The BESIX-Plenary Group consortium announces that it has achieved the financial close on the Khalifa City School project in Abu Dhabi.

The project was procured using an augmentation procurement framework within the existing Zayed City Schools public-private partnership (PPP) Project. Led by Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), the design and use of this framework to procure school infrastructure marks another first for the region.

Due to significant demand, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) required Khalifa City School to be operational by August 2026, a timeline that could not be achieved via a traditional procurement process.

Through meticulous planning and implementation, ADIO developed a specific augmentation framework that enabled the school’s infrastructure to be procured and awarded within a record timeframe of just twelve months, demonstrating ADIO’s commitment to delivering critical infrastructure efficiently and on schedule. This approach aligns with ADIO’s broader efforts to attract and enable investments that support the emirate’s vision for world-class educational infrastructure.

The augmentation comprises the design, build, finance, and 18-year operation and maintenance of a new campus, which will accommodate 3,380 students in Khalifa City.

Early works commenced in July, with construction scheduled to begin shortly. The school is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2026 academic year, building on the success of the original Zayed City Schools project, which delivered three state-of-the-art schools on time last year.

ADIO led the augmentation process in collaboration with the ADEK and the BESIX-Plenary Group consortium. BESIX-Plenary delivered a value-for-money solution, subsequently reaching commercial and financial close.

Equity financing is provided by Plenary (50%) and BESIX (50%), while debt is being provided by leading domestic and international banks Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, HSBC, Intesa Sanpaolo and Norinchukin.

The Zayed City Schools project delivered three new state-of-the-art school campuses with a total capacity of 5,360 students last year. The project was recognised as the ‘Best Education Project’ at the 2024 Partnerships Awards and as the ‘MENA Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year’ at the 2023 IJGlobal Awards.