South African construction firm Murray & Roberts (M&R) and joint-venture (JV) partner Al Habtoor have been awarded a 1,8-billion UAE dirham (around R3,7-billion) contract in Abu Dhabi.

The companies would construct the St Regis hotel and residences on Saadiyat island for the Tourism Development and Investment Company, M&R said in a statement late on Friday.

The contract would start next month and would be completed in 2011.

M&R has lost a number of contracts in the Middle East this year, with the company and Al Habtoor withdrawing from a contract to build the Dubai International Airport Concourse 3. The JV had also lost a contract to build the Tameer Towers project in Abu Dhabi.

M&R previously said that the value of the projects lost in the Middle East stood at R10-billion. Last month, the company reported that it had an order book of R42-billion.

M&R will release its results on August 26.