Piling works commissioned by Germany’s Bauer have already started. The project was put on hold following the 2006 July war.

The City Centre Shopping Mall which will be similar to the company’s branded City Centre malls in the United Arab Emirates will be located in Hazmieh, near Mount Lebanon Hospital, and will have a total built-up area of 125,000 square meters.

It is part of a $4 billion plan announced earlier by the company to diversify its investments outside its primary markets, the UAE and Kuwait.

Among the bidders are several local companies including, Arabian Construction Company, Kettaneh Construction, Matta & Associates, Michel Abi Nader Entreprises, Societe d’Entreprises Abdel Rahman Hourie,and  Societe d’Entreprise & de Gestion.

Other bidders include, UAE- based Arabtec Construction, Qualco in a joint venture with UAE’s Alec, and Jihad al Arab with Saudi Arabia’s Al Saad General Contracting Company.

Local company, Samir Khairallah & Partners is the consultant for the project.