LOC01:05
22:05 GMT
Minster of State for Housing Affairs Yasser Abel inked a contract with an international consortium co-led by the Italian Salini Costruttori engineering company and Turkey's Kolin group
KUWAIT, June 30 (KUNA) -- Minster of State for Housing Affairs Yasser Abel inked on Thursday a contract with an international consortium, co-led by the Italian Salini Costruttori engineering company and Turkey's Kolin group, to build the infrastructure of the South Metla'e city.
The city is expected to be Kuwait's largest city in terms of population and area; it will have nearly 400,000 residents and a total area of more than 100 sq. km., the minister said during the signing ceremony held at the headquarters of the Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW).
"Though big, the project to develop the infrastructure of the city is expected to be implemented in a record time thanks to the long experiences of Salini and Kolin and the cooperation by PAHW," Abel said.
"For the first time PAHW entrusted the management of the project to a globally-renowned construction consulting service provider; this is the Philadelphia-based Hill International," he added.
Meanwhile, PAHW Director General Bader Al-Woqyan said the project costs up to KD 288 million (some USD 952.5 million) and will take four years to complete.
As of early July, PAHW will start allocating the planned 30,000 housing units in the 12 neighborhoods in the city to the applicants, Eng. Al-Woqyan added. (end)
fnk.tab.gb