”) will be completed in 36 months (start of construction: 1 December 2006). The contract overall will be carried out in consortium with Saif Bin Darwish, a local construction contractor, whereby roughly 90% will be undertaken by the STRABAG subsidiary Züblin.

Half the size of Bermuda, the new Saadiyat Island tourist paradise will offer three yacht harbours, 29 hotels with over 7,000 rooms – one of which will be a 7-star hotel visible from Abu Dhabi City – 8,000 private villas and 38,000 apartments, two golf courses, museums, a concert hall, art galleries, and many cultural events. The planned construction projects will be realised as eco-tourism-conform with a total project investment volume of 1.5 billion Euro. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) is project coordinator and owner. More detailed information under www.saadiyat.ae

Largest Shopping Mall with Cinema in the “Ras Al Khaimah” Emirate
The second major showpiece project is construction (design and build) of a shopping mall in the “Ras Al Khaimah” Emirate. In 28 months a shopping mall with a contract value of approx. 70 million Euro and rental area of 45 000 sqm incl. cinema will be erected in the heart of Ras Al Khaimah. The Ras Al Khaimah Emirate is roughly an hour’s drive from Dubai. Further interesting projects are planned in this up-and-coming emirate.

STRABAG SE is one of the leading European construction groups. With over 44,000 employees, a turnover of approximately 10 billion Euro will be achieved in the current financial year. From bases in Austria and Germany, the core markets, together with its numerous subsidiaries STRABAG operates in all eastern and south-eastern European countries, in selected west European markets, on the Arabian Peninsula, and in Canada, Chile and China, whereby STRABAG covers the full performance programme (building and civil engineering, roadworks, services) as well as the construction value added chain. Info also under www.strabag.com