Riyadh begins King Salman airport third runway construction
31 December 2025
King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC) has started the construction works on the third runway at King Salman International airport (KSIA) in Riyadh.
The construction works are being implemented by Spain's FCC Construction and the local contractor Almabani.
The third runway will span 4.2 kilometres (km) and will incorporate multiple access taxiways, increasing the airport’s handling capacity from 65 to 85 aircraft an hour.
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.
In July, MEED exclusively reported that KSIADC was finalising the design-and-build contract to develop the third runway.
Other project elements
KSIADC is preparing the delivery of several key components of the KSIA project. In December, MEED reported that Riyadh-based construction firm Binyah had signed a framework agreement with KSIADC to undertake the preliminary site works at KSIA.
Binyah’s scope of work includes site preparation, earthworks and backfilling, roads and diversion of utilities.
The client also revised the tendering timelines for the airport's new and expanded aircraft fuel storage facilities, as well as a fuel distribution network and hydrant system servicing new aircraft parking areas at KSIA.
The project will be implemented as a public-private partnership on a design-build-finance-operate-maintain basis.
In November, MEED reported that the client is targeting mid-2026 to award the contract for the construction of Terminal 6 at the airport.
KSIADC had invited contractors to submit their best and final offers in August for the first phase of Terminal 6 and the Iconic Terminal, MEED reported.
Tendering activity is also ongoing for the fourth runway. The client had allowed firms until early December to bid for the 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.
The airport aims to accommodate up to 100 million passengers by 2030. The goal for cargo is to process 2 million tonnes a year by 2030.
Saudi Arabia plans to invest significantly in its aviation sector. Riyadh’s Saudi Aviation Strategy, announced by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, 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.
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The bid submission deadline is 26 February.
The first scheme under the package is TF-16-C1, which involves upgrading and rehabilitating the stormwater system east of the Dubai Canal.
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Modon tenders Ras El-Hekma construction contracts
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Abu Dhabi-based developer Modon Holding has tendered several contracts as part of the first phase of development at Ras El-Hekma, a planned new city on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.
MEED understands that the tenders were issued in January.
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DP3 assets: covering 146 residential villas, 590 three-bedroom townhouses, 356 four-bedroom townhouses, a mall and other associated works.
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Modon has accelerated development works at Ras El-Hekma this year. In January, MEED reported that Modon Holding had awarded a E£15bn ($316m) contract for the construction of a project at Ras El-Hekma.
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Commercial International Bank Egypt (CIB) has provided €58m in credit facilities to local firm Elsewedy Electric for the construction of a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in Hungary.
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The signing ceremony was held at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority headquarters in Aqaba on 5 February.
The agreement was signed by Hussein Safadi, CEO of ADC, and Ahmed Al-Mutawa, regional CEO of AD Ports Group.
Aqaba port handles about 80% of Jordan’s exports and 65% of its imports.
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In 2025, the terminal handled over 5.3 million tonnes of cargo and nearly 85,000 car equivalent units of Ro-Ro imports.
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The announcement followed AD Ports Group’s signing of a shareholders’ agreement in January 2024 between its digital arm, Maqta Gateway, and Jordan’s Aqaba Development Corporation regarding their existing joint-venture company, Maqta Ayla.
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Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the February 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
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Chinese firm wins Ceer automotive supplier park deal
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Beijing-headquartered Metallurgical Construction Corporation (MCC) has won a contract to undertake the steel structure works on the Ceer automotive supplier park in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).
The supplier park is located next to Ceer’s electric vehicle (EV) production facility in KAEC.
The automotive supplier park will include production and ancillary facilities for various suppliers and provide the material supply infrastructure for Ceer’s EV plant.
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Earlier this week, MEED exclusively reported that Ceer had awarded a contract to build the automotive supplier park to Jeddah-based construction firm Modern Building Leaders (MBL).
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The latest contract award is another significant contract win for MCC in Saudi Arabia. In January, MEED reported that MCC had won a contract to undertake the steel structure works on Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium at the Qiddiya City project on the outskirts of Riyadh.
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