Sunway Holdings Bhd has been awarded a RM1.8 billion contract to construct part of a mixed development project in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This is the group’s second job in the Middle East. To date, it has carried out projects in Singapore, India and Trinidad and Tobago. Malaysian builders have been expanding overseas over the last few years as large construction projects become scarce locally.

The group’s latest project covers works at Rihan Heights – phase one of the Arzanah mixed use integrated development – that will be carried out by Silver Coast-Sunway Innopave.

The joint venture is a 60:40 partnership between Sunway Innopave Sdn Bhd and the Abu Dhabi-based Silver Coast Construction and Boring LLC. Sunway Innopave is a subsidiary of Sunway Construction Sdn Bhd (SunCon), which in turn is wholly owned by Sunway Holdings.

The Rihan Heights deal will boost SunCon’s order book to approximately RM3.3 billion and occupy the group for the next three years. It will also pave the way to more jobs in Abu Dhabi in the future.

The contract was awarded by Mubadala CapitaLand Real Estate LLC (Capitala), which is a joint-venture company between Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi-based business development and investment company, and Singapore’s CapitaLand, in which Mubadala holds a 51 per cent stake.

The project, led by Sunway Innopave, would be strategically located at the gateway on Abu Dhabi island and is part of the fully integrated, mixed use development surrounding Zayed Stadium. Sunway Innopave would be responsible for the construction of five residential towers, a three-level podium, 14 townhouses, a clubhouse, 1,208 parking bays, and landscaping, external works and services.

Suncon’s first venture into Abu Dhabi was to construct five towers on Al Reem Island, but the Arzanah Development-Rihan Heights project is the first that the company is spearheading with a local partner.

About 60 per cent of SunCon’s RM3.3 billion order book is from overseas, with 40 per cent of it from jobs in the Middle East.