Bahrain is to imminently appoint a partner for the contract to set up a new cargo facility near to Bahrain International airport, according to a source with knowledge of the transaction.

MEED understands the new facility will feature warehouses and other logistics facilities to augment the capacity of the existing cargo facility located adjacent to the Bahrain International airport.

According to the source, the study has been completed and the land at the proposed new location has been allocated.

The capacity of Bahrain’s Khalifa Bin Salman Port, located a mere 13 kilometres away from the Bahrain International airport, is currently being expanded with the installation of new equipment.

The port saw a 21 per cent increase in cargo volumes and 7 per cent increase in container volumes in 2017.

Bahrain also expects the construction of the $1.1bn new passenger terminal at Bahrain International to be completed in the third quarter of 2019.

The construction contract for the expansion of Bahrain International was awarded to a team of Dubai’s Arabtec Construction and Turkey’s TAV in early 2016. Specialist systems such as passenger air bridges, baggage handling, moving walkways and security packages have also been awarded.

Several other packages on the airport expansion have still to be awarded including the air traffic control centre building and airport access roads, among others.