Work is progressing well on the KD304 million ($1 billion) Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al-Sabah Hospital, and is on track for opening by the end of the year, said a report.

Once operational, it will be the biggest in the Middle East region and the sixth largest hospital in the world, reported Amwal Alghad.

Entirely managed by Kuwaiti Ministry of Health, the hospital will be built on a surface of 270,000 sq ft and will offer 1168 beds and provide a large range of medical services including diagnostic and treatment services, a trauma centre, a dental facility, in- and out-patient care services as well as VIP suites for visiting heads of state, stated the report, citing its chairman Mohsen Salah.

The project is being carried out in three phases by Egyptian construction group Arab Contractors. It will come up on a sprawling 720,000 sq m area, he added.