Eleven contracting firms are preparing to bid by 15 November for the four contracts that cover 12 different domestic airport projects in Saudi Arabia.

MEED understands that the invited firms can bid for any or all of the packages that have been tendered.

According to a source with knowledge of the project, an extension to the submissions date is likely since the client, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (Gaca), has  yet to respond to bidders' clarification requests.

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, which will utilise conventional procurement method, 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.

Gaca has moved the target completion date for the privatisation of all airports in the kingdom from 2020 to end of 2017.