UPDATE 1-UAE's Arabtec unit wins $56 mln contract for Shah gas

(Updates with details, background)

DUBAI Feb 20 (Reuters) - A unit of Dubai-based Arabtec Holding has won a 206 million UAE dirham ($56.08 million) construction contract for the Shah Gas development project in Abu Dhabi, the company said on Sunday.

Target Engineering Construction Co would start work on the project from March 1 and construction was expected to last 33 months, Arabtec said in a statement released on the Dubai bourse.

The contract awarded by Italy's Saipem SPA includes construction of 12 substation buildings and equipment shelters with a total area of 20,000 square metres.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has awarded Occidental Petroleum its giant $10 billion Shah gas project, after U.S. energy major ConocoPhillips pulled out of the project last year.

(Reporting by Shaheen Pasha and Praveen Menon; Editing by Humeyra Pamuk and Nick Macfie))

($1=3.673 Uae Dirham)