Saudi seeks private sector investments for airport infrastructure

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) plans to ensure more private sector involvement in developing airports across the Kingdom, a top official has announced.

A Saudi-led international consortium has won the contract to develop and operate the new Taif International Airport, according to Tarek Bin Othman Abdul Jabbar, Assistant President of General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

“The airport will be built under public private partnership (PPP), in the pattern of Madinah’s Prince Muhammad International Airport,” Abdul Jabbar, said while unveiling the Authority’s plans, the Saudi Press Agency has reported.

The new Taif airport is expected to have an initial capacity of 5 million passengers a year, which could be increased to 8 million and will be opened in 2020.

Saudi company Asyad Holding will carry out the development and operation of Taif airport in collaboration with Lebanon’s Consolidated Contractors Co. (CCC) and Munich Airport.

Abdul Jabbar also announced that a second Saudi-Turkish consortium will undertake the development and operation of Al-Qassim and Hail airports. The contract has been awarded to a consortium of Saudi’s Al-Rajhi Holding Group and Turkey’s TAV Airports Holding.