INTERNATIONAL: CH2M HILL Consortium, Mace in Charge of Program Management at DWTC’s Jebel Ali Project

By Balazs Szekely, Associate Editor

Following a successful bidding process for a multi-company tender opened by Dubai World Trade Centre, the joint venture between U.S. firm CH2M HILL and UK-based Mace has been appointed to undertake all real estate and construction delivery related program management services for the Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali development.

The partnership won at the expense of leading global firms with complex large-scale development and mega-event experience, according to DWTC’s recent news release.

The end-to-end solution provided by the consortium will consist of full-service consultancy, real estate program management, design, construction, and operations management for the development. The master district will host World Expo 2020 – a quinquennial event last held in Shanghai, China in 2010 and organized this year in Milan, Italy, starting in May. The two companies have worked together before on several projects, most recently as part of a larger consortium known as CLM Delivery Partner that delivered the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Both are known in the region as well, for contributing to a number of major mixed-use private sector and government projects.

According to an earlier report in Gulf News, Dubai won the bid to host the World Expo 2020 in November 2013 and the major site works are scheduled to be completed by October 2019. Infrastructure and operational costs for the development are estimated to reach $7.32 billion. The 1080-acre site located near Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport will feature a 370-acre gated area with the capacity of up to 300,000 visitors for the expo, encompassed by residential, hospitality and logistics facilities. The Expo Village, including housing facilities specially made for the six-month event’s international staff, is expected to be completed by 2018.

After the event comes to an end in April 2021, the exhibition area will be converted into a new focal point of global business tourism for the region and an environment that fosters cultural learning, collaborative co-creation and business for the region’s youth.