meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

King Salman airport sets June deadline for fourth runway

4 June 2025

 

King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC) has allowed firms until 17 June to bid for a design-and-build contract to develop the fourth runway at King Salman International airport (KSIA) in Riyadh.

The tender was floated on 17 April. The previous bid submission deadline was 15 May.

It is understood that the third and fourth runways will add to the two existing runways at Riyadh’s King Khalid International airport, which will eventually become part of KSIA.

KSIADC, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, prequalified firms in September for the main engineering, procurement and construction packages; early and enabling works; specialist systems and integration; specialist systems, materials and equipment; engineering and design; professional services; health, safety, security, environment and wellbeing services; modular installation and prefabrication; local content; and environmental, social and governance and other services.

The entire scheme is divided into eight assets. These are:

  • Iconic Terminal
  • Terminal 6
  • Private aviation terminal 
  • Central runway and temporary apron
  • Hangars
  • Landside transport
  • Cargo buildings
  • Real estate

In August last year, KSIADC confirmed it had signed up several architectural and design firms for the various elements of the project.

UK-based Foster+Partners will design the airport’s masterplan, including the terminals, six runways and a multi-asset real estate area.

US-based engineering firm Jacobs will provide specialist consultancy services for the masterplan and the design of the new runways.

UK-based engineering firm Mace was appointed as the project’s delivery partner, and local firm Nera was awarded the airspace design consultancy contract.

Project scale

The project covers an area of about 57 square kilometres (sq km), allowing for six parallel runways, and will include the existing terminals at King Khalid International airport. It will also include 12 sq km of airport support facilities, residential and recreational facilities, retail outlets and other logistics real estate.

If the project is completed on time in 2030, it will become the world’s largest operating airport in terms of passenger capacity, according to UK analytics firm GlobalData.

The airport aims to accommodate up to 120 million passengers by 2030 and 185 million by 2050. The goal for cargo is to process 3.5 million tonnes a year by 2050.

Saudi Arabia plans to invest $100bn in its aviation sector. Riyadh’s Saudi Aviation Strategy, announced by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca), aims to triple Saudi Arabia’s annual passenger traffic to 330 million travellers by 2030.

It also aims to increase air cargo traffic to 4.5 million tonnes and raise the country’s total air connections to more than 250 destinations. 

MEED’s latest report on Saudi Arabia includes:

> GOVERNMENT: Riyadh takes the diplomatic initiative
> ECONOMY: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy forges onward
> BANKING: Saudi banks work to keep pace with credit expansion
> UPSTREAM: Saudi oil and gas spending to surpass 2024 level
> DOWNSTREAM: Aramco’s recalibrated chemical goals reflect realism
> POWER: Saudi power sector enters busiest year
> WATER: Saudi water contracts set another annual record
> CONSTRUCTION: Reprioritisation underpins Saudi construction
> TRANSPORT: Riyadh pushes ahead with infrastructure development
> DATABANK: Saudi Arabia’s growth trend heads up

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14009249/main.jpg
Yasir Iqbal

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Qatar launches bid to host 2036 Olympic Games

    31 July 2025

    The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has announced a bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

    If successful, Qatar would be the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to host the event.

    Qatar hosted the men’s Fifa World Cup in 2022 and already has “95% of required sports infrastructure in place to host the Games” and “a comprehensive national plan to ensure 100% readiness of all facilities”, said QOC president Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al‑Thani.

    “This move underscores the State of Qatar’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Olympic and Paralympic Movements and its keen interest in playing an active role in the advancement of global sport,” a QOC statement said.

    “Building on the monumental success of the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022, we reaffirm our readiness to bring the world together under the banner of the Olympic values just as we did in 2022, when Doha welcomed over one million travelling fans from around the globe.

    “Our journey to 2022 was one of tremendous growth. The path toward 2036 will build on that foundation with a new kind of legacy: an achievement that crowns Qatar’s efforts to develop skills and create economic opportunities for all its people.

    “This plan is rooted in a long-term vision aimed at building a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable legacy. Our objective goes beyond simply organising a successful event. Ee aim to deliver a global experience that reinforces the values of inclusivity, sustainability and international collaboration.”

