October 2000 Bitar Consultants received the Honorary Award of the Minister of Public Works and Housing for the Year 1999. The newly established annual award is given to a Jordanian engineering and consulting office whose work is deemed to be of distinguished quality. A committee including representatives from the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, the Jordan Engineers Association, the University of Jordan, and the Government Tenders Directorate evaluates candidates and chooses the recipient of the award. The Government Tenders Directorate at the Jordanian Ministry of Public Works and Housing awarded a 625,000 JD (around 880,000 $US) contract for the construction of the Karak Governorate's headquarters and the Karak governor's residence. The Department of Building Studies at the Jordanian Ministry of Public Works and Housing carried out the designs for the Ministry of Interior project. The Government Tenders Directorate at the Jordanian Ministry of Public Works and Housing awarded a 150,000 JD (around 211,000 $US) contract for the construction of the Directorate of the Rural Affairs building for the Jordanian Ministry of Municipal, Rural and Environmental Affairs. Architects from the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Environment carried out the designs for the project.