Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) has delayed the tendering process for the development of 12 different domestic and regional airport projects in Saudi Arabia.

According to sources familiar with the project, the official document that would allow the prequalified tenderers to submit their commercial offers have not yet been released.

"It might take another month or  maybe longer [before they release the document]," a source tells MEED.

Another source says the project could have been put on hold although Gaca has not officially released any such announcements.

The initial tender documents for the four packages, which will be procured using the conventional engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model, were understood to have been issued in August last year.

The original date for bids submission was 15 November 2017.

Each package has two to five individual airport schemes. Each of the first three packages includes the construction of a new airport or terminal in addition to one or two other brownfield projects, which comprises the expansion or rehabilitation of an existing airport and its facilities. The fourth package comprises of five brownfield airport projects.

MEED understands 11 firms have been preparing to bid for the contracts. Each of the 11 firms may bid for any or all of the packages that have been tendered.

Firms that have been invited to bid include:

• Alkifah Contracting (local)
• Al-Fouzan Trading & General Construction Company (local)
• Almabani General Contractors (local)
• Al-Rashed Contracting (local)
• Bin Dayel Contracting (local)
• Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Lebanon)
• Freyssinet (France)
• Joannou & Paraskevaides (Cyprus)
• Nesma & Partners (local)
• Samsung C+T (South Korea)
• Sinohydro (China)

The four packages include:

Saudi Arabia currently has four international airports and 23 domestic airports, inclusive of the airports in Taif, Yanbu, Hail and Al-Qassim, which are being developed or redeveloped on a build, transfer, operate (BTO) basis.

This number will increase to five international airports and 25 domestic or regional airports once the Taif International Airport and the greenfield airports in Qunfudhah, Najran and Farasan as well as the planned airport in Jubail, which could be procured using a public-private partnership (PPP) model, are completed.