Kuwait’s Public Works Ministry (MPW) has extended to 8 January the deadline for the submission of bids for the project management consultancy (PMC) contract for construction work at Kuwait International airport.

The previous tender closing date was 25 November.

Firms that have been invited to bid for the contract include:

• CH2M (US)
• Egis (France)
• Hill International (US)
• Ineco (Spain)
• Louis Berger (US)
• Parsons (US)
• SNC-Lavalin (Canada)
• Turner & Townsend (UK)

MEED understands the PMC contract covers Terminal 2, as well as package 2, which covers the construction of passenger services, buildings and roads that connect to Terminal 2.

In June, MPW prequalified 22 groups for the contract for package 2 of the Kuwait International expansion.

The majority of the firms that have been prequalified to bid were approved to tender for the contract to build Terminal 2 in 2014.

MPW awarded Turkey’s Limak the KD1.3bn ($4.3bn) contract for the construction of Terminal 2 in 2016.

At the time, the award was made to a team comprising Limak and local firm Kharafi National, whose role, sources say, was limited to serving as local agent for Limak during the project bidding phase.

Terminal 2 is expected to handle 25 million passengers a year upon completion in 2022 and accommodate all aircraft types through 51 gates and stands.

In May, Limak  signed a KD249.2m ($830m) syndicated credit agreement with the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and Kuwait Finance House (KFH) to partly finance the construction of Terminal 2, which is expected to be completed by 2022.

A third phase of the airport development will be tendered later.

There are also plans to develop a new airport in the northern part of Kuwait using a public-private partnership (PPP) model.