International and local construction firms have shown interest in a contract to develop a ship repair yard and dry dock complex in southeastern Oman, the state tender board said.

As many as 15 prospective bidders have collected tender documents and the last date for submitting bids is July 30 for the project in Al Duqm, the state's tender board said on its website (tenderboard.gov.om).

The companies that have shown interest in the contract include South Korea's Hanjin Heavy Industries, Daewoo Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, China Harbour Engineering Company and Larsen & Toubro.

The ship repair facility, which will be built at the proposed Al Duqm port, will include two dry docks, 2.8 km of quays and other infrastructure, an economy ministry official said.

The official declined to give an estimated cost of the contract. Once completed, the ship repair yard is expected to be able to handle ultra large crude carriers.

The construction of the ship repair yard would be carried out simultaneously with the development of the marine infrastructure of the port, the official said.

The port is expected to be ready by 2009, while the ship repair yard will be completed by 2010. South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Company, the designer of the dry docks, will oversee the construction of the shipyard. Reuters