    On 31 July, the QOC formed a bid committee for the 2036 Games, chaired by Sheikh Joaan, with Sheikha Hind Bint Hamad Al‑Thani, vice-chairperson of Qatar Foundation, as vice-chair.

    If Qatar’s bid succeeds, the 2036 Games will likely move to winter to avoid extreme summer heat – as the 2022 World Cup did.

    Other confirmed bidders for 2036 include Istanbul (Turkiye), Ahmedabad (India), Nusantara (Indonesia) and Santiago (Chile).

    Reported potential bidders include Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Egypt, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Canada.

    Qatar previously bid unsuccessfully for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, which ultimately went to Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

    The Summer Olympics are scheduled for Los Angeles, US, in 2028 and Brisbane, Australia, in 2032.

    Qatar’s bid reflects a broader Gulf strategy to position the region as a premier destination for major international sports events.

    Doha will host the Asian Games in 2030, one year after Saudi Arabia hosts the Asian Winter Games in Trojena.

    In March, Asia Rugby chief Qais Al‑Dhalai announced Qatar is preparing a joint bid with Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the 2035 or 2039 Rugby World Cup.

    Saudi Arabia made a solo bid and won the rights in December to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup.

    The 2026 Fifa World Cup will be held in North America across 16 cities in the US, Canada and Mexico. Morocco will co-host the 2030 edition of the football World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

    READ THE AUGUST 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Gulf heads into a new era of aviation; Maghreb’s resilience rises despite global pressures; GCC banks expand issuance amid demand

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > MAGHREB MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb pushes for stability
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14377255/main3942.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Masdar to divest stake in Sharjah waste-to-energy project

    31 July 2025

    Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi-based Tadweer Group to divest its stake in the waste-to-energy project in Sharjah, subject to customary closing conditions.

    Sharjah-based Beeah Group is the other stakeholder in the project – the first of its kind in the UAE. The facility can treat over 300,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of municipal solid waste, or 37.5 tonnes an hour, and generate 30MW of clean energy.

    After closing, Beeah and Tadweer will partner in the Emirates Waste-to-Energy joint venture operating the Sharjah facility, commissioned in 2022.

    The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development provided a $33m concessionary loan for the Sharjah waste-to-energy plant in 2018.

    In January, Emirates Waste-to-Energy announced the plant’s second phase.

    The expansion will nearly double the plant’s annual output to 60MW, processing up to 600,000 t/y of hard-to-recycle waste and displacing up to 1 million t/y of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

    Upon completion of phase two, the plant will generate enough power to supply nearly 60,000 homes annually, Beeah and Masdar said in a January joint statement. This will help meet rising energy demand from Sharjah’s growing population and development.

    Phase two will boost landfill diversion in Sharjah, building on the current 90% landfill diversion rate.

    The facility complements Beeah’s 4-square-kilometre integrated waste management complex, which includes over 10 specialised recycling facilities.

    Remaining hard-to-recycle waste is sent to the Sharjah waste-to-energy plant, closing the loop and diverting nearly 300,000 tonnes from landfill.

    ALSO READ: Sharjah’s Beeah moves into real estate with Khalid bin Sultan City

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14376774/main.jpeg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Expo City Dubai awards nature reserve contract

    31 July 2025

    Expo City Dubai has awarded a contract to Dubai-based landscaping firm Proscape to deliver the Expo Valley nature reserve project.

    Proscape’s scope of work includes land grading, construction of a lake, irrigation and associated infrastructure works.

    Construction has begun, and the project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026.

    The nature reserve will cover 10 hectares and feature about 1,200 trees.

    Expo City Dubai said in a statement: “The nature reserve will offer a biodiverse, restorative environment, a lake, a wadi and a variety of landscaping, and will be designed and built in collaboration with wildlife specialists to support a wide range of flora and fauna at Expo City.”

    The developer has recently launched several real estate projects at the Expo 2020 Dubai site, including Expo Valley, Mangrove Residences, Sky Residences, Sidr Residences and Al-Waha Residences.

    The developments will be built close to the Dubai Exhibition Centre, whose masterplan was approved last year by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

    The AED10bn ($2.7bn) expansion of the Dubai Exhibition Centre is part of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. Under the plan, Expo City Dubai will become an economic hub driven by exhibitions and events.

    Expo City Dubai will gradually expand to cover 3.5 square kilometres, with facilities for 35,000 residents and 40,000 professionals.

    Dubai real estate developments dominate the UAE’s construction market, with schemes worth over $323bn in the execution or planning stages.

    This is in line with a forecast by GlobalData, which predicts that the output of the UAE construction sector will grow by 4.2% in real terms in 2025, supported by developments in infrastructure, energy and utilities and residential construction projects.

    READ THE AUGUST 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Gulf heads into a new era of aviation; Maghreb’s resilience rises despite global pressures; GCC banks expand issuance amid demand

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

    > MAGHREB MARKET FOCUS: Maghreb pushes for stability
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14374420/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Kuwait gas project construction expected to start this year

    31 July 2025

    Construction work on a key project forming part of Kuwait’s Jurassic gas fields development scheme is expected to begin this year.

    Engineering work is ongoing on the off-plot works package, which involves building infrastructure to link the Jurassic gas fields to production facilities, according to information obtained by MEED Projects.

    The contract was awarded to Kuwait-based Combined Group Contracting (CGC) in March this year, and construction is expected to start before 2026.

    The company submitted a price of KD19.2m ($62.6m) to win the contract.

    The project scope includes:

    • Laying pipelines
    • Installing machinery
    • Constructing processing units
    • Constructing a control building
    • Constructing a metering station
    • Installation of a 16-inch feed trunk line from Umm Niqa
    • Construction of associated facilities
    Uptick in oil projects

    Kuwait is in the middle of an upstream project push as it aims to produce 4 million barrels a day (b/d) of oil by 2035.

    On 10 May 2024, Kuwait’s Emir, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, announced the indefinite suspension of parliament in a televised speech.

    Under Kuwaiti law, parliament can be suspended for a maximum of four years.

    Before the suspension of Kuwait’s parliament, the country suffered from very low levels of project awards for several years due to political gridlock and infighting between the cabinet and parliament.

    In the 14 months since the suspension of parliament, the total value of oil projects in the country has risen by nearly a third.

    The value of active projects – including those under construction and those in the planning phases—has increased from $14.3bn in May 2024 to $18.5bn as of July 2025.

    While project activity is gradually increasing, it remains far below the 2019 peak, when the total value of oil projects exceeded $65bn. Some stakeholders argue that Kuwait should be doing more to fast-track large projects in the sector.

    Although the value of projects in pre-construction phases has increased, the value of projects that are under construction in Kuwait’s oil sector has fallen by 12%, from $6bn to $5.3bn since May 2024.

    It remains unclear why the suspension of parliament last year has not led to a more significant uptick in oil project activity in Kuwait.

    While the gradual rise in the value of active contracts in the planning phase is seen as a positive sign, critics argue that after 14 months without a parliament to block decisions, more projects should have had contracts awarded and be under construction by now.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14372917/main.jpeg
    Wil Crisp
  • KBR wins contract for Kuwait upstream oil project

    31 July 2025

    State-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has awarded US-based engineering firm KBR a contract to provide design services for a project that is part of its heavy oil programme at the South Ratqa field.

    Under the contract, Houston-headquartered KBR will provide front-end engineering and design (feed) and associated services for the project, which is part of KOC’s broader heavy oil programme.

    Heavy oil was first discovered in 1979 in the South Ratqa field, with production briefly starting in the early 1980s before being halted by the Iraqi invasion in 1990. Operations resumed in 2006.

    Kuwait is advancing an upstream project push aligned with its goal of producing 4 million barrels a day of oil by 2035.

    MEED recently reported that KOC had extended bid deadlines for six key oil projects, estimated to be worth a total of $2.5bn.

    ALSO READ: Kuwait tenders downstream oil project

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14372946/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp