Woh Hup to build Las Vegas Sands’ new Marina Bay project

SINGAPORE - Home-grown construction giant Woh Hup has been awarded a “multibillion-dollar contract” to build Las Vegas Sands’ new US$8 billion (S$10.2 billion) resort and entertainment complex in Marina Bay.

Construction work for the luxury development – set to be completed in 2030 – has already begun, with some 5,000 workers “working 24/7 on site”, Las Vegas Sands said in a statement on March 20.

The luxury development located next to Marina Bay Sands (MBS) comprises a 55-storey tower with 570 luxury hotel suites, a casino, a 15,000-seat entertainment arena, 200,000 sq ft of meeting and convention space and numerous high-end restaurants.

Like MBS, the new project is designed by US-based firm Safdie Architects and will have a distinct roof with 360-degree views of Singapore’s city skyline.

Las Vegas Sands said that following a competitive and comprehensive tender process, Woh Hup was selected for its strong technical capabilities, proven track record in complex projects, and depth in engineering and design management.

Woh Hup, one of Singapore’s largest privately owned construction and civil engineering companies, is known for having built icons such as Jewel Changi Airport and Gardens by the Bay.

In the Marina Bay district, its previous projects include Marina Bay Residences and W Residences Marina View.

The main contractor of the existing MBS property, completed in 2010 for an estimated US$5.6 billion, was South Korean company Ssangyong Engineering & Construction.

In the statement, Las Vegas Sands chairman and chief executive Patrick Dumont said Woh Hup’s appointment further reinforces the American casino and resort company’s commitment to ensuring that Singaporean firms continue to benefit from its long-term presence and future growth in the city-state.

Both parties declined to reveal the dollar value of the contract when asked. Woh Hup also said it could not share any further information on the engineering and connectivity works at this stage.

Las Vegas Sands said its MBS integrated resort (IR) generated $2.64 billion in annual business spending in 2025, with 90.8 per cent of procurement directed to Singapore-based enterprises. It is also one of the Republic’s largest employers, with a staff strength of more than 12,000.

Las Vegas Sands said MBS is estimated to have contributed 1.2 per cent to Singapore’s gross domestic product in 2025, according to an economic impact assessment that it had commissioned consulting firm Enright, Scott & Associates to produce.

Previous reports, including by investment bank Morgan Stanley, estimated that Singapore’s two IRs jointly contribute around 1.5 per cent of GDP annually. They also directly support 22,000 jobs, and underpin another 40,000 jobs in related sectors.

The new development, dubbed IR2 for now, follows a bumper year for MBS. It reported a new record of more than $1 billion in profit for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Over the course of 2025, MBS welcomed more than 36 million visitors, and hosted over 2,000 MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) events with nearly 1.4 million delegates at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre.

MBS is also in the midst of a multi-year, US$1.75 billion reinvestment programme that kicked off in 2022, where the rooms and suites in its three hotel towers have undergone major refurbishment.

At IR2’s ground-breaking ceremony in July 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the new development is one part of the Republic’s broader, more ambitious transformation of its entire southern waterfront.

Over the next 20 to 30 years, PM Wong said, the city-state will transform some 30km of coastline from Gardens by the Bay East to Pasir Panjang into the Greater Southern Waterfront, which will have new residential precincts, as well as commercial, recreational and entertainment options.