DUBAI, June 17 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi's Aldar Properties

ALDR.AD has awarded a 4 billion dirhams ($1.09 billion) contract to a joint venture led by Dubai contractor Arabtec

ARTC.DU for a mixed-use development project in Kazakhstan, the companies said.

The consortium of Arabtec and Consolidated Contractors Group (CCC) will build the Abu Dhabi Plaza in Astana, which is a 500,000 square metre development comprising five towers, a joint

statement by Aldar and Arabtec said on Monday.

Construction will start shortly and is expected to be completed by 2017.

Arabtec said the new project will take the company's gross value of projects awarded in 2013 to nearly 13 billion dirhams. ($1 = 3.6729 UAE dirhams)

(Reporting by Mirna Sleiman; Writing by Praveen Menon; Editing by Dinesh Nair)

((praveen.menon@thomsonreuters.com)(+971 4 3625835)(Reuters Messaging: praveen.menon.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: EMIRATES ALDAR/ARABTEC