Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG), one of the leading multi-disciplined contractors in the Middle East and North Africa, has been awarded a U.S. $300 million contract by Oman’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC).

The contract, which will be undertaken in a joint venture with Turkey’s Sezai Turkes-Feyzi Akkaya (STFA), will be for the "dualisation of a section of Oman’s Bidbid-Sur highway," the company said in a statement.

HLG is part of the Leighton Group, Australia’s largest project development and contracting group with annual revenues exceeding US$18 billion.

The contract involves the expansion of a 75-kilometre section of road from a single, two-lane carriageway to a four-lane dual carriageway. The scope of work also includes the construction of nine interchanges and 50 kilometres of service roads.

Once completed, the road will facilitate safer travel as traffic increases in the arterial highway, which will by-pass the important rural town of Ibra, some 100 kms south of Muscat.

HLG said the road dualisation is part of the Oman Government’s comprehensive upgrading of the country’s road network.

The company said construction work will begin immediately and is expected to be completed within three years.

HLG CEO and Managing Director Laurie Voyer said the award was a significant win in one of the Group’s target growth markets.

“We identified Oman as a key growth market for us as we expand across the Middle East,” Voyer said.

“We have an established reputation for delivering infrastructure and building projects in the UAE and Oman and this award represents a significant step forward as we expand our operating footprint further afield, ” he said.

HLG has a reputation for delivering high-quality road infrastructure projects, having successfully delivered the Saadiyat Link Expressway in Abu Dhabi.

“We have a proven track record in delivering complex projects to the highest quality and this project allows us to showcase our skills and deliver a project that will be of long-term benefit to the people of Oman for generations to come,” Voyer said.

He said they expect Oman to continue to offer further opportunities for HLG, as the government has earmarked over US$20 billion for infrastructure spending over the next five years.

Voyer said that the Group was currently pursuing a number of other opportunities across the Middle East.

“We continue to see significant opportunities in large-scale infrastructure across the region and we look forward to further award announcements in the near future,” he said.