Saudi government to develop Abha airport through privatisation initiative

Saudi Arabia’s government is building on its plans to enhance private involvement in the kingdom’s airports, offering a concession for the development of Abha airport. Abha is located in the Asir region, which lies in the southwest of the country. Saudi Arabia’s airports holding company Matarat says the concession is being offered in co-operation with the National Center for Privatization. It will take the form of a 30-year build-transfer-operate agreement, at the centre of which is a new terminal capable of handling 13m annual passengers, compared with the current capacity for 1.5m. This terminal will be scheduled to open by 2028, states Matarat. The government is seeking expressions of interest in the Abha airport project, which it says will be a distinctive landmark, by 31 January.<br/>