Three groups have submitted bids for the contract to build the new passenger terminal building at Kuwait International airport.

The bidders are:

• Arabtec Construction (UAE)
• China State Construction Engineering Corporation (China)
• Kharafi National (local) / Limak Holding (Turkey)

The Kharafi National/Limak joint venture submitted the low bid with a price of $4.7bn in November 2014. The price was nearly $1bn lower than the second-lowest bid of $5.6bn submitted by China State.  

The Public Works Ministry later decided to retender the deal after the low bid exceeded the estimated cost of the project by 39 per cent, as well as not meeting technical requirements, according to Kuwait’s Electricity, Water & Public Works Minister Abdulaziz al-Ibrahim. He said on 8 February that a technical committee in the ministry called for the bids to be rejected.

The total investment in developing Kuwait International airport is expected to reach $6bn. In addition to the new terminal, an estimated $3bn will be spent on widening runways, enhancing control tower facilities and building new cargo facilities.

Contractors have been prequalified for package three, which involves the construction of a runway, passage, aircraft hangars and roads. Firms have been invited to prequalify for the design, construction and operational maintenance of a passenger support terminal at the airport.