Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (Gaca) has further extended the deadline to 19 May for bids for a contract to expand Riyadh’s King Khalid International airport.

The design and build contract will involve the expansion of Terminal 3 and the unused Terminal 4, as well as additional landside work and concourses. The work will also involve the construction of aircraft aprons and stands, airport systems installations, and new utilities and services.

In 2013, Gaca invited nine contracting groups to bid for the contract, with the tender closing date set for 27 February.

The prequalifiers are:

• Sapac (local)/Samsung C&T (South Korea)
• Al-Arrab Contracting (local)/TAV (Turkey)
• Saudi Binladin (local)
• Al-Mabani General Contractors (local)/Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based)
• El-Seif Engineering Contracting Company/Larsen &Toubro (India)/Besix (Belgium)
• Al-Yamama (local)/Habtoor Leighton Group (UAE/Australia)
• Al-Bawani (local)/J&P (Joannou & Paraskevaides) (Cyprus)
• Hochtief (Germany)/Shapoorji Pallonji (India)
• FCC (Spain)/Drake & Scull (UAE)

In February 2013, the local arm of US-based Aecom, Aecom Arabia, was appointed to project manage the expansion scheme. The work aims to increase the airport’s annual capacity to 24 million passengers from today’s 14 million.

In May 2013, Gaca awarded the joint venture of Turkey’s TAV and the local Al-Arrab Contracting Company the estimated SR1.5bn ($400m) contract to construct the new Terminal 5 building at King Khalid International.

The project is one of several new airport construction and expansion schemes launched in the country over the past year.

Gaca is currently seeking bidders for two contracts to redesign seven domestic airports in the country. The scope of work includes the design of new terminals, runways, aprons, control towers, maintenance buildings, VIP lounges and landscaping.

The redesign of the seven airports has been split into two separate tenders. The first tender is for design work at Al-Ahsa, Al-Wajh, Sharurah and Wadi al-Dawasir airports. Bids for the first tender must be submitted by 30 April. The second tender is for the redesign of Qaisumah, Rafha and Turaif airports. Bids for the second tender must be submitted by 4 May.