Two US Firms Snag Contracts for Saudi Arabia Mega-Airport Project

A pair of U.S.-based companies have been awarded key contracts for the estimated $7.2-billion enlargement of The King Salman Worldwide Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which might be the biggest on the earth upon completion.

The King Salman Worldwide Airport Growth Co., (KSIADC), a part of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, introduced supply accomplice agreements with Bechtel and Parsons on the Saudi-US Funding Discussion board in Riyadh on Might 13. 

“Our firm is continuing based on schedule to finish numerous govt works for buildings and infrastructure, making certain the airport is able to welcome vacationers as quickly as potential,” mentioned KSIADC Appearing CEO Marco Meji.

Supply accomplice roles have been utilized in a lot of Saudi Arabia’s largest initiatives and contain aiding the proprietor by means of undertaking administration, design administration, value consulting and procurement recommendation.

The expanded King Salman Worldwide Airport (KSIA) can be constructed across the present King Khalid Worldwide Airport and canopy 22 sq. miles and embrace six parallel runways. The dominion has focused 2030 for the enlargement’s completion, with the airport having the ability to accommodate 120 million passengers per yr. By 2050, it’s estimated that determine will balloon to 185 million, based on officers.

The Riyadh infrastructure occasion was attended by President Donald Trump, the place he touted a $600-billion dedication by Saudi Arabia to spend money on the US. The investments would embody fields of power safety, protection business, know-how management and entry to world infrastructure and demanding minerals.

As a part of the introduced settlement, Bechtel will handle the event of three terminals—a brand new terminal devoted to business airways, a brand new Terminal 6 and a 3rd terminal for personal aviation, which is able to embrace plane upkeep amenities. The terminals will take up or substitute all current amenities of the King Khalid Worldwide Airport.

“The KSIA undertaking represents one of many world’s most outstanding aviation initiatives presently beneath improvement,” mentioned Darren Mort, president of Bechtel’s infrastructure enterprise. “We’re delighted to be a part of this inspiring undertaking and to contribute our earlier expertise from main airports worldwide in realizing the airport’s imaginative and prescient and delivering an distinctive, unprecedented journey expertise globally.”

Parsons was awarded two four-year, supply accomplice contracts growing vital airport infrastructure and offering complete undertaking administration providers. The agency could have accountability for design, allowing, procurement, building and commissioning from preliminary planning by means of to last handover, officers mentioned.

The scope of the contracts contains airside amenities akin to runways, taxiways, plane parking areas and air site visitors management tower, together with floor infrastructure together with roads, tunnels, bridges, railway networks and landscaping.

Infrastructure Experience

Each Bechtel and Parsons have lengthy data with aviation infrastructure within the Center East. 

Bechtel was designer, undertaking supervisor and building supervisor for the Dubai Worldwide Airport within the United Arab Emirates, in addition to the King Khalid and King Fahd airports in Saudi Arabia. Parsons has labored on quite a few aviation initiatives within the Center East together with Zayed Worldwide Airport and Sharjah Worldwide Airport within the United Arab Emirates, Hamad Worldwide Airport in Qatar, and Kuwait Worldwide Airport

The 2 corporations are the second and third main U.S.-based agency to be concerned with the Riyadh undertaking. Final yr, 4 design companies, together with U.S.-based Jacobs, signed strategic partnerships to develop the mega-airport. 

Jacobs and U.Ok.-based Foster + Companions are offering idea grasp plan validation, detailed grasp plan design, runway design and different providers. The 2 companies beforehand gained a contest to design the idea grasp plan for the airport. Saudi Arabia-based Mace Group, the supply accomplice for the undertaking, will deal with planning and building schedules. Nera, additionally primarily based within the kingdom, will present technical and operational options for the aviation and air navigation.

The airport enlargement plan was introduced by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2022. The undertaking is a part of the broader Saudi Imaginative and prescient 2030, which goals to diversify Saudi Arabia away from its dependence on oil revenues. 

The plan, launched in 2016, requires making Saudi Arabia a regional logistics hub partly by rising air connectivity to 250 locations and transporting 330 million passengers. A variety of main airport expansions and new building throughout the dominion have since been unveiled.

The undertaking is one in all two mega-airports beneath improvement within the Center East. Final yr, Dubai introduced a $35-billion plan to expand the Al Maktoum International Airport over the following ten years. The brand new airport, also referred to as Dubai World Central, would substitute the present Dubai Worldwide Airport, presently the busiest on the earth for worldwide site visitors.

The UAE undertaking would surpass Saudi Arabia’s effort by increasing the emirate’s second-largest airport to cowl 27 sq miles and embrace 5 parallel runways. The 4 terminals will accommodate 400 gates, thus enabling the ability to deal with as much as 260 million passengers and greater than 13 million tons of cargo per yr.