JEDDAH, 20 September — Seven companies are bidding for the SR5.6 billion ($1.5 billion) contract for the expansion of King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, a local newspaper reported yesterday.
"The studies and designs for the project have been completed and what remains now is the selection of the company to carry out the work," an official source at the Civil Aviation Authority told Al-Watan.
The project is designed to raise the airport’s capacity from 12 to 21 million passengers a year, the official said. The project, to be launched in 2003, will be completed in three years. It will include construction of new lounges for international and domestic passengers, development of present lounges and establishment of 25 air bridges for passengers.
"The project will be implemented in phases without affecting the continuous and smooth operation of the airport," the source said.
The KAIA expansion, considered one of the largest projects to be implemented by the presidency, was planned to meet the growing air traffic to and from the airport.
Last year 13 million passengers used the airport, the main gateway of pilgrims and expatriate workers. The figure is expected to hit 21 million by 2020.
"There is a plan to establish three new passenger lounges," the source said, adding that the authority has allocated 375,000 square meters for the new lounges.
The project also includes construction of two parking lots with a total capacity of 5,700 cars. The expanded airport would be able to receive 31 to 46 planes at a time, the source pointed out.
Jeddah airport currently handles 80 percent of the pilgrim traffic, and 40 percent of air traffic in Saudi Arabia.
There are 26 airports in the Kingdom which were constructed at a total cost of SR60 billion ($16 billion).
