Saudi airports expected to undergo privatisation by the end of 2017: GACA president

Saudi Arabia's General Authority Civil Aviation (GACA) president Abdul Hakeem Al-Tamimi stated all Saudi airports will be privatised by the end of 2017, once they have been converted into companies, fully owned by the Saudi Civil Aviation Holding (Al-Eqtisadiah Daily/Saudi Gazette, 27-Jul-2017). Mr Al-Tamimi said the main objective of privatisation is to improve passenger services, increase profitability, and balance expenditures. GACA will privatise its airports through three methods, including:

• Converting the airports into companies, managed by a board of directors, with Riyadh King Khaled International Airport cited as an example;
• Signing agreements with companies who will operate and mantain the airport, although "GACA will bear the cost of the airport expansion project and the company will share the revenue", Mr Al-Tamimi said. Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport will privatise under this method, he noted;
• Privatising airports under a build, operate and transfer (BOT) procedure, with airports such as Madinah Prince Mohamad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Taif, Hail, Qassim and Yanbu expected to privatise under this method.

Airport privatisation will be completed in phases and in groups, Mr Al-Tamimi added.