Dubai construction firm Drake and Scull International has won a AED147m ($40m) project to build a mixed-use development in the capital of Algeria, taccording to Arabian Business.

Drake and Scull will undertake the civil construction portion of the project in Algiers, covering a total built-up area of about 66,500 square metres, it said.

Algeria limited the access of foreign companies to its construction market for decades but over the past couple of years it has been opening the market, in an effort to build housing faster and alleviate a shortage that is a major source of social discontent.

The government allocated about $50bn to the housing sector under a five-year, $286bn state spending plan that aims to modernise infrastructure and create jobs between 2010 and 2014. It has said it is ready to spend more money if necessary.