Dubai developer Nakheel says it has awarded a construction contract worth AED184.5 million ($50 million) for a second hotel at Ibn Battuta Mall.
Dubai-based Parkway International Contracting LLC has been appointed to build the 375-room hotel, which has a total project value of AED240 million.
It forms part of Nakheel’s AED3 billion hospitality expansion under which the developer is bringing 16 new hotels and serviced apartment complexes – with 5,300 rooms – to Dubai. 
The new hotel is to be operated by Thailand’s Minor Hotel Group under its AVANI brand, Nakheel said in a statement. It will complement Nakheel’s first hotel at Ibn Battuta – a 372-room Premier Inn that opened last October.
With a built-up area of 278,000 sq ft, the 15-floor AVANI Ibn Battuta Mall will feature an all-day restaurant, pool, gym and car park for 135 vehicles. It is located next to the recently-opened link connecting the mall to the Dubai Metro.
