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MEED reported that Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation has extended the closing date for 2 major construction contracts on the SAR 18 billion expansion of King Abdulaziz International airport in Jeddah to March 29th 2010. The previous deadline was March 8th 2010.
The packages are both design and build. The first contract covers the new terminal building and the second is for infrastructure works. The terminal deal will involve designing and building 600,000 square meters terminal capable of handling 30 million passengers a year. The infrastructure contract is to design and build runways, tunnels and a light rail system.

According to sources close to the project, at least 6 groups have already pre qualified for the contracts. They include the local Almabani General Contractors Company, Athens based Consolidated Contractors Company, Cyprus based Joannou & Paraskevaides, the local Saudi Binladin Group, JV of Saudi Oger and South Africa’s Murray & Roberts Contractors and Turkey’s TAV with the local Al Rajhi Group.

GACA chose to change its procurement strategy to speed up the project in December. It previously planned to award one design contract and separate contracts for the construction of each element of the airport instead of awarding two larger contracts for both design and construction work.

(Sourced from MEED)