Belgian contractor Besix, in a consortium with global public-private partnership (PPP) investor Plenary Group, has won the contract to finance, design and build three new schools in Abu Dhabi.
A pathfinder project under Abu Dhabi’s new PPP regulatory framework, the Zayed City Schools project involves the development of three new campuses with capacity for 5,360 students in the emirate’s Zayed City.
The award was made by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge. The transaction is expected to reach financial close in July 2022, with the schools scheduled to open in September 2024.
The education services at each campus will be provided separately by a private sector chartered school operator.
Besix said the project would be the first vertically integrated education PPP in the MENA region.