Construction work has started on the expansion of Bahrain International Airport after the first foundation stone was set by Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain.
The project will increase the airport’s capacity from four million to 14 million passengers annually and will include the construction of a new 2,370,000ft² terminal, main service building, multi-story parking garage, and additional airside and landside infrastructure works. TAV Construction was named as the main contractor for the project earlier this year.
The project is being funded courtesy of a AED3.4bn (US$920m) grant, which in turn is part of a larger AED9bn (US$2.5bn) grant provided by the UAE to Bahrain in 2013 as part of a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) development program. The grant is being administered by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), an autonomous foreign aid agency established by the government of Abu Dhabi in 1971.
Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of ADFD, said, “Investing in an exciting project such as this airport expansion is an important driver for the country and we look forward to seeing the project progress and take shape.”
Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, minister of transportation and telecommunications, Bahrain, said, “The expansion of Bahrain International Airport will give a strong boost to the economy of the country by enhancing its competitiveness through the construction of world-class aviation infrastructure.”