TDIC grants extension to Louvre contract tender

By Ben Roberts  www.constructionweekonline.com

The Tourism, Development and Investment Company has granted an extension to companies submitting tenders for the main contract for Abu Dhabi’s Louvre museum by almost four weeks.

The Louvre will be set in the Saadiyat Cultural District.

The government owned body stated that following an appeal by all prospective bidders for more time, it has set a new deadline of 1st August for the AED1 billion project.

“Construction of the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum, in the Saadiyat Island Cultural District, is on schedule and will be completed in 2013 as previously stated,” it said.

The TDIC is an independent but government-owned entity which is master developer for a wide range of Abu Dhabi projects including Saadiyat Island, Desert Islands as well as numerous hotels and residences.

“The extension to the bid deadline will not have any effect on the final delivery date for the museum, and all the remaining museum projects in the Saadiyat Island Cultural District continue on schedule,” it added.

In a press briefing in April, TDIC said it will be tendering for the construction of the super-structure of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi nearer the end of this year. It will be the world’s biggest Guggenheim.