Besix tipped to bag Ferrari job

A Ferrari Theme Park will be on Yas Island.

Belgium-based construction group, Besix, is tipped to win the contract for Aldar Properties' Ferrari Theme Park on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island.

Aldar formed a joint venture management contracting company with Besix late last year.

Speaking to Construction Week, a source close to the project said: "Besix has already begun work on the project so it's quite likely that they'd win the job but nothing has been signed officially as yet.

Story continues below

Advertisement

FEATURED COMMENT Please click here to comment on this article

The contract, which is worth around US $163 million (AED600 million), could eventually increase to about $544 million depending on rising costs and design changes, according to the source.

The project will cover an area of 250,000m² and will include a massive entertainment centre with rides, a 70m-high G-Force Tower and a twin rollercoaster ride that for the first time allows races against each other.

In July last year, Bahraini construction company Cebarco-WCT picked up the $350 million contract to build the F1 circuit.

In addition to the main circuit, Cebarco-WCT is also building all associated grandstands, facilities and buildings, as well as a dune buggy track, an off-road vehicle track, go-karting track and drag strip.

Designed by F1 architect Herman Tilke, the main circuit will be 5.6km.

The Ferrari Theme Park is expected to be completed in 2009.