Lebanon’s High Council for Privatisation and PPP (HCP) has invited firms to bid by September for the legal and technical advisory contracts for the expansion of Beirut's Rafic Hariri International airport.

Washington-based International Finance Corporation (IFC) was earlier appointed as transaction adviser for the project, which aims to expand the airport’s capacity from 6 to 20 million passengers a year.

MEED understands IFC will conduct studies on the planned airport expansion over a period of 21 months.

The planned airport expansion is estimated to cost $500m.

Prior to IFC’s appointment, it is understood that the Lebanese government has been reviewing various proposals for expanding the airport, which processed an estimated 8.23 million passengers in 2017.

Lebanon-based consultancy Dar al-Handasah is understood to have proposed a plan of action to increase the airport’s capacity to 10 million passengers a year that requires a budget of $54m.

Another company is understood to have proposed rehabilitating the runways, aprons and other associated infrastructure for approximately $28m.

Middle East Airlines, Lebanon’s national carrier, is also planning to undertake a $150m expansion of its headquarters located at the airport. MEA expects to start the expansion works in 2019.