Leading international construction company Laing O’Rourke has been awarded two major contracts worth Dh670 million ($182 million) by Expo 2020 Dubai organisers. These are for building of two pavilions and an access road for Expo 2020.

As per the agreement, the UK-headquartered contractor will build Expo 2020’s Leadership and Media Pavilions, and the event’s ‘Hammerhead’ access road to Al Wasl Plaza plus landscaping.

The company will also be responsible for carrying out associated mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) works.

With a diameter of 150 m, Al Wasl Plaza will form the centrepiece of Expo 2020’s 4.38-sq-km site in Dubai South. It will include a massive steel trellis dome, the contract for which was awarded to Cimolai Rimond ME in November last year.

Ahmed Al Khatib, the senior vice-presidnt of Real Estate and Delivery at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: "We are on track to deliver an exceptional site for an amazing Expo."

"We are delighted to announce Laing O’Rourke as the main contractor for these important two contracts. The company was selected from among strong international competitors due to its keen understanding of our technical and commercial requirements. It has a long and prestigious history within the UAE construction sector," he noted.

According to him, these projects will be constructed in close proximity to the UAE Pavilion and other pavilions. This area is already a hive of construction activity, with all of these projects being built simultaneously.

"With this in mind, close collaboration between construction companies on site will be vital to coordinate logistics and ensure that work continues according to our schedule," he stated.

UAE-based real estate developer Meraas is managing design and procurement activities for Expo 2020’s Al Wasl Plaza, which was designed by Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture.

Expo 2020’s Leadership and Media Pavilions will be transformed into hotels post-Expo, as part of the District 2020 legacy development project. They are both expected to achieve four-star ratings. The Leadership Pavilion will accommodate the UAE leadership during the Expo.

The Hammerhead, so called because of its distinctive shape, will house a ramped access road for Expo 2020’s truck tunnel – a subterranean road that will run underneath Al Wasl Plaza. It was designed by Pasadena-based Parsons Corporation.

Construction related to Expo 2020 is expected to reach its peak towards the end of 2018 and early 2019. There are already about 12,000 people working across all projects on the site; this figure is expected to grow to 35,000 by early 2019.

Speaking during a visit to the Expo 2020 site, Ray O’Rourke, the chief executive at Laing O’Rourke, said: "The continuation of work in Dubai South is a great opportunity to showcase the strength of our Middle East team on Expo 2020. We are committed to local employment in the region, and innovation, through our approach to offsite manufacturing, building on the knowledge and experience we have gained in the Emirates over the past decade."

“We are delighted that Laing O’Rourke has been chosen to build these prestigious projects, and look forward to playing our part in the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (Measa) region in 2020,” he added.

Laing O’Rourke is due to commence work on 28 January, 2018. All shell-and-core construction on site is scheduled to be completed by October 2019 – a full year before Expo opens on 20 October, 2020.

Al Khatib said: “Today marks 1,000 days before Expo 2020 Dubai opens its doors to the public. However, with all heavy construction activities due to be completed more than a year before the Expo’s inauguration, it is essential that work continues to progress smoothly.”

Through its overall theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 Dubai will be a celebration of ingenuity that provides a platform to encourage creativity, innovation and collaboration, underpinned by its three subthemes: Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability.

In keeping with Expo 2020’s subtheme of Sustainability, Laing O’Rourke and its fellow construction companies will work together with Expo 2020 to ensure environmental, economic, worker welfare, and health and safety best practice.

All of Expo 2020’s buildings will meet or exceed Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standards.

Expo 2020 Dubai will run for six months, from 20 October, 2020 to 10 April, 2021, and is expected to receive 25 million visits, with 70 per cent due to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion in the history of World Expos.

More than 180 countries are expected to take part, with further national participation announcements anticipated in the coming months.-TradeArabia News Service