Bahrain’s Transportation Ministry has awarded a BD6.9m ($18.3m) contract to US-based Hill International to provide project management consultancy (PMC) services for the ministry’s airport modernisation programme.

The programme, which has been developed by the ministry and Bahrain Airport Company, aims to improve the infrastructure and services at Bahrain International airport. When completed, the programme is expected to increase the airport’s capacity to 13.5 million passengers a year. 

“We are delighted to be appointed for this vital project,” says Mohammed al-Rais, senior vice-president and managing director Middle East at Hill International. “We are fully committed to the quality and time scale of this development, while adhering to the best international standards.” 

Hill has shifted focus from real estate schemes to infrastructure projects in the Middle East, the firm’s president and chief operating officer (COO), David Richter, recently told MEED in an interview.

“Today, our biggest projects are public-sector infrastructure schemes, public buildings, airports, railways, hospitals and schools, and I don’t see any change in that [strategy in future],” said Richter. “I think we will see a little more private-sector development, but governments will continue to spend significant amounts of money on infrastructure for their people.”