Jeddah-based construction company Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) has won a contract to build a new $800m passenger terminal at Maldives international airport.

SBG will lead the construction of the new terminal on 78,000 square metres of reclaimed land to the southwest of the current airport, with 12 jetties and six aero-bridges to help boost tourist numbers to the island nation, UK news agency Reuters cited government officials as saying. They however, declined to comment on the size of the contract inked with SBG.

Last year Maldives attracted 1.2 million tourists. The government has been seeking funding for the project from the Export-Import Bank of China (China EximBank), the Kuwait Fund, the Abu Dhabi Fund, and the Saudi Fund for Development, the government said in a statement.

This is the first Maldives contract for SBG, the biggest contractor in Saudi Arabia by turnover. The company has run into financial difficulties in its domestic market after it was barred from winning new contracts following the Mecca crane incident, which claimed more than 100 lives.

The ban was removed earlier this month, but SBG is still struggling with cash flow issues as it awaits delayed payments from the Saudi government. In order to cut costs, the company has fired 70,000 expatriate workers, and has had to pledge its properties in Mecca and Jeddah to secure an SR2.5bn loan ($667m) to clear the dues of the laid-off workers.