Dubai consortium bids to restore dilapidated lower Fort St Elmo

A consortium from Dubai has submitted a proposal for the restoration of the dilapidated lower part of Fort Saint Elmo in Valletta.

The request for proposals was issued by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC) within the Infrastructure Ministry in October.

The fort played a major role in Malta’s history from the time of the Knights of St John to the British rule. But amid being used as a backdrop to film The Midnight Express in 1978 but fell into disrepair in recent years due to lack of maintenance and security, natural aging, and exposure to the elements.

The World Monuments Fund placed the fort on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world.

A proposal tabled by Dubai consortium, Sohum Wellness, will now seek to restore, rehabitate, design, and operate the lower of St Elmo. The proposal will be evaluated in the coming weeks, the government said.

Last year, the GHRC finalised an extensive project that included the rehabilitation and regeneration of the upper part of the port. The restoration project cost around €15.3 million, 85% of which came from EU funds.

This part of the fort is now operated by Heritage Malta.