Saudi Arabia to tender four new airport privatisation projects
A wide-ranging privatisation process in Saudi Arabia, and one that included the airport sector, experienced a hiatus in 2018 in the wake of incidents that presented the kingdom in a dubious light in the mind of the western world generally.
Five years on the process has been resurrected. It has an emphasis on small to medium size airports away from the major cities, and where the objective seems to be to create 'new' airports out of existing ones by way of the sort of infrastructure which PPPs have historically provided - such as new terminals.
Saudi Arabia has changed in the past five years. It increasingly covets foreign tourists, and especially those prepared to 'splash the cash' in the new global scale cities and resorts that it is creating.
But it also seeks to distance itself politically from the west, from where it has previously received support, and to find allies from the east and north.
That will inevitably impact on the selection of the 'private' partners for these ventures.
Become a CAPA Member to access Analysis Reports
Our Analysis Reports are only available to CAPA Members. CAPA Membership provides exclusive access to in-depth insights on the latest developments in the aviation and travel industry, developed by our team of dedicated analysts located in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
Each report offers a fresh perspective on the latest industry trends and is available online or via the CAPA mobile app, with customisable alerts to help you stay informed and identify new business opportunities.
CAPA Membership also provides access to our full suite of tools, including a tailored selection of more than 1,000 News Briefs every week and comprehensive data and analysis on thousands of companies around the world